Monthly Archives: August 2018

jerusalem: As tensions escalate in West Asia, the Deputy spokesperson of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alex Gandler said on Wednesday that India has a “voice of reason” and at a time like this it could act in the region, describing the country as an important partner.He urged that a “message of calm” should be sent to Iran, which says it should dissolve its proxies and stop attacking Israel.

The crew for this ground breaking mission will consist of three members, one of whom is confirmed to be a retired Indian Navy submariner.

India is gearing up for its ambitious Samudrayaan mission, which aims to explore the depths of the ocean with its first manned submersible, Matsya-6000.

The mission is set to undergo its maiden wet test in the final week of October, where scientists and engineers at the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) will evaluate the submersible’s flotation, buoyancy, and life support systems.

This critical phase marks a significant step in the development of Matsya-6000, which is designed to dive to depths of 6,000 meters below sea level.

The crew for this ground breaking mission will consist of three members, one of whom is confirmed to be a retired Indian Navy submariner.

The final selection of crew members is expected to be completed within the next two to three months.

This former naval officer, whose name will be revealed at a later time, has joined NIOT as a scientist, post retirement, and will contribute significantly to the training and preparedness for the mission. His experience, according to sources in the NIOT, includes working with the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle during his tenure in the Navy, providing him with invaluable expertise for operating the submersible.

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NIOT is currently in the process of selecting the remaining two crew members, who may either come from the Indian Navy or be scientists from the institute.

The screening process is being conducted by the Institute of Naval Medicine (INM). Once selected, the crew will undergo a rigorous training module at the INM for two weeks, followed by specialised training in the Matsya-6000 cockpit to familiarise themselves with its design and technology.

This will be complemented by submarine pilot training in an international location that is yet to be finalised.

The final selection of crew members is expected to be completed within the next two to three months.

NIOT is also preparing for the upcoming wet test at Chennai Harbour, where they will conduct flotation tests at a depth of 15 meters. This initial test is crucial for validating the submersible’s systems before deeper trials commence.

Matsya-6000 represents a significant leap for India in deep-sea exploration technology. With an investment of ₹4,077 crore (approximately $550 million), this project aims not only to advance scientific research but also to explore valuable ocean resources such as gas hydrates and polymetallic nodules.

The successful execution of Samudrayaan will position India among a select group of nations capable of manned deep-sea exploration, enhancing its stature in global marine research efforts.

Air Vice Marshal Vikas Sharma took over the command as Air Officer Commanding of Headquarters Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh on Wednesday. Commissioned in the fighter stream of the flying branch of IAF on 16 June 1990, he is a graduate…

Air Vice Marshal Vikas Sharma took over the command as Air Officer Commanding of Headquarters Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh on Wednesday.

An official defence spokesperson said that during his career of 33 years, he has tenanted many important assignments including Commanding Officer of a fighter squadron, Air Officer Commanding of an operational frontline fighter base in the eastern sector and prestigious Networked Tactical Node.

“Apart from the operational assignments, Air Vice Marshal Vikas Sharma was also India’s Defence Attache to the Kingdom of Thailand. Prior to taking over the present appointment, he was senior officer in-charge Administration, Southern Air Command. For his distinguished service, he was awarded the Vayu Sena Medal in the year 2011,” the official said.

Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Tuesday emphasised the need for the IAF to remain prepared for any contingency, citing ongoing global conflicts as a reminder of the critical need for a strong and capable air…

Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Tuesday emphasised the need for the IAF to remain prepared for any contingency, citing ongoing global conflicts as a reminder of the critical need for a strong and capable air force.

Speaking after reviewing the Air Force Day Parade at Air Force Station Tambaram near Chennai, during the 92nd Annual IAF Day celebrations, the IAF Chief stressed that adopting the latest technology, along with innovative and out-of-the-box thinking, would be decisive in today’s multi-domain environment.

“Over the years, the IAF has been empowered with advanced technology, achieving new levels of operational capability with systems and weapons,” he added.

Highlighting the importance of self-reliance, the IAF Chief said, “Self-reliance in defence and manufacturing is a priority.” He noted that concrete steps have been taken to support the ‘Make in India’ initiative by engaging MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, professionals, institutes, and academia. The Chief of Air Staff also underscored that Air Force Day serves as a moment for air warriors to rededicate themselves to the service of the nation, reflect on the past year’s achievements, and identify areas for improvement to align with future requirements. He said, “One of our primary objectives is to deliver weapons on target, on time, every time.”

