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Page 6Urban warfare solutions — Trends

Urban operations require innovative forms of intelligence, including new sources and methods of collection, particularly open source information from non-military sources.

lt General p.c. Katoch (retd)

Page 8counter Terrorism

The challenges to international cooperation are manifold, aside from consensus on definition of terrorism. Real time intelligence must be shared continuously inclusive of sharing analyses and forecasts.

lt General p.c. Katoch (retd)

Page 9fresh chapter in Indo-Italian Bi-lateral cooperation

When it comes to the defence industry and procurement, Italian companies have developed an outstanding expertise, which can contribute significantly to the ‘Make in India’ flagship programme.

lt General naresh chand (retd)

PlUs

Impenetrable armour: The future is Here 10

news in Brief 11

SP’s A N S P G U I D E P U B L I C A T I O N

The ONlY magaziNe iN asia-Pacific DeDicaTeD TO laND fORces

>> Lead storyIn ThIs Issue

Volume 15 No. 5October-November 2018

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PhoTogRaPh: PIB

future Infantry combat Vehicle (fIcV) Quagmire: analysis of the paralysis and way forward

`100.00 (India-Based Buyer Only)

ICV BMP-II K tanks on Rajpath, New Delhi

Lt GeneraL a.B. sHIVane (retd)

The story of fICV is a saga of illusions and a case study of wavering bureaucratic decision-making, compromising future operational capability and nation-

al security. even before its design is concep-tualised, its obituary seems to have been signed. repeated procedural hiccups and lack of commitment/support for the proj-

ect at apex approving level has resulted in more snakes than ladders in its turbulent case history. this has resulted in creat-ing an operational void due to attendant time delay, escalating inflationary cost and uncertainty of assured budgetary support in the future. termed as a game changer for an integrated defence ecosystem both for infrastructure development and high tech-nology infusion, under the otherwise illu-sive ‘Make in India’, it had raised optimism

in the nascent yet vibrant Indian defence industry. however, self-created ambiguities of its future have only multiplied, in an otherwise clean and clear eoI evaluation by Integrated Project Management team (IPMt) submitted to MoD in November 2016 which should have paved the next step forward. this raises many issues in the “Pandora Box”. has “Make-I” (and its earlier Avatar ‘Make’) already sounded the death knell with neither BMs, tCs

Fourteen years of deliberation (2004-2018) and frequent changes in procedural stance have yielded miniscule capability enhancements in the BMP II fleet upgrade. This along with the FICV quagmire magnifies the capability void.

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and fICV progressing? Are those behind the scuttling effort, players who did not feature in the eoI of this big ticket? Is the recent bogey of possibly progressing it under Make-II (DPP 2016) pragmatic for a project which is technology intensive, time sensi-tive, operationally critical and an opportu-nity to invigorate the indigenous defence eco system through a competitive process? Who is responsible for the procedural delay and its impact since issue of its first eoI in May 2010 and is their accountability and insti-tutionalisation in the otherwise wavering approach to critical defence procurement? how will this indigenous technological gap be managed and who will hold the IPr? Does it merit to be reviewed under the stra-tegic Partnership model? this article analy-ses some of these intriguing issues, aimed at evolving possible options and suggesting solutions to this quagmire.

The Operational Imperativethere have been transformational changes in the evolving geo-strategic canvas cre-ating strategic uncertainty and volatility, impacting the global and regional security. In particular, in the last one decade, the security landscape in Indian subcontinent has changed dramatically with a volatile, radicalised and revisionist Pakistan brewing proxy war in India and a swaggering and intimidating Chinese expansionism under-cutting the Indian sphere of influence. these along with evolving power centers of strategic realignments, mandate strength-ening of all facets of our comprehensive national power, of which indigenous mili-tary power and deterrence is an important facet for strategic autonomy.

Combat vehicles are a critical component of a nation’s military capability building, across the entire spectrum which has stood the test of recent hybrid conflicts. National security especially with our turbulent bor-ders’ mandates, that the Army must field new capabilities when they are required, not when they are expedient; modernisa-tion efforts must match or exceed adversary advances. A modern Infantry Combat Vehi-cle (ICV) fleet is a critical component of the Mechanised force as a means to ensure “Vic-tory at Least Cost and in Minimum time”. the ICVs are armoured vehicles which carry mechanised infantry into the battle as an integrated weapon platform, part of a

combined arms team, across the entire spec-trum ranging from a nuclear battlefield to a sub conventional domain. the fICV will be used to safely transport mechanised infan-try to critical locations in battle field, pro-vide fire support to cover their dismounted operations and destroy enemy tanks and other weapon platforms. their ability to float across water obstacle as a mobile protected lethal platform gives them the singular criti-cal operational capability to gain and retain execution tempo especially in a proactive strategy. While fighting against increasing capable and elusive enemies, maintaining combat overmatch requires ICV moderni-sation to support continuous time critical technological upgradation of current fleet and simultaneously innovative approach to development of replacement platforms with future capabilities. the Army thus requires both a new fICV and incremental techno-logical improvements in the existing fleet of BMP II. this becomes the essence of a pragmatic long-term fleet management plan based on future threats and vulnerability analysis, risk assessment and desired capa-bilities for the combat fleet, balanced against a pragmatic budgetary forecast.

ICV Fleet Management ChallengePresently the mainstay of the ICV fleet of the Indian Army is the BMP II inducted in

mid 1980’s. With a service life of globally accepted formulation of 32 years, replace-ment by fICV in 2017-18 onwards was an operational imperative. however, neither has the BMP II seen major technological comprehensive upgrades in mobility, fire-power and survivability; nor is the fICV on track. hence the operational effectiveness of this large fleet of over 2500 platforms remains sub optimal with a glaring unre-solved capability void. even if the fICV as presently planned manifests in the Army by 2026-27, the complete fleet replacement will take minimum 13 years (@200 per year) i.e. by 2040; by when the first lot would be near mid-life and necessitating next level

of upgrades. Any further delay will be at the cost of stretching this operational void from a state of risk to danger. this cauldron is a manifestation of “defunct procedure, weary decision making, and a neglected outcome” oriented approach. fourteen years of delib-eration (2004-2018) and frequent changes in procedural stance have yielded minis-cule capability enhancements in the BMP II fleet upgrade. this along with the fICV quagmire magnifies the capability void. the result is that the Army continues to hold and produce an obsolete technology equip-ment on its operational inventory.

The FICV: A Turbulent Journeythe fICV began its turbulent journey through an AoN(Acceptance of Necessity) in october 2009, under DPP 2008, Make Chapter, for a quantity of 2610 combat vehicles. since 2009, the `60,000 crore fICV project has been launched twice through eoI’s in 2010 and later in 2015, each time with great promise, but wavering stance, commitment and lethargy at deci-sion making level. the last eoI of July 2015 was evaluated in an objective, transparent and fair manner and submitted after nine months of intense and tedious evaluation by the IPMt, for approval of the MoD in Nov 2016. A sensitivity analysis and brain-storming of all contentious claims by ven-dors was meticulously done by IPMt to rule out any impact on the final result. the eoI evaluation criteria was based on commer-cial/financial strength, technical capabil-ity, critical technology and technical speci-fications in compliance to the operational requirement. each criterion was assigned weightage based on a rationale and evalu-ation methodology evolved over a year’s deliberation with subject matter experts, user and statistical tools used to decide inter-se importance of criteria and param-eters. finally, the evaluation matrix was prepared and approved on file by MoD, and sealed before issue of eoI. the next stage involved nomination of two best Develop-ment Agencies (DA) besides ofB by MoD, for formulation of a Detailed Project report (DPr) leading to the development of proto-types for trials. however, it is here that once again a paralysis set into the system for rea-sons beyond comprehension.

