Pakistani troops violate ceasefire in Kashmir

Pakistani troops fired at Indian positions in Ramgarh sector of the international border in Jammu and Kashmir early Wednesday in yet another violation of the bilateral ceasefire in less than 24 hours, officials said. A Border Security Force (BSF) official said the ceasefire violation in Balad

border post in Samba district led to exchange of fire for around 45 minutes.

The Balad border post, about 45 km southwest of Jammu, came under fire from the Pakistani side at 4.30am. The BSF retaliated, leading to exchange of small and heavy arms fire till 5.15am.

"The fire was returned and after around an hour of intermittent exchange of fire, calm has been restored in the area," a military spokesman said.

Informed Sources said it was being ascertained whether or not the firing had been resorted to from the Pakistan side to facilitate infiltration of terrorists across the border.

"The visibility at that time was bad due to a blanket of fog and darkness. We are trying to ascertain if it was an attempt by militants to infiltrate," a senior official said.

On Tuesday also, Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire at the line of control (LOC) when they fired at Indian positions in Poonch district of Jammu region.

"There also the army had returned the fire after being fired upon by the Pakistani troops," a police official said in Poonch district.

According to the defence ministry, there have been over 150 incidents of ceasefire violations since 2006. Over 50 happened this year alone.

India and Pakistan had agreed to ceasefire along the Jammu and Kashmir frontiers in November 2003 as part of confidence building measures.

4 Jihadis in Mumbai: Cops

Four jihadis have sneaked into Mumbai with the intention of causing "violent attacks that will cause wide disruption", the police crime branch announced at an emergency media conference late on Thursday night. The warning comes two days after the home ministry issued an alert about the incursion of three suspected

Joint commissioner of police, crime, Himanshu Roy said the
jihadis belong to Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyeba,
but did not reveal their nationalities. He said they had entered
Mumbai a few days ago with the intention of carrying out violence
during the festive season.

The suspects, Roy said, had been identified as Abdul Kasim Mussa, Noor Abu Ilahai, Walid Jinah and Mehfooz Alam. They were in the 20-30 age group.

"They are extremely dangerous. They have recently entered the city with their disruptive plans," Roy said while releasing the photograph of Walid Jinnah. He refused to disclose how the police had got the photograph.

"As we have one of their photographs, it would mean that we have plentiful information about them. We are tracking them and soon would be able to make a breakthrough." He said special teams have been formed to track them. Roy released an advisory for citizens and requested them to remain alert during the festive season. A dedicated police hotline — 22633333 — has been set up for information on anyone resembling the man in the photograph.

Roy said security had been stepped up across the city. Uniformed and plainclothes policemen have been deployed. Strike forces like the Quick Response Team and Force One have been kept on battle ready mode.

In September, just before the Ganpati festival, the police had released the photographs of two suspected members of Bangladesh-based jihadi outfit Harkat ul Jihadi Islami.

Asked about them, Roy said, "The wide publicity given to the news (of their entry into the city) is believed to have acted as a prevention and the festivities went off peacefully."

Source : HT

India successfully test-fires Prithvi-11 ballistic missile

India on Wednesday successfully test-fired its endogenously developed and nuclear-capable Prithvi-II ballistic missile, which has a striking range of 350 km, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Orissa coast.
"The missile mounted on a mobile launcher was test-fired from the launch complex-3 in the ITR at around 0815 hours", defence sources said.

The test-firing of the missile, which has already been inducted into the armed forces, was successful, the sources said, adding it was a routine trial conducted by the personnel of strategic force command (SFC). "The entire trajectory of today's trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, electro-optic telemetry stations and ships launched in the down range impact point area in the Bay for the post-launch analysis," the sources said. During the last user trial from the same launch complex on September 24, 2010, the missile, had failed to perform due to some technical problems. "Prithvi-II missile had proved its robustness and accuracy repeatedly during many trials earlier," a Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) official said. With a maximum striking range of 350 km, Prithvi-II is capable of carrying a pay-load of 500-1000 kg warhead. "Taken from routine production lot during earlier user trials by Indian Army, the missile had achieved single digit accuracy reaching close to zero circular error probability (CEP)," the sources said.

