The eighth edition of India-Russia Joint Military Exercise ‘INDRA-2016’ has begun in the Ussiriysk District in Vladivostok, Russia. The 11 days bilateral military exercise seeks to achieve interoperability in joint operations.
Troops from both sides would acquaint themselves with the respective approach to counter-Terrorism operations under UN mandate.
Here are the highlights of the exercise:
Main focus of this edition of the joint exercise is on ‘counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain under United Nations mandate.
Indian army contingent is represented by 250 soldiers from the Kumaon Regiment. It is led by Brigadier Sukrit Chadah.
Russian army is being represented by 250 soldiers from the 59th Motorised Infantry Brigade.
During the exercises, the Eastern Military District and Indian troops used Russian Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles to jointly learn to detect simulated illegal armed groups.
Orlan-10 drones are designed to carry out remote surveying and can work to adjust fire or survey damages, as well as function as a connection repeater. The UAV has been used in Russia’s counterterrorist aerial campaign in Syria.
With the drills going on, more than 500 servicemen, over 50 armoured infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, tanks and multiple-launch rocket systems are took part.
The ‘Indra’ series of annual bilateral exercises and is one of the major bilateral defence cooperation initiatives between India and Russia since 2003.
The seventh edition of this military exercise or ‘Indra-2015’ was held in Bikaner district of Rajasthan, India.
The Indian contingent is scheduled to return to India on termination of the Exercise in the first week of October ‘16.
We all know the situation in our country where our soldiers are losing their lives every single day guarding the borders. This new ad which is dedicated to India armed forces soldiers is made by Hero MotoCrop and it is a really an emotional advertisement which successfully passed the message to the country.
We all must respect and support our soldiers because they are fighting for us.
Subscribe to SSBCrack
To crack the AFSB and SSB interview, we recommend you to get “Let’s Crack SSB Interview” book from Amazon.
Militants launched a ‘Fidayeen’ (suicide) attack on 46 Rashtriya Rifles army camp in Baramulla district of north Kashmir on Sunday. The camp is located on the outskirts of Baramulla city, 54 kms from Srinagar.
Personnel of the border guarding force BSF, which is under the operational command of the Army in this area, jointly stay in the camp with the soldiers, the officials said.
According to reports, the terrorists tried to enter through a public park but were not able to breach the 46 Rashtriya Rifles camp. Heavy exchange of fire continues in the region.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also alerted the public about the ongoing situation.
In a tweet, Abdullah said, “Colleagues in Baramulla town are phoning with reports of massive gunfire in their vicinity. Prayers for all in the area.”
The attack came barely a fortnight after the terror assault on the army’s brigade headquarters at Uri which left 19 soldiers dead. The Indian army carried out retaliatory surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads early Thursday in PoK and there were apprehensions about possible suicide attacks on defence installations ever since.
On the first day of the Air Fest, when the Mi-17 V5 took to the skies, a father-son duo was at the controls. Steering the helicopter were Air Vice Marshal Manavendra Singhand his son Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Singh at the advanced landing ground under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Air Command in Upper Shillongon Saturday. The Air Fest marks the 84th anniversary of the Indian Air Force.
Air Vice Marshal Manavendra Singh is the senior officer in charge of administration of the Eastern Air Command headquarters, while Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Singh is a unit pilot posted in a Mi-17 V5 helicopter unit under the Eastern Air Command headquarters.
“Air Vice Marshal Manavendra Singh is one of the seniormost helicopter pilots in theIAF and has over 6,700 hours of flying to his credit. The Air officer is a qualified flying instructor and in a career spanning nearly 35 years, has instructed on various types of helicopters and fixed wing aircrafts,” an Eastern Air Command headquarters spokesperson said. “Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Singh, following in his father’s footsteps, was commissioned in the helicopter stream in 2011,” the Air Force official said.
The Air Vice Marshal’s father and wives of the two officers were also present to witness the occasion. After the flight, both officers were felicitated by Air Marshal CHarikumar, AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command headquarters.