the impasse commenced with the same MoD office who had approved the eoI

Lead story

This issue of SP’s Land Forces coincides with Indonesia’s Tri-Service Defence event named INDO DEFENCE 2018 EXPO & FORUM which will be held at Ja-karta International Expo Kemay-oran, Indonesia from November 7-10, 2018. Indonesia is now the world’s third most populous de-mocracy, the world’s largest ar-chipelagic state, and the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. Indonesia has been carrying out trade with China and India since the 7th century. Interestingly the name Indonesia is an 18th-centu-

ry construct of two Greek words, “Indos” (India) and “nesoi” (is-lands), meaning “Indian islands.” Indonesia has ambition of becom-ing a regional military power as it is the world’s fourth most popu-lous country and the largest in SE Asia; is the world’s 16th largest economy, which is expected to be the seventh largest by 2030. In-donesian waters remain the most dangerous in the world and ac-counted for more than 20 per cent of all incidents reported world-wide. India and Indonesia have very good relations and a strong defence cooperation base.

The lead article is on the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) project which was termed as a game changer for an inte-grated defence eco system both for infrastructure development and high technology infusion, un-der the otherwise illusive ‘Make in India’ format. It had raised op-timism in the nascent yet vibrant Indian Defence Industry. How-ever, self created ambiguities of

its future have only multiplied, in an otherwise clean and clear EoI evaluation by Integrated Project Management Team (IPMT) sub-mitted to MoD in Nov 2016 which should have paved the next step forward. The author’s contention is that the story of FICV is a saga of illusions and a case study of wavering bureaucratic decision making, compromising future op-erational capability and national security. The author has tried to place the project in its correct perspective and suggested a blue print for progressing the project to its logical end. Urbanisation is gaining momentum world over and by 2050, nearly two-thirds of global population of 9.7 billion is expected to live in cities, where the less developed countries are urbanising at faster rate than the developed countries. Urbanisa-tion, together with upheavals in demographic trends and violence, domestic political power dynam-ics and changes in character of armed conflict have brought ur-

ban warfare into prominence. The rise of non-state actors has add-ed another significant dimension to urban warfare, where global political violence is more in cities and towns. From urban riots and endemic urban violence in Af-Pak, terrorist organisations like ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda, Haqqanis, LeT and many others are wreaking attacks around the world. Since this is a growing trend thus an article on the subject is included.

According to GTD 2017, five countries accounted for three quarters of all deaths from terror-ism: Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Ni-geria and Pakistan. These same countries have been the five most affected by terrorism every year since 2013 but for the first time Turkey was one of the ten most affected countries. Terrorism ef-fects 77 nations. Thus UN has established the Office of Counter-Terrorism headed by an Under Secretary General. This will lead to UN assistance for counter ter-

rorism and enhanced coopera-tion amongst nations for carrying out counter terrorism operations. Thus an article on the subject.

Prime Minister of Italy, Gi-useppe Conte, paid an official visit to India on October 30, 2018 at the invitation of Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi. From the joint statement it appears that both India and Italy are seeking to put an end to the uneasiness that crept into bilateral relations and are ready to forge strong strategic and economic bi-lateral ties. This issue wraps up with the usual news digest and flag postings. Wish you all readers a happy, prosperous and peaceful Diwali and happy reading!

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a modern Infantry combat Vehicle (IcV) fleet is a critical component of the mechanised force as a means to ensure “Victory at least cost and in minimum Time”

PhoTogRaPh: SP guide Pubns

A mock up of Tata’s FICV on display

Jayant BaranwalPublisher & Editor-in-Chief

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Lead story

evaluation criteria, raising concerns on the approved parameters and weightages at this belated stage. this de-facto amounted to changing the goal post after results were sub-mitted and thus could question the integrity of the system. some wild card suggestions to give the DPr to all five eoI respondents and thereafter select two DAs based on DPr was logically, procedurally and legally not ten-able. In the meantime, those vendors who were not respondents to the eoI or those who got jelly knees, apprehensive of a favourable outcome for them, joined the band wagon to raise irrelevant concerns aimed at scut-tling the process by unbalancing likely com-petitors through false claims, finally aimed at retraction of the present eoI. the case was referred to a panel of Independent expert Monitors (IeMs) by MoD, who conclusively found no merit in the complaints and the eoI evaluation was considered righteous to be moved to the next stage of nomination of the two selected DAs and ofB.

having presumably overcome these ini-tial setbacks of over 30 months of decision paralysis, the new lot of approving authori-ties now developed cold feet on the budget-ary allocation to the two selected private industry DAs (80 per cent by Govt and 20 per cent by DA under DPP 2008) as devel-opment cost estimated (linked to milestones to be stated in DPr) was conceivably around `500 crore each. once again, those private players not in the fray raised yet another bogey to sabotage the case by recommend-ing progressing it under Make-II (DPP 2016), thereby enticing a fund starved MoD to save its initial development cost. this pro-posal raises more questions than answers:lIs it legally justified to shift from Make

(DPP 2008) to Make-II (DPP 2016) without retraction of the present eoI and recommencing the case from starter bloc ?

lIf the case is restarted from scratch by retracting present eoI, who will be responsible for any delay in this critical operational void and with this waver-ing approach is there any certainty of its survival even in future? Will Make-II move faster and will it deliver a success-ful indigenous fICV model for the user faster and better than where Make-I sta-tus stands as of date?

lfICV being the first high technology complex system under ‘Make in India’ initiative requires a system of system approach or just a system integrator approach. thus, will the fICV under Make-II be “Assembled in India” or ‘Made in India’ with desired indigenisa-tion content, rights /licenses, tot and IPr under our control? further, under Make-II, are there any guarantees for production and indigenous lifecycle support being leveraged by foreign oeM rather than Indian oeM?

lDue to lack of expertise and experience of Indian private industry in the sphere of combat vehicles, domestic companies will go in for tie up with overseas com-panies in almost all critical/high tech-nology areas. since the prototype does not necessarily guarantee success of the project, will the Indian oeM and its foreign collaborator be willing to invest large amount for development cost and associated tie ups without assurances?

Why will FICV be a Game Changer?the fICV will be a critical force multiplier for ensuring combat overmatch in the future conflict scenarios, across the entire spec-trum of our envisaged threats and desired capabilities. equally important, it would be a band wagon on which the large, medium and small scale defence enterprises could find mutually exclusive space for building an integrated defence eco system. thus, it would act as a stimulant to boost the recently announced defence corridor from a concept to a reality setting aside all concerns of ‘Make in India’. the fICV also encompasses a family

of combat support futuristic vehicles includ-ing scope for development the operationally needed light tank, based on the concept of commonality of base platform. Besides the large number of fICV and associated plat-forms required, which makes an exciting proposition, its life cycle management and support makes excellent business sense for both the Indian Defence Industry and for-eign collaborators. Like the success story of emergence of It hubs and automotive industry in India, this promises even greater potential for the future, provided we exhibit a strategic vision and demonstrated will, of not only being a net producer of our operational needs but also a net exporter of indigenous high technology weapon systems.

fICV will be a harbinger of high-end technology induction to India. Its eoI encompasses five core technologies (engine, Main Gun & Ammunition, Armour Mate-rial, transmission & steering and running Gear) and thirty-four sub system critical technologies which account for nearly 32 per cent of the evaluation criteria. Given

our nascent defence r&D base, low defence technology threshold and the DrDo experi-ence, technology induction will have to be in collaboration with foreign oeMs, through a MoUs with complete tot and leverage of IPr in the hands of Indian oeM. this may real-istically transit from “Assemble in India”, to ‘Make in India’ to ‘Made in India’. We must learn our lessons from the oeM monopolis-tic tendencies under licensed production, like in the case of t-90 tanks. thus, the rights/license for commercial development, series production, continued engineering support and product improvement through joint r&D must rest with the Indian oeM. In essence the rights/license to manufacture, maintain, overall, exploit and upgrade must be with Indian oeM, thus mandating design tot (the why), manufacture tot (the how) and all material & sub system tot, along with IPr maximum handles for strategic autonomy. Another important associated weakness that needs to be overcome prior is the ability to monitor and absorb technology by Indian oeM. further, the offsets accrued through this venture must ideally galvanize the defence r&D base.

