Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said it was ready to discuss arms control and restraint measures with India to avoid an unnecessary arms race in the region, days after US President Barack Obama asked both nations to reduce their nuclear arsenals.

Shaheen III surface-to-surface ballistic missile launching from an undisclosed location in Pakistan. AFPShaheen III surface-to-surface ballistic missile launching from an undisclosed location in Pakistan. AFP

“We have taken note of President Obama’s call on both Pakistan and India to work together with a view to ensuring that military doctrines do not move in the wrong direction,” Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said.

The spokesman said Pakistan is ready to discuss arms control and restraint measures with India and “our proposal of strategic restraint regime” can provide a basis for mutually agreed restraint measures and avoidance of an unnecessary arms race in the region.

Pakistan is opposed to a nuclear and conventional arms race and strongly believes in peace and stability in the region, he said.

“We are committed to minimum deterrence,” Zakaria said, adding that Pakistan’s nuclear capability was solely for self-defence.

On Friday, Obama had identified South Asia, in particular India and Pakistan, as one area where there is a need to make progress in nuclear security and reducing nuclear arsenals.

Zakaria claimed that there is an increased understanding at the international level of Pakistan’s genuine concerns regarding rapidly growing Indian conventional and nuclear capabilities and offensive military designs such as the so-called ‘cold start doctrine’.

The spokesman said Pakistan has strong credentials to become a member of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as a non-NPT state.

The NSG is still deliberating upon the issue of membership for non-NPT states, he said.

“Pakistan has strong credentials for full integration in the multilateral export control arrangements, including the NSG and we are confident that we will be able to qualify any principle-based, objective and non-discriminatory criteria developed for this purpose,” he said.

“We have been running a safe, secure and safeguarded civil nuclear programme for more than 42 years. We have the expertise, manpower and infrastructure to produce civil nuclear energy,” he said.
Zakaria said that the 4th Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington, which concluded last weekend, was a significant event from Pakistan’s perspective.

He said the statements and the outcomes of the Summit were gratifying for Pakistan in many ways.

“Our constructive engagement in the process has helped in highlighting Pakistan’s strong national nuclear security regime, command and control system, rigorous regulatory regime and comprehensive export controls which have been appreciated at the international level,” he said.

Source:- Firstpost

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Dr Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense, USA, accompanied by the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma and other high ranking US officials, visited Karwar Naval Base and INS Vikramaditya, the flagship of the Indian Navy, on Monday.

On arrival at INS Kadamba helipad, he was welcomed by the Hon’ble defense minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar, Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral MS Pawar, Director General Seabird and Rear Admiral RJ Nadkarni, Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval area.

Dr Carter was briefed on the development of the Naval Base under Project Seabird, specially highlighting the green initiatives undertaken by the Navy to make it a pristine and environmentally friendly base. The secretary of defense also visited the Naval Ship Repair Yard and was shown the technical capabilities for repair and maintenance of ships at Karwar, including the state of the art ship lift system, used for docking ships.

The US delegation thereafter went on board INS Vikramaditya, where they were taken for a guided tour of the ship, followed by a presentation on her role and capabilities by the Commanding Officer, Capt K Swaminathan.

Source:- TNN

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On Monday, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will land in Goa for the first leg of a three-day visit to India, his third since assuming office in February 2015.

Widely regarded as a staunch friend of India, Carter might achieve during his visit what his recent predecessors have failed to: signing the first of three “foundational agreements” that are billed as a springboard for the US-India defence relationship.

Hectic discussions between the US Department of Defense (DoD, or Pentagon) and India’s defence ministry (MoD) over the past four months have brought two of those agreements close to the point of signature.

The first is a Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), which provides an accounting mechanism for the two militaries to replenish from each other’s facilities and bases. This has been bogged down in controversy since 2006, when the Left Front parties convinced then defence minister, AK Antony, that the LSA would force India to replenish US military units engaged in operations that India had reservations about.

However, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has ensured that the discretion remains with India. The agreement will be signed under a new name, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), to appear as an India-specific agreement, not a pro-forma LSA.

After Parrikar’s visit to the US in December, the MoD asked the Pentagon to send out a team to address India’s queries on all three agreements. In January 2015, a US legal team travelled to India. In rapid-fire exchanges since then, drafts of the LSA were exchanged, and New Delhi’s concerns addressed.

Earlier, in end-2014, New Delhi had asked the Pentagon for a “Non Paper” on the foundational agreements. This had been provided but, until Parrikar’s visit to the US, discussions had not progressed. While the LEMOA constitutes low-hanging fruit, the Pentagon is more excited about agreement on the more complex Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), that would allow India to obtain advanced radio and satellite communications equipment from the US.

CISMOA-protected category of communications equipment has been denied to India so far, even in advanced aircraft bought from the US – like the C-130J Super Hercules special operations transporters, and P8-I Poseidon maritime multi-mission aircraft. India chose to buy these with the original CISMOA-protected equipment replaced by commercially available radios of a lower order.

The US insists on CISMOA as a condition for supplying this equipment because it is afraid its advanced technology may leak out to India’s other defence partners, especially Russia.

Says Ben Schwartz, the aerospace and defence head of the US-India Business Council: “Washington understands that India needs to maintain its defence relationship with Russia, but there needs to be a firewall between the cooperation that India does with Russia and its cooperation with the US. And that firewall doesn’t exist at this point.” In the absence of CISMOA, India has accepted greatly reduced operational capabilities in the aircraft it has bought from the US. For example, when an Indian Navy P8-I detects an enemy submarine, it needs to communicate that intelligence to an Indian submarine that can destroy the enemy vessel. However, the advanced radio needed for an aircraft to talk to the submerged submarine is protected by CISMOA.

Similarly, the C-130J, which carry Special Forces into enemy territory and make very precise night landings on tiny airstrips, do not have the encoded radios needed to communicate with the commandos who secure the airstrip. Instead, India has opted for commercially available radios.

New Delhi worries that CISMOA-protected communications might contain a bug that would allow the US (and potentially its allies) to detect and track Indian platforms equipped with those radios.

These apprehensions have been largely assuaged in the latest CISMOA draft. However, MoD officials may choose to sign only the LEMOA during Carter’s visit, as a trial balloon to gauge the political reaction, with CISMOA signed later.

Meanwhile, there is no consensus on the third of the foundational agreements, the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Information and Services Cooperation (BECA), which relates to digital mapping – a key component of military operations, especially accurate targeting with long-range missiles.

Government sources say the Pentagon wants digital sensors placed on Indian territory, which New Delhi finds unacceptable as it would allow the US military extremely high-resolution digital imagery of India. Since Washington is not providing the Indian military with imagery of Pakistan of that accuracy, New Delhi is not inclined to sign BECA.

Furthermore, given that India’s own satellite imaging capability is of a very high order, New Delhi believes that we need not rely on US geographical information systems (GIS) that would become available through BECA. While India’s security agencies have begun digitising the sub-continental landmass, this has been hampered by a lack of coordination. Government sources say each military service and security agency has been operating on a different GIS protocol, a lapse that is only now being corrected.