The Mi-17 V5 helicopter is the IAF’s latest acquisition and forms the backbone of the medium-lift helicopter fleet. The aircraft is a state-of-the-art platform equipped with advanced avionics and has proved to be an asset to the IAF in various operations and exercises. The annual Air Fest, which is open to the public, will conclude on Monday.
With the increasing cross-border disputes, there seem to be countries teaming up against their common enemy *cough* China and Pakistan against India *cough*. While China and Russia kicked off naval drills in the South China Sea for 8 days (Joint Sea-2016), is it a cause to worry for India as its all-season ally, Russia shakes hands with China? Whatever the answer is, this move is likely to further stir tensions in the disputed waters.
Here are the details of this exercise:
China and Russia have held annual naval exercises since 2012, including in the East China Sea (2014) and Mediterranean Sea (2015).
This annual exercise of the two countries come in the backdrop of a tribunal appointed by the Permanent court of Arbitration when it struck down China’s claims to almost all over the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines rights over the area.
Joint Russian-Chinese naval drill “Joint Sea-2016” was held in the South China Sea on September 12-19.
The drill involved eighteen ships and support vessels, 21 aircraft, over 250 marines and 15 units of military equipment.
The two navies will carry out live-fire drills, sea crossing and island-landing operations, island defense and offense exercises among others.
The two navies will focus on joint air defense, joint anti-submarine, joint air and sea search and combat, a joint three-dimensional seizing of islands and reefs, joint search and rescue, joint boarding and inspection and joint exercises in the port stage.
Under simulated combat conditions, Chinese and Russian Marines will deploy from amphibious warships to storm an enemy-held beach, which is a bold political statement given by China to its neighboring countries.
Besides this, 19 aircraft including J-11B fighter jet, JH-7 fighter-bomber, airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) and multi-type ship-borne helicopters and some members of the Marine Corps also joined the drill.
Many countries including the US which extends tacit backing to them to assert their claims against China have been sending naval ships and military aircraft to maintain freedom of navigation in the disputed area. So, you decide whether it’s a reason for India to worry or not.
“We first met when I was studying law at Symbiosis and he was a cadet in the Academy. It all started out in a funny manner — My friend and I would take a 11 Rupee bus ride every weekend to the NDA only because the food was much cheaper in their canteen! That’s how we became friends but pretty soon he moved to the IMA to Dehradun and as an officer he was posted all over India. Believe it or not, the only way we kept in touch through the whole time was through letters. It was 2002 and cell phones had just come in, so we would write to each other about our days; about our lives. They were all innocent letters, but they were amazing because it gave me an insight into how simple he is as a person.
6 years went by like this, and finally after that he sent me an SMS saying – ‘I really feel for you and I would like to be with you’— and at that point it all just fit. There was no over the top proposal, or exorbitant gesture…but there was love and stability.
After marriage I moved with him to Bhatinda, where I was working as a lawyer from home. Those two and a half years that we were together were so special, but being a professional I knew that I couldn’t move around every 2 years with him and some of the places he was posted the only job available to me was that of a teacher, and that’s not what I became a lawyer for.
Together, we took the decision that I would move to Bombay to pursue my career and he would continue his postings. It’s tough, it’s really tough but it puts so many other things in perspective. For one – our long letters have become long whatsapp conversations!
We see each other maybe once in every 4 months, but those 15 days of seeing and being with him mean everything to me; to us — we have a 3 year old daughter. I feel like there are no words to speak of an army man’s passion towards his country. Here we complain about bonus and leave dates, but in the army you’re at the same rank, with the same pay for a decade before moving up. He’s currently in aviation, but there are days when I wake up with anxiety an ask him not to fly. There are days when I miss him so much and my daughter will console me and tell me it’s for our country. He’s such a good father that even though he’s so far away, he’s involved with her school work — he often makes her recite what she learnt in class on the phone.
That’s the thing, we only celebrate our Jawaans once they’ve lost their lives, but we need to celebrate them everyday. My husband has lost so many of his batchmates to war or technical failures. There are days where there’s no communication between us because he’s in an area where there’s no network and finally after days he’ll call us up to tell us he’s okay. It’s so difficult for us, and even though this is his profession, I don’t think there’s been a day where he’s complained — everyday he wakes up with a smile on his face because he’s serving his country.”