As the IAF celebrates its 92nd anniversary, the challenges it faces include increasing combat potential.

Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani Retd

AS the IAF completes another year of service to the nation, it is time to reflect on its achievements over the past year and the challenges that lie ahead as it moves forward in its centennial decade.

With just six aircraft and a handful of ‘Hawai Sepoys’ or ‘airmen’, the Indian Air Force took birth on October 8, 1932, just about two decades after the first manned airplane flight. The ninety-first anniversary of the IAF was celebrated at Prayagraj on October 8 last year, with an air power display and an impressive parade that mesmerised the audience in Allahabad, which is also home to the Central Command of the IAF.

In keeping with its recent tradition of dedicating a theme for itself every year to focus on its operational preparedness and training, the IAF had decided on ‘Air Power Beyond Boundaries’ for itself for the year 2023-24.

On the Air Force Day last year, flashfloods in the Teesta river caused mayhem and destruction across Sikkim and West Bengal, disrupting communications, destroying roads and other infrastructure and leading to loss of precious lives across the two states. The IAF promptly swung into action, deploying its Chinook and

Mi 17-1V helicopters, carrying out rescue and relief operations, dropping medicines, essential supplies and communication equipment and using its Garud commandos to facilitate the evacuation of more than 1,700 people, including tourists and foreign nationals.

From November 12 to 28 last year, in response to the Silkyara tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand, the IAF deployed its heavy lift C-17 Globemaster and C-130J Hercules aircraft to transport equipment and personnel, apart from Mi 17 and Chinook helicopters to evacuate rescued personnel to the nearest medical facility.

Serving as the first responder when an earthquake struck Nepal in the first week of November 2023, the IAF launched a C-130J Hercules aircraft with essential supplies, providing medicines, relief material and trained personnel to assist in disaster relief. India also provided more than 70 tonnes of humanitarian aid and relief material to the people affected by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict by sending two C-17 aircraft on October 22 and November 19, 2023; these landed at the El-Arish airbase in Egypt, close to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza strip.

Last year, the IAF participated in various bilateral and multilateral exercises — from Red Flag in the USA to Eastern Bridge with Oman, Pitch Black with Australia, Udara Shakti with Malaysia, Garuda with France and Desert Knight with UAE. All these exercises had other air forces participating, along with the forces from the host countries.

The eagerness for the air forces of the countries across the world to participate in exercises with the IAF bears testimony to its professional acumen and the growing heft of India as a nation in the emerging world order.

The IAF also carried out Exercise Vayushakti on February 17, 2024, at the Pokhran range wherein it demonstrated its offensive capability by carrying out live firing that was witnessed by a diverse audience comprising the diplomatic corps of friendly foreign countries. The exercise witnessed the participation of the indigenous Tejas Mk1 aircraft and Dhruv and Prachand helicopters, apart from Jaguars, Rafale, Mig 29, Su 30 MKI, Mirage 2000, Hawk, C-130J, Apache and Chinook, which carried out day and night operations. Our indigenous surface-to-air weapon systems — Akaash and Samar — demonstrated their ability to track and shoot down intruding aircraft. It demonstrated the ability of the IAF to deliver weapons with precision on designated targets simultaneously from a number of bases.

Under Exercise Gagan Shakti 2024, which commenced on April 1 this year, the entire air force was mobilised for operational contingencies in two phases, simulating the emergence of threats that might emerge from a two-front situation. With extensive flying day and night, with large force engagement exercises, the IAF tested all the key features of airpower: speed, precision, flexibility, reach and responsiveness, along with sustaining a high tempo of operations 24×7 for 10 days.

The IAF successfully carried out the largest multilateral exercise ‘Tarang Shakti 2024’ that witnessed the participation of 11 countries with their flying assets and 27 countries as observers from nations representing all the continents. The exercise was carried out in two phases at Sulur and Jodhpur air bases and more than 1,000 sorties were flown, with the chiefs of many air forces also participating in the exercise.

This exercise tested the mettle of the IAF in planning and executing an international exercise. It also demonstrated its indigenous defence capabilities on the sidelines with an international defence exposition at both the venues.