Consequently, when Indian military troops were deployed for earthquake relief operations in Nepal, they approached the US for local maps. Technically, the US could only supply digital maps to signatories of BECA. However, since this was a humanitarian aid mission, an exception was made for India.

Carter will also review the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), of which he has been a key driver. Business Standard learns that India is set to float a Request for Information (RFI) to US shipbuilders for cooperation in designing the navy’s second indigenous aircraft carrier.

However, there is less progress on the second major partnership under the DTTI – the co-development of a jet engine for India’s proposed Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. This requires negotiation with a private US company, General Electric, rather than a government-to-government negotiation.

Source:- Bussiness standard

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NEW DELHI: Space really knows no national boundaries, yet some of the most bitter earthly battles are fought on space issues. Amid this so-called star wars, some new green shoots of international collaboration can be seen to be emerging.

Most recently, possibly the short sightedness of Pakistan led it to opt out of the proposed SAARC Satellite, a friendly gift from India. From its ashes, it seems a new proposal to have satellite constellation on behalf of the BRICS nations (Brazil, R ..

Meanwhile, 11 of the world’s best-known and richest space agencies met last week in New Delhi and mooted the idea of a ‘global space observatory’ to monitor climate change. It seems some of the existential questions on the future of human kind can best be answered from the inky darkness of space.

Jean-Yves Le Gall, the head of the French space agency (CNES) says, “the need of the hour is for the space agencies to pool their resources” to create a “virtual constellation of earth observing satellites” that will monitor global warming and climate change.

India lost its western neighbour Pakistan from the proposed SAARC Satellite but has now managed to gain China, the eastern giant in the proposed ‘BRICS Constellation of satellites’. The cat was let out of the bag by Wu YanHua, Deputy Administrator for the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) who was India this week to participate in a space summit hosted in New Delhi.

Wu said “we have been in dialogue with India on the BRICS Constellation for disaster risk reduction.” Details of the proposed BRICS satellite constellation are still sketchy but Kiran Kumar, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) hinted that “a virtual remote sensing satellite constellation for the BRICS nations” was on the anvil.

It is interesting that the two regional space powers India and China who are as some observers believe locked in a 21st century Asian space race, are now hoping to join hands to combat the threat of climate change. Both India and China have cooperated extensively in trying to negotiate an amenable Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Now it seems the threat of a warming globe is getting the two space powers to warm up to each other.

Both China and India have end to end capabilities in space, yet China has a huge edge as it launched its first astronaut way back in 2003 and has heavier lift rockets in its arsenal. India was beaten to the moon orbit by China when it sent its Chang’e-1 satellite to the moon in 2007. India did out pace China in reaching the orbit of Mars in 2014 with Mangalyaan. Nevertheless, now the threat of climate change is making the two Asian giants, which among them house 2.5 billion people, to come together and collaborate.

It seems the first steps for a BRICS constellation was initiated at a meeting held in the Austrian capital Vienna earlier this year. According to the CNSA, its deputy administrator participated in the meeting, which was held under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and was attended by more than two dozen participants.

Sources from CNSA report that “at the meeting, the BRICS countries confirm their willingness to participate in the construction of the virtual constellation.”

The motivation from CNSA it seems is that “the successful implementation of remote sensing satellite constellation BRICS countries, will further enrich the content of cooperation BRICS countries to strengthen national cohesion”. Most importantly the CNSA believes the BRICS Constellation would “enhance China’s international voice and influence in the field of aerospace”.

It is interesting that India space scientists who understand the deep capabilities of the Chinese have not rebuffed this proposal, since both neighbours have a lot to learn from each other. Both Indian and Chinese space programs are largely indigenously developed as homegrown efforts as both the neighbours have independently suffered under long drawn out technology denial and sanctions regimes especially from the US.

After having unsuccessfully scuttled the space programs of both India and China for long, now the US is trying to embrace the same international partners, hoping that the emerging giants would dole out resources as NASA’s own budget stagnates and ambitions soar to putting ‘boots on Mars by 2030’.

Speaking in New Delhi at the space summit, General Charles Bolden, the head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Washington DC, said “Our planet is a fragile oasis in the blackness of space… the partnerships are getting stronger and I have no doubt that the coming decades will find us with new capabilities to explore, human beings at new and farther destinations, a greater understanding of our home planet and greater unity among humanity.”

India’s far-reaching proposal of gifting a friendly bird in the sky to the 8 countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) died a premature death as Pakistan dropped out of the proposal saying it already has ‘advanced capabilities in space’.

That Pakistan rebuffed India’s gift was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs when it issued a statement saying “Pakistan has decided to opt out of the SAARC Satellite which will now be called the South Asian Satellite”.

On a visit to ISRO, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mandated ISRO to fly a satellite that would aid better communication especially during natural disasters. This ‘South Asian Satellite’ would weigh nearly 2000 kg having 12 Ku band transponders with a foot print spanning across South Asia.

It seems all the seven nations in South Asia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have agreed to work together to enjoy the benefits of the ‘South Asian Satellite’ which is essentially a communications satellite with no remote sensing capabilities as of now.

That Pakistan’s space agency the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) advised Islamabad to ‘opt out’ was surprising since this would have been the first time it would have gotten a toe hold with anything to with the Indian space agency.

The South Asian Satellite is being fabricated at ISRO’s satellite centre in Bengaluru and will be launched later this year on an incredible journey that would bond the neighbours in space forever.

As Bolden told a crowd of 750 space scientists in New Delhi “we are on an incredible journey together today – a journey of breath taking exploration and that is probably the greatest thing that exploration does – it brings us together… (this is about) about turning science fiction into science fact and making the impossible possible.”

Modi no doubt did try to make the impossible possible by extending on a friendly no-cost basis India’s advanced capabilities in space to its smaller rival and neighbour Pakistan.

Despite, Islamabad having waged wars on New Delhi and its continued tacit support in aiding and abetting cross border terrorism on India. On the other-hand, science fiction could well turn into science fact, if rivals India and China do forge a partnership in sharing space technology.

Source:- ET

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New Delhi: A defence cooperation pact and five other agreements to expand bilateral ties were inked between India and Maldives on Monday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom held talks including ways to combat terrorism and radicalisation.

During the deliberations, India assured Maldives it was ready to protect its strategic interests in the region and would extend all possible assistance, including in maritime sphere and capacity building of armed forces, as part of an action plan in the defence sector.

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen. AFP imageMaldives President Abdulla Yameen. AFP image
India has also decided to speed up infrastructure projects like development of ports in the country where China was trying to expand its foothold. The other agreements signed were in the fields of taxation, tourism, space research and conservation.

“It is an important day in the history of cooperation between India and Maldives,” PM Modi said during a joint press interaction with Yameen, listing outcomes of the talks.
The Prime Minister said the threat of cross border terrorism, challenges of radicalisation and overall security scenario in the Indian Ocean region were discussed and both sides agreed to step up cooperation in these areas.

