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October-November 2012
SP’s
Volume 9 No. 5
AN SP GUIDE
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T h e ONL Y j o u r n a l i n A s i a d e d i c a t e d t o L a n d F o r c e s
In This Issue
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Page 4 Lessons Learnt and the Way Forward India’s national security framework and its antiquated civil-military relationship have not grown in step with the needs of new security challenges.
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Interview Photographs: Anoop Kamath / SP Guide Pubns
General (Retd) V.P. Malik Page 6 China’s Military Modernisation By most accounts, the PLA is on track to achieve its goal of building a modern, regionally-focused military by 2020. Dr Monika Chansoria Page 8 Managing Battle at the Cutting Edge
With both China and Pakistan hell-bent on stoking insurgencies within India, our cutting edge forces will need to be equipped with the requirements to cope with the 21st century threats. Lt General (Retd) P.C. Katoch Page 10 Preparing Soldiers for Future Wars We must be prepared for short, intense, high-tech wars; in addition to expanding terrorism, asymmetric and fourth generation wars where the soldier faces the brunt at the cutting edge. Lt General (Retd) P.C. Katoch Page 12 Siachen Surrender: An Expensive Affair Without a national security strategy we may find solace in non-alignment, but the political bungling in agreeing to withdraw from Siachen will surely be remembered as the gravest strategic blunder of the 21st century by India. Lt General (Retd) P.C. Katoch Plus Future Wars in India Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor
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Indian Army in Disaster Management Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor
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TecKnow / Industry
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News in Brief
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‘Net-centricity will usher in profound changes in operational concepts and organisational changes’ Lt General (Retd) V.K. Kapoor, Editor, SP’s Land Forces, interviewed Lt General Sunit Kumar, Director General Information System (DGIS), Indian Army. The DGIS gave out details about the transformation initiatives of the Indian Army to adapt to network-centric operations including battlefield digitisation. SP’s Land Forces (SP’s): What is the status of the Indian Army with regard to networkcentric warfare (NCW) capability? How soon would this capability be acquired? What are the problem areas we are facing in acquiring this capability? Director General Information Systems (DGIS): NCW capability is an enabler to revolution in military affairs (RMA) and encompasses a seamless domain of computer networks, applications, process re-
engineering and decision support tools aimed at attaining information and decision dominance in the battlefield. The Indian Army has clearly identified the focal areas for evolution of net-centricity and has come a long way in this journey during the last two decades. The projects initiated to be achieved are currently at various stages of development and fielding. Phase I (Test Beds) of various operational information system projects have already been successfully fielded.
Management information system (MIS) automation projects, with pan-India coverage, are also on track and are likely to be completed by December 2013. Important MIS projects, i.e, human resource management system (HRMS), automation of Record Offices, military information support operations (MISO) and integrated quartermaster package (IQMP) would be completely fielded and integrated with MISO application by 2013-14. MIS projects for the automation of work flow in the field
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