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India Gave Last Draft On Possible Agreement On Kashmir Issue In March 2007: New Paper

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India Gave Last Draft On Possible Agreement On Kashmir Issue In March 2007: New Paper

The Indian side provided Pakistan the last draft on a possible agreement on the Kashmir issue in March 2007 following nearly three years of secret negotiations before talks stopped because of a political crisis in Islamabad, according to a new paper from Georgetown University.

The paper, by Jawaharlal Nehru University associate professor Happymon Jacob, is based on interviews with Indian and Pakistani officials who were involved in the back channel negotiations on the Kashmir dispute and contains hitherto unknown aspects of the efforts to resolve the issue by then Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf and prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

Riaz Mohammad Khan, who was Pakistan’s foreign secretary during 2005-08, said the Indian side gave the last draft in early March 2007, which was “close to what might have become the final document” if negotiations hadn’t come to a halt.

The Pakistani side didn’t get an opportunity to return the draft with its comments because of the sudden political crisis which sent the Musharraf government into a tailspin.

On March 9, 2007, Musharraf had unconstitutionally suspended Pakistan’s then chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and this triggered massive political protests that weakened the military ruler. Following elections the next year, Musharraf was pressured by political parties to quit as president in August 2008.

The paper, titled “The Kashmir Back Channel: India-Pakistan Negotiations on Kashmir from 2004 to 2007” and prepared for the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, recounts secret negotiations between the two sides for the proposed agreement on Kashmir that involved what came to be known as the “four-point formula”.

The stage for the negotiations on Kashmir was set by a ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in November 2003, which itself was the outcome of behind-the-scenes talks between then Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief CD Sahay and the then head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt Gen Ehsan-ul-Haq, who met at undisclosed locations outside the subcontinent.

In January 2004, Musharraf had a “quiet discussion” with Tariq Aziz, who later became Pakistan’s point person for negotiations with India, and India’s then national security adviser Brajesh Mishra that kick-started talks on how to move forward on the Kashmir issue.

Despite a change in government in India following Vajpayee’s defeat in the general election, the “dedicated Kashmir back channel itself effectively began only in late 2004, after the Manmohan Singh government took office in New Delhi in May 2004”, according to the paper.

Several local and international factors helped facilitate the secret talks, including Vajpayee’s outreach to Kashmiris in 2003 and encouragement from the US government, which was keen to ensure there was no India-Pakistan friction while Washington and its allies were busy with the war on terror in Afghanistan.

Satinder Lambah, who served as Manmohan Singh’s special envoy for Kashmir, has said the proposed agreement was based on a four-point formula that would include no redrawing of borders, the people of Jammu and Kashmir on either side of the LoC being able to move freely from one side to the other, an end to hostility, violence, and terrorism and military forces on both sides being kept to the minimum, ensure self-governance on both sides of the LoC, and consultative mechanisms to look into socio-economic issues.

However, Pakistani and Indian officials are divided on whether a draft agreement was in place by early 2007. Riaz Khan, Pakistan’s former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jeelani and former foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri believe the draft was ready, with Kasuri even contending it was “ready for signature”.

But former Indian national security adviser MK Narayanan said this was not a “formal diplomatic agreement of any kind”, and at most, it “must have been a discussion paper, exchange of which is routine in diplomatic negotiations before a final deal is reached”.

The two countries were also divided on the matter managing issues of mutual concern in Jammu and Kashmir, with the Pakistani side favouring “joint mechanisms”, while the Indian side wanted “consultative arrangements”, according to the paper. Once signed, the deal was designed to be in force for 15 to 20 years, after which the two sides would revisit it.

“Indian officials seem to think that the phrase ‘joint mechanisms’ infringes on the sovereign claims of each state on J&K. There is little clarity whether the document that was close to being finalised in 2007 had mentioned joint or consultative mechanisms,” the paper states.

Though this was the first time India and Pakistan engaged in sustained and structured back-channel negotiations to resolve the Kashmir issue, Musharraf’s political woes resulted in things running aground.

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INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’

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INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’


NEW DELHI: India tested its nuclear capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), designed to have a strike range of 3,500 km, for the second time in six days on Friday. The missile test, as the one conducted on January 19, was undertaken from an undersea platform in the shape of a submersible pontoon off the coast of Andhra Pradesh according to a report by Rajat Pandit of TOI.

The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.

“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.

India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.

Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.

The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.





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After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%

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After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%


India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade

In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.

The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the upgrade. The upgrade is part of India’s efforts to improve the capabilities of its primary fighter aircraft, it refers to as the “Super Sukhoi”.

This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.

In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.





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Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace

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Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace


According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

While there is no official confirmation because of the sensitivities involved, documents suggest that the order for the same has already been placed the report further added.
There are nine countries, in turn, which have shown interest in the indigenously-developed Akash missile systems, which can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles at a range of 25-km. They are Kenya, Philippines, Indonesia, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam and Algeria reported TOI.

The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.

Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System

BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.

Akash Weapon System

The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.

The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.

The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.





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