“We are conscious of security needs of Maldives; President Yameen agreed that Maldives will be sensitive to our strategic and security interests. It is clear that the contours of India-Maldives relations are defined by our shared strategic, security, economic and developmental goals,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi also said it is in India’s strategic interest to have a stable and secure Maldives and that its challenges are India’s concerns. On his part, Yameen said his country pursues an “India first” foreign policy and described it as most important friend of Maldives.

“The prompt implementation of a concrete action plan in the defence sector will strengthen our defence cooperation, Development of ports, continuous training, capacity building, supply of equipment and maritime surveillance will be its main elements,” the Prime Minister said.

He said India understands its role as a “net security provider” in the Indian Ocean and was ready to protect its strategic interests in this region.

“President Yameen and I are aware of the growing dangers of cross border terrorism and radicalisation in South Asia. Information exchanges between security agencies and training and capacity building of Maldives Police and security forces is important part of our security cooperation,” he said.
Modi said India India is ready to partner Maldives in its ambitious iHaven project.The iHaven project is one of the most important projects in President Yameen’s economic vision, and is being developed under the new laws of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

The project has six main goals, including developing an airport, a harbour, bunkering services, real estate, shopping malls, and resorts in the atoll.

Talking about Saarc, the Maldivian President said both Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will have to play key role in realising true potential of the region.

Source:- Firstpost

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New Delhi: India has sought land and cheap natural gas for investing about $20 billion in new petrochemical, fertilizer and liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Iran, primarily for importing these commodities into India.

Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is in Iran with a delegation of state-owned and private sector companies to seek greater investment and trade opportunities, has held discussions with his counterpart Bijan Namdar Zanganeh; Akbar Torkan, senior adviser to the President of Iran on Free Trade Zones; and Iran’s central bank governor Valliolah Seif, a statement from the oil ministry said.

The proposed investments in fossil fuel-rich Iran’s Chabahar Special Economic Zone are part of an experiment New Delhi refers to as ‘reverse SEZ’. The plan involves setting up downstream industries in the soil of trade partners with energy sources. The idea is to secure these commodities at a globally competitive price without any disruption.

“Pradhan conveyed to the Iranian side that Indian companies could invest as much as $20 billion and were interested in setting up petrochemical and fertilizer plants, including in the Chabahar SEZ, either through joint ventures between Indian and Iranian public sector companies or with private sector partners,” said the statement.

Pradhan has also requested Iran to allocate adequate land in the SEZ and to supply gas at a “favourable and competitive price on long-term basis for these projects.” New Delhi is also keen to set up a gas cracker unit and a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) extraction unit in Chabahar. Both the sides also discussed ways of transporting gas to India from Iran including through a proposed Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, said the statement.

Tehran, which was India’s second largest crude oil supplier till 2010-11 and subsequently lost its share due to sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union, wants to increase its crude oil supplies to India. The country imports close to 12 million tonnes of oil from Iran a year, a government official said. India imported a total of 184 million tonnes of oil in the April-February period of 2015-16. Iran is currently the fifth largest oil supplier to India. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Nigeria and Venezuela are the other leading suppliers.

Pradhan discussed with the governor of the Central Bank of Iran how to open up payment channels for paying dues to Tehran for the oil imported during the sanctions, which were lifted in January. India currently pays 45% of the import bill in rupees through UCO Bank. The remaining is to be paid in euros, for which a banking channel is to be established.

Pradhan is expected to travel to the United Arab Emirates in the second leg of his four-day tour that started on 9 April.

Source:- Livemint

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Sources confirmed that Arihant completed all kind of sea and weapon trails as the K 4 successfully tested from INS Arihant, earlier last week ship spotters from Turkey saw the Russian submarine salvage vessel Epron transiting towards Russia, who was in Vizag for the past couple of months to help the Arihant in her trails.

The Arihant was developed completely with the help of Russians, and based on the older Russian Charlie class submarine, who comes with double hull to suppress the noise to make the ship more silent. Arihant’s heart, the nuclear reactor is designed by the BARC, who get full support from the Russian to miniaturize it and fit inside the submarine. The Arihant’s nuclear reactor is capable to generate 83 MW power, to propel and provide electricity to the Ship.

For pro long period of dive, one need unlimited propulsion, power supply and oxygen, it can be met only by the nuclear reactor who can produce unlimited power from the enriched uranium for more than ten years. the Arihant’s range only capped by the shortage of food. Mostly the submarine can stay in the underwater for more than three months, without any small movements.

The Submarine converts the sea water into breathable oxygen with the help of electrolysis present in the sea water. meanwhile the scrubbers inside the submarine can inhale the carbon dioxide and other toxic gases buildup in the Submarine. Sailors can consume packed food and water for living.

The basics of the above two major systems in the Submarine along with hull design was supported by the Russian engineers, who was actively worked on the INS construction center in Viazg, major electronic systems and control systems are indigenously made with the help of Indian private companies.

The missiles and ejection systems are completely designed by the state run DRDO with the help from private owned L&T and public sector unit BDL. under the missile program, two missiles were developed one fat missile and another slim missile known as K 4 and K 15 respectively. both of them tested in various conditions and pontoon launchers before going to be inducted in the Arihant.

The Arihant has four launching tubes, each can launch three K 15 missile or single K 4 missile, SLBM’s are also a critical technology to be developed, since the height of the missile need to be shortened below 12 meters to fit inside the Submarine for vertical launch.

The Russian  submarine salvage vessel Epron, was there in Vizag for the past seven months to assist the Arihant’s trails, Epron is specially made for underwater special expedition mission, used to search and monitor underwater activity, who can also assist the Submarines in case of any emergency. Epron almost works similar like Submarine rescue vessel, who carries ROV and other systems.

After the final voyage of the INS Arihant trails, just a day ago it was successfully test fired the long range K 4 missile, whose range is 3500 km officially, Sources say the Arihant can be used as a test platform, while it’s predecessor INS Aridman is going to be inducted into the Navy for deterrence patrol. who is twice the size of Arihant.

It’s once again Thanks to Russia for the tremendous help to build the Nuclear submarine in our Nation.

Source:- Life of solider
Author :- Sajeev Jinoi

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India is in talks with the United States to purchase 40 Predator surveillance drones, officials said, a possible first step towards acquiring the armed version of the aircraft and a development likely to annoy Pakistan.

India is trying to equip the military with more unmanned technologies to gather intelligence as well as boost its firepower along the vast land borders with Pakistan and China. It also wants a closer eye on the Indian Ocean.

New Delhi has already acquired surveillance drones from Israel to monitor the mountains of Kashmir, a region disputed by the nuclear-armed South Asian rivals and the cause of two of their three wars.

As defense ties deepen with the United States, which sees India as a counterweight to China in the region, New Delhi has asked Washington for the Predator series of unmanned planes built by privately-held General Atomics, military officials said.