Spiral Approach to Matching the Operational Requirement and Addressing the Technological GapfICV needs to be user driven as per the defined operational capabilities which must be realistic based on mature technologies with scope for upgrade at production/midlife stage to emerging futuristic technologies. to cover the development period and associ-ated technological gap, a spiral approach to technology enhancement is an imperative. thus, the first prototype should be able to

meet the Key Performance Parameters viz essential Parameters (defacto mature tech-nologies) and subsequent upgrades/devel-opment should include ‘Desirable Parame-ters’ (de-facto emerging technologies).’ the fICV presently envisages a platform (with a crew of three and a stick of minimum eight personnel with combat loads), that is air portable and amphibious with high mobility (Power to weight ratio minimum 25:1) over all terrains obtaining along our borders. It encompasses high lethality for destruction of enemy tank targets by minimum third generation all weather, day night, top attack capable missile system and a multi-purpose main gun/cannon for other ground tar-gets and hostile helicopters. to counter the multiple threats in the battle space it seeks a multilayered all-around passive surviv-ability kit as an essential criterion, with desirability of active protection system and stealth cum signature management tech-nology solutions as upgrades. the challenge remains space, power and weight manage-ment without compromising its primary

role as an amphibious platform. finally, its high mission reliability, maintainability, adaptability to varied terrain and affordabil-ity will also be important governing factors.

It may also be prudent for the Army to consider its requirement of wheeled fICV variants especially for our Northern Bor-ders, obstacle ridden terrain/marginal terrain like rann of Kutch, amphibious operations and even possibly in counter insurgency/counter terrorist operations.

Way Forward: Options and Implicationsthe fICV is a critical operational require-ment of the Indian Army which must mani-fest in enhanced combat capabilities in a time and technology sensitive progression. fICV programme has to progress because it will not be just be a lethal platform, but

also be the base for other defence r&D pro-grammes and a test case of the credibility of ‘Make in India’ initiative. the options for progressing it thus narrows down to three disparate procurement courses viz Make-I as presently ongoing, Make-II as being sug-gested by some vendors with vested interests or the recent strategic Partnership model which is barely finding its feet.

Option 1: fICV on track under ‘Make-I’ (Make DPP 2008). having deliberated thread bear since 2015, after learning lessons from the past, it’s time to show the moral courage and commitment to ‘Make in India’ by the MoD to progress the case. Any further delay must seek responsibility and accountability for its void in the operational capability and cost escalation. the Indian defence industry especially the big sharks also need to exhibit maturity, character and ethical behavior based on transparency and fairness of this big ticket. even if financial support is becom-ing an impediment, it must be worked out mutually by MoD with selected oeMs and User for a staggered allocation of funds based on certain landmarks / milestones to be achieved. It would also give credibility to catalysing the recently announced defence corridors. the Army should also be support-ive of such an option as it would get them the desired product with life cycle support in the earliest timeframe.

Option 2: fICV shifted under ‘Make-II’. ‘Make-II’ procedure per se is a desirable addition to the DPP 16 but not for complex high technology and cost intensive proj-ects. thus, shifting fICV at this stage under ‘Make-II’ would be detrimental to timely fructification of the already delayed proj-ect with minimum three to four years’ time penalty in induction of fICV and no assur-ances of its success. second time retraction of eoI will have strong negative impact on the credibility of MoD and its processes. serious Indian vendors & foreign oeMs may thus lose interest and back out. the tall claims of few influential Indian vendors to fund D&D effort of estimated 400-500 Cr by themselves and as well as on NCNC (no cost no commitment) case seems to be a bogey to scuttle and eliminate fair competi-tion/participation in the project. there are also strong apprehensions that once the current eoI is retracted and MoD decides to go for fresh AoN under ‘Make-II’, these (or all) vendors will request/pressurise MoD for many moderations/amendments/devia-tions in procedures to cut down their D&D expenditure. Likely moderations could be:lModify PsQr to match the existing ICV

platforms so as to avoid major D&D efforts.lAccept ex-import equipment for field

evaluation (NCNC) or accept lowest possible indigenous content in the pro-totype (against DPP requirement of 40 per cent).

lrights and Licence of Critical technol-ogy are likely to get restricted in Make-II, against almost all 34 technology agreed in current Make-I eoI response. each Critical tech would have considerable cost for acquisition.

lforeign oeMs possibly had agreed to part with/share Critical technology to only those Indian Vendors who got selected through eoI evaluation as they were a 50 per cent chance to win the final contract under Make-I. With ‘Make-II’ being open to all, foreign oeMs may not guarantee any such support, thereby forcing Indian vendors to buy only products and not the rights/Licence of Critical technology. Any compromise on acquiring Critical technology and their rights/Licence would lead to dilution of category from ‘Make-II’ of D&D to mere ‘Buy & Make’ where only getting a product with tot is the focus.Option 3: strategic Partnership (sP)

Model as the New Avtar of fICV. sP was

Continued on page 10...

fIcV needs to be user driven as per the defined operational capabilities which must be realistic based on mature technologies with scope for upgrade at production/midlife stage to emerging futuristic technologies.

ICV BMP-II

PhoTogRaPh: SP guide Pubns

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operatIons

Lt GeneraL p.C. KatoCH (retd)

as the NAMe IMPLIes, urban warfare implies combat con-ducted in urban areas – cities and towns. features peculiar to urban warfare include the pres-

ence of civilians and the complexity of the urban terrain. hence urban warfare is very different from combat in the open at both operational and tactical levels. tactics are complicated due to the three dimensional environment, limited field of view both for observation and fire because of buildings, enhanced cover and concealment for the defenders. opponents can hide sub-surface in basements and tunnels and booby traps, mines, IeDs and snipers can make life hell for the attackers. Presence of large num-ber of civilians makes identification dif-ficult of friends from foes. It is difficult to distinguish ‘combatants’ among civilians like armed militias and associates. Urban combat negates the advantages that one side may have over the other in terms of armour, heavy artillery, or air support. Ambushes laid down by small groups of soldiers with handheld anti-tank weapons can effectively destroy columns of modern armour, while artillery and air support can be severely reduced due concerns of col-lateral damage in terms of civilian casual-ties. Besides, the opponents may resort to using innocent civilians as human shields. Advantage of urban combat to the defender is to wreak ambush-induced attrition losses on the attacking force. the attacking force must therefore use three dimensional appli-cation cater for large amount of manpower to secure large number of structures and rubble. room to room fighting may have to be resorted to periodically, especially where heavily defended building cannot be com-pletely demolished and fortified bunkers and utility tunnels cannot be targeted.

