Admiral Gorshkov: Revised date of delivery

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:32:53 GMT
Arrival of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov further delayed New Delhi/Moscow, Sep 17 (PTI) The delivery of Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov to Indian Navy, which is already behind schedule, has been further hit due to malfunctioning of the warship''s engines during sea trials and it is now expected to arrive in Indian waters in the second half of next year.
The ship was originally supposed to have been delivered by 2009 but it''s handing over to the Indian Navy has been marred by cost overruns among other issues.
An Indian Navy team on the ship has indicated that there are problems with the warship''s boilers, sources said here.
Reports in Russian media have suggested that the aircraft carrier would be arriving in India by October 2013.
The ship, rechristened INS Vikramaditya, was scheduled for commissioning into the Indian Navy by December 4, this year.
The sources dismissed reports that other systems of the warship had also been damaged due to the engine malfunctioning.
They said India is expected to ask the Russian side to hand over the carrier to the Indian side within the stipulated delivery schedule and carry out the required overhauls within that time frame.
The deal for the aircraft carrier was signed in 2004 but the price of the ship was renegotiated and later put at USD 2 .3 billion after repeated cost revision demands by the Russian side for repair and overhaul. The ship will be part of Indian Navy''s plans to operate an aircraft carrier in each of its two seaboards.
At the moment, its only operational aircraft carrier is the INS Viraat, which is in the last leg of its service after having gone through several upgrades.
Admiral Gorshkov was a Kiev class aircraft carrier laid down in 1978 at Nikolayev South in Ukraine, launched in 1982, and commissioned in 1987.
Arrival of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov further delayed
Comment: The jinxed Aircraft Carrier. Poor choice made by the Navy. The Chinese build similar ones for one tenth of the cost of Russian vintage.

Khukri Eco Park Converted to High Rise Scam posing a Security Risk

Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society
Land was under uninterrupted in continuous possession of the Army for over 40 years. The said plot was a garden known as ‘Khukri Eco Park’ with 135 grown up trees and was under the management of local military authorities. The GOC M&G Area Maj Gen B A Cariappa inaugurated the said park on 27th October, 1996 on the Infantry Day. The park was surrounded by a wall constructed by the Military Engineering Services and the same was adjacent and contiguous to other Army units located in the Zone VI. The said Eco Park continued to remain under control and management of Army till 2004 where army personnel were detailed round the clock regularly for guarding it like any other army establishment. View Khukri Eco Park images.

Photo Link
Photo Link
The land was abandoned by the Army to be allotted to Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society by a conspiracy hatched by senior serving officers, bureaucrats, politicians and officers of Defence Estate. The conspiracy was hatched in the year 2000 when Maj Gen AR Kumar was the General Officer Commanding MG & G Area and Brig TK Kaul was the Sub Area Commander. Brig TK Kaul came back as GOC MG & G Area in November 2002. Since the year 2000, each of the Generals Officer Commanding, Maharashtra & Gujarat Area, Maj. Gen. A. R. Kumar, Maj Gen VS Yadav, Maj Gen TK Kaul, Maj Gen Tejinder Singh, Maj Gen RK Hooda, have become members of Adarsh Society for allotment of flat to them or their relatives as if it was a pre-requisite of the appointment of General Officer Commanding, Maharashtra & Gujarat Area and in return these General Officers remained silent on the conspiracy hatched even at the risk of the security hazard posed by construction of 30 storey building overlooking the sensitive defence area. Not only did they remain silent on this issue but provided immunity and protection to the Society in continuing their manipulation.

The 30 storeyed building constructed completely dominates the entire Army & Navy area and sensitive installations like Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. The building causes a security concerns of great magnitude in the longer run.