“We are aware of Predator interest from the Indian Navy. However, it is a government-to-government discussion,” Vivek Lall, chief executive of U.S. and International Strategic Development at San Diego-based General Atomics, told Reuters.

The U.S. government late last year cleared General Atomics’ proposal to market the unarmed Predator XP in India. It was not clear when the delivery of the drones would take place.

The navy wants them for surveillance in the Indian Ocean, where the pilotless aircraft can remain airborne for 35 hours at a stretch, at a time when the Chinese navy is expanding ship and submarine patrols in the region.

Moves by India to enhance its defense capabilities have in the past provoked sharp reactions from Islamabad, where the government and military are worried about falling further behind their bigger rival in the arms race.

India’s air force has also asked Washington about acquiring around 100 armed Predator C Avenger aircraft, which the United States has used to carry out strikes against Islamist militants in Pakistan’s northwest and neighboring Afghanistan.

But it would need clearance from the Missile Technology Control Regime group of 34 nations as well as approval from U.S. Congress before any transfer of lethal Predators could happen, officials said.

The push for the drones comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter heads to India this weekend for talks to cement military collaboration in the final months of the Obama administration.

Indian military officials said they expected the request for the armed aircraft to figure in Carter’s talks with his Indian counterpart, Manohar Parrikar.

Washington wants India to sign a set of agreements including on the use of each other’s military bases that would help them operate together.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has signaled its willingness to move forward with the proposed pacts after the previous administration did not act for more than a decade.

Retired air vice marshal Manmohan Bahadur said the proposed acquisition of armed Predators would give the military the ability to carry out cross-border strikes, or even attack targets lying deeper inside a neighboring country.

“But at the end of the day, it’s a political decision. It’s one thing to lob artillery shells, its another to use air power, that’s an escalation,” he said.

India has not moved against Pakistan militarily despite blaming militant groups based there for orchestrating attacks on its soil including one on Mumbai in 2008, in part out of fear it would spiral into a broader conflict.

But a drone strike might be a less risky option, experts said.

Ejaz Haider, a Pakistani security analyst, said Islamabad would object to the transfer of such drones in the region.

But he questioned their effectiveness if they entered Pakistani air space, since it would probably try to shoot them down, something it did not do with U.S. drones.

“There is obviously going to be push-back from Pakistan, because if it (the drone) does get through in some way or other it enhances Indian capability,” he said.

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The Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) is gearing up to build five fleet support ships (FSS) awarded on a nomination basis from the Indian Navy by the end of next year. According to top officials of HSL, the defence ministry has given the go-ahead to HSL for the project, which is estimated to cost around Rs 10,000 crore. At the same time, HSL, which had successfully retrofitted INS Sindhukirti, is now expected to also begin normal refit of INS Sindhuvir from January 2017.

Having faced financial troubles due to the lack of orders from the ministry of defence until recently, the shipyard is expected to bounce back into profits by the end of the 2017-18 fiscal.

Confirming to TOI about the fleet support ships, HSL chairman and managing director LV Sarat Babu said, “We have already got on a nomination the go-ahead for five FSS and it will start from the end of next year.”

“The total anticipated order book for HSL is expected to go to Rs 20,000 crore by the year-end, but the commencement of cash will start by the end of 2017 or early 2018,” the CMD said.

Stating that the FSS is one of the major projects for HSL, he said that the focus will be on providing the ships to the Indian Navy on time and with high quality.

He also mentioned that INS Sindhuvir, which is a Sindhughosh-class diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy, will undergo normal repairs for a period of two years at HSL. According to sources, the normal repairs are as per initial estimations expected to be around Rs 400 crore. HSL is also looking at SOVs (Strategic Operation Vessels) and landing platform docks (LPDs) to boost its ship and submarine building operations.

Meanwhile, HSL’s partnership with South Korea-based Hyundai Heavy Industries is also expected to provide a major push towards upgradation of the shipyard. HSL officials said that discussions were held last week and with the tie-up going on at the government to government level and also at the shipyard level is likely to be wrapped in another two to three months.

With the tie-up between Hyundai and HSL, transfer of technology, upgradation of shipyard and joint construction at the HSL’s yard in India is expected to kick off. HSL has already tied up with BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) to ramp up its profile in order to bag major orders from the Indian Navy.

Source:- TNN

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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has a team in India evaluating the potential for co production on fighter aircraft, days ahead of a visit to the nation by Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

Carter also hinted that a new project announcement may come during his visit to India next week, during which he will visit New Delhi and Goa.

“While in India, I will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar to discuss the progress we have made together in aircraft carrier, jet fighter, and jet engine collaboration,” Carter said in prepared remarks at the Council for Foreign Relations in New York. “And we will talk about exciting new projects, the details of which I cannot go into this afternoon, but stay tuned for when I’m with Minister Parrikar.”

Carter said such discussions were happening under the aegis of the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTT), a 2012 agreement between the US and India focused on sharing technology in what he called an “unprecedented way.”

“Members of my team, and industry, are right now, as we are here in New York, in India looking at the potential coproduction of fighter aircraft,” Carter said. “These conversations represent the growing enthusiasm of the US-India partnership, and even more than that, its promise. While these negotiations can be difficult and global competition is high, I have no doubt that in the coming years, the United States and India will embark on a landmark co-production agreement that will bring our two countries closer together and make our militaries stronger”

A US defense official confirmed that the discussion centered on the Lockheed Martin F-16V and Boeing F/A-18 fighter designs.

“Lockheed Martin’s F-16V and Boeing’s F/A-18 proposals to produce their aircraft in India to meet PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative,” the official said, adding that the Indian Ministry of Defence “was briefed this week by a joint US government/industry team on the fighter aircraft co-production proposals.”

Both companies confirmed that they are in ongoing discussions with Indian authorities.

“Lockheed Martin is in discussions with the U.S. Government, the Government of India, and our Indian industry partners about potential new production F-16 aircraft to address India’s fighter recapitalization requirements,” Lockheed spokesman Joe LaMarca wrote in an email. “Details about the aircraft and industrial offer will be determined in conjunction with the respective governments, Lockheed Martin, and Indian industry.”

LaMarca pointed to the partnership between Lockheed and Indian industrial giant Tata on the coproduction of the C-130 as an example of how a coproduction deal could potentially work.

India has sought to upgrade its fighter fleet under the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, which would procure 126 high-end fighters. While both the F/A-18 and F-16 were part of the competition, India selected the Dassault Rafale in 2011.

However, a deal was never consummated, and in July the Indian government cancelled the MMRCA program outright in favor of a government-to-government discussion. That gave new life to the American competitors, at a time when the Obama administration has made strengthening ties with India a priority.

The defense official called the discussions “essentially an unofficial recompete of India’s Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft program.”

Source:- defensenews.com

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United States has a much bigger global agenda with India in contrast to Pakistan, and Washington has moved far beyond looking at its relations with the South Asian neighbors as linked, according to US Defence Secretary Ash Carter.

