Defence News

(PakistaniDefence.com)

July 2001

Pakistani & Indian troops exchange Chaddar & Sharbat at LoC

LoC: Prior to visit of presedent of Pakistan to India Indian and Pakistani border gaurds exchanged Sharbat and a sheet of embroidered Quranic verses at a shrine on the Line of Control (LoC) on Thursday, an annual ritual they resumed last June after skipping it in 1999 due to the Kargil conflict. A Pakistani News (The News) paper reports,

The exchange came ahead of next month's meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. In line with tradition, Indian Border Security Force guards took two tractor loads of "shakkar" and "sharbat" (sugar and Sharbat) to the border and gave them to their Pakistani counterparts. The Pakistani guards then handed over a Chaddar  (a sheet of embroidered Quranic verses) for the 200-year-old shrine of the mystic Baba Dileep Singh Manhas at Chamliyal village in occupied Jammu and Kashmir near the Line of Control (LoC).

"The guards from both sides assembled near the zero line, saluted, shook hands with each other. They received shakkar and sharbat from our side and handed over the Chaddar for Baba's tomb," a senior police official told Reuters by telephone.

Over 30,000 Indian devotees thronged the shrine near Ramgarh sector while about 50,000 Pakistani pilgrims gathered near Saidawali on the other side of LoC in Pakistan to offer prayers at a replica of the tomb, officials said. People on both sides danced to the sound of drumbeats and sang devotional songs. "The exchange of offerings went off in a cordial atmosphere, forgetting the booming of guns," another official said

Super 7 (FC-1) Will Be Fitted With Chinese And Russian Missiles: Janes Defence

Janes Defence weekly today reported that Chinese and Pakistani project of Super 7 (Formally known as FC-1) will be fitted with various array of weapon systems. These systems may include Chinese PL-11 missiles which is radar guided and may also use Russian radar systems. Chinese designers have also decided to equip this advance multi-role fighter with missiles which can fire up to the range of 20 to 35kms with combat weight. The plane will also be equip with E.L.M 2032 fire control radar system. It will be equip with four type RD 93 Russian engines.

In the mean time Government of Pakistan has requested China to speed up the work on the project. Pakistan is already investing over 50 percent of the project which is 150 million dollar worth. The plane is suppose to fly in first quarter of year 2003.

China To Issue Loan For Strategic Gawader Port

China has agreed to extend loan on soft-term for phase-I of Gwadar deep sea port, estimated to cost around \$250 million.

Providing Pakistan Navy another major port to operate from. As there were talks held between Pakistani & Chinese officials in recent visit of Chinese president.
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The government, told that project will be completed as a "friendship project" China was ready to extend loan on soft-term plus technical know-how.

The Chinese team also discussed the project with Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. The officials, however, are not yet clear whether the loan would be coming from the Chinese government or from a private bank. A team of Pakistani officials, after receiving terms of the loan, will visit China to finalize the deal.

When the Chinese prime minister visited Pakistan in March this year, Pakistan had attempted to persuade the Chinese leadership to help it build the Gwadar deep sea port and then use it for exporting its industrial output from western China to the world markets.

The Chinese support to the project has generated international interest and is being viewed as a change in the Chinese foreign policy under which it had restricted its military presence to its boundaries.

Officials in Pakistan are not hiding the fact that many international forces were not happy with the Chinese involvement.

A spokesman for the Chinese government was quoted as saying on Sunday that China was interested in keeping its military presence in Gwadar, located at the tip of Persian Gulf. He, however, said China was only helping Pakistan to build this strategically important port.

China To Help PAF, To Increase Its Nuclear Strike Abilities 

Currently, the Pakistani air force has a total of 48 A5C attackers in active service. After the upgrading, some of them will be able to carry one 5-20kT nuclear warhead and two fuel drop tanks, enabling the attackers to cover an radius range of 1,000km. 

This means that the attackers will be able to cover such major cities in India as New Delhi and Bombay. The Source also says that the Super7 (FC1) fighters which are about to have test flight are greatly reinforcing the in-depth attacking power of the Pakistani Air forces. 