Militaries are bound by laws of war gov-erning military necessity to the amount of force which can be applied when attacking an area where there are known to be civil-ians. Until the 1970s, this was covered by the 1907 hague Convention IV, which has since been supplemented by the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, relating to the Protection of Victims of International and Non-Inter-national Armed Conflicts.

Modern Day Urban WarfareWhen 10,000 IsIs fighters emerged sud-denly and captured Mosul in Iraq. Us-NAto ignored Iraqi cries to bomb these columns. Bombing of IsIs only commenced by the Us-led coalition after they had mingled with six million civilian population. this was obvi-ously by design to keep West Asia on the boil. Urbanisation is gaining momentum world over and by 2050, nearly two-thirds of global population of 9.7 billion is expected to live in cities, where the less developed countries are urbanising at faster rate than the devel-oped countries. Urbanisation, together with upheavals in demographic trends and vio-lence, domestic political power dynamics and changes in character of armed conflict have brought urban warfare into prominence.

the rise of non-state actors has added another significant dimension to urban warfare, where global political violence is more in cities and towns. from urban riots and endemic urban violence in Af-Pak, ter-rorist organisations like IsIs, Boko haram, Al shabaab, Al Qaeda, haqqanis, Let and many others are wreaking attacks around the world. Armed groups, insurgents, ter-rorists, and criminal gangs are managing violence in a manner unseen and unheard in the past. Despite, about 25,000 Us-IsAf forces present in Afghanistan and the stated resolve to keep Kabul safe, the city is wit-nessing waves of periodic bombings.

The ISIS ExperienceIt is interesting to note that behind the rise of IsIs, one of the most vicious terrorist organ-isation, were the UsA, saudi Arabia and some other countries. In urban battles Is put up stiff resistance despite facing numerically superior and better equipped opponents, who were backed with superlative airpower and control of skies. In cities, the battle raged simultaneously above and below ground level, with latter involving intricate laby-rinth of tunnels that IsIs used to optimise using for surprise attacks by popping-up at different locations. IsIs made extensive use of armed drones for surveillance, monitor-ing and armed drones to inflict casualties. In addition was their employment of snipers,

mines/IeDs and suicide vehicle-borne IeDs (sVBIeDs). IsIs also used drones to distract opponents from fleeing from the incoming sVBIeD or attempt to destroy it. Drones were also used as area-denial weapons, with two to three drones rotating attacks on a posi-tion, allowing bombs to be dropped through-out the day. IsIs made extensive use of media to attract thousands of recruits.

If the sudden capture of Mosul surprised the world, IsIs started production of weapons, IeD manufacture at huge scale, arming com-mercially off-the-shelf drones, amassed stock-piles of supplies and huge amount of finances by selling oil and construction of extensive defensive lines on edge of cities involving bar-ricades, trenches, and berms with weapons emplacements. After their opponents entered the city, IsIs continued harassing opponents with fire, IeDs, snipers, and drones. Is fight-ers and snipers used holes made in walls to fire while remaining completely in cover. the group intended to inflict enemy casualties but reduce the risk to its own fighters by using these longer-ranged weapons, often setting up and firing opportunistically rather than in pre-prepared defensive positions. IsIs grouped most of its forces during defensive urban battles into small, squad-sized units of six to twelve men. these units would stage attacks and raids on enemy positions, while regularly infiltrating into liberated neighborhoods, enabled by an extensive network of mouse holes and tunnels. eventual victories came at a cost for the attacker; some units of the Isf’s elite counterterrorism force reportedly suf-fered up to 50 per cent casualties.

Indian ExperienceIndia experience in urban warfare has been limited. India launched air attacks in March 1966 to liberate Aizawal from Mizo National Army using heavy machine gun fire and drop-ping incendiary bombs, followed by ground attack to recapture Aizawal and other cities. In May 1973, three battalions of Provincial Armed Constabulary in Uttar Pradesh muti-nied for better pay, work conditions etc. the Army was called in to control the mutiny, replete with tanks and armoured personnel carriers. some 30 revolting policemen died in the fighting and hundreds were arrested. other

than this, the Indian experience in urban war-fare has been deployment of NsG in response to the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, Army deployment to eliminate terrorists holed up in religious places in Punjab and Gujarat, and eliminating terrorists in built up areas in J&K. All these are nothing compared to what has been happening in Iraq-syria, latter including.

Preparing for Urban Warfarethe above mentioned IsIs experience eluci-dates how complex urban warfare is. Deter-mining how to assess the enemy, mount a defence, and protect civilians is a focus of urban warfare research around the globe. Armoured ground forces enable freedom of movement in urban areas, providing the basis for shrinking the operational problem of a large urban area down to a neighborhood. the right mix of heavy and light forces is nec-essary, as also combined arms approach that integrates ground manoeuver with integrated fires. Urban operations require innovative forms of intelligence, including new sources and methods of collection, particularly open source information from non-military sources. every city poses different challenges in terms of manageable size of force and how to employ it. the Us special operations Com-mand (soCoM) is looking for drones to carry blood to injured troops, as well as small sys-tems that can fly indoors, through tunnels, swarm, and operate when being jammed.

the IsIs experience requires thorough examination, analysis, extensive training and rehearsals. training in close quarter battle (CQB) and house-to-house search amount to only the very elementary tactics of fighting in built up areas. several coun-tries have created simulated urban training zones. the British Army has established an “Afghan village” within its stanford Bat-tle Area. the Centre d’entrainement aux actions en zone urbaine (CeNZUB) is a pur-pose-built facility for training french armed forces in urban warfare skills.

the Israeli Defence forces (IDf) civilian-to-terrorist death ratio is the lowest in the world. for every 30 terrorists killed, there is only one civilian casualty. this number is low considering the various tactics used by terror organisations, including ‘human shields’ that puts many citizens in the firing line. In order to combat such terrorist methods, IDf has focused efforts on learning how to fight effi-ciently in urban areas. Many training centers have been established over the last year, with the Urban Warfare training Center being the largest of them all. Considered the world’s most advanced training facility, this Urban Warfare training Center consists of over 600 individual structures, simulating an authen-tic, modern Arab city. Among the structures, one can find eight-story-high apartment complexes, shabby shacks, schools, city-stores, public buildings, and market places. the IDf trains periodically at this facility.

Compared to the above training facili-ties, both our Army and NsG have miles to go. there is urgent need to focus on future requirements of urban warfare; detailed appreciation and a roadmap for capacity building in time-bound manner in order to not get caught napping and learning urban warfare the hard way. SP

Urban operations require innovative forms of intelligence, including new sources and methods of collection, particularly open source information from non-military sources.

Urban warfare solutions — Trends

PhoTogRaPh: Israel Defense Forces

Urbanisation, together with upheavals in demographic trends and violence, domestic political power dynamics and changes in character of armed conflict have brought urban warfare into prominence

IDF officers practice urban warfare

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7 5/2018 sp’s land forces

MarKetInG feature

rosoBoroNexPort JsC (PArt of the rostec state Corporation) is launching the sprut-sDM1 light amphibious tank built by the trac-tor Plants Concern in the world

arms market.“this is a unique piece of armament

unrivaled throughout the world. the sprut-sDM1 is the only light amphibious fighting vehicle in its class that possesses the fire-power of the main battle tank. It is capable of disembarking from a ship and operating day or night in terrain impassable for other similar vehicles. rosoboronexport expects increased attention to this vehicle from countries having difficult terrain, such as water obstacles, marshes and mountains. In particular, a number of south-east coun-tries have already shown great interest in the sprut-sDM1,” said rosoboronexport’s Director General Alexander Mikheev.

the sprut-sDM1 is designed to provide fire support to infantry, engage armored targets, destroy enemy strong points and fortifications, and conduct battlefield recon-

naissance and security. It is intended for equipping the Marine Corps and tank units of the ground forces.

the sprut-sDM1 has a powerful arma-ment suite, corresponding to the main battle tank, and includes a 125-mm gun, a 7.62-mm remote-controlled machine gun, and a 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun. the vehicle is equipped with a guided missile weapon system designed to engage armored targets, including erA-equipped ones, at ranges up to 5 km.