The Army and Navy in Mumbai are in great need of land to meet shortage of accommodation for its officers, JCOs, NCOs and Sepoys. Presently they are being made to share married accommodation. Sharing of married accommodation by more than one family has caused several social problems of privacy and illicit relationships.
Extracted from: Colaba Land Scam Worth Rs. 500 Crores: Citizens Letter to COAS

Tricolor Risk and Security Consultants PVT Ltd
Tricolor Consultants was established in Aug 2005 by Major General Tej Krishen Kaul (Retd), recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal and Mrs Neelu Tej Kaul to create a niche head hunting firm focused on identifying the best talent from the Indian Armed Forces to work in the Corporate sector. The firm also has expertise in risk management and in security systems and solutions. Future plans include facility management, training and publications. In the short span of our existence, we have had the privilege of being associated with a number of leading MNCs in Core Engineering, Automobile, Power, Security Technology, IT, Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Education, Hospitality, Health Care, Media and Financial Institutions. We have successfully accomplished multifaceted placements for a large number of our candidates besides providing sound security solutions to several renowned organisations including the famous Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan.
Address: 58 A, The Arcade – 1st Floor, World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400 005, India
Tricolor Risk and Security Consultants PVT Ltd
Adarsh Scam: Don't ask questions, Army was told- Nitin Gokhale NDTV
Crackdown on Adarsh towers: Babus in the line of fire

Commentary: It is essential to carry out an yearly audit of all Ex Servicemen Security Services so that they do not endanger the Security of the Nation. Maj Gen TK Kaul leader of Security Services has presently gone underground and another Security Service needs to be employed to locate him.

Government sets up GoM on energy

References
Energy Security = Energy + Security: Pragmatic Euphony
Govt sets up GoM on energy: Indian Express

It seems that those who call such meetings ie PMO do not understand the role of various actors in different facets of National security.
The big problem in India is that the MOD is secluded from Foreign relations. The External Affairs Ministry comprising of bureaucrats of the similar genre as the IAS feel that they are the only ones who know every thing about diplomacy and external relations of India. The reality is far from it and one can see how they have created an image of a weak India who runs to Western countries for a motherly hug when our neighbours inflict wounds on us.
Energy Security has definite and crucial connotations of seaward defence, Air defence, Army's deployment and Homeland defence.
Even the name of the Home Minister is missing!! I suppose HE IS THERE.
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd)
Former Signal Officer in Chief

Goa to rope in ex-Navy officers to assist marine police

PTI, May 20, 2010, 01.59pm IST
PANAJI: The Goa government has decided to rope in former defence officers to guide its marine police force, armed with sophisticated boats to man the coast.

“We do not have trained manpower to handle such boats. We will have to be dependent on ex-officers of Indian Navy or Indian coast guard for the guidance,” chief secretary Sanjay Srivastava said.

“Officers can be employed with the special police unit for two to three years. The marine police will work in tandem with the Navy and coast guard to safeguard the state coastline, where vigil has been stepped up after 26/11 and recent terror alerts,” he said.

Srivastava was talking to the media after taking possession of a high-speed interceptor boat, constructed by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL).

The boat which is the fifth to be acquired by Goa has been provided under an initiative of the Union Home Ministry to strengthen coastal security.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravindra Yadav said the need for these boats was felt after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai when coastal security was breached.

“The basic responsibility of marine police is to use these boats to ensure there was no sea-bound terror attack and also detect and stop smuggling and other illegal activities,” he said.
Goa to rope in ex-Navy officers to assist marine police: Times of India

Stranded ship (the "River Princess") at Calangute Beach, Goa. The ship stranded in 2000 during an unexpected storm. Photo: Soman

Lowest bid for Princess's removal is Rs 108 crore
TNN, May 22, 2010, 01.51am IST
PANAJI: Getting rid of the grounded River Princess may now cost the state at least Rs 100 crore. When tourism department on Friday opened the financial bids of the two companies left in the fray for removing the grounded vessel, Goa-based Madgavkar Salvage was found to have submitted the lowest bid for Rs 108 crore.

"Madgavkar has submitted a financial bid of Rs 98 crore plus 10% tax. That works out to Rs 108 crore," tourism director Nikhil Desai told TOI.

