It would be more appropriate while mouthing ‘jointmanship’ to describe the project for connectivity between the three Services- Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force-as being one for the ‘Armed Forces’. Semantically, the Defence Communications Network (DCN) sounds appropriate but is it happening? Perhaps that may at some point result in the desired true jointmanship. As things stand the Air Force has its own communications network, the Army upto a point, and the Navy now has a dedicated satellite of its own. To be able to achieve the desired result to seamless and total connectivity between the three Services and other security-related establishments, it is now being touted that the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff is absolutely necessary | |
Early warning | |
Indian defence scientists are inching closely to deliver an operational Air borne early warning and Control System to Indian Air Force and help mount an electronic eye in the sky. Though the target date was set as April this year, there may be slight delay, but its developer the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has shown so much confidence on its surveillance system on a Brazilian aircraft that they dared to showcase this to the international defence visitors during Bahrain defence show in January this year. Earlier last year in February during the Aero India, the DRDO had flown this aircraft in front of international spectators of top aviation officials and experts. | |
Challenges ahead | |
Mars, popularly known as Red Planet, has fascinated man for centuries. Not surprisingly then with the ushering in of the space age heralded by the launch of Soviet Sputnik way back in 1957, Mars made a mark as the most explored planet through orbiting and landing space probes. Because Mars shares many similarities with the earth in terms of some of the features including solid surface, their season and their polar ice caps along with the fact that water exists on Mars, this planet became a focus of intense exploration and study. Yet another reason for the growing interest in Mars is the hope that in the distant future Mars could be the next outpost for the sustenance of human civilization beyond the spaceship earth. Indeed, former Indian President and well known space and d | |
Digital superhighway | |
As the battlefield is getting saturated with new weapons and platforms, timely accessing fast data holds key to success of any military operation that largely depends on digital intervention to score early on the rivals in a war zone that is unforgiving. Network Centric Warfare has proven its mettle and become battlefield necessity on numerous occasions. Without electronic signals, no commander can decide what he wants to do next. Modern war zone is fast becoming a hub of digital war fighting ground through various Network Centric Operation platforms than mobilization of thousands of ground troops to invade into enemy territory. | |
Gaining momentum | |
Ever since it became known that the Chinese had shot down one of their own dysfunctional satellites in early 2007, the concept of an Indian Aerospace Command has gained momentum. There is a felt need among the Indian armed forces for both the defensive as well as the offensive capacities of space-based assets. While the setting up of the administrative offices was announced some years ago and that the Southern Air | |