Its state-of-the-art highly automated digital fire control system enables target detection, recognition and destruction on the move and at the halt, in poor visibility conditions, day or night, using different types of gunner’s and commander’s sights.

the amphibious tank offers a high level of protection for vehicles in the class. Its low weight and capability to cross water obsta-cles afloat ensure a high level of terrain passability. It is capable of fighting in the highlands and hot tropical climate, firing its gun while afloat. SP

rosoboronexport launches sprut-sdm1 light amphibious Tank

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8 sp’s land forces 5/2018

terrorIsM

Lt GeneraL p.C. KatoCH (retd)

UN seCretAry GeNerAL ANto-NIo Guterres, visiting India in July 2018, denounced terrorism as a plague that affects the world. he said the definition of terror-

ism had not yet been coined. India, having proposed the CCIt (Comprehensive Con-vention on International terrorism) to the UN, had raised the issue of definition at the recent United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meet, to which Guterres said UN fully supports India on this.

UN Office of Counter Terrorismthe UN office of Counter-terrorism was established vide adoption of the UNGA reso-lution 71/291 on June 15, 2017 and was moved into a new office of Counter-terror-ism headed by an Under secretary General.

russian diplomat Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov, who was russia’s Permanent representative to International organisa-tions in Vienna since 2011, was appointed Under secretary General for the new United Nations Counter-terrorism office on 21 June 2017. the UN office of Counter-ter-rorism has five main functions: one, pro-vide leadership for the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates entrusted to the secretary General from across the UN system; two, enhance coordination and coherence across the 38 Counter-terror-ism Implementation task force entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-terrorism strategy; three, strengthen the delivery of UN counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member states; four, improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for UN counter-terrorism efforts; and; five, ensure that due prior-ity is given to counterterrorism across the United Nations system and that the impor-tant work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the strategy.

the Under secretary General, UN office of Counter-terrorism, is responsible to pro-vide strategic leadership to UN counter-ter-rorism efforts.

Global Terrorist Scenethe Global terrorism Database (GtD) 2017, collected and collated by the National Consortium for the study of terrorism and responses to terrorism (stArt); a Department of homeland secu-rity Centre of excellence led by the Univer-sity of Maryland, UsA, shows number of deaths from terrorist attacks to 25,673. More countries experienced terrorism; more than in the past 17 years reflecting increase from 65 countries in 2015 to 77 countries in 2016. More troubling, was the potential for many hardened fighters and leaders to leave Iraq and syria to join new radical permutations of IsIL or existing IsIL affiliates in other countries. this has contributed to a continuation of last year’s trend of an expansion of IsIL activities into other countries. Zamir Kabulov, russian special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan estimates IsIs strength in Afghanistan at about 10,000 including supporters.

According to GtD 2017, five countries accounted for three quarters of all deaths from terrorism: Iraq, Afghanistan, syria, Nigeria and Pakistan. these same coun-tries have been the five most affected by terrorism every year since 2013 but for the

first time turkey was one of the ten most affected countries.

IsIL was the deadliest terrorist group in 2016, killing 9,132, majority of which occurred in Iraq. IsIL undertook attacks in 15 countries, which is four more than the previous year. IsIL affiliated groups killed a further 2,417 people and undertook attacks in another 11 countries. the three next deadliest terrorist groups are Boko haram, the taliban and Al Qaida. Boko haram attributable to 1,079 killings in 2016 has been targeted by the Multinational Joint task force and has splintered into three distinct groups because of the mounting pressure. the world’s 10 richest terrorist organisations going by their annual turn-over in descending order are: IsIs (UsD 2 billion); hamas (UsD 1 billion); fArC (UsD 600 million); hezbollah (UsD 500 million); taliban (UsD 400 million); Al Qaeda (UsD 150 million); Lashkar-e-taiba (UsD 100 million); Al shabaab (UsD 70 million); Irish republican Army (UsD 50 million), and’ Boko haram (UsD 25 million).

Conflict ScenarioConflicts of today are not really defined, are ambiguous with no defined borders, and may not have defined actors to fight against. Adversary can be state, non-state, state-sponsored non-state, or a mix of all. Both Us and China supported, armed and trained Mujahidden and Al Qaeda to oust the sovi-

ets from Afghanistan. the Us is also behind the raising of the IsIL/IsIs. the Afghan government is battling taliban as well as proxies of Pakistan, in addition to non-state forces like haqqani Network, Islamic state Khorasn and Al Qaeda, even as the latter two may have underhand links with Paki-stan’s IsI. similarly, in the Israel-hezbollah conflict and in syria, the main adversaries are non-state entities within the state sys-tem. that is why irregular forces are in play in West Asia, Ukraine and south Asia.

International Cooperationthe challenges to international coopera-tion are manifold, aside from consensus on definition of terrorism. there is need to link regional and national counter terrorism centres – where India is yet to establish an NCtC despite suffering foreign sponsored terrorism for decades. real time intelli-gence must be shared continuously inclu-sive of sharing analyses and forecasts. this has become a gigantic task with terrorists exploiting the internet for radicalisation, recruitment, planning and coordinating ter-rorist acts and attacks. International coop-eration requires real-time communications, close coordination and resource optimisa-tion. sharing technology, data, tools, models and visualisation is required, which should encompass r&D for counter terrorism in cyberspace, space and electromagnetic domains. Periodic dialogue and forums must plan preventive strategy, in addition to joint training for collective operations.

Persistent Catch 22the age old maxim of one nation’s terrorist is another nation’s ‘freedom fighter’ remains unresolved; the very reason why consensus cannot be arrived at. to add to this are other factors like ‘good’ and ‘bad’ terrorists. the Us added to the complexity by introducing the term “violent extremism”, which in turn ignored radicalisation, to which the world including the west is waking up now. the sarin Gas attack on the tokyo subway on 20 March, 1995 was an act of “violent extrem-ism” perpetrated by members of the Aum shinrikyo cult. Could you classify members of this cult “non-violent” terrorists before the sarin attack? Are there ‘good (non-vio-lent) and ‘bad (violent) terrorists?

Next is the support by nation states to terrorist organisations and using them as ‘boots by proxy’, which the Us, China and russia are freely indulging in. China has been arming and supporting the taliban

against Us-NAto and in Myanmar arm-ing the United Wa state Army (UWsA) and rohingyas (in conjunction with Pakistan) in furtherance of its own national inter-ests. It goes without saying that terrorist organisations provided ‘boots by proxy’ in most operations. this is one reason China supports Pakistani terrorism and Us fails to take deliberate action against this terrorism exporting country.