The traffic on the road was slowly picking up the numbers. Most signal lights were still orange. Newspaper hawkers were exhibiting their speed skills in despatching sorted-out bundles. Soon after descending one of the Bangalore’s famous flyovers, you would find a simple gate painted in maroon. There are no boards. It is still darkness and gun-toting soldiers check the credentials to ensure that they are letting in the right man.You have just entered a Special Forces (SF) unit of Indian Army, an elite group, operating out of one of the oldest erstwhile military farms in the country. It was around 5.45 am and the SF boys were all lining up for the roll call. “We are called Predators, a very fascinating nickname. In 15 minutes, we will begin the Predators’ PT,” the Commanding Officer (CO) of the unit, who did not want to be named, told Express. At 6 am, with no sign of sunrise yet, the Predators began their PT sessions. “You cannot be a passenger in SF. It is a voluntary job, but we demand the best out of the boys. We push them beyond their limits,” says the CO. The training is split into three modules: physical, skill (basic/ advance) and collective.
A volunteer assignment: Bangalore’s chilly weather was definitely making the PT session tougher with longer time needed for the body to warm up. “Our main job is to convert a soldier into a SF operative. We have a three-month probation capsule, which is really tough. We also focus the knowledge levels of the solider. Only soldiers can volunteer to join SF, and we don’t recruit civilians directly,” says the CO. During the probation period, there’s no difference between an officer and a soldier. A solider has to go through a mutual assessment process, Hell’s Week and weapon training. Hell’s Week is the most-dreaded seven-day training period, packed with modules that will make the faint-hearted give up the SF dream. “Only 10 out of 40 are finally selected. The best of the best are earmarked for Special Operations. We also give exposure to the training patters of armies of other countries as well,” he said.
The rejection rate in SF is relatively high as the selected soldiers, who are physically good, mentally sharp and really intelligent, need to be a complete team players as well. “Last year, we had 12 officers who volunteered to be in SF and only three fit the bill after the probation. The selection process happens every quarter and there are no set numbers that come in. Some times, all the 10 people who join get rejected. It depends on the quality of the batch received. On an average 30-40 per cent is our selection rate,” the CO said.
Subscribe to SSBCrack
Intensity matters: When asked about the minimum height a solider requires to become an SF operative, an officer posted at the unit said, laughing: “It is not the size that matters, but the intensity that counts in a fight. The acceptable standard set by all recruiting agencies throughout India for normal soldiers is our limit as well (157.5 cm). And the hill tribes get further relaxation.”
The most unique part of the training is the Tyre PT, with huge trucks need to be lifted by a buddy pair a number times. There are no set rules that if a man does ‘X’ number of push ups, he becomes a SF guy. There are certain mandatory tests specific to his arm strength (vertical rope, horizontal rope) which he needs to pass. A soldier below 30 years needs to run 5 km with battle load (rifle + 3.2 kg load) in 23 minutes. Two minutes are added for those between 30-40 age and five minutes for those above 45 years.
A soldier need to sprint 60 meters with same load in less than 13 seconds and also climb 10 meters vertical rope and traverse a horizontal rope. He also needs to clear a nine-foot ditch in battle gear. Finally, he needs to run 20 km with rifle and 18.5 kg load in less than 2 hours 20 minutes; 30 km in less than 3 hours and 40 min and 40 km in less than 5 hours and 40 minutes to fulfil some of the selection criteria.
Advanced firing styles: Once selected, a soldier gets advanced training in urban operations, room intervention and weapon firing. Even the physical training modes gradually get on to the toughest grades. While the officials refused to talk about the weapon training sessions, soldiers who have passed the SF route said that the most-advanced style of firing is taught. Training is given in firing with both hands, and using different kinds of weapons simultaneously. An SF operative is trained extensively on rifles, pistols, snipers, LMGs, MMGs, ATGMs and missiles and can even strip his weapon blind folded.
An SF squad roughly constitutes six members and they include specialists in demolition, navigation, communication, medicine and weapon, with the sixth man being the commander with outstanding leadership qualities. “Our modes of insertions vary from a freefall from an aircraft, para jumping, slithering and even by sea route. We also need to sharpen our language and culture skills,” says an officer.