The IAF is celebrating its ninety-second anniversary this year. It commenced with a scintillating airshow at the Marina Beach in Chennai on October 6, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin as the chief guest. A rare treat for Chennaites, the Marina Beach, one of the longest beaches in the world, was an ideal venue for air display and provided an unobstructed view for the enthusiastic crowd. It is set to enter the Limca Book of Records for being the largest gathering at an air display.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh PVSM, AVSM, the new Chief, would review the ceremonial parade and address all air warriors at Tambaram Air Force Station, also in Chennai, on October 8. The IAF theme for the forthcoming year is ‘Bhartiya Vayusena: Sashakt, Saksham aur Atmanirbhar’ (‘Strong, Capable and Self-Reliant’), emphasising the focus on self-reliance and modernisation.

The challenge for the IAF involves increasing its combat potential with faster induction of Tejas Mk1A, aerial refuellers, airborne early warning and control aircraft, indigenous weapons and radar systems and operationalisation of secure communications with software defined radios (SDR) and operational data link (ODL).

The IAF is in top gear, and will continue to serve the nation in keeping with its motto of ‘Nabha Sprisham Diptam’ (‘Touching the sky with glory’). The Indian industry, however, needs to change gears to match the pace and keep up. Innovative technology and ‘chutzpah’ are the new market disrupters. ‘Atmanirbhar’ is almost within reach.

No parliamentary debate has been permitted on the China threat despite intrusions and loss of territory over the past five years.

Maj Gen Ashok K Mehta (retd)

THREE weeks in London were invigorating. I visited Royal United Services Institute, the International Institute of Strategic Studies, Chatham House and Policy Exchange, among several think tanks, and the Royal College of Defence Studies, where I studied — to simply imbibe the new flavours of the land.

Each new prime minister or government orders a strategic defence review (SDR), the last being done in 2015. It is updated periodically with an integrated review, which was done in 2021, followed by a defence, development and foreign policy review in 2023. Capability and spending reviews are interspersed, ensuring targets are met and there are no surprises.

In July, the new Labour government ordered a root and branch review of the SDR, which will deliver its report before July 2025. The spending review has found a hole of GBP 3.9 billion, which the government has pledged to meet by raising taxes in the budget due on October 30. Whether Labour or Tory, defence spending enjoys rare consistency, with a target of 2.5 per cent of the GDP, which, at present, is 2.3 per cent.

Lord Karan Bilimoria, whom I met, has advocated in Parliament since 2019 that the UK should spend 3 per cent of the GDP on defence. He told the Peers that the term Indo-Pacific, for which there is a minister now, was coined by Policy Exchange, of which he is a trustee. Our Navy’s Capt Vijay Sakhuja, with the Kalinga International Foundation, had claimed to have invented it.

Bilimoria told Parliament that Britain must upgrade relations with India, the emerging power centre, and apologise for its ‘monstrous act’ in Jallianwala Bagh. Britain has a small-sized military, but it fields state-of-the-art equipment. Robust debates on defence are held in both Houses of Parliament and the media.

Its Strategic Nuclear Force, operational since 1962, is reliant solely on Continuous at Sea Deterrence (CASD). The debate in the UK is over a backup second delivery system of the other two legs of the Triad — aircraft or land-based — and maintaining 180-200 nuclear ballistic missiles of its Credible Minimum Deterrent.

India’s military is rapidly modernising. But it is also focused on dismantling the colonial legacy, as directed by PM Modi in 2021, and replacing it with Indian political strategic culture and indigenisation.

So, the Vivekanand Foundation begins its programmes by invoking Hindu gods. The Indian Navy has introduced kurta pajama as its mess kit. The Army is engaged in collating pearls of ancient Indian wisdom from the Gita, Panchatantra, Arthashastra, Chanakya Neeti and Thirukkural.

But absent are modern defence planning and budgetary fiscal and defence allocation as a percentage of the GDP, like 3 per cent recommended by several Standing Committees on Defence. The annual defence budgets are, predictably, the previous year’s budget allocation plus inflation and, sometimes, less than the Revised Estimates.

An SDR has never been done nor have capability and spending reviews been done. Still, often, defence forces are unable to spend the meagre moneys allotted for modernisation. There is no documented National Security Strategy (NSS), which the CDS, Anil Chauhan, says is not needed, making India the only democracy with no NSS.