The Pakistani air force has officially decided to import a new batch of 40 J7P fighters. Discussions on the importing of new generation J7MG are also underway, and J7P will be delivered to Pakistan in the year 2002. The source adds that when carrying fuel drop tanks, the fighter can cover an operational range of 1000km and is able to conduct escorting mission for A5C attacker.

Pakistani SSG Commandos To Train Chinese Army Commandos

Pak News Reports that a high level delegation of Chinese Armed Forces' Special Services Group (SSG) Saturday held talks with senior military officials regarding the promotion of bilateral defence relations and co-operation.

Defence Ministry sources revealed that delegation would also visit Cherat where they will be apprised about the special training techniques of Pakistani Commandos.

The exchange of defence delegations was agreed during Chinese Premier's Pakistan visit last month aimed at strengthening the relations in various fields and sharing the mutual experiences.

Sources said that Chinese delegation has termed the Pakistani Special Services Group as up to date and of high standard.

China will seek Pakistani services to train its Army Commandos, sources added.

President Gen. Musharraf In India For Talks

July 15, With a decades-old dispute over the Kashmir region high on the agenda, the leaders of India and Pakistan began a landmark summit on Saturday aimed at smoothing stormy relations between the two nuclear rivals.

In a sign of the challenges they face, Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged gunfire for the first time this year across the cease-fire line that divides the Himalayan region of Kashmir, and at least five people were killed in separate fighting in India's section of Kashmir.

Both sides blamed each other for the cross-border firing, which began late Friday and ended Saturday morning, just before Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, arrived in New Delhi.

The two armies had regularly exchanged fire in Kashmir until December, when an unofficial truce went into effect.

The issue of Kashmir - which both countries claim - was high on the agenda of Musharraf's meetings with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India.

Gen Musharraf emerged from his aircraft in New Delhi on Saturday morning wearing a white "sherwani,'' the formal dress coat of Pakistan, accompanied by his wife, Sehba. Children greeted them with flowers. He and his 19-member delegation then rode in a 25-car convoy to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace.

"For more than half a century, the Kashmir dispute has cast a shadow on relations between Pakistan and India,'' Gen Musharraf said in a statement handed to journalists.

He said he would urge Indian leaders to ``join hands with us in resolving this dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people. This will facilitate resolution of other issues and lead to a full normalization or relations.''

As Musharraf entered the state guest quarters, workers laid a red carpet on the wet pavement and a band played in the rain. Vajpayee and India's president, K.R. Narayanan, chatted with Musharraf under a canopy. The Pakistan leader then inspected a guard of honor, with Indian military officers saluting the general, who fought in two wars against India.

Later, Musharraf laid a wreath at the site where India's independence leader, Mohandas K. Gandhi, called ``Mahatma,'' or ``great soul,'' was cremated.

"Mahatma Gandhi devoted his entire life to the struggle for nonviolence and peace,'' Musharraf wrote in the visitor's book. ``Never has the requirement of his ideals been more severely felt than today, especially in the context of India-Pakistan relations.''

The summit marks the first talks between the two countries since February 1999, when a dialogue to improve relations broke off after intruders from Pakistan launched an attack on the Indian-held portion of Kashmir.

Vajpayee accused Musharraf of planning the invasion while the Indian leader was meeting with Pakistan's then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was later ousted and exiled by Musharraf.

Rejecting Musharraf's seizure of power in a coup, and saying he could not be trusted, Vajpayee vowed to never speak to the Pakistani general. But the 76-year-old leader, in poor health and approaching the end of his long career, is eager to seal his legacy with the prospect of peace.

After a week of tough policy statements by both sides, a friendly mood developed during a lunch that Vajpayee hosted for Musharraf on Saturday, officials said.

Musharraf also traveled to Old Delhi in the afternoon to visit an apartment block that once was a mansion his family owned. He was hugged by an elderly, lower-caste sweeper who said he remembered Musharraf living in the area as a 4-year-old boy.

India accuses Pakistan's government of arming and aiding Islamic militants fighting Indian troops in Kashmir. Musharraf has said he has no control over the freedom fighters, although he supports their cause.

Concerned about the potential for nuclear war in South Asia, the United States and other countries have encouraged an easing of tensions.