Desai, however, said he was unable to provide details of the financial tender submitted by Madgavkar's competitors, US-based Titan Salvage.

"Titan Salvage has quoted higher. However, it does not mean that we have awarded the tender to any one of the bidders. We are yet to scrutinize Titan's bid," the tourism director said.

The decision on who gets the contract to get rid of River Princess lies with the Goa State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), which will meet shortly.
Lowest bid for Princess's removal is Rs 108 crore

Mumbai Mayhem: Coastal Security Fast Tracked

Cabinet Secy to head review panel
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 18
Backed by the Indian Navy’s assessment that it will take up to two years to make the 7,600-km- long Indian coast line “totally safe”, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home, in separate developments, today got down to ensure that the matter is speeded up and all plans are kept on track.

The Union Cabinet Secretary was today appointed to head a high-level committee that will, at regular intervals, review the measures taken for the coastal security. Other members of the committee will include the Chief of Naval Staff, Secretaries of Ministries like Defence, Home, Petroleum and Chief Secretaries of all coastal states.

The decision to set-up the committee was taken by Defence Minister AK Antony here today. The National Security Adviser, MK Narayanan and the Defence secretary Vijay Singh were a part of the decision making process. This comes within weeks of the Navy having conveyed that procurement of additional boats, setting up coastal radars, sensors and tracking equipment, besides having other systems in place, will take time.
Coastal Security: Cabinet secy to head review panel

Mumbai Mayhem: Navy to commission first helicopter base in Mumbai

Photo PIB
The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta inspecting the Guard of Honor during the commissioning ceremony of INS Shikra, at Naval Air Station, Mumbai on January 22, 2009.

NEW DELHI: In a step towards strengthening surveillance and coastal security around Mumbai after 26/11, the Navy will commission its first helicopter base ‘INS Shikra’ in the metropolis on Thursday.

Though the naval air station base in South Mumbai has been operating for some time, it will now act as a dedicated helicopter base, with choppers like Sea Kings, Kamov-28s, Kamov-31s and Chetaks being stationed there in larger numbers.

"The air station's proximity to Mumbai High and the Saurashtra region on the west coast makes it the preferred site to provide effective air support for protection and security of national assets at short notice," an officer said.

"The commissioning of INS Shikra by Admiral Sureesh Mehta on Thursday will provide a shot in the arm to naval aviation. It will provide maintenance and flying support to a diverse range of helicopters operating from naval ships in Mumbai," he added.

The air station also provides air traffic control services to all civil and military helicopters operating in South Mumbai. Captain Philipose G Pynumootil will be the first commanding officer of INS Shikra, which takes its name from a small aggressive raptor with short wings and tall tail adapted for manoeuvrability, agility and speed.
Navy to commission first helicopter base in Mumbai

Superpower India: Don’t just talk, act like one

The series of events after 26/11 (including the January 1 Guwahati bomb blasts) have left no one in any doubt about a few facts. Any naval specialist will agree that the manner in which the 10 terrorists attacked Mumbai, including the transit in the Indian fishing boat Kuber, could only be possible with the involvement of the ISI, the Pakistani Army and Navy.

Media reports indicate that about 70 per cent of my proposals made in various articles in this paper since May 2008 have been accepted by the government. I hope that they are implemented urgently, especially since the recent roller coaster — initial “vehement denial” followed by “yes, Kasav is Pakistani”), ISI leaflets given to Pakistan Army about dismembering India by 2020 — indicate that Pakistan does not have peace on its mind. Poonch firefighting indicates the shape of things to come from the “epicentre of terrorism”.

The manner in which the Pakistani military, hell-bent on destabilising and dismembering India, took over the decision-making process from President Asif Zardari and his nascent government to win public support for the discredited military and from the terrorists to “defend Pakistan” in case of war, has left no one in doubt that the Pakistan Army Chief, General Ashraf Parvez Kayani, is the decision-maker in that troubled land, with the Pakistani government acting as his spokesperson. Indeed, temperatures went up last month when Gen. Kayani said, “Pakistan will respond in minutes,” and things cooled down only when, on December 29, he said, “There is a need to de-escalate”.