No parliamentary debate has been permitted on the China threat despite intrusions and loss of territory over the past five years and two books by former Army Chiefs have been blocked as they are critical of the government.

With the fifth largest economy (it just surpassed that of the UK) and the third biggest standing military, India’s defence spending was less than 2 per cent in 2024-25 despite multiple and collusive threats. The UK, with the 11th largest military, will spend nearly 2.5 per cent of the GDP with comparably less substantial threats.

While the UK will not let its deterrent blunt, Indian political leaders believe there will be no war: “Not an era of war; we are the land of Buddha, not yuddh.”

So, the Agniveer scheme was imposed to reduce manpower and pension costs in the guise of having a youthful Army, which former Army and Navy Chiefs have decried. So was ‘atmanirbharata’, about which the late CDS, Gen Bipin Rawat, had said: “We will fight with second best equipment.”

Another Army Chief, Gen Ved Malik, had, during Kargil, famously said: “We will fight with what we have.” The new CAS, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, said recently: “Atmanirbharata; but not at the cost of defence.”

There is, consequently, a limited conventional deterrent against China.

But India has the ultimate deterrent — a stable nuclear force arsenal of 180 warheads, and it will shortly acquire the effective third leg of its Minimum Credible Deterrent, with undersea deterrent.

Its nuclear doctrine 2003 remains sound and unaltered despite calls for abandoning the No-First-Use and Adopting-First-Use policies due to Pakistan and China’s disruptive behaviour. The nuclear doctrine is a robust retaliation for any full-spectrum nuclear use by Pakistan.

On October 1, the COAS, Gen Dwivedi, said: “The CDS is ready to present the theatrisation plan once government asks for it.”

Some wrinkles remain, though. In the UK, the CDS system was introduced in 1984 and theatrisation has flourished. But it happened top-down. Not the way we have gone about it. Indianise, certainly, but also demystify defence.

The petitioner, a Muslim from West Bengal, joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) on December 27, 2005, and married a woman in July 2009, with whom he has a daughter

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed an order dismissing an Indian Air Force official from service for marrying twice without prior permission from the authority concerned. The Bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Sudeepti Sharma found that the dismissal order suffered from significant statutory breaches, arbitrariness in the decision-making process and “gross non-application of mind”.

The petitioner, a Muslim from West Bengal, joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) on December 27, 2005, and married a woman in July 2009, with whom he has a daughter. He later married another woman in December 2012 without obtaining the requisite permission from the Air Force authorities. Following an inquiry, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Air Command found the petitioner blameworthy for entering into a “plural marriage”, resulting in his dismissal from the service. His appeal to the Armed Forces Tribunal was dismissed, prompting the present writ petition before the high court.

The Bench asserted the petitioner’s marriages complied with the permissible plural marriage provisions under the Islamic personal law. But the defence personnel were still required to obtain permission for plural marriages.

The Bench, at the same time, asserted the court’s role was to advance “substantial justice. Even if the petitioner did not initially secure permission for the second marriage, the Air Force authorities should have considered the mitigating circumstances, including the apparent consent of his first wife”. It said, “It appears that the first spouse of the present petitioner consented to the latter contracting a second marriage… In sequel, thereby, the consent by the former spouse of the petitioner to re-marry was required to be assigned some deference.”

Referring to the harshness of depriving the petitioner of his livelihood, the Bench observed the action could jeopardise his and his family’s right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. “The deprivation of any source of livelihood to the petitioner and his family members would jeopardise Article 21,” the court observed.The Bench also made it clear that the petitioner, otherwise, had an unblemished service record and was serving as a patriotic soldier. “The evident lack of application of mind by the respondent concerned does make the impugned order suffer from the vice of gross arbitrariness,” the court asserted, while noting that the authorities failed to consider granting ex-post sanction for the petitioner’s plural marriage despite the extenuating factors.

Before parting with the case, the Bench quashed the AFT’s order and directed the respondents to re-evaluate the petitioner’s case within three months, giving due consideration to the possibility of retroactive permission for his plural marriage. “The writ petition is allowed. The impugned order is quashed and set aside, with a direction to the respondent to exercise the empowerment vested in it to grant ex-post facto sanction for the petitioner’s purported misdemeanour.”