“We have much more to do with India today than has to do with Pakistan.” Carter said Friday. “There’s important business with respect to Pakistan, but we have much more – a whole global agenda with India, an agenda that covers all kinds of issues.”

He was answering a question from the audience during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations about how the growing US ties with India will impact Washington’s relations with Islamabad.

In his address on the eve of leaving on a visit to India, Carter said US relations with India was “destined to be one of the most significant partnerships of the 21st century.” He said there would be “exciting new projects” and a “strategic handshake” with India encompassing military cooperation and defence co-production.

“The days are gone when we only deal with India as the other side of the Pakistan coin, or Pakistan as the other side of the India coin,” he said. “I know that there are those in India and Pakistan who are still glued to that dyad way of thinking. But the United States put that behind us some time ago.”

While describing Pakistan as “an important security partner,” he said, “We have a big set of issues having to do with the border with Afghanistan, where we continue to operate; with terrorism, both on the territory of Pakistan and also obviously cross-border into Afghanistan, including affecting US service members there.” He added, “I’m sure I’ll be asked about it in India.”

“It’s long past – we’re long past the point in US policymaking where we look at the India-Pakistan dyad as the whole story for either one of them,” he said.

Source:- Times of India

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The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has test-fired the nuclear capable K-4 missile from the indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant, the New Indian Express reported, citing a reliable source Friday. According to the report, it was a “highly successful” test, carrying a dummy payload but in full operational configuration from INS Arihant.

The test was conducted with due support from Strategic Forces Command (SFC). The missile was reportedly fired from the onboard silos of INS Arihant from a depth of 20 metre.

The K-4 missile is a 17-tonne submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with an operational range of 3,500 km and can carry conventional and nuclear warheads weighing over 2,000 kg. It belongs to the K-series of missiles that also includes the K-15 missile (B-05) with a range of 750 km.

“Having an operational range of nearly 3,500 km, the missile was fired towards north for a shorter range. It covered more than 700 km before zeroing on the target with high accuracy reaching close to zero circular error probability (CEP),” the report’s source was quoted as saying.

The K-4 features boost-glide flight profile, and is so designed that it is claimed that it can defeat any anti-ballistic missile systems. It is also reported to be “one of its kind in the world.”

The report noted that while the DRDO officials “refused to speak,” other officials linked with the project were “tight-lipped” about it.

Previously, the missile was test-fired from a submerged pontoon March 7, which was a “roaring” success, meeting all the critical parameters, the New Indian Express had reported.

The K-4 and the K-15 missiles are an important part of India’s nuclear triad, which provides India with retaliatory nuclear strike capability.

Last year, INS Arihant had successfully conducted test firing of the K-15 missile. Reports have suggested that the homegrown submarine can carry four K-4s and 12 K-15s. Arihant completed its deep sea trails and weapons launch tests February 2016 paving the way for its induction into Indian Naval fleet, the Economic Times reported.

Apart from INS Arihant, India is also constructing INS Aridhaman, which will be followed by another two of the same class of submarines.

Source:- IBTimes

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President Vladimir Putin on Thursday denied having any links to offshore accounts and described the Panama Papers document leaks scandal as part of a U.S.-led plot to weaken Russia.

Putin also defended a cellist friend named as the alleged owner of an offshore company, describing him as a philanthropist who spent his own funds to buy rare musical instruments for Russian state collections.

Speaking at a media forum in St. Petersburg, Putin said Western media pushed the claims of his involvement in offshore businesses even though his name didn’t feature in any of the documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm.

Putin described the allegations as part of the US-led disinformation campaign waged against Russia in order to weaken its government. “They are trying to destabilise us from within in order to make us more compliant,” he said.
State Department spokesman Mark Toner rejected the notion that the U.S. is behind the allegations. “I would reject the premise or the assertion that we’re in any way involved in the actual leak of these documents,” he told reporters in Washington.

The Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists said the documents it obtained indicated that Russian cellist Sergei Roldugin acted as a front man for a network of Putin loyalists, and, perhaps, the president himself.

The ICIJ said the documents show how complex offshore financial deals channeled as much as $2 billion to a network of people linked to the Russian president.

Roldugin used the money he earned as a minority shareholder of a Russian company to buy rare musical instruments abroad and hand them over to the Russian state, Putin said.

“Without publicizing himself, he also has worked to organize concerts, promote Russian culture abroad and effectively paid his own money for that, the more people like him we have, the better. And I’m proud to have friends like him.”
Vladmir Putin, Russian President

Putin contended that Washington has fanned allegations of Russian official corruption in order to weaken Moscow as the U.S. has become concerned about Russia’s growing economic and military might.

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The Indian Navy’s next generation aircraft carrier dubbed as INS Vishal’s designing phase almost close to completion with few other decisions still on pending, the major subsystem in the carrier, that’s the aircraft launching system and the length of the aircraft carrier is completed. Both US and India will soon finalize the propulsion system too.

The proposed design shows the aircraft carrier has an length of some 280 meters, with two EMAL launchers developed by the US major General Atomics, some also confirms the aircraft also features the advanced arresting gear made by the same GA. Those systems can capable to launch and arrest lighter aircraft like surveillance UAV to heavy fighter jets like F 35.

India also plans to buy the F 18 E/F and the F 18 G from another US major Boeing, who is currently in talks with Indian government to start a assembly line in India, to supply Indian air force, However details also emerged that the INS Vishal carries the F 35 C once the carrier is ready.

Those carriers are smart nowadays capable to launch small aircraft’s like UAV’s to heavy fighter jets and support planes like E 2D for airborne early warning. India earlier operated a assisted launching carrier INS Vikrant junior, who decommissioned in 1997. It’s the second time that IN going to operate the assisted launching carriers.

INS Vishal comes with two launching points, to simultaneously launch two aircraft’s, both can capable to launch aircraft’s weighing from one ton to 32 tons. The F 35 C is one of the heaviest fighter can be operated from aircraft carrier whose MTOW reported close to 32 tons. The IN’s current MiG 29 K’s MTOW reported at some 24 tons. More weight means more power and weapon carrying capability.

EMLAS is the better replacement for current generation steam catapults operated by both US and French Navy’s today. The EMAL has lower operating costs, require fewer people to operate, improve catapult performance and expand the range of manned and unmanned aircraft that the aircraft carrier can launch.

The INS Vishal almost close to the same length of current INS vikramaditya, both will have the length of some 280 meters. however performance wise the Vishal is far better than the vikramaditya. The INS Vishal might comes with the displacement of some 50-60,000 tonnages only. Since the EMAL requires less space and power.

By assumption the aircraft can carry some 40 aircraft’s, which include two to four E 2D AEW planes, and additionally 10 to 12 ton helicopters like S 70 and EC 725, the capacity is almost similar to the current French carrier Charles de Gaulle. The specifications are more enough for the Indian Navy, to act as a force multiplier.

It’s the propulsion system issue is the only problem yet to be sorted out, Once it was cleared US and India will select a Shipyard to start constructing the carrier. The actual progress behind the propulsion based on nuclear reactor unavailable so far to public release. It’s believed the issue to be sorted out before the fall of 2016.