The missile, which has the features to deceive any anti-ballistic missile, had demonstrated flight duration of 483 seconds reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 kms during user’s trial in 2008.

Similarly, as part of operational exercises by the Armed forces, two numbers of Prithvi-11 missiles, aimed at two different targets at 350 km from launch point of ITR, at Chandipur were successfully launched within minutes of each other on 12 October, 2009 and all the mission objectives were met, the sources said.

Source : HT

आखिर कब लौटेंगे हमारे लापता फौजी

देश की नई पीढ़ी को तो शायद यह भी याद नहीं होगा कि 1971 में पाकिस्तान युद्ध में देश का इतिहास व विश्व का भूगोल बदलने वाले कई रणबांकुरे अभी भी पाकिस्तान की जेलों में नारकीय जीवन बिता रहे हैं। उन जवानों के परिजन अपने लोगों के जिंदा होने के सबूत देते हैं, लेकिन भारत सरकार महज औपचारिकता निभाने से अधिक कुछ नहीं करती है, इसलिए उन्हें अभी न तो शहीद माना जा सकता है और न ही गुमशुदा।
जब कभी भी पाकिस्तान से हमारे मधुर संबंधों की बात आती है, तब सीमा पर घुसपैठ और आतंकवाद रोकने या फिर व्यापार बढ़ाने पर जोरशोर से चर्चा होती है, लेकिन हमारी सरकार उन 70 रणबांकुरों को पूरी तरह बिसरा चुकी है, जिन्होंने 1965 और 1971 में इस देश की एकता-अखंडता का जिम्मा उठाया था व आज तक उनका कोई अता-पता नहीं है। हर साल संसद में यह स्वीकार किया जाता रहा है कि पाकिस्तान की जेलों में हमारे 70 सैनिक लापता हैं, जिनमें से 54 जवान 1971 के युद्धबंदी हैं। इनमें से एक लापता फौजी मेजर अशोक कुमार सूरी के पिता डॉ़ आरएलएस सूरी के पास तो कई पक्के प्रमाण हैं, जो उनके बेटे के पाकिस्तानी जेल में होने की कहानी कहते हैं। डा़ सूरी को 1974 व 1975 में उनके बेटे के दो पत्र मिले, जिसमें उसने 20 अन्य भारतीय फौजी अफसरों के साथ पाकिस्तान जेल में होने की बात लिखी थी। 1979 में डा़ सूरी को किसी अनजान ने फोन करके बताया कि उनके पुत्र को पाकिस्तान में उत्तर-पश्चिम सीमांत प्रदेश की किसी भूमिगत जेल में भेज दिया गया है। पाकिस्तान जेल में कई महीनों तक रहने के बाद लौटे एक भारतीय जासूस मोहन लाल भास्कर ने लापता विंग कमाडंर एचएस गिल को एक पाक जेल में देखने का दावा किया था। युद्धबंदियों की ऐसी ही ढेरों कहानियां हैं।
पाकिस्तान के मरहूम प्रधानमंत्री जुल्फिकार अली भुट्टो को फांसी दिए जाने के तथ्यों पर छपी एक किताब भारतीय युद्धवीरों के पाक जेल में होने का पुख्ता सबूत मानी जा सकती है। बीबीसी संवाददाता विक्टोरिया शेफील्ड की किताब ‘भुट्टो : ट्रायल एंड एक्सीक्यूशन’ में भुट्टो को फांसी पर लटकाने से पहले कोट लखपतराय जेल लाहौर में रखे जाने का जिक्र है। किताब में लिखा है कि भुट्टो को पास की बैरक से चीख-पुकार सुनने को मिलती थीं। भुट्टो के एक वकील ने पता किया था कि वहां 1971 के भारतीय युद्धबंदी हैं, जो लगातार उत्पीड़न के कारण विक्षिप्त हो गए थे।
संयुक्त राष्ट्र के वियना समझौते में साफ जिक्र है कि युद्ध के पश्चात रेडक्रास की देखरेख में तत्काल सैनिक अपने-अपने देश भेज दिए जाएंगे। दोनों देश आपसी सहमति से किसी तीसरे देश को इस निगरानी के लिए नियुक्त कर सकते हैं। इस समझौते में सैनिक बंदियों पर क्रूरता बरतने पर कड़ी पाबंदी है, लेकिन भारत-पाक के मसले में यह कायदा-कानून कहीं दूर-दूर तक नहीं दिखा। 1972 में अतंरराष्ट्रीय रेडक्रास ने भारतीय युद्धबंदियों की तीन लिस्ट जारी करने की बात कही थी, लेकिन सिर्फ दो सूची ही जारी की गईं। करनाल के करीम बख्श और पंजाब के जागीर सिंह का पाक जेलों में लंबी बीमारी व पागलपन के कारण निधन हो गया। 1971 की लड़ाई में पाकिस्तान द्वारा युद्धबंदी बनाया गया सिपाही धर्मवीर 1981 में जब वापस आया तो पता लगा कि यातनाओं के कारण उसका मानसिक संतुलन पूरी तरह बिगड़ गया है।
वियना समझौता के तहत सैनिकों के मारे जाने बाबत जो प्रमाण होने चाहिए, पाकिस्तान सरकार उनमें से एक भी प्रमाण इन 54 जवानों के लिए दे नहीं पाई है। अलबत्ता उनके पाकिस्तान सरकार ने लापता फौजियों को जेल में पहचानने के लिए एक भारतीय प्रतिनिधिमंडल को आने का न्योता दिया था। पाकिस्तान के मानवाधिकर कार्यकर्ताओं को भी जेल दिखाने के नाटक किए जाते रहे, लेकिन अपनी एक गलती छुपाने के लिए पकिस्तान सरकार ने भारतीय अभिभावकों के सामने 160 साधारण भारतीय बंदी शिनाख्त के लिए पेश किए। इनमें से एक भी फौजी नहीं था। जेल अधिकारियों ने ही दबी जुबान में कह दिया कि उन्हें गलत जगह भेजा गया है।
इस लंबे अंतराल में हमारा लंबा-चौड़ा प्रशासनिक व गुप्तचर तंत्र उन वीरों की वापसी तो दूर की बात है, वे प्रमाण भी सरकारी तौर पर मुहैया नहीं करवा पाया है। ऊपर से हर साल संसद में उनके जीवित होने का दावा करके यादों में खोए उनके परिवारजनों को पुन: छटपटाने को मजबूर किया जाता रहा है। या तो सरकार उन जवानों के वीरगति को प्राप्त होने की घोषणा कर दे, ताकि उनके परिवारजन रो-धोकर संतोष कर लें। अपने लाडलों की आत्मा की शांति हेतु धार्मिक कर्मकांडों से निवृत्त हो जाएं या फिर उनको वापिस लाने का कोई समयबद्ध कार्यक्रम तय किया जाए।



