Indian Defense
India’s Crucial Eastern Army Command, Andaman-Nicobar Command Get New Chiefs Tomorrow
Lt Gen. Manoj Pande (left) and Lt Gen. Ajai Singh
New Delhi: Amid continued tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the crucial Eastern Command is getting a new commander, with Lt Gen. Manoj Pande taking the charge Tuesday. The country’s only tri-service command, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), which Lt Gen. Pande headed, will also get a new commander Tuesday when Lt Gen Ajai Singh will take over.
Lt Gen. Pande will take the charge from Lt Gen. Anil Chauhan who retires as the Eastern Commander Monday. He is also set to become the senior most officer in the force when Army Chief Gen. M.M. Naravane retires next year.
Lt Gen. Chauhan has led the Army’s response in the East against China’s overall aggression along the LAC.
Prior to taking over as the Eastern Army Commander in April 2020, he was the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and one of the main architects of ‘Operation Sunrise’ under which both Myanmar and Indian armies carried out coordinated action against insurgent groups operating near the border between two countries.
While the Eastern command looks after the critical LAC with China and borders with Myanmar in the East besides anti-insurgency operations in the North-East, the Andaman and Nicobar Command is a harbinger of the larger similarly planned Theaterisation of the Army, Navy and Air Force capabilities.
The ANC is in the midst of a massive upgrade of infrastructure, both in terms of military and civil.
It is also the Command which is playing a strategic role in keeping an eye on Chinese activities in the Indian Ocean Region.
Lt Gen. Pande Will Be Senior Most After COAS Retires Next Year
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen. Pande was commissioned in December 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers).
He will be the senior most officer when Gen. M.M. Naravane superannuates in April 2022. According to tradition, the senior most officer becomes the chief of Army staff.
If appointed as the Army chief, Lt Gen. Pande will create history of sorts since there has never been a Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from the Corps of Engineers.
His younger brother has also served in the Army.
Lt Gen. Pande goes to the Eastern Command as a veteran of the region with experience of having worked there in various capacities, including as the commander of the Tezpur-based 4 Corps that looks after the LAC and counter-insurgency operations.
He has also served as brigade general staff (Operations) at the Eastern Command Headquarters.
He has also been brigade major of a Mountain Brigade in the North-East, besides being posted along the LAC and in counter-insurgency operations.
His other commands include the 117 Engineer Regiment during Operation Parakram in the Pallanwala Sector of Jammu and Kashmir, along the Line of Control. A graduate of Staff College, Camberley (United Kingdom), who attended the Higher Command (HC) and National Defence College (NDC) courses, Lt Gen. Pande has also commanded an Engineer Brigade in the Western Theatre, as part of Strike Corps, 52 Infantry Brigade along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, and 8 Mountain Division in the High Altitude Area of Western Ladakh.
He has also served as chief engineer in the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea and also tenanted the appointments of additional director general in the Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters and chief of Staff Headquarters, Southern Command.
Lt Gen. Ajai Singh A 5th Generation Army Officer
Lt Gen. Ajai Singh will be the 16th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) and takes over after Lt Gen. Pande.
He is a fifth generation Army as well as Cavalry/Armoured Corps officer, with family service of over 162 years since 13 September 1858. Incidentally, he was commissioned into the 81 Armoured Regiment, a regiment raised by his late father.
Prior to his appointment as the CINCAN, Lt Gen. Singh was heading the Bathinda-based 10 Corps, one of the two Strike Corps aimed at Pakistan. He is the author of the two recent studies — one for reorganisation of the Army HQ and another critical study on operations.
Incidentally, he has also served at various appointments across Army’s six geographical commands as well as at the Army Training Command.
Lt Gen. Singh, who has served as the military observer at Angola as part of the UN posting, has also undertaken volunteer tenures with the infantry for counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir valley and in the North-East.
He was posted to a battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry, with whom he commanded a Rifle Company in Operations Vijay (Kargil) and Meghdoot (Siachen Glacier) and received the Army Chief’s Commendation for gallantry.
Lt Gen. Singh has also served as the additional DG at the Military Operations Directorate, and has been the director general (DG) of financial planning and also the director general of military training.
The officer’s civil educational qualifications include a BSc, an MBA with ORSA specialisation, an MSc in Defence Studies, an MPhil in Defence & Management Studies and an MA in International Security and Strategy from Kings College, London.
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.
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.
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.
According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
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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