Romancing the SF: Lt Ankur Sharma, hailing from Solan in Himachal Pradesh, has just begun his probation period. The 23-year-old from Corps of Signal holds a B Tech in Telecommunication and IT. “In my college days I was really good in running and after joining the Army, I was attracted towards the SF as I found them physically solid. If I get through, I am hoping to get good exposure,’ says Ankur, whose father is in the textile industry and mother looking after the household chores.
Gunner Veeranna M is from Karnataka’s Dharwad and comes from a family of farmers. He has 3 brothers and two sisters. “I have always been a fearless guy. I want to put my best foot forward and see if I can convert my brave instincts into getting an SF assignment. It is tough, but I think I will make it,” says Veeranna. Similarly, Lt S Shaym, the 22-year-old from North-East, believes that being in SF is the best. “Best equipment and best men around. My ultimate dream is to become a good Army officer,” says Shyam.
Non-stop training: Every SF soldier needs to be proficient in martial arts and they are trained in PKTE, a Pilipino-based aggressive self-defence form. Once the probation period is cleared, a solider will have to undertake para jumps once a year. These jumps are run in Hoskotekere, near Bangalore and also in Central India. “Once, you clear the probation period successfully, you earn the right to wear the Maroon Beret cap. “It’s a great sense of pride wearing the Maroon Beret. Not all soldiers are lucky to have this. The units izath (pride) becomes part of your life, because only you would know how much you had to push the body to earn the Maroon Beret,” says the CO.
Training is one thing which never stops in SF. After successful completion of basic and mandatory courses, individuals are further put through a selection procedure for further specialist training in High Altitude warfare, Jungle warfare, Covert and clandestine operations, hostage rescue apart from other specialist operations. “The philosophy of the training is ‘Specialisation to the Core.’ The wastage ratio is very high in SF because professional requirements are very high and it is a well known fact that SF cannot be mass produced. They are the chosen few, because they are the Predators,” adds the CO.
As the boys assembled at the PT ground in the evening for their scheduled games, the setting sun spewed some dying strokes straight onto a small hillock inside the military base. The hillock had a message painted on it, which read: Skill x Will x Drill = Kill.
The traffic on the flyover reminded that you will need only one gear to drive, making a mockery of some of the most advanced driving systems inside your car. It was pitch dark once again and, the Predators were seen slowly disappearing into the darkness.
In response to the recent Uri attack that killed 18 soldiers, the Indian Army on Wednesday night conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) on terror launch pads, said Director General of Military Operations (DGMO).
Addressing a joint press conference with External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Thursday, DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said, “Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads on the LoC. Heavy damages have been caused to terrorists and many of them have been killed.”
Adding that India had also shared details of the surgical strikes with Pakistan Army and expected them to cooperate in the fight against terror, he said, “The motive of this operation was to hit out at the terrorists who were planning to infiltrate into our territory.”
Going into details about the strike, Singh said that there were no Indian casualties during strikes, adding, “Indian armed forces are ready for any contingency, but no plans as of now for further operations,” DGMO said.
#WATCH: DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh says "Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads on the LoC last night" pic.twitter.com/UXjVEvyLwF
“We can’t allow terrorists to operate across the LoC, there has been a surge in infiltration. It has been a matter of serious concern that there have been many infiltration bids by terrorists at LoC. Despite our persistent urging to Pakistan to not allow territory under its control to not be used for terrorist activities nothing was done,” DGMO Singh said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday also chaired a cabinet committee meeting on security on the situation along Line on Control.
The meeting took place after Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire twice along the LoC in last 24 hours.
An Engineering graduate from restive South Kashmir’s Anantnag district has cracked Services Selection Board (SSB) examination securing fourth position to join as Commissioned Officer in Army.
Zubair Ahmad Itoo of a village close in Anantnag district, had appeared in the hectic SSB examination for being commissioned as an Officer in Indian Army from June 15 to June 20. The selection system is designed over a five-day process: Day 1 is the screening test, Day 2 is the Psychologist Tests, Day 3 and 4 are the group tasks and Day 5 is the Conference (Results).