Source : Hindus Times

China usurping 1,500-km Indian territory?

China usurping 1,500-km Indian territory?

Reports In Chinese Mouthpiece Claim Border 2,000 KM Long, Contradict Delhi’s Figures Of 3,488 KM

Beijing: Going by some reports in the state-owned media on the length of the Sino-Indian border, China appears to be making ground for claiming some 1,500 km of Indian territory.
Even as the two countries have been discussing the unresolved boundary issue for decades, the stateowned Xinhua and Global Times, an English language newspaper published by People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, have described the Sino-Indian border as nearly 2,000 km long.
The reports about the length of the border were carried in the official Chinese media ahead of Premier Wen Jiabao’s December 15-17 visit to India.
This Chinese assessment contradicts the Indian figure of 3,500 km for the operational border between the two nations. The Indian position was made clear once again by ambassador S Jaishankar during an interview with the Global Times.
When asked about the reported tensions on the border, Jaishankar had said, “The reality contradicts any alarmist depiction of the situation on the border, whether in India or in China. We have a long common border of 3,488 km.”
Global Times while publishing the interview on Tuesday surprisingly chose to add a footnote to its report to say that the Chinese government often refers to the border length as being “about 2,000 km”.
Jaishankar returned to Beijing from New Delhi on Sunday after Wen’s visit. Wen went to Pakistan on the second and final leg of his south Asian tour before leaving for Beijing. There was no immediate comment from the Indian embassy on the reports in the Chinese official media on the length of the Sino-Indian border. Wen while citing the Indian media’s coverage of the situation on the Sino-Indian border had said at the end of his visit on Friday that “not a single shot had been fired” nor had there been any “exchanges in border areas” between the troops.
Faced with negative headlines on the outcome of his talks with the Indian leadership, the Chinese Premier was also critical of the Indian media, saying it was causing “damage” to bilateral ties. Wen had told a group of editors and scholars before emplaning for Pakistan that he understood that the press in India had freedom but it should play a role in promoting friendship.
Still, the boundary question has “repeatedly been sensationalized” by the media after which leaders of the two countries have had to “repair the damage and harm”, he said. AGENCIES