Source:- Life of solider

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The Indian Army has the cruise missile Brahmos Block-III, one of the most lethal weapons systems that currently exist in the world, the publication ‘Defence News’ writes. This cruise missile is capable of flights at supersonic speeds, making it hard for enemy radar to track, as well as being practically invulnerable to modern anti-missile and air defence systems.

Brahmos Block-III is a joint Russian-Indian project, which is based on the P-800 Oniks missile, which is exported under the name ‘Yakhont’. This, however, has not stopped the specialists at ‘Defence News’ from comparing it with its Chinese analogue; the DF-21; and finding major advantages in the Russian-Indian missile.

The Brahmos Block-III is superior to the DF-21 in all respects, and is likely to soon capture the global market, say experts. Both these missiles are designed as destroyers of ships, with the Chinese DF-21 often being called the “killer of aircraft carriers”.

Pyotr Topychkanov, senior researcher at the Safety Centre of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations RAS, said there is an important point in making such comparisons; the DF-21 project has gone much further, in terms of development, in contrast to the Brahmos Block-III, which is still in the prototype stage.

“Accordingly, it is not yet clear when, and in what form, the Brahmos Block-III will be placed into service. Perhaps, according to the announced specifications, it really is superior to the DF-21, but how this project will finally evolve in real terms is difficult to say, and thus comparing these two missiles is very difficult,” said Topychkanov.

The expert notes that the Brahmos is a joint-venture project between Russia and India, and the Indians, according to the documents that form the core of this project cannot go it alone on this missile, including in the development of any or all of its components.

“From this perspective, we cannot say that the Indians are venturing out on their own, and creating their own missile,” said Topychkanov.

The Indians are calculating, the expert notes, that the Brahmos Block-III missile will become one of their best-selling exports.

“At the same time, according to the original agreement signed between Russia and India, it was assumed that this rocket would be purchased not only by India, but also by Russia. However, a while ago, Moscow began rethinking this decision, as Russia has its own Oniks system, and this has become a stumbling block in the path of manufacturing and selling of the Brahmos Block-III missiles on the world arms market.”

There is another precedent that may be recalled; the multi-functional fighter Su-30MKI. It was designed exclusively for Indian military requirements, but then, there was a decision to also purchase it for the needs of Russia’s Aerospace Defence Forces.

The same fate probably awaits the Brahmos Block-III, especially since it is closely connected with the Su-30MKI project.

“Now that Russia has decided to buy the Su-30MKI aircraft, the Brahmos missiles have a good chance of coming into service with the Russian Armed Forces. The fact is that this year, they are planning to carry out the first live testing of the Brahmos air-based missiles that were designed just for the Su-30MKI fighter jets. So this project is being implemented, in one way or another, in the interests of the armed forces of both India and Russia,” said Topychkanov.
Based, therefore, on the fact that Russia is going to buy the Su-30MKI, according to Topychkanov, it may be easily concluded that Moscow is considering arming these aircraft with the Brahmos Block-III missiles.

This project again displays how this military cooperation with India is beneficial also for Russia, in the case of both the Su-30MKI, and Brahmos-Block-III.

In addition, we must not forget about the export version of the T-50 platform; the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA fighter jet) which, in the coming years, will be developed for the needs of the Indian Air Force.

This project will yield for Russia a new version of the fifth-generation fighter, which will be significantly different from the aircraft which will enter into service in the Russian armed forces this year.

First published in Russian by FBA Ekonomika Segodnya.

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It wasn’t that long ago when US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger viewed Indians as “such bastards” and President Richard Nixon described Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as “that bitch”. Again, it wasn’t a long time ago that an American diplomat delivering a lecture in India described Indians as “dirty and dark”.

How times have changed. Making a 180-degree turn, the US now wants to bring India on a par with its NATO allies. A new bill introduced by Congressman George Holding on March 23 proposes to amend the Arms Export Control Act in order to expedite arms trade and technology transfers between the two countries.

The real aim of the new piece of legislation is, however, to end Russia’s dominant position in India’s defence sector. For, the official explanation that India will be elevated to the same level as America’s closest allies flies in the fact of reality. Three days after the bill was introduced, the US condemned India for testing a new 3500 km range submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Going back to its Cold War script, the US criticized India’s “nuclearisation” of the Indian Ocean. (It’s a different matter that the US itself stations hundreds of nuclear-armed ships and aircraft in the same ocean.)

An SLBM is a second strike weapon which is critical for India’s survival in a dangerous neighbourhood. It ensures that if India’s land-based missiles and air force are taken out in an enemy first-strike, then India has sufficient firepower – at the bottom of the sea – to retaliate with a devastating second strike. If the US will deny India a legitimate second strike capability, then what sort of ally or friend is it?

The India-US relationship may have come a long way from the deep freeze of the Cold War, but it is clear America continues to resent India’s rise as a major power. This is because in geostrategic, civilisational and economic terms, both countries are incompatible as allies and unlikely to form a successful strategic partnership.

Geostrategic disparity
If morning shows the day, the 21st century will not be America’s. As the world turns multi-polar, the US finds itself in an unfamiliar environment where it is not only having to face off old rival Russia and reckon with new challenger China, it is facing the nightmarish scenario of Moscow and Beijing joining forces. Plus, the rise of nationalism in Japan – which under PM Shinzo Abe is rearming – has also got the US searching for new strategic partners.

With the demise of Pax Americana, policy wonks Richard Fontaine and Daniel M. Kliman describe India as a “global swing state”. Such a state possesses a large and growing economy, occupies a central position in a region or stands at the hinge of multiple regions. In an interview to the Seattle-based National Bureau of Asian Research, they say alliances with swing states can “deliver a geopolitical pay-off” because the choices these nations make may “decisively influence the course of world affairs”.

If that is the definition of a global swing state, then the US has picked the wrong guys. In 2014 India unequivocally supported Crimea’s reunification with Russia. Again, as a member of the BRICS group, India backed Russian diplomacy that blocked a US assault on Syria. New Delhi also ticked off Australia’s foreign minister for suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin be banned from the G-20 summit in Brisbane.

Where the US wants to dominate the planet, India does not see the need for a global policeman. The defining nature of Indians is plurality. The West, which has unleashed mayhem in Libya, Iraq and Syria, has principles that differ from India’s.

Keeping those F-16s rolling
A key reason for the US trying to rush through the new bill is to avoid closure of its weapons plants, especially those cranking out outdated F-16 and F-18 fighters. As the last of these aircraft roll of the assembly lines, thousands of highly skilled Americans will soon join the dole lines. This will happen in the coming weeks and months, not years.

While US weapons exports to India have grown from $300 million to $14 billion during the last 10 years, those who try to assess the state of India-US relations by looking at bilateral defence ties miss the real nature and consequences of these engagements.