India SpecificWith Pakistan under Imran Khan, spurt in terrorism can be expected with hafiz saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and falah-i-Insaniyat foundation (fIf) taken off the list of banned outfits in Pakistan, JeM expand-ing its terror infrastructure, and JeM-Let planning seaborne attacks under tutelage of IsI. ‘Lone Wolf ’ and CBrN attacks can be expected. China continues to back Paki-stani terror. there is need to focus on: sur-veillance and monitoring of terror activi-ties including cyber activity; availability of terror material; managing social change versus population growth; Islamic radi-calisation and youth returning from IsIs; technology assisting terror including body implants / body cavity bombs (BCB), non-detectable explosives; use of drones, wall climbing robots by terrorists; miniature CBrN devices; use of internet to create social unrest and virus attacks; safety of critical infrastructure, chemical and fertil-izer plants, oil-gas pipelines and refiner-ies and suicide bombings at airports, train stations, malls, markets, and; eco terror-ism. for counter-terrorism, internally we should go for: sustained surveillance and monitoring; use force to eliminate hard-core; remember military operations not sole key; treat ‘Community’ as Centre of Gravity; focused de-radicalisation programmes with forces operating on moral and physical lev-els; choke state support to terrorism; intel-ligence and psychological operations, and; periodic re-evaluation for course correction.

other important focus areas are: opti-mise DIMe (diplomacy, info operations, military, economic); pro-active special ops as effective deterrence against proxy wars; counter narrative to attack radicalisation and recruitment with separate focus for select communities/ regions, teachers / reli-gious teachers, youth, girl child/mothers, apprehended terrorists plus population at large liable to support terrorism; alterna-tives to expend youth energies including employment opportunities; integrate edu-cation system into national mainstream; inform and empower communities to chal-lenge radical ideology; introduce ethics and true nationalism as part of education; psychological operations including through media; monitor de-radicalisation versus ongoing radicalisation, and; use discourse of Political and/ religious leaders as part of de-radicalisation.

ConclusionWe need to be clear that terrorism is here to stay because of it has become the means four geostrategic power play and of further-ing own national interests by nations big and small. More importantly, India has to be prepared to fight this battle ‘largely’ on its own. that is why Ashley J. tellis of Carn-egie endowment had stated, “India being continuously subjected to terror actually suits many… India is a sponge that absorbs global terror.” SP

The challenges to international cooperation are manifold, aside from consensus on definition of terrorism. Real time intelligence must be shared continuously inclusive of sharing analyses and forecasts.

counter TerrorismPhoTogRaPh: UN

IsIl was the deadliest terrorist group in 2016, killing 9,132, majority of which occurred in Iraq. IsIl undertook attacks in 15 countries, which is four more than the previous year. IsIl affiliated groups killed a further 2,417 people and undertook attacks in another 11 countries.

United Nations meet on Global Couter-Terrorism Strategy

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9 5/2018 sp’s land forces

foreIGn reLatIons

Lt GeneraL naresH CHand (retd)

prIMe MINIster of ItALy, Giuseppe Conte, paid an official visit to India on october 30, 2018 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. this was Prime

Minister Conte’s first visit to India after tak-ing office in June 2018. the visit is part of the ongoing celebrations to commemorate 70th anniversary of establishment of dip-lomatic relations between India and Italy.

Growing Political TiesBoth Leaders reiterated that India and Italy ties are based on shared principles and values of democracy, freedom, rule of law, respect for human rights and territorial integrity of states.

they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen mutual understanding and expand the range of bilateral engagement to promote peace, stability, economic prog-ress and prosperity of the two countries.

Strengthening Economic EngagementUnderlining the importance of economic cooperation for strengthening the bilateral ties, the two sides agreed to convene the next session of the India-Italy Joint Com-mission on economic Cooperation (JCeC) in India in 2019.

Both sides agreed on the need for an institutional framework for a sustained dia-logue to enhance the environment for ease of doing business in their respective coun-tries and further facilitate and promote bilateral economic cooperation. to take this forward, the Leaders tasked the JCeC to work towards constituting a Ceo forum and setting up a fast track Mechanism to promote two-way investments, and resolve issues, if any, confronted by the businesses in each other’s country.

the Leaders welcomed the setting up of an India-Italy Joint Working Group on food Processing that will be convened at a mutu-ally convenient date.

DST-CII India-Italy Technology Summit Both the Prime Ministers addressed the vale-dictory session of India-Italy technology summit designed to showcase cooperation across industrial sectors between the two nations. During his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the next phase of the India-Italy Industrial research and Development Cooperation programme. he added that the programme will enable our industry and research insti-tutes to develop new products.

More than 60 Italian companies were present at the tech summit, where they displayed the latest developments and cut-ting edge innovation in a broad spectrum of sectors, such as environment, energy, information and communication technol-ogy, aerospace, medical science but also the preservation of cultural heritage.

Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG)Conte reiterated Italy’s support to India’s intensified engagement with the Nuclear suppliers’ Group (NsG) which strengthens global non-proliferation efforts.

Defence CooperationBoth Leaders recognised the importance of regular defence exchanges between the two countries. they took note of the 9th India-Italy Joint Defence Committee meeting which took place in rome on May 16, 2018 and the recently concluded India-Italy 9th Military Cooperation Group meeting in rome (october 11-12, 2018) which saw the two sides agreeing to the bilateral coop-eration plan for the year 2019. Both sides recognised the need to broad base defence ties and make them enduring and mutu-ally beneficial. India invited Italian defence equipment manufacturing companies to invest in India under the ‘Make in India’ initiative and to collaborate with Indian companies for design and construction of defence equipment.

Current Scenario in Defence Coop-eration. With a new leadership in Italy and with the Milan third Court of Appeals finally clearing the defendants and dismissed all charges, citing lack of sufficient evidence to support the allegations, Italy has reached out to India to revive their defence coopera-tion and have Italian defence firms take part in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ programme.

In fact last year, a delegation led by defence secretary sanjay Mitra visited Italy to look at areas for military coopera-tion, that included meetings with the Ital-ian defence minister, the head of arma-ments and three service chiefs. At the same meeting the two navies also agreed to share ‘White shipping’ information, i.e. advance information regarding the move-ment of commercial, non-military mer-chant ships.

During a meeting in 2017 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni it was decided to establish a Joint Defence Com-mittee to enhance and encourage a “struc-tured dialogue” between Indian and Italian defence firms.

Italy and India can forge a mutually beneficial partnership in the defence sector. Contacts between Defence Ministries in this field have increasingly intensified this year, as proved by the reactivation of the Joint Defense Committee. When it comes to the defence industry and procurement, Italian

companies have developed an outstanding expertise, which can contribute significantly

to the ‘Make in India’ flagship programme.

ConclusionAhead of the summit, the Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conti, gave an interview to mainstream press in India that he wants to integrate Leonardo (formerly finmec-canica), the new defence company, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ programme. With the company’s fresh name, it could also spell a fresh start for them in India as well.

Italy is India’s fifth largest trading part-ner in the european Union and in 2017-18, India’s exports to Italy posted a 16.47 per cent growth at $5.7 billion. Imports increased 20.8 per cent to $4.7 billion. It appears that both India and Italy are seek-ing to put an end to the uneasiness that crept into bilateral relations and are ready to forge strong strategic and economic bi lateral ties. Italy PM’s visit could help write a fresh chap-ter in India-Italy Defence Cooperation. SP

fresh chapter in Indo-Italian Bi-lateral cooperation

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When it comes to the defence industry and procurement, Italian companies have developed an outstanding expertise, which can contribute significantly to the ‘Make in India’ flagship programme

PhoTogRaPh: PIB

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte, in New Delhi, October 30, 2018

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10 sp’s land forces 5/2018

arMour / Lead story

future Infantry combat Vehicle (fIcV)... continued from page 4

PhoTogRaPh: L&T

The ArMoUreD CorPs Is an indis-pensable arm for any Army, with an ability to penetrate defensive lines through the use of armoured equipment and tactics. Backed by

support from other arms such as Infan-try, Mechanized Infantry and Artillery, the Armoured Corps is able to combat the enemy’s defences, successfully enter and occupy enemy ground, while protecting the dismounting troops. the Armoured Corps also acts as a defensive barrier on ground, preventing the enemy from advancing onto home ground.

