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India’s Indispensable Role In Afghanistan’s Development-A Tale Of Friendship, Hard Work, Sacrifice

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India’s Indispensable Role In Afghanistan’s Development-A Tale Of Friendship, Hard Work, Sacrifice

Salma Dam in Afghanistan built by India as a mark of goodwill

“India has invested heavily in peace and development in Afghanistan and believes that the gains of the last two decades must be preserved and the interests of minorities, women and vulnerable sections must be ensured.”

“For India, a strong, prosperous and economically independent Afghanistan is a strategic priority,” as said by former External Affairs Minister of India, Salman Khurshid reflects Afghanistan’s priority in India’s foreign policy and is vital to India’s strategic interest in the region. India and Afghanistan share a relationship that dates centuries back mostly in terms of trade in the past and in the present too combined with overall development. India is held at a very high esteem by the Afghani people who express deep affection towards the people of India.

Although from 1996 to 2001, when the Taliban captured Kabul, bilateral relations between New Delhi and Kabul came to a halt. However, since 2001, when the US-led war on terrorism pushed Taliban regime from Kabul, New Delhi re-established ties with Kabul and poured in reconstruction and development assistance in the country. By far, India’s development initiatives in Afghanistan amount to over $3 billion.

India’s Investments In Key Infrastructure

SALMA DAM: The 42MW Salma Dam located on the Hari Rud River in Chishti Sharif District of Herat Province in western Afghanistan has been India’s most expensive investment in Afghanistan. The hydropower and irrigation project, completed against many odds was inaugurated in 2016, is known as the Afghan-India Friendship Dam. Besides generating electricity, with its water storage capacity of over 640 million cubic meters and irrigation capacity of 2,00,000 acres of farmland from the Chishti Sharif district of Herat to the Zulfiqar area of the Iran Border, the dam assumes a vital function in the country’s agriculture sector.

ZARANJ-DELARAM HIGHWAY: India aided in the construction of the 218-km Zaranj-Delaram highway built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Zaranj is located close to Afghanistan’s border with Iran. The $150-million highway goes along the Khash Rud river to Delaram to the northeast of Zaranj, where it connects to a ring road that links Kandahar in the south, Ghazni and Kabul in the east, Mazar-e-Sharif in the north, and Herat in the west.

This Highway is linked with Iran’s Chabahar port and provides an alternative route into landlocked Afghanistan, since India’s overt land access to Afghanistan via Pakistan usually gets blocked due to tensed relations between New Delhi and Islamabad. Therefore, the highway is of strategic importance to India. During the virtual Afghanistan Conference in November 2020, India’s External Affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, stated that ‘India transported 75,000 tonnes of wheat as part of its humanitarian assistance to strengthen food security of Afghanistan through the Chabahar port during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over 300 Indian engineers and workers had toiled alongside Afghans to build the road. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs report, 11 Indians and 129 Afghans lost their lives during the construction. Six of the Indians were killed in terrorist attacks; five in accidents.

PARLIAMENT: The Afghan Parliament in Kabul was built by India at $90 million. It was opened in 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating the building described it as India’s tribute to democracy in Afghanistan.

STOR PALACE: In 2009, Governments of India and Afghanistan along with the Aga Khan Development Network signed a tripartite agreement for the restoration of the Stor Palace, reviving it to its former glory. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture completed the project between 2013 and 2016. The building housed the offices of the Afghan foreign minister and the ministry until 1965. It was built in the 19th century and was the location of the signing of the historic Anglo-Afghan Agreement, also known as the Rawalpindi Agreement of 1919, through which Afghanistan gained its independence.

AIR FRIEGHT: Two air corridors Kabul-Delhi and Herat-Delhi were inaugurated in 2017. This has been critical in enhancing Afghanistan’s exports to India and has also directly benefited the farmers, small traders and exporters in the country. Both the countries aim to expand the Corridor to other cities to further boost the economy.

DEFENCE: India has supplied military hardware, four Mi-25 attack helicopters to the Afghan Air Force in 2015 and 285 military vehicles to the Afghan National Army. Personnel of the Afghan defence forces have received military and intelligence training from India.

