Spotlights
1971: The Rajasthan Campaign - I
By: Maj Gen Sukhwant Singh | Issue: Book Excerpt: India's War since Independence | Date: 28 Apr , 2011
After commanding an artillery brigade in Ladakh, I was selected to take over an infantry brigade, quite a feat in those prejudice-ridden days of early 1969. My General asked me: “Where do you...
Counter-Insurgency Operations in Northeast - II
By: Brig (Dr) SP Sinha | Issue: Book Excerpt: Lost Opportunities | Date: 16 Apr , 2011
Counter-Insurgency Operations in Nagaland By the beginning of 1953, situation in Nagaland had turned volatile. Phizo toured the district and exhorted the people not to pay taxes....
China's Destructive Policies
By: Ashok Kapur | Issue: Book Excerpt: Rising India | Date: 11 Apr , 2011
Three great powers –the USA, the USSR and PRC – have interfered on an extended basis in Indian foreign and military affairs since India gained independence. Combined with the harm done to...
IPKF's Performance in Sri Lanka
By: Lt Gen SC Sardeshpande | Issue: Book Except: Assignment Jaffna | Date: 08 Apr , 2011
The Long War Used as we are to wars of a fortnight or three weeks, the Cl Ops against the LTTE in Sri Lanka, which went on for nearly two and a half years, proved indeed tough – and to many,...
1962 Conflict: Paper Tigers on the Prowl -III
By: Maj Gen D.K. Palit | Issue: Book Excerpt: War in High Himalaya | Date: 06 Apr , 2011
On the morning of 3 October Pritpal Singh rang up to say that Bijji Kaul was back at his deck, news which cheered me enormously but not enough to Want to leave my bed to go and meet him. I...
1962 Conflict: Paper Tigers on the Prowl -II
By: Maj Gen D.K. Palit | Issue: Book Excerpt: War in High Himalaya | Date: 05 Apr , 2011
It was soon obvious that Mullik had himself become one of the ‘hawks’ on Operation Leghorn, and if a seasoned general like Sen could be so oblivious to logistical realities, it would dearly be...
1962 Conflict: Paper Tigers on the Prowl - I
By: Maj Gen D.K. Palit | Issue: Book Excerpt: War in High Himalaya | Date: 04 Apr , 2011
During the hurly-burly of the Goa campaign in 1959 Bijji Kaul had assumed direct supervision of border operations in NEF A in order to ease the workload of an overworked DMO. Once he became...
1971: Making Bangladesh a reality - III
By: Major K.C. Praval | Issue: Book Excerpt: Indian Army After Independence | Date: 30 Mar , 2011
Akhaura Pakistan’s 27 Brigade held the Akhaura-Brahmanbaria area. Akhaura, just across the border from Agartala, was an important rail-junction. For that reason the Pakistanis had paid...
1971: Making Bangladesh a reality - II
By: Major K.C. Praval | Issue: Book Excerpt: Indian Army After Independence | Date: 29 Mar , 2011
2 Corps: (South-Western area of operations) Like other senior commanders of the time, Lieutenant General Raina, Commander 2 Corps, had had his first battle experience during the Second World War....
Defence University for India: an appraisal of the proposition
By: Maj Gen Mrinal Suman | Issue: Vol 22.4 Oct-Dec 2007 | Date: 25 Mar , 2011
Establishment of a defence university in India was first suggested in an article that appeared in College of Defence Management Journal in 1978. The article evoked considerable interest and was...
1971 Operations - Case West - II
By: Major K.C. Praval | Issue: Book Excerpt: Indian Army After Independence | Date: 15 Mar , 2011
Kashmir In the North-Eastern part of Kashmir, India was concerned about the safety of her lines of communication with Ladakh. Pakistani picquets in the Kargil area overlooked the Srinagar-Leh...
1971 operations - Case West - I
By: Major K.C. Praval | Issue: Book Excerpt: Indian Army After Independence | Date: 14 Mar , 2011
In the wake of President Yahya Khan’s threats, India had considered the various courses open to Pakistan on the Western front. Many possibilities were considered: an attack across the CFL in...
1962 War: The Chinese invasion - III
By: Major K.C. Praval | Issue: Book Excerpt: Indian Army After Independence | Date: 13 Mar , 2011
The decision to make Se La the main defensive position of 4 Division and to put half its fighting strength there had been unwise. However, a withdrawal from that position when it was under a...
1962 War: The Chinese invasion - II
By: Major K.C. Praval | Issue: Book Excerpt: Indian Army After Independence | Date: 12 Mar , 2011
Chinese counter-action, which Kaul had foreseen, came on 10 October. That day at dawn, Kaul was shaving outside his bunker and his batman was boiling water for tea, when the calm of the Namka Chu...
1962 War: The Chinese invasion - I
By: Major K.C. Praval | Issue: Book Excerpt: Indian Army After Independence | Date: 11 Mar , 2011
The Chinese reaction to the setting up of a post by India at Che Dong was a calculated move. By this time, China appears to have decided on a full-scale campaign to assert her territorial claims....
Ballistic Missile Defences in 2030
By: A Vinod Kumar | Issue: Book Excerpt: Asia 2030 - The Unfolding Future | Date: 25 Feb , 2011
Not only can we hit a bullet with a bullet, we can hit a spot on the bullet with a bullet. –Lt. Gen. Henry A. Obering, Former Director, Missile Defense Agency, USA History has often shown that...
The 1965 War with Pakistan-I
By: Lt Gen Harbakhsh Singh | Issue: Book Excerpt: In the Line of Duty | Date: 16 Feb , 2011
With the capture of Hajipir Pass, on the 28th of August, there was a distinct fall in the tempo of attacks launched by the infiltrators in the Valley, and Pakistan’s nefarious designs were...
The 1965 War with Pakistan-II
By: Lt Gen Harbakhsh Singh | Issue: Book Excerpt: In the Line of Duty | Date: 15 Feb , 2011
After the altercation with General Officer Commanding 15 Division and the despatch of his Reserve Brigade to regain the ground lost, peace prevailed in the area. On the return journey, with...
The 1965 War with Pakistan-III
By: Lt Gen Harbakhsh Singh | Issue: Book Excerpt: In the Line of Duty | Date: 14 Feb , 2011
Later, the same morning I moved to Headquarters 4 Division. As it was quite obvious that the enemy’s Ace Armoured Division had received a real bashing, I wished to exploit the situation by...
Honeywell technologies power military readiness
By: Bharat Verma | Issue: Vol 26.1 Jan-Mar 2011 | Date: 11 Feb , 2011
Interview with Pritam Bhavnani, President, Honeywell Aerospace, India What are the joint ventures and partnerships that Honeywell Aerospace has entered into as a part of your effort to penetrate...