Source : Times of India

105mm Light Field Gun Light Field Gun

105mm Indian Field Gun Mks 1,2,3 Field Gun

130mm M-46 Field Gun Field Gun



155mm M-46 Field Howitzer Field Howitzer














155mm Bofors FH-77B Field Howitzer



122mm BM-21 MLRS Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher























214mm Pinaka MBRL Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher


















300mm Smerch MLRS Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher




























ZSU-23-2 Towed Anti-Aircraft System Anti Aircraft - Towed






























ZSU-23-4 Shilka Anti Aircraft - (Self Propelled - Tracked)


40mm Bofors L40/70 AA Gun Anti-Aircraft - Towed
































ZRK SD Kvadrat Anti Aircraft - (Self Propelled - Tracked)

OSA-AKM Anti Aircraft - (Self Propelled - Wheeled)

Strela 10M3 Anti Aircraft - (Self Propelled - Tracked)

Indian Army Wepons (The 122mm BM-21 MLRS)

The 122mm BM-21 MLRS(Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher )

Crew: Six.

Calibre: 122mm (40 tubes).

Elevation: 0º to +55º

Traverse: ±120º in total.

Ammunition Range: 20,000 metres; long rocket...11,000 metres; short rocket.

Comments: The Indian Army has used the BM-21 system since the 1970s and the system was used to great success in the 1999 Kargil conflict. The Russian News & Information Agency (RNIA), reported on 23 January 2006, that a contract was signed between Rosoboronexport and the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to deliver modernized rockets for the BM-21 system. The modernized rockets have an extended range of 40 km and feature more powerful warheads. Brigadier General Arie Mizrachi (Retd), Chairman of Israel Military Industries (IMI), in an interview with Globes Online in December 2004 stated that a $40 million contract was signed with the Indian Army for the upgrade of the Russian-made rockets to improve their precision and range. He also stated that the deal could expand to as much as $1 billion over a period of five years. It is unsure whether the deal signed with Rosoboronexport has IMI also involved in the upgrade.

Indian Army Wepons (130 mm towed field gun M1954)

The 130 mm towed field gun M1954, also known as the M-46 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954 and was known as the M1954. There is also a Chinese copy, called Type 59-1.

Crew: Nine.

Calibre: 130mm

Recoil: Hydraulic buffer and hydro-pneumatic recuperation system.

Shield: Optional.

Armament: FRAG-HE, APC-T, SP-46 (illumination), Smoke.

Rate of Fire: 5 - 6 rounds per minute.

Gun Elevation/Depression: -2.5º to +45º

Traverse: ±50º in total.

Ammunition Range: 27,150 metres (full charge)...........................19,100 metres (reduced charge).

Comments: During its induction phase, an estimated 200 guns were purchased each year to replace the 105mm IFG/LFG. The Daily Excelsior, reported on 12 Aug 2002, that 750 guns of this type were acquired in the early eighties.

Indian Army Wepons (155mm Bofors FH-77B)

155mm Bofors FH-77B

155 mm Bofors Gun in Towed Position The Bofors FH-77B on display at Republic Day Crew: Six. Calibre: 155mm/39 calibre.
Shield: None.
Maximum Speed: 70 km/h;
towed........................8 km/h;
self-propelled. Armament: 1 x 155mm
Howitzer with ? rounds. Gradient: 40%.
Rate of Fire: 10 rounds a minute (maximum).
Gun Elevation/Depression: -3º to +70º
Traverse: ±60º in total.
Maximum Ammunition Range: 24,000 metres - standard.