POWER INFRASTRUTURE: India provided $111 million for the construction of the 202-km Phul-e-Khumri transmission line that provided electricity to Kabul city. It brought about 200 MW of electricity from the Timriz power project in Uzbekistan to the Afghan capital. The project involved the construction of 600 high power transmission towers from Pul-e-Khumri, north of Hindukush, to Kabul via the 13,170-feet high Salang Pass. Indian engineers were exposed to several dangers during this project, which included the hazardous task of surveying the transmission route passing through the heavily-mined Hindukush ranges on both sides of Salang that had been the site for many battles over more than 3 decades.

Other investments in Afghanistan’s Power infrastructure projects include 220 kV DC transmission line from Baghlan to the north of Kabul and installation of solar panels in several remote villages. Further, two additional power sub-stations at Doshi and Charikar were taken up to service the 220kV transmission Line from Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul that was built earlier to meet emerging demands.

SOCIAL INFRA: India invested heavily in Afghanistan’s social infrastructure. This includes heath, education and community development that include building Sulabh toilets in Kabul. Other areas of investment include agriculture, irrigation, drinking water, renewable energy, flood control, micro-hydropower, sports infrastructure, administrative infrastructure. In 2020, Minister Jaishankar announced the launch of Phase-IV of the High Impact Community Development Projects that India would undertake in Afghanistan, which envisages more than 100 projects worth US$ 80 million.

HEALTH: India took the initiative of the reconstruction of a children’s hospital it had helped build in Kabul, in 1985, named Indira Gandhi Institute for Child Health that was in shambles after the war. Since then, the hospital received constant support in terms of modern medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Further, thousands who lost their limbs after stepping on mines left over from the war have been fitted with the Jaipur Foot. Also, many ‘Indian Medical Missions’ were sent to hold free consultation camps in several areas. Numerous clinics were built in the border provinces of Badakhshan, Balkh, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nooristan, Paktia and Paktika.India has also donated 10 ambulances for public hospitals in five cities.

EDUCATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING: India assisted in the reconstruction and renovation of Habibia School in Kabul and provides for training and maintenance of the school. A Special Scholarship Scheme of 1000 scholarships per annum to Afghan Nationals, administered by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and another 500 by Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) are successfully extended to Afghan nationals annually with 100% utilisation. The Afghanistan National Agricultural Sciences and Technology University (ANASTU) set up with India’s aid plays an important role in capacity building in agricultural sciences. In the area of skill development, India has been providing education to Afghan nationals in the field of agriculture through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scholarships.

Further, India provided desks and benches for schools in various cities and played an important role in building capacity with mentoring programmes in the civil service, and training for doctors and others. So far, more than 65,000 Afghan students have also studied in India.

TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY: According to the MEA, India gifted 400 buses and 200 mini-buses for urban transportation, 105 utility vehicles for municipalities. Several smaller roads in the country were built with India’s assistance.

Other developmental projects include construction of the Shatoot Dam amounting to $250 million in Kabul district, which would provide safe drinking water to 2 million residents of Kabul city. India has pledged $1 million for the restoration of the 6th century Bala Hissar Fort by Aga Khan Trust in the south of Kabul, whose origins go back to the 6th century. Bala Hissar is a prominent Mughal architecture and was once the residence of Shah Jahan and was later renovated by Jahangir.

TRADE: India-Afghanistan trade has grown substantially with the establishment of the air freight corridor in 2017. In 2019-20, bilateral trade crossed $1.3 billion. The trade between the two countries was estimated at around $1 billion (in FY20). India exports approximately $900 million worth of goods, mostly pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, computers and related materials, cement, and sugar, to Afghanistan. On the other hand, it imports items, mostly fresh and dried fruits, worth $500 million.

During the virtual Afghanistan Conference in November 2020, India’s External Affairs minister highlighted that “no part of Afghanistan today is untouched by the 400 plus projects that India has undertaken in all 34 of Afghanistan’s provinces.” Towards a progressive future both for Afghanistan and the bilateral relationship with India, he stressed that, “India has invested heavily in peace and development in Afghanistan and believes that the gains of the last two decades must be preserved and the interests of minorities, women and vulnerable sections must be ensured.”

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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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