In a major relief to residents, the Permanent Lok Adalat in Jalandhar has directed the municipal corporation to complete the repairs on the potholed road, connecting Defence Colony to PAP Chowk, by November 30. The road, which had been lying…

In a major relief to residents, the Permanent Lok Adalat in Jalandhar has directed the municipal corporation to complete the repairs on the potholed road, connecting Defence Colony to PAP Chowk, by November 30.

The road, which had been lying in a poor condition for over two years, became a source of inconvenience for residents, prompting the Defence Colony Residents Society to take the matter to the court.

The last time the road was repaired was during the Assembly elections, after which it was left to deteriorate. The case was filed by the society, represented by its general secretary, Harbinder Singh, through their counsel advocate Vikram Dutta. The residents, frustrated by the inaction of the MC authorities despite repeated complaints, sought legal intervention, urging the MC to fulfil its responsibility of maintaining the road.

The petitioner argued that the condition of the road had worsened to the point where it posed safety risks to the public, especially during the monsoon season.

“Despite assurances and multiple complaints, no concrete steps were taken by the authorities to address the issue. This road is a major thoroughfare and its condition has been a daily struggle for the residents,” said advocate Dutta in his argument.

At the hearing, representatives from the MC’s Building and Roads (B&R) Branch, including SDO Komal Kainth and Junior Engineer Parul, appeared before the court and confirmed that work had already commenced.

They said the MC had issued a work order to Rajiv Kumar Aggarwal and trench restoration was currently in progress. However, the officials admitted that the complete re-carpeting of the road would take time due to weather conditions and technical evaluations.

The court was informed that the entire process would take approximately three months, with a completion deadline set for November 30.

Advocate Dutta accepted the timeline but stressed the need for timely execution given the prolonged hardship faced by the residents.

Passing the judgement, the Lok Adalat, chaired by Jagdeep Singh Marok, emphasised that both parties were bound by their statements, and the MC must ensure the timely completion of the road repairs by November 30.

Articles Written By Ravi Dhaliwal

Keeping in view the ever-increasing cases of drug addiction, the Army, local judiciary and the Red Cross deaddiction centre have joined hands in an earnest endeavour to eradicate the menace from this border district. Situation grim The situation in border

Keeping in view the ever-increasing cases of drug addiction, the Army, local judiciary and the Red Cross deaddiction centre have joined hands in an earnest endeavour to eradicate the menace from this border district.

Situation grim

The situation in border villages is grim. Everybody knows how drones drop heroin packets from the night skies… The first port of call for these drones are border villages. — Romesh Mahajan, Project director of the red cross centre

This development is unprecedented because earlier the fight against dope was restricted to the BSF and the Punjab Police. This also speaks about the trepidation, fear and anxiety drugs have on the minds of the authorities.

Locals and parents of addicts have welcomed the move. Experts opine this development has the potential to decrease drug usage among youth if not completely eradicating it.

In recent days, Col RS Shekhawat of the 14th Jat Regiment stationed at Tibri cantonment and his team, under the guidance of Brig PS Sandhu, have started holding seminars in educational institutions. The first institute the Army has identified is the ITI, Gurdaspur. This was preferred because 90 per cent of students hail from villages and semi-urban areas where drug incidence is extremely high. In the next phase, skill development course will be imparted.

Colonel Shekhawat said such seminars would be held regularly. “It is a no-holds barred battle. We have entered the fray because someone had to cleanse society of its warts and moles,” he said.

District and Sessions Judge Rajinder Aggarwal identifies and subsequently sends addicts for rehabilitation. He then personally oversees their treatment process. Last week, he and his team comprising CJMs Ramneet Kaur and RPS Cheema, visited the centre. “We often tell addicts no matter how hard the past, you can always begin afresh,” said Aggarwal.

“The situation in border villages is grim. Everybody knows how drones drop heroin packets from the night skies. The first port of call for these drones are border villages. If we are unable to do anything about drones, we can at least battle addiction. When you can stop, you do not want to. And when you want to stop, you cannot. That is an addiction. And that is what we are fighting,” said Romesh Mahajan, Project Director of the Red Cross Centre.

The centre, a 30-bed hospital, has already treated more than 90,000 addicts. Whenever the cops launch an anti-drug drive, like it has right now, it gets filled to the brim.