Why did Gen. Kayani raise the war hysteria pitch to such levels, and why did the media report that the Pakistani Army had withdrawn some troops from the Afghan border? The answer may not be too difficult. Unlike India, the Pakistani military machine has been kept well oiled with the $10 billion in aid received in the last seven years. It is, indeed, amazing that Pakistan, despite being totally bankrupt, has managed a $8 billion IMF loan, asked for a $60 billion “grant” to boost its economy, is acquiring three German-type 214 submarines, co-producing 150 Chinese FC-17 light fighter jets, inducting 36 Chinese FC-20 (J-10) heavy fighter jets, three Chinese frigates, Swedish and Chinese AWACS, F-16 fighter jets, artillery and Brazilian SAMs.

There is no doubt in my mind that buoyed by the “success” of the 10-man terrorist strike on 26/11, and emboldened by the “civilised and diplomatic” response of the Indian government and international community (the US is planning to give Pakistan another $15 billion), the Pakistani military, ISI and various terrorist outfits would be planning more devastating attacks in the near future. These attacks could be from the sea, air or land, or a combination which would aim to saturate India’s response mechanism, cause maximum damage and pull us into the “failed state quagmire” of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

So how does India prepare for this “doomsday” scenario. The answers are complex. The government has taken a few punitive steps by introducing the National Investigating Agency (NIA) and making the 1967 Act stiffer.
Vice-Admiral Arun Kumar Singh retired as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam
Read more: Superpower India: Don’t just talk, act like one By Arun Kumar Singh

Responses to "Shameful Naval Gazers"

Dear Friends,

Letter to Hindustan Times in response to an Article “Shameful Naval Gazers” (December 04) is enclosed. You all may also write your responses.
With Kind Regards,
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)
Response to: Shameful Naval Gazers by Vir Sanghvi


Dear Editor,

1. Vir Sanghvi’s Article “Shameful Naval Gazers” (December 04) calling the Naval Chief, who also happens to be Chairman Chief of Staff Committee and ipso facto the senior most appointment of three services foolish and lacking in leadership qualities smacks of total bias and unpardonable yellow journalism displayed by a senior editor of the prominent News Paper like yours. The Naval Chief has rendered four decades of unblemished, meritorious and dedicated service to the nation and his professional acumen and high leadership qualities are well known and duly acknowledged by the Govt through various awards and decorations. That a person of Vir Sanghvi’s stature is ignorant of this does not speak highly of your esteem paper in general and Vir Singhvi’s in particular.

2. The press has been denigrating the defence forces of late and it appears that this piece written by Mr Sanghvi appears to be part of the overall campaign orchestrated by the bureaucracy. Such irresponsible articles/ editorials will definitely have demoralizing and demotivating affect on the Armed Forces.

3. My advice to Vir Sanghvi is to confine himself to writing about “Rude Food” and giving tips on dining and wining to his readers and spare the Defence Services of whom he has little knowledge.

(The author is a Former Senior Fellow and Security Analyst of Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), has been examiner PhD thesis in Defence & Security Studies, Ex Commandant Services Selection Centre & President SSB, besides being Instructor at four premier institutions of the Army. Presently he is a Vice Chairman Indian Ex Servicemen Movement.)
With Kind Regards,
Yours Sincerely,

Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)

Vir Sanghvi's report shameful naval-gazers (HT December 4) is most regrettable. His comments on Navy and Chief of Naval Staff have hurt the entire Naval fraternity and service personnel. The Naval Chief is a prodigious figure for his men and is highest honoured person He could have clarified the matter from the Naval headquarters rather than making such disparaging personal remarks This was not his field perhaps he should restrict his writings on eateries only.

