Monday, September 9, 2013

No Encroachment, China Is Cautious About India - A K Antony

Beijing fears New Delhi is ramping up its military infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to catch up with China, defence minister AK Antony said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

HT had first reported on May 28 that, with improvement in infrastructure, India is getting ready to be more assertive along its disputed border with China.

Confirming another HT report, published on September 3, he told both Houses that National Security Advisory Board chief Shyam Saran had visited the Ladakh sector from August 2 to August 9 and submitted his report “primarily focused on border infrastructure” to the PMO and the defence ministry.

He also denied some media reports that China had occupied 640 sq km of Indian territory in the Ladakh sector.

Antony further told Parliament that improved infrastructure along the Indian side of the border with China is bringing the two armies closer to each other, resulting in “unpleasant and unfortunate” face-offs along the LAC.

Under fire from the BJP and the Samajwadi Party over frequent incursions from Chinese troops, he had to speak twice in the Lok Sabha on the issue.

In the Lok Sabha, BJP’s Yashwant Sinha wanted to know whether India was still in control of Despang Bulge, while SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav questioned the consistent Chinese claims on what he termed seven Indian states.

Antony said India had made significant leaps in improving infrastructure along the Chinese border over the last decade. “China also fears that India is trying to catch up. I can’t share everything,” he said.

Top government sources had told HT that improved infrastructure would allow Indian forces to patrol deeper into the disputed territory with China instead of restricting surveillance to a “patrolling limit” ranging from 2-20km within New Delhi’s perception of the LAC.

“China has built capacities and continues to do so. There will be no compromise on building capacities on our side,” Antony said. On incursions, he said just as India complains about Chinese incursions, Beijing also accuses India of carrying out patrols in what they consider their territory. “In recent years, patrols from both sides have been coming closer due to rapid infrastructure development,” he said.

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Monday, September 2, 2013

Indian Airforce's newest addition, Biggest Air Carrier C-17

New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI): Bolstering the Indian Air Force's capability to swiftly transport combat troops and equipment such as tanks to the front, Defence Minister A K Antony will on Monday formally induct its biggest 70-tonne C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft into service at the Hindon Air Base near Delhi.

Mr Antony will formally induct the aircraft procured from the US under a deal expected to be over Rs. 20,000 crore into the newly-formed 81 'Skylord' Squadron in Delhi, IAF officials said.

The American C-17, with a capability to carry around 80 tonnes of load and around 150 fully geared troops, will replace the Russian Il-76 as the biggest aircraft in the IAF inventory till now.

The Il-76 had the capability to carry loads of up to around 40 tonnes.

The IAF has placed orders with the US for ten such aircraft under the deal signed in 2011 and three of them have already been delivered.

The US Air Force will complete the delivery of all the 10 aircraft by the end of next year.

The aircraft is expected to enhance the operational potential of the IAF with its payload carriage and performance capability and would augment the strategic reach during disaster relief or any similar missions.

After the completion of the 10 aircraft, the IAF may also exercise the option of procuring six more

planes for its fleet.

In recent times, the IAF has shifted its dependence from the Russian-origin aircraft towards the American ones with the induction of the C-17 and the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft.

The IAF operates six C-130Js and has plans of procuring six more for operations on small and unpaved runways alongside routine transport missions.

The IAF also has the Russian Antonov-32 in its inventory.

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