In view of Beijing’s expanding arsenal, India will have to rethink its options

Manoj Joshi

OR some time now, China has been signalling a change in its nuclear weapon policy. It usually makes no announcements or declarations. But, on September 25 — for the first time since 1980 — China tested a long-range strategic missile whose dummy warhead landed in the South Pacific Ocean, near the city of Bora Bora in French Polynesia, over 12,000 km away. In this case, China actually announced the test and provided the required notification to the sea and air traffic control. Most Chinese missile tests take place within Chinese territory, with missiles being fired into the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang.

Officially, China maintains a ‘no first use’ policy, which it announced at the time of its first nuclear test in 1964.

According to the Chinese, the missile fired by the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) was part of a “routine arrangement in our annual training plan” and fell in an ‘expected area’ in the sea. The statement said it was “in line with international law and international practice, and is not directed at any specific country or target.”

They said they had notified countries concerned about the test in advance and it was confirmed by the Philippine authorities that two NOTAMs (notice to airmen — sea and air navigational warnings) were issued prior to the launch. Analysts said the missile was in all likelihood fired from the Hainan region and passed through north of the Philippines. The US said it had received “some advanced notification” of the test. Japan complained that it had not been warned about it.

The missile in question could be the DF-31AG, China’s long-range weapon that can reach targets in the US. It is capable of being fired from mobile transporter-erector-launcher systems.

There is a great deal of speculation as to why the Chinese conducted the test the way they did. It came amidst rising tensions among Japan, the Philippines, China and the US. Chinese and Philippine vessels have been involved in multiple collisions near Sabina Shoal, just 86 km from the Philippines’ west coast; in June, there was an encounter at the Second Thomas Shoal nearby.

Another factor may have been the recent US decision to deploy its new mid-range missile system known as the Typhon in the Philippines for an exercise; according to reports, the system remains deployed there.

This may also be related to the large-scale purges that shook the Chinese rocket force on account of corruption. Last December, China had announced the dismissal of nine senior military officials of the PLA, many of them senior officers of the PLARF, for “serious violations of law and discipline” — a phrase used to refer to corruption. So, this could be seen as a reassurance of sorts for the Chinese public.

Officially, China maintains a “no first use” policy relating to nuclear weapons, which it announced at the time of its first nuclear test in 1964. It has since reaffirmed this in its 2015 and 2019 defence white papers. India, too, has such a policy, which is based on not being the first to initiate a nuclear strike, and relying on the concept of assured retaliation.

But unlike India, China has been expanding its nuclear arsenal rapidly. The 2023 China military power report of the US said Beijing had 500 operational nuclear warheads in May last year as compared to 400 the year before. The US believes that China will have more than 1,000 warheads by 2030 and is accelerating its intercontinental range ballistic missile programme. The US had disclosed the size of American holdings as of September 2023 — 3,748 warheads that are in the process of being modernised.

According to the Pentagon, the PLA is implementing a Launch-on-Warning posture under which a warning of a strike leads to a counterstrike before the enemy weapons actually land. This posture is similar to that of the US and Russia, but not the Indian one, where you first sustain a strike and then hit back.

In 2021, observers detected three vast missile silo fields under construction in north-central China, where hundreds of additional long-range missiles could be deployed. Though commercial satellite imagery has provided substantial detail on these silos and their rapid construction, the Chinese Government has chosen not to comment on them.

These silo fields are clearly related to the PLARF’s expansion programme. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has detected extensive support infrastructure of command and control, electrical power supply and roads, though as of now, the FAS says the fields are still many years from being fully operational.

Remarkably, India is rarely mentioned in these discussions, even though the relations between Beijing and New Delhi are not good. As long as both Delhi and Beijing were committed to maintaining minimum deterrence with a ‘no first use’ pledge, things would have been stable. But with the changed calculations in China and its expanding arsenal, India will have to rethink its options.

Hardly noticed in the media was a recent test in the Karakoram area near the Indian border by the PLA — a subsonic cruise missile was successfully intercepted by a surface-to-air missile at an altitude of 5,300 metres. Observers said the test was a deterrent message to India and that it was reported by Xinhua on August 29 — the day the two countries held the 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination in Beijing to discuss their border dispute.