Generation shift in indian army

New Delhi, Oct. 31: When the new vice-chief of the Indian Army takes charge tomorrow, he will herald a generational change in the top brass as he will be the first officer commissioned after India’s last full-fledged war in 1971 to rise to the post.

Lt Gen. S.K. Singh takes over from Lt Gen. A.S. Lamba who retired today after 40 years in service. As a young officer, Lt Gen. Lamba became a war veteran within a couple of months of being commissioned in 1971.

He was a second lieutenant in his artillery unit that gave fire support to the Indian infantry in its dash through the Pakistani ranks on the Jessore-Khulna-Dhaka axis as the Indian Army charged into the then East Pakistan capital and forced the surrender on December 16 that year and midwifed the birth of Bangladesh.

With Lt Gen. Lamba retiring today, there are only four more officers in the Indian Army — including the chief, Lt Gen. V.K. Singh — who were commissioned into service in the year of India’s last full-fledged war.

After the war, Lt Gen. Lamba, who was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery, converted to a paratrooper. Packing commanding authority into his diminutive figure, Lamba went into combat again in counter-insurgency in Nagaland and Manipur and with the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka.

“When you see action at such close hand when you are so young — I was barely 19-20 years of age in 1971 — there is little to be afraid of for the rest of your life,” he told The Telegraph in a recent conversation.

Lt Gen. Lamba commanded a Mountain Brigade, the 16 Infantry Division, the elite 21 Strike Corps and the Army Training Command headquartered in Shimla.

Lt Gen. S.K. Singh, who takes over as the vice-chief tomorrow, has commanded a brigade in the Siachen Glacier, an infantry division on the Line of Control, a corps in Jammu and Kashmir and the recently created South Western Command headquartered in Jaipur.

Lt Gen. S.K. Singh could have an unusually long tenure as the vice-chief — over two years. He is from the regiment to which the late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw belonged, the 8 Gorkha Rifles, and is its colonel commandant.

Coming soon: An 'agile, lethal, versatile' Indian Army

The Indian Army [ Images ] will move from a "command-based" deployment to a "theatre command" format where the "front" or the spearhead will be seamlessly integrated with resources in the "depth" or the rear, says RS Chauhan

The exact contours of the long-awaited transformation of the Indian Army will be finalised at the end of October after Exercise Sudarshan Shakti, a massive desert operation to be conducted by 21 Corps, one of the three strike formation India possesses, concludes.

The transformation, however, seeks to break down these artificial boundaries to minimise losses and increase optimal utilisation of resources. So in the years to come, the Indian Army will move from a "command-based" deployment to a "theatre command" format where the "front" or the spearhead will be seamlessly integrated with resources in the "depth" or the rear.Conceptualised in 2010 after a two-year study by a group of top generals under the current army chief, Gen VK Singh [ Images ], when he was the Eastern Army commander, the transformation envisages seamless integration of available forces without the constraints of limiting the resources in water-tight compartments of "commands". So far, each command and formation operated well within its prescribed boundaries and deployed the combat as well as support services only within its own jurisdiction.

In other words, when fighting formations get busy in taking on the enemy, the support elements dealing with food supplies, ammunition, spares etc -- usually based towards the rear -- will have total synergy with the frontline troops, thereby increasing their effectiveness.

The basic idea is to turn the lumbering Army into "an agile, lethal, versatile and networked force, which is capability-based to meet future challenges". Gen VK Singh has said the transformation must be 360 degrees and "enhance operational capability through reorganisation, restructuring, force development and relocation".

The concept is based on 13 transformation studies. These range from ways to consolidate strike capabilities and "flatten" HQs, to "synergising" all resources. Some of the Army's new transformative concepts are already being "test-bedded".

The chief in fact told the Army commanders in the ongoing commanders' conference in New Delhi [ Images ] which began on Monday that proposals for "theatrisation" of combat and combat services support have been completed and they would be test-bedded during the forthcoming Southern Command Exercise with troops. Once the efficacy is ascertained, it would be implemented.  Processes are also on for re-structuring of the Army headquarters, so that it becomes a more responsive and synergised organisation.

All these steps undertaken would ensure that our Army is more agile, responsive and effective, the Army chief said.   

The five-day conference is focusing on various macro-level issues pertaining to operational preparedness, equipment sustainment for mission readiness and maximising combat power generation capability of the Army, enhancing professional military education for scholar warriors, logistics and other administrative aspects. Procedures to ensure efficient 'budgetary management', 'improvement of habitat in high altitude areas'  and 'night landing capability for airfields in the northern and western theatres' was deliberated on the first day of the conference. It was brought out that due to low temperatures at night, the carrying capacity of the IL-76 would increase, thus helping in winter stocking as also for operational logistic build-up.

Source:Rediff

Arjun Mark II to go for second trial

CHENNAI: The Army will be watching closely as an updated version of its Main Battle Tank Arjun, which has incorporated 59 improvements, goes for a crucial trial in the next three months.

The Mark-II version, being developed at Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), will go for a crucial trial in the next three months, DRDO sources said.

"We have incorporated 56 of the total 89 improvements recommended in Arjun Mark IIafter the last test in Pokhran in Rajasthan. We are hopeful of the next test which is scheduled in December this year or January next year," they said.

The testing would also include firing of Lahat missile, having a range of six kms.

After clearing the test, Mark II will have to face final integrated testing by Army in June 2012.

Some of the major improvements include changes in the commander's panoramic sight with eye safe LRF, night vision, driver's uncooled thermal image, digital control harness, new final drive for increased weight, new track and sprocket.

"Once Arjun Mark II comes out successfully through the integrated testing in June next year, the production of the latest version of Arjun tanks will start in Heavy Vehicles Factory," the sources added.

Indian Army has ordered 142 MBT A

Source:TOI