Larsen & toubro (L&t) has partnered the Indian Army and DrDo in order to develop key technologies for Armoured systems and Mechanized Infantry. As a matter of fact, L&t made its foray into the Defence Busi-ness in the late 1980s, with the success-ful development of the Nag Missile Carrier or NAMICA, based on a tracked platform. some notable achievements of L&t are its contribution to the family of NAMICA and AACAr systems, the development of the an electronically Controlled Power Pack (eCPP) for a tele-operated BMP-II vehicle, and development of thermal Imaging & fire Control system (tIfCs) for the t-72 MBts.

recently, L&t has also begun to venture in the international market. In June 2015, L&t signed a contract with the Armed forces of a south east Asian country for the fire-power upgrade of their Armoured Personnel Carriers. the vehicles were successfully com-missioned and handed over to the Customer in february 2017, and the upgraded vehicles successfully played a crucial role in combat-ing the local militia during operations.

In order to demonstrate its uncondi-tional commitment and support to the

Indian Army, L&t has constructed a state of the art Armoured systems Complex (AsC) in its hazira plant in surat. the AsC has been designed to cater to develop-ment, testing and production of wheeled & tracked Armoured Vehicles such as MBts, IfVs and APCs. the Complex has modern, automated facilities such as robotic weld-ing stations and dual axis machining cen-tres among others. the facility also has an

in-house test track to test the mobility of various platforms. At present, this facility is being employed in order to manufacture the 50-ton class K9 Vajra-t tracked sP Artil-lery Gun for the Indian Army.

L&t is also investing in the development of future technologies such as light weight composite armour, hybrid electric drivetrain and advanced situational awareness for armoured platforms. these technologies are

in different stages of development and shall replace existing conventional technologies in the near future.

With over three decades of experience in the Defence Industry, L&t looks forward to a continued partnership with the Indian Armed forces, and more opportunities to serve the Nation. SP

Contributed by L&T

Impenetrable armour: The future is Here

Armoured Systems Complex

proposed by the Dhirendra singh Commit-tee in July, 2015 and guidelines approved by the DAC in July 2018. sP model aims to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country through joint ven-tures between Indian corporates and global defence majors. the strategic partnership model seeks to identify a few Indian private companies as strategic Partners who would tie up with a few shortlisted foreign original equipment Manufacturers (oeMs) to manu-facture big-ticket military platforms. In the initial phase, the selection of sPs would be confined to four segments: fighter Aircraft, helicopters, submarines, and Armoured fighting Vehicles (AfV)/Main Battle tanks (MBt). strategic Partners, being private sec-tor companies, are expected to exploit their dynamism, competiveness, profit orienta-tion, and exposure to the civilian sector for efficient utilisation of the technology, man-power and infrastructure developed in the process. however, being a nascent entry into the system there are several concerns and loose ends which need to be tied up by MoD. While a good initiative for invigorating the defence procurement especially big tickets, fICV cannot be its testing ground having been delayed since 2008 and already ten years behind to address the critical opera-tional void. In any case progressing the frCV (future ready Combat Vehicle albeit the future MBt) as being presently pursued, makes good sense and need not be joined by fICV to throw all the eggs in one basket. Cur-rently, there are likely only very few existing ICVs which are closer to fICV requirement especially amphibious capability. these are K-21 (s Korea, 2010) and Krugnet-25 (rus-sian D&D project). since there are not many

proven track ICVs available, ‘sP’ or ‘Buy & Make’ are likely to result in sVC (single ven-dor case) and hence not recommended.

Analysis and RecommendationsBetween sP and Make-II, both the routes will deny India self–reliance that we are aiming for, under ‘Make in India’. Both are essentially ‘Buy & Make’ procedures that will ensure that India remains dependent on the foreign oeM not only during the produc-tion cycle but also the lifecycle maintenance, repair and overhaul (the cost of acquisition is normally one third of the entire lifecycle cost). Between the sP and the Make – II, why does the sP score better? the Make-II requires no solid guarantees for indigenous lifecycle support. thus, subsequent Mro support may involve ‘off the shelf ’ buy of spares and rotables involving costly forex and vulnerability to political arm-twisting. for the vendor this makes good business sense and for the user it is not only costly Mro but also dependence of foreign oeM for spares and thus an operational situation that user is trying to avoid in the first place. sP model on the other hand makes better sense because the Indian oeM has lifecycle costing built into its contract thus ensuring Indian oeM’s firm commitment to invest in the long term for cost cutting which is to his own advantage and thus makes better business sense. Moreover, while both sP and Make-II has no govt funding liability, the investment by sP is after he has been selected (i.e. when his order is guaranteed) as against Make-II where large No. of competitors are expected to make investment with no guarantee of orders/success. Is the Indian Defence Indus-try prepared to accept such risks? hence

prototype, if ever produced, will more or less be off the shelf with some cover up for Indigenous Content (IC). forcing vendor to increase IC after he has won the competition is unlikely to yield result.

Between the sP and Make-I, the latter binds the Indian oeM to commit to licenses (if not complete IP) for indigenous manu-facture and subsequent Mro for support-ing equipment lifecycles; and most impor-tant, indigenous upgrades (by Indian oeM at its best and jointly between the foreign

oeM and Indian oeM, at its worst), since it is initially paid for by MoD and later built into the contract.

thus, Make-I scores better then sP model if the focus on is getting rights/license and indigenization. Between Make-I and Make-II, the Make-I procedure allows up-gradation of platforms throughout its lifecycle, replacing any redundant or obso-lescent technology with that from indig-enous sources or from the inventory of any third foreign oeM as long as compatibility is ensured by the lead partner. even Indian DrDo could be made to contribute during the lifecycle upgrade. No legal action can be brought against this replacement exer-cise as the IP for integration lies with the Indian side. same is not the case with Make-II where the upgradation will be under the control of the foreign oeM.

thus, a comparative analysis and a real-ity check clearly establishes Make-I as a more pragmatic and advantageous option for fICV.

ConclusionfICV programme must progress because it will not just be a lethal platform, but also be the base for other defence r&D programmes and a test of the credibility of ‘Make in India’ initiative. Both from the perspective of time sensitive indigenous capability development, as well as addressing critical operational void, it would be prudent to progress fICV to the next stage under Make-I route. MoD must not waste any more time and expedi-tiously progress the fICV case, with due responsibility and accountability. SP

The author recently retired as Director General, Mechanised Forces, Indian Army.

Both from the perspective of time sensitive indigenous capability development, as well as addressing critical operational void, it would be prudent to progress fIcV to the next stage under make-I route. mod must not waste any more time and expeditiously progress the fIcV case, with due responsibility and accountability.

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11 5/2018 SP’s Land ForceS

News iN Brief

Army CommAnders’ ConferenCe: oCtober 2018

Army Commanders’ Conference was held from October 9 to 15, 2018, in New Delhi. A large number of issues ranging from operational, administrative, logistics and human resources were discussed. The last conference was held in April 2018.

As part of the conclave commanders and directorates at Army Headquarters will in a collegiate deliberate on important studies that have been ordered to meet future oper-ational challenges. There are four studies examining operational and optimizational issues of Army and the headquarters as also human resources management aspects. These studies aim to improve the teeth to tail ratio, with the purpose of strengthening the structures within the Army, to make it combat ready for the future.

rAytheon, Us Army UpgrAde exCAlibUr projeCtileRaytheon and the US Army completed development of a revolutionary capability for cannon artillery by upgrading the com-bat-proven Excalibur® precision-guided projectile. The Excalibur Shaped Trajectory, or EST, variant will enable soldiers to elimi-nate targets in hard-to-reach locations by selecting the projectile’s terminal or final phase attack angle.