The cascade of arms from the US is happening because India does not want to be entirely dependent on its major supplier Russia. The erratic supply of spare parts for the military became such a serious issue after the dissolution of the Soviet Union that India has been on a diversification spree since then.

US weapons aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. American weapons look stellar on CNN show , but their performance in real combat is iffy.Everyone known about F-35 flaws which were reported.There are many flaws in F-22 also so to hide it’s flaws America has never sold F-22

A report by the Pentagon testing office says the Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, which the Indian Navy operates, “is not effective for the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission and is not effective for wide area anti-submarine search”. Flaws in the aircraft are almost everywhere: radar, sensor integration and data transfer.

The success of US weapons has come against poorly trained and relatively small defending forces such as those of Iraq, Serbia and Libya. On the other hand, India’s armed forces have used Russian weapons with spectacular results against Pakistan’s US supplied military.

India must, therefore, be wary of buying weapons that may have limited utility and questionable effectiveness.

Since the declared aim of the bill is to elevate India to the level of America’s closest allies, let’s see how the US treats South Korea, a really close ally. According to Forbes magazine, the US doesn’t trust the South Koreans with four “core technologies” needed for its KFX stealth fighter project. It says: “The Koreans have professed bitter disappointment over the refusal of the US to entrust its ally with the highest-tech stuff they say is needed for the KFX not only to have stealth capabilities but to be able to find and track hostile targets with the latest state-of-the-art radar.”

Similarly, in its dealings with India the US insists on discriminatory end-user agreements because it fears leak of technology to Russia. On the other hand, Russia has trust India enough to make it a key partner in its own stealth fighter programme without making India sign such agreements. Again, where the US exports stripped down versions of its latest weapons like P8I in which some keys parts where not added in indian version p8 poseidon, Moscow has provided India with Su-30MKI aircraft that are more modern than the Sukhois in its own air force.In term of performance Russia everyone know that in 2004 cope India Excercise  where Indian pilots reportedly notched up an astounding 9:1 kill ratio against the all-powerful USAF F-15Cs,

Different economic systems
The BRICS is America’s No.1 nightmare. While none of the BRICS countries has a blueprint for their specific role in a new world order, there is a clear consensus in the five-member bloc that the current system grounded in imperialism is past its use by date.

A cherished US goal is to pry India away from this powerful group. Over the past several months a concerted media campaign has played out globally about the end of the BRICS dream. At first the narrative was the group is all but finished because the economies of its members are supposedly tanking. Lately, it has been tweaked to show India is the only one standing. The idea is to make Indians believe they are too good for the BRICS; that they’d be better off with the US than as part of a spent force.

However, the BRICS way is equitable growth for all countries, not just for the US and its allies. This message has found resonance in all free-minded countries around the world, with the result that today it is the West and its economic, social and so-called democratic systems that have become unpopular. So the western pitch to India is misdirected.

Who gains, who loses?
The constant refrain that India will be the big winner from a close alliance with the US could be a smokescreen for the real beneficiary to sneak through. Says Stephen Cohen of the Brookings Foundation: “The US should bring Indian defence personnel into its system to experience it, and to share India’s best practices. These do exist: India do well in producing more  rupee in space and missile technology, for example. Indian space and nuclear experts believe they can help the US develop missile and even reactor technology, and such offers should be taken seriously, with the US adjusting its own technology restraint regimes to benefit from the high quality and low cost of sourcing from India.”

India needs to figure out who will gain more from closer India-US ties and whether it is worth going through with such an alliance.

Source:- rbth

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While the US ambassador to India praised the growing U.S.-India cooperation in space, another ‘space race’, reminiscent of the US-Russia contest to reach the moon first, seems likely.

ISRO managed to launch 4 American satellites at once, Ambassador Richard Verma said in prepared remarks to a space policy forum in New Delhi on India’s “trusted workhorse – the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which has launched satellites for 20 different countries.”

India To Launch Six Singapore-Made Satellites Onboard ISRO’s PSLV-C29 In December

However, a day later, U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) endorsed an advisory committee’s recommendation to ban American launch companies from from using the PSLV, as per a Space News report.

Further, the FAA said it agreed with the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) Indian launch services can “distort the conditions of competition” in the launch-services market.

Considering these are two opposing views, it is confusing what the American rocket industry thinks of Indian satellites.

“There is a real dysfunction on the government side,” one U.S. industry official said. “On the one hand, you have the policy, which no agency wants to take responsibility for but which remains the policy. On the other, government agencies are practically falling over themselves to grant waivers.” COMSTAC speaking at a Jan 27 conference call of its International Space Policy Working Group said it that working with ISRO, an Indian government launch provider “runs counter to many national policies and undermines the work that has been done by government and industry to ensure the health of the U.S. space launch industrial bases.”

Source:- India times

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia could unnerve Pakistan as economic and strategic opportunities are bringing India closer to the oil-rich gulf nation, a top US expert has said.

“After years of considering Saudi Arabia as a major ally and economic benefactor, Pakistan may be on the verge of losing its erstwhile patron to archrival India. Modi arrived in Riyadh last week for an official visit full of diplomatic significance,” said Aparna Pande, director India Initiative of the Hudson Institute, a top American think-tank.

She said Modi’s visit and the warm reception he received were the latest reminders to the Pakistani leaders that international relations are based on national interest and not on vague religion-based ideology.

“Economic and strategic issues are bringing India and Saudi Arabia closer, just as they are working to the advantage of India with other countries,” Pande said.

For Pakistanis who see the world in binary terms as an eternal conflict between India and Pakistan, this was clearly a win for India, Pande said.

During the visit, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz conferred the Kingdom’s highest civilian award, The King Abdul Aziz Order, on Modi.

Pande said that despite giving billions of dollars in aid and employing millions of Pakistanis, the Saudis have never bestowed their highest civilian honor on a Pakistani leader.

India and Saudi Arabia have become economically more significant for one another with USD 39.4 billion in bilateral trade in 2014-15. Pakistan-Saudi trade by contrast stood at a meager USD 6.1 billion, she said.

For India, Saudi Arabia is the main source of its oil imports, supplying one-fifth of India’s annual demand.

For the Saudis, India is their fifth biggest customer after China, Japan, the US and South Korea, Pande said, adding that Pakistan could stick to its guns and see these developments as a threat.

“Or it could change its own approach to India and seek rapprochement to take advantage of economic and strategic opportunities that are making India a desirable partner for Pakistan’s erstwhile friends,” she said.

Modi arrived on his maiden two-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday. He became the fourth Indian Prime Minister to visit Saudi Arabia after Manmohan Singh in 2010, Indira Gandhi in 1982 and Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956.

Source:- TNN

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New Delhi: India has ruled out the possibility of punishing China for blocking the inclusion of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar’s name in the United Nations terror list by turning the screw on Chinese firms working in the country, with foreign secretary S. Jaishankar stating that the matter will only be pursued “in the UN context”.

