Articles By Lt Gen Prakash Katoch
Litigation against Disabled Soldiers – being withdrawn?
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 25 Feb , 2019
According to media reports of February 20, 2019, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has decided to withdraw its appeals made before the Supreme Court against grant of disability benefits to soldiers by...
Coming – MiG-29 Fulcrums?
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 22 Feb , 2019
Not many would know it was NATO that gave the codename ‘Fulcrum’ to the Classic MiG-29 when the MiG-29 became operational in 1982; a name liked and adopted by the Soviets. IAF received around 70...
Pulwama Car Bombing – another Surgical Strike or Chemotherapy?
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 17 Feb , 2019
The car bombing of a CRPF convoy on February 14, 2019, 30 km short of Srinagar in Pulwama has claimed the lives of 44 CRPF personnel with more than 30 others injured. J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik...
Sabotage - The Silent Killer
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 11 Feb , 2019
During the Regional Conference on Security held in Bangladesh in 2001, both Pakistani speakers Shirin Mazari, Director General, Institute of Strategic Studies and Lt Gen Javed Hassan, Commandant,...
Downsizing the Indian Army
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Vol. 33.4 Oct-Dec 2018 | Date: 08 Feb , 2019
While the MoD may be swayed by 300,000-manpower reduction in the PLA, US concept of Integrated Brigades in Iraq and Afghanistan and the German concept of three rifle company battalions, all this...
Remembering George Fernandes
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Date: 05 Feb , 2019
The norm in Siachen for visit of defence ministers before George Fernandes became defence minister, was to interact with troops at the Base Camp, fly over the glacier and hit back over Khardung La...
Neglecting Border Infrastructure is Dangerous
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 20 Jan , 2019
With general elections approaching fast, there is news once again about plans for border infrastructure, albeit these are still on paper. This time the media on January 13, 2019 has quoted the...
Talking to Pakistan
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 16 Jan , 2019
Both Omar Abdullah heading the National Conference (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti heading Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in J&K have been batting for India to talk to Pakistan and initiate dialogue with...
Doctrines – plenty scripting effort
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 13 Jan , 2019
Great effort is being put in by the Armed Forces in scripting various doctrines but given the current state of our higher defence organizations, particularly the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and the...
America’s ARIA – what has changed?
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 11 Jan , 2019
On the last day of 2018, US President Donald Trump signed the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) into law. ARIA was introduced in the US Senate in April this year and was passed by the US...
Andaman & Nicobar – India’s Natural Aircraft Carrier
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 09 Jan , 2019
China makes no bones about her ‘Malacca Dilemma’ and ensures aggressive presence in Indian Ocean Region (IOR). She has listening posts in Coco Islands, has made strategic investments in Kyaukpu...
America’s Afghanistan pullout – repercussions
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 03 Jan , 2019
The Christmas gift from US President Donald Trump in announcing US withdrawal from Syria and 50% troop withdrawal from Afghanistan has shocked half the world, though it would have called for...
Beyond the GSAT-7A Satellite
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 31 Dec , 2018
On December 19, 2018, India successfully launched GSAT-7A satellite meant for augmenting the existing communications capabilities of satellites utilized by the Indian Air Force (IAF). GSLV-F11...
India’s impotency against Stone Pelting
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 26 Dec , 2018
Stone pelting began in J&K in 2008 and over the past decade, the strategy is refined and embedded in J&K together with increasing radicalization and means of easy livelihood – popular among...
After BMS and F-INSAS, NFS Stymied
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 18 Dec , 2018
In 2004, Army’s Tactical Command, Control, Communications and Information (TAC C³I) system was taken up as part of Army’s quest for capacity building in netwok centric capabilities to fight...
JAI and the Quad
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 15 Dec , 2018
There is considerable excitement over the birth of ‘JAI’ – newest multilateral organization. As reported in the media on December 1, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the...
Theatre Commands suffer Monkey Bite
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 13 Dec , 2018
The monkey has bitten Theatre Commands again and is enjoying the catfight. The game has been ongoing for decades; monkey being the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and cats the three Services – or...
Chabahar Terror Attack – ominous signs
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 11 Dec , 2018
Four policemen were killed and 42 other individuals were wounded in a suicide car bomb attack on a police headquarters in Iran’s port city of Chabahar on December 6. Police stopped the...
Armed Forces Flag Day 2018 - served with WEXIT
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 08 Dec , 2018
Theresa May became Britain’s Prime Minister on the strength of BREXIT, much as Angela Merkel capitalised on the middle east refugee crisis to extend her tenure as Chancellor since 2005. Both...
Resigned to 1000 Cuts?
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 06 Dec , 2018
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat delivered a talk at a Think Tank in New Delhi on November 28. Salient points of his talk, as covered in the media reports are: • India should first resolve...