Cdr JK Sharma (Retd)

The following letter to the editor of The Hindustan Times was sent by me on the day following publication of Vir Singhvi's article. Of course the paper never published it.
Brig Chaitanya Prakash (Retd)

To,
The Editor
The Hindustan Times,

Just because Vir Singhvi has a pen and unrestricted column space, doesn’t mean he can question the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Mehta’s professional integrity and berate and abuse him unquestioningly. He is better off making his living commenting on the ten star gourmet food and life in the worlds most expensive real estate. Leave the soldiers alone Mr Singhvi, if you cannot fight for them stop berating them. Why are you being so defensive for fellow journalists? Why are the fourth state so combative when it comes to their own creed? Are you guys some holy cows who are beyond criticism and wrong doing?

Brig C Prakash (Retd

War on Terror: Intelligence agencies at war

3 Dec 2008, 0329 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: A no-holds barred "leak" war has broken out between intelligence agencies which has engulfed PMO as well with India's security bosses— scrambling for cover after the Mumbai attacks, engaging in a fierce blame game and settling departmental scores.

The issue at hand is whether the external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing generated specific inputs which were not acted on by Navy, Coast Guard and IB. The inter- agency sniping has placed National Security Advisor M K Narayanan in the line of fire for not taking the "tip offs" seriously enough.

With allegations flying thick and fast, Navy chief Sureesh Mehta on Tuesday took the extraordinary step of publicly stating that his force had received no "actionable" intelligence while admitting to a "system failure". "What is important is that we should have intelligence which is actionable and specific," he said.

The leaks were initially sourced to RAW which has been steadily generating bad news for factionalism and poor leadership. Its chief Ashok Chaturvedi has been criticised for globe- trotting at official expense and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks have put his agency under adverse scrutiny. The embellishment of the "attacks foretold" story is seen as a shrewd move to deflect the heat.

Even though RAW did flash a warning on November 19, it is pointed out that the agency which claims to have decent assets in Karachi with the city's Mohajir population, was not aware that the team of 10 terrorists had trained there for a full month before setting off.

The "intelligence ignored" story has generated political heat with defence minister A K Antony even offering to quit at Saturday's meeting of the CWC if the Navy was found to be at fault. It has also provided fodder to the NSA'sdetractors whose jurisdiction is envied by MEA and a section of PMO and who has annoyed many, most recently on the Batla House encounter when he argued against a judicial probe into the shootout.

Within days of Manmohan Singh's promise to overhaul India's anti- terror response, turf wars have become more heated with calculated leaks about RAW pointing to both a sea- borne attack and targeting of hotels in Mumbai.

Well- placed sources said that while an input was indeed generated, it was not as specific as is being claimed by some quarters. It was after the Mumbai attacks that some dots were now being joined and a larger picture was falling in place. It would be incorrect to say that an alert had been issued about a marine jihadi attack on hotels in November.

It is being pointed out that RAW did not link the September 18 warning about hotels to the November 19 signal on a LeT trawler with dangerous cargo heading for India. There was undoubtedly a lapse in intercepting the trawler and dingies carrying the Lashkar-e-Taiba team, but it was not as if the plan to spread mayhem and death was known before hand.

The November 19 intercept is also being evaluated in light of interrogation reports of the captured terrorist Ajmal who has indicated the LeT team could have left as late as November 23. Also two MV Kubers have now been indentified. While affixing responsibility, it was important to clarify how urgent RAW considered its input and whether an effort was made to alert top levels in government. Was the intercept and analysis placed before the joint intelligence committee?

On his part, Narayanan has spoken forthrightly over the jihadi threat and continues to enjoy the PM's confidence. Authoritive sources said the NSA was not under pressure to quit even as political circles debated whether his standing with the Congress leadership had been hit. But the point is also being made that he has concentrated on managing postings and short-term objectives while not addressing the systemic deficiencies of IB and RAW.

On being asked whether the NSA was being retained, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi provided a hint of what the party was thinking when he said on Tuesday that it was "unlikely" that a specific warning had been ignored.
Intelligence agencies at war

Comment: The Naval Forces and Coast Guard need to be given more executive powers to contain Smuggling and Terrorists activities in all the coastal regions East, West and South.