With the Excalibur EST munition, sol-diers can attack a bunker positioned on the opposite side of a mountain slope, target a multi-story building from the side rather than the top or defeat enemy assets posi-tioned under highway overpasses.

This capability will be made available to allies approved to procure the Excali-bur projectile through foreign military sales. With more than 1,400 rounds fired in combat, Excalibur is the revolutionary, extended-range, precision munition for the U.S. and international artillery forces. The weapon is fully qualified in multiple sys-tems, including the M777, M109 series, M198, the Archer and PzH2000. It’s also been tested in the AS90, K9 and G6 how-itzers, with plans to integrate it with other mobile artillery systems.

In addition to the Excalibur EST vari-ant, Raytheon has developed Excalibur S, a laser-guided version of the projectile. The company has also developed a 5-inch sea-based variant, the Excalibur N5 munition. It’s expected to more than double the maxi-mum range of conventional 5-inch muni-tions and will provide the same accuracy as the land-based version.

gA-Asi Completes fot&e for grAy eAgle extended rAnge

Partnered with the US Army, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, recently completed Follow-On Test & Evaluation (FOT&E) for its MQ-1C ER Gray Eagle Extended Range. Testing of the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) began in early June and spanned 644 flight hours during the testing period. The successful test opens the door for MQ-1C ER initial fielding to the US Army Intelligence & Security Command (INSCOM) and Special Operations Com-mand (SOCOM), followed by units from Forces Command (FORSCOM).

“We expected the Gray Eagle Extended Range to perform well and it performed as advertised,” said David R. Alexander, president, Aircraft Systems, GA-ASI. “The FOT&E highlighted some of the key ben-efits that the MQ-1C ER will deliver to our US Army customer, including significantly increased endurance, more payload capac-ity to support future mission tasking, and considerable improvements in system reli-ability and maintainability.”

rAytheon, rheinmetAll join forCes for Us Army’s next-gen CombAt VehiCle Competition

Raytheon and Rheinmetall Defence have joined forces to meet the US Army’s require-ment for the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle-Optionally Manned Fighting Vehi-cle program. The global industry team will offer the new Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehi-cle paired with Raytheon weapons, sensors and system integration expertise to provide the Army with an advanced, modular, sur-vivable and lethal solution with unmatched growth potential.

Scheduled for fielding in 2026, the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle will be optimized for urban combat and rural ter-rain. The Army has named the NGCV as a top modernisation priority supported under the service’s new Futures Com-mand structure.

Raytheon technology earmarked for the Lynx could include advanced variants of Raytheon weapons, next-generation ther-mal sights, the Coyote® unmanned aircraft system and the company’s Active Protection System. The new, tracked, armored vehicle is designed to address the critical challenges of the future battlefield, with a focus on growth capacity and lower life-cycle costs. The Lynx IFV will provide the Army a next-generation lethal, powerful, lifesaving and adaptable fighting vehicle that represents true leap ahead capability compared to legacy vehicles. The NGCV is expected to replace the Bradley fighting vehicle.

indo-jApAn joint exerCise dhArmA gUArdiAn - 2018Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN - 2018, a joint military exercise between Indian & Japanese Armies, commenced at Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School,

Vairengete, Mizoram, India on 01 Novem-ber 2018. The Japanese contingent is being represented by 32nd Infantry Battalion, while the Indian side is being represented by 6/1 Gorkha Rifles. Approximately one pla-toon strength each of both the battalions is participating in this exercise. The opening ceremony was given a patriotic start by con-tingents of both the countries singing their respective national anthems.

Being first of its kind, the 14 days long joint exercise is being conducted from 01 Nov 2018 to 14 Nov 2018. The exercise will consist of a balance of indoor classes and outdoor training activities. The objective of this exercise is to build and promote army to army relations in addition to exchang-ing skills and experiences between both the armies. Due emphasis will be laid on enhanc-ing tactical skills to fight against global ter-rorism and on increasing interoperability between forces of both countries which is crucial for the success of any joint operation.

Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well developed tacti-cal drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered in urban war-fare scenario. The exercise will contribute immensely in developing mutual under-standing and respect for each other’s mili-tary. Experts from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share their expertise on varied operational aspects.

Exercise ‘DHARMA GUARDIAN-2018’ will be yet another step in deepening strate-gic ties including closer defence cooperation between the two countries.

Us Army Completes qUAlifiCAtion testing for new stinger missile proximity fUze

The US Army has completed qualification testing for a new proximity fuze that sig-nificantly enhances the combat-proven Stinger® missile produced by Raytheon. During recent testing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the upgraded weapon system scored a perfect 100 per cent hit rate against a variety of targets. The missiles were shoul-der- and vehicle- launched.

The new proximity fuze enables the lightweight, self-contained air defence sys-tem to destroy a wider array of battlefield threats such as enemy unmanned aircraft systems by detonating the missile’s war-head near the target, while maintaining its hit-to-kill capability. Plans call for the new proximity fuze to be integrated into Stinger missiles as part of a Service Life Extension Program. Combat proven, the Stinger missile has more than 270 fixed- and rotary-wing intercepts to its credit. It’s deployed in more than 18 nations and with all four U.S. military services. The weapon can be rapidly deployed by ground troops and on military platforms, and has been integrated for use on the Apache Attack Helicopter. SP

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13–15 NovemberFuture armoured Vehicles Survivability 2018Copthorne Tara Hotel, London, UKhttps://www.smi-online.co.uk/defence/uk/Future-Armoured-Vehicles-Survivability

3–5 DecemberedeX 2018Egypt International Exhibition Center, Cairo Governorate, Egyptwww.egyptdefenceexpo.com

26–30 March, 2019lIMa 2019MIEC, Langkawi The Resorts World, Langkawi, Malaysiawww.limaexhibition.com

aPPoIntMentS

lLt General P.S. Rajeshwar took over on November 1, 2018 as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chair-man Chiefs of Staff Committee.

lLt General P.S. Thimayya took over as  Commander of Army Training Command (ARTRAC) on November 1, 2018.

Publisher and editor-in-chiefJayant Baranwal

Senior editorial contributorLt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

Senior Technical Group editor Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd)Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)

contributorsIndia

General V.P. Malik (Retd), Lt General Vijay Oberoi (Retd), Lt General R.S. Nagra (Retd),

Lt General S.R.R. Aiyengar (Retd), Major General Ashok Mehta (Retd), Major General G.K. Nischol (Retd), Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (Retd),

Brigadier S. Mishra (Retd), Rohit Sharma

chairman & Managing directorJayant Baranwal

executive Vice President(Planning & Business Development)

Rohit Goel

administrationBharti Sharma

asst-admin, Hr & InfraPooja Tehlani

creative directorAnoop Kamath

designVimlesh Kumar Yadav, Sonu Singh Bisht

research assistant: GraphicsSurvi Massey

Sales & MarketingDirector Sales & Marketing: Neetu Dhulia

General Manager Sales: Rajeev Chugh

SP’s WebsiteSr. Web Developer: Shailendra P. AshishWeb Developer: Ugrashen Vishwakarma

Published bimonthly by Jayant Baranwal on behalf of SP Guide Publications Pvt Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this

publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, recording, electronic, or otherwise without the prior

written permission of the publishers.

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© SP Guide Publications, 2018

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