Itoo, who has completed his engineering from SRM University Delhi, only this year in May, said he cleared the examination from special selection centre (North) Kapurthala (in Punjab) and has ranked fourth in the country. “In all four selection centres (Allahabad, Bhopal, Bangalor and Kaputhala), I have secured fourth rank and the Selection Medical Board has also cleared me of all tests and now I will join 49-week long officer training at Officers Training Academy in Chennai,” he said.
Following the training at Chennai Academy, Zubair will join Indian Army as a Lieutenant. “Later on, I will get promoted as a Captain,” he said, adding that the SSB exam for Commissioned Officer “is more hectic and tough than Indian Administrative Service (IAS) examination”.
The selection of Zubair into Indian Army as a Commissioned Officer has come at a time when Kashmir is witnessing civil unrest in the wake of killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
Zubair, whose district has seen worst violence during the present unrest, believes that “youth can only achieve something through education”. “Without education, you can’t achieve and do anything. The studies are important and only way to achieve something,” he said. Zubair said the street-protests that have claimed nearly 80 lives in 81 days “won’t yield anything”. “I ask youth to focus on studies to achieve something in their lives,” he added.
Feet five feet high, my face staring down the ground, sweat slowly making its way, I start to dream of the ‘guy’ I was, the cadet I am, and the soldier I meant to be.
Ruffled hair, baggy jeans, a smart phone in hand and a party on mind, I would go to ‘early’ morning classes at 9 am. I would care a damn what I present to the world, my jeans soiled, my flipflops out of place and eating habits terrible.
My legs slowly starts sliding down the wall, my arms started to strain under the pressure. Before I am yelled at and loose a little more face, I garner more strength from the dark pocket of endurance I never knew existed within me.
Washing and ironing clothes meant a futile exercise to me until we were taught of the importance a crease and the blunder of having a wrinkle. Serving in the armed forces is a matter of immense pride, where people from all walks of life look up to you with awe. The clothes we wear, be it uniform or just civvies, need to have the same amount of smartness and precision as our march and speech. Back then, gossip and talking shop were a part of every conversation, until you are taught how a crisp answer, a straight question and faster action can be more productive. Every unnecessary adjective and pronoun can have grave consequences.
Running a kilometer or two was more of a joke than a possibility. Today, even a 12 Km run hardly seems long. The ruggedness of the camps, taste of mud, cruelty of the sun’s heat have carved a man of steel in us from the clay like figurines crying even with the fear of pain.
The ever craved ‘play station controller’ changed to a rifle, a pistol or a carbine at times. The aim I would take at the computer target at home became a live round slicing through the silence around finding its target. Being strong meant, to have a pack of abs and wrestler like muscles, it’s true meaning dawned upon us when you pull that extra mile with a limping leg, carry a drum with a broken hand or be ready for the next day with vigor even without the night’s sleep. A man of war like anything tough, is only made under the toughest of situations. Tested mentally and physically under the most rigorous conditions is to make each one of us shoulder the responsibility of a hundred men in the time of war because “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war”.
When the horse gallops and the wind zips past your ears, you are taught to synergize with the beast inside you , work in tandem with the animal, make it run the way you think and jump when you want. Passing your Equitation Training Team test instills the sense of achieving one of the world’s most forgotten but elite sports.
Back home when I’m with family and friends I have a million stories to share, each heard like a warriors tale. Mountaineering, parasailing, firing and the tales of camps seem like flicks of a movie to them. Dumbfounded and refusing to believe, they are awestruck by the magnitude of change in me.
Friends are made with a burger; a few laughs and a lot of gossip, in the academy bonds are made of true blood, sweat and tear. A course mate is someone you are incomplete without you jump, fall, work, lose and win together. You with a sense of complete trust can lay your life in his hands knowing he would do the same with you. Once you begin a journey, you are aware; either first or last, complete it or not he will not leave you behind. The true meaning of espirit de corps touches our hearts and settles in our minds forever as it is the oxygen for the armed forces.
After twenty minutes I’m secured, I walk up to my cabin, change and close my eyes with a sense of pride for all that I have achieved and the unflinching commitment to the service I would for my country in the years to come.