Indian Army Wepons (120mm Mortar)

120mm Mortar
-----------------
The M120 mortar is a 120 mm mortar that was developed by Soltam Systems of Israel. It is the latest development of the M-65 mortar and has replaced the 107-millimetre (4.2 in) M30 in United States Army infantry and armor units. It is much lighter than the M30, has a greater range, and can sustain a rate of fire of four rounds per minute while the M30 could sustain only three.

120mm Mortar in Action

Design overview

The M120 fires fin-stabilized ammunition from a smoothbore. Unlike its smaller ammunition cousins, the 81 mm and 60 mm mortars, the fin blades of the ammunition fired from the M120 are not canted. Thus, no spin is imparted to the projectile in flight. Although heavy mortars require trucks or tracked mortar carriers to move them, they are still much lighter than field artillery pieces. They outrange light and medium mortars, and their explosive power is much greater. The M120 is transported on the M1100 Trailer by the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).

Specifications

Maximum Range:	7,240 metres (23,750 ft)
Minimum Range:	200 metres (660 ft)
Weight:	144.7 kilograms (319 lb) without ammunition
	326.1 kilograms (719 lb) when mounted on trailer
Rate of Fire:	16 rounds/min first minute, 4 rounds/min sustained
Crew:	5

The M120 Mortar System consists of the following major components:

• M298 Cannon Assembly (110 pounds / 50 kilograms)
• M190 Bipod Assembly (70 pounds / 32 kilograms)
• M9 Baseplate (136 pounds / 62 kilograms)
• M1100 Trailer (399 pounds / 181 kilograms)
• M67 Sight Unit (2.5 pounds / 1.1 kilograms)

The M120 is capable of firing the following munitions:

• M929 Smoke
• XM930 Illumination Round
• XM930E1 Illumination Round
• XM931 Practice Round
• M933 High Explosive Round
• M934 High Explosive Round
• M934A1 High Explosive Round
• XM983 Illumination Round

Indian Troops at China Border

India to deploy 36,000 extra troops on Chinese border

By Subir Bhaumik BBC News, Calcutta

India says that it needs to strengthen its defences against China

India has formed two new army divisions - comprising more than 36,000 men - to defend the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The remote north-eastern state adjoins China which claims large parts of it.

The 56th Division will be based in the nearby state of Nagaland to guard the eastern flank of Arunachal Pradesh from Chinese attack through Burma.

The other new formation, the 71st Division, will be based in Assam to protect central Arunachal Pradesh.

There has been no response so far from China to the decision.

Mountain warfare

Already the Indian Fifth Mountain Division guards western Arunachal Pradesh while another division is responsible for protecting the eastern part of the state.

In addition there are counter-insurgency troops in Assam who can be sent to the Sino-Indian border at short notice.

A total of 1,260 officers and 35,011 soldiers have been assigned to the two new divisions, which are being especially equipped for mountain warfare.

Officials say they were formed at the behest of the Indian army chief, General VK Singh - who said they were necessary to beef up defences against China.

Gen Singh was not available for comment but one of his staff officers, on condition of anonymity, told the BBC that the army chief had "pushed very hard to fast-track the raising of the two divisions".

He said that they should be "fully operational" by March 2011.

He said their formation was India's response to the "huge Chinese build-up" in Tibet over the last three to four years. But he did not wish to elaborate.

India is also raising a paramilitary force called the Arunachal Scouts and Sikkim Scouts to help the army protect the Sino-Indian border in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

"All the men in these formations will be drawn from mountain-fit local tribesmen but the officers will be from the army, at least for a while," said a corps commander.

Their formation will be modelled on the Ladakh Scouts, who the army says bravely fought Pakistani intruders during the Kargil conflict of 1999.

India says the new measures have been put in place partly because China has "superb" communications on its side of the border, especially after a new train line to Lhasa was built in 2006.

India says that the Chinese airlift capability is also far superior.

The formation of the two new divisions means that India's deployments in the eastern sector of its border with China now matches the five army divisions that existed in 1986-87, when the two countries nearly went to war.

But after India and China signed a "Peace and Tranquillity" treaty in 1993, both sides scaled down their deployments as part of a confidence-building package.