Jaishankar’s remarks assume significance against the backdrop of recent media reports claiming that an inter-ministerial meeting will be held next week to decide whether China should be put back into the ‘country of concern’ category, thus affecting the ease with Chinese firms would be able to operate in India. This was apparently going to be New Delhi’s way of showing its displeasure at China bringing up technical reasons to inordinately delay the listing of Azhar – accused by India of being behind the attack on the Pathankot air force base – with UN Security Council sanctions committee.

Speaking at the launch of a new think-tank in the capital, Carnegie India, the foreign secretary seemed to be refuting those reports when he said India’s differences with China would not “overflow into other areas”.

“I think in diplomacy, you don’t speak of carrots and sticks. It is undiplomatic,” he said.

Jaishankar reiterated that India has been talking to Beijing about removing its objections on listing of Pakistan-based terrorists who have targeted India. “We have taken it up with the Chinese at a fairly high level and we will continue to pursue this with the Chinese,” he said.

India’s top diplomat clarified that this issue will not impact other aspects of India’s relationship with China. “This is an issue to be pursued with the  Chinese in the UN context. I wouldn’t want to give the impression that somehow this will overflow into other areas. We have had a backing and forthing on this issue so you will have to wait and see where this goes”.

China had asked the panel to put a hold on designating Azhar, just hours before the deadline on March 31. India had termed the Chinese move as “incomprehensible”. Speaking at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington the next day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi deplored what he said was a “selective approach” to terrorism, saying that it demonstrated the international community was not serious in tackling the problem.

China has argued that its actions were “on the basis of facts and in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and relevant rules of procedure”.

In answer to another question on China, Jaishankar noted “what is happening on the border is really two countries meeting as modern nation states for the first time… Obviously, they have claims on each other,” he said.

“How much disturbance of the status quo there is is both a function of intent and capabilities. If capabilities are more one-sided, there is greater temptation to disturb the status quo. So to the extent the capabilities are better balanced, the status quo is better preserved,” explained Jaishankar.

Balancing of “capabilities” requires “better infrastructure, better equipment, better preparation”, he said, adding, “That is very much the focus of the policy within the government”.

Ties with Pakistan

Talking about India’s other major neighbour, Jaishankar said terrorism “remains very much the focus of the relationship (with Pakistan) and Pathankot has made it as well”.

“Unless we are able to address the issue effectively, obviously it is hard for us to say the relationship is normal – because this is what puts Pakistan in a different category than our other neighbours,” he said.

The foreign secretary asserted that “one change” that has taken place since the Modi government took over “has been the centrality of addressing the issue of terrorism to dialogue between the two nations”.

“That was reflected when the two prime ministers met in Ufa… was underlined in Bangkok when the national security advisors met…If you see the reconstituted dialogue that we have, the comprehensive bilateral dialogue…the salience of terrorism. This is not a point of argumentation. It is taking into account what is happening on the ground,” he said.

In a prepared speech where Jaishankar argued for a more muscular foreign policy, he accepted that “forging an international consensus on a difficult issue like terrorism is a test that still awaits us, even if there has been progress in this respect”.

‘Taking risks’

Addressing the challenges of India emerging a ‘leading power’, the foreign secretary said India’s reaction to the changes and “power shifts” underway globally – including the rise of “new ideologies” and the erosion of sovereignty – could not be to “fall back on passivity as a default position.” India cannot afford to be a “perpetual spectator”, he stressed, quoting Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg , “In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

Source:- The wire

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New Delhi: India has ruled out the possibility of punishing China for blocking the inclusion of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar’s name in the United Nations terror list by turning the screw on Chinese firms working in the country, with foreign secretary S. Jaishankar stating that the matter will only be pursued “in the UN context”.

Jaishankar’s remarks assume significance against the backdrop of recent media reports claiming that an inter-ministerial meeting will be held next week to decide whether China should be put back into the ‘country of concern’ category, thus affecting the ease with Chinese firms would be able to operate in India. This was apparently going to be New Delhi’s way of showing its displeasure at China bringing up technical reasons to inordinately delay the listing of Azhar – accused by India of being behind the attack on the Pathankot air force base – with UN Security Council sanctions committee.

Speaking at the launch of a new think-tank in the capital, Carnegie India, the foreign secretary seemed to be refuting those reports when he said India’s differences with China would not “overflow into other areas”.

“I think in diplomacy, you don’t speak of carrots and sticks. It is undiplomatic,” he said.

Jaishankar reiterated that India has been talking to Beijing about removing its objections on listing of Pakistan-based terrorists who have targeted India. “We have taken it up with the Chinese at a fairly high level and we will continue to pursue this with the Chinese,” he said.

India’s top diplomat clarified that this issue will not impact other aspects of India’s relationship with China. “This is an issue to be pursued with the  Chinese in the UN context. I wouldn’t want to give the impression that somehow this will overflow into other areas. We have had a backing and forthing on this issue so you will have to wait and see where this goes”.

China had asked the panel to put a hold on designating Azhar, just hours before the deadline on March 31. India had termed the Chinese move as “incomprehensible”. Speaking at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington the next day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi deplored what he said was a “selective approach” to terrorism, saying that it demonstrated the international community was not serious in tackling the problem.

China has argued that its actions were “on the basis of facts and in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and relevant rules of procedure”.

In answer to another question on China, Jaishankar noted “what is happening on the border is really two countries meeting as modern nation states for the first time… Obviously, they have claims on each other,” he said.

“How much disturbance of the status quo there is is both a function of intent and capabilities. If capabilities are more one-sided, there is greater temptation to disturb the status quo. So to the extent the capabilities are better balanced, the status quo is better preserved,” explained Jaishankar.

Balancing of “capabilities” requires “better infrastructure, better equipment, better preparation”, he said, adding, “That is very much the focus of the policy within the government”.

Ties with Pakistan

Talking about India’s other major neighbour, Jaishankar said terrorism “remains very much the focus of the relationship (with Pakistan) and Pathankot has made it as well”.

“Unless we are able to address the issue effectively, obviously it is hard for us to say the relationship is normal – because this is what puts Pakistan in a different category than our other neighbours,” he said.

The foreign secretary asserted that “one change” that has taken place since the Modi government took over “has been the centrality of addressing the issue of terrorism to dialogue between the two nations”.

“That was reflected when the two prime ministers met in Ufa… was underlined in Bangkok when the national security advisors met…If you see the reconstituted dialogue that we have, the comprehensive bilateral dialogue…the salience of terrorism. This is not a point of argumentation. It is taking into account what is happening on the ground,” he said.

In a prepared speech where Jaishankar argued for a more muscular foreign policy, he accepted that “forging an international consensus on a difficult issue like terrorism is a test that still awaits us, even if there has been progress in this respect”.

‘Taking risks’

Addressing the challenges of India emerging a ‘leading power’, the foreign secretary said India’s reaction to the changes and “power shifts” underway globally – including the rise of “new ideologies” and the erosion of sovereignty – could not be to “fall back on passivity as a default position.” India cannot afford to be a “perpetual spectator”, he stressed, quoting Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg , “In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

Source:- The wire

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