On Sunday and Monday, Musharraf and Vajpayee will conduct formal talks at an Agra hotel near the Taj Mahal. The majestic 17th-century marble mausoleum was built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his favorite wife after she died giving birth. It is symbolic of the common history shared by Pakistan and India, erected by Muslim Mughals who once ruled most of the subcontinent.

Of the three wars the neighbors have fought since gaining independence from Britain in 1947 - two of them were over Kashmir. A cease-fire line drawn up after the last war in 1971 splits the Kashmir province: two-thirds with mostly Hindu India, the rest with Islamic Pakistan.

New Delhi wants the summit to address many issues, including trade, terrorism, the prevention of an accident with nuclear weapons, and joint efforts to curb drug trafficking.

But Islamabad has emphasized that Kashmir is the only item on its agenda and that Musharraf intends to bring home some progress on the war-torn Himalayan province.

Since 1989, freedom fighters in Kashmir have fought Indian army for a merger with Muslim Pakistan, claiming as many as 60,000 lives

Indo-Pak Summit Fails, President Gen Musharraf Back To Islamabad

One of the main unresolved points of contention appears to have been the disputed territory of Kashmir, which is at the heart of differences between the two countries.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf left for Agra airport after a final meeting with Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee to head back to Islamabad.

Both sides spent most of Monday trying to find common ground and agree on a final statement to be signed by the two leaders.

There was a delay of nine hours in the schedule as the two sides tried to reach an agreement, exchanging several drafts in the process.

In the mean time BBC reports differences about the wording of one section of the document caused a deep rift between the two countries.

President Gen Musharraf reached Islamabad in the wee hours of Tuesday from Agra. He was received at the PAF air base by senior civil and military officials

India confirms no joint statement

July 16th: One Of Pakistani News paper "The News" Reports, The spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs,

Ms. Nirupama Rao, addressing a short press briefing, late on Monday night, said "I am disappointed to inform all of you ladies and gentlemen, that although the commencement of a process and the beginning of a journey has taken place, the destination of an agreed joint statement has not been reached"

Ms Rao further said that all details would be given at a press conference scheduled for 10 a.m. (IST) on Tuesday.

Three Indian Solders Killed At LoC, Kargil Sector By Pakistan Army Artillery Fire

July 20: India and Pakistan exchanged artillery fire on Friday across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region including the Kargil sector.

Three Indian soldiers were killed in the cross-border firing that erupted in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, a police official said.

Police and witnesses said the two armies also exchanged fire in the Channigund and Kaksar areas of Kargil district, 220km northeast of Srinagar. Police said it was the first such incident since last November when India announced a ceasefire that lasted until May.

"The town (Kargil) wears a ghost look after shopkeepers closed their shops following shelling," Mohammad Jaffer, a resident of Kargil, said.

Indian authorities said violence had increased in Kashmir in the first two weeks of July. "While Pakistan was engaged in peace talk with India, its sponsored militants stepped up violence in Jammu and Kashmir, shedding blood of the people," a statement issued by the state government said.

Troops also recovered a large quantity of ammunition from a suspected militant hideout in north Kashmir.-Reuters

July 21, 2001: The first squadron of 15 Al-Khalid tanks was handed over to 31 Cavalry, a renowned regiment of Pakistan Armored Corps. Reports One of Pakistan based News Paper "the news"

A grand ceremony was held at Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) which was attended by Gen Musharraf.  Besides President Musharraf, the impressive roll-out ceremony was attended by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Abdul Aziz Mirza, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir, Foreign Minister Abdus Sattar, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, ambassadors, defence attaches and senior serving officers.

This squadron consists of fifteen tanks. Al-Khalid represents the ideal integration of fire power, mobility and protection with the highest power to weight ratio in the world, its performance and characteristics are not only comparable but in certain cases better than modern contemporary tanks. The tank has state-of-the-art features such as auto tracking, hunter killer, day/night sights, third generation stabilization and unmatched Armour protection.

Al-Khalid MBT is equipped with a 125-mm smooth bore gun, which can defeat enemy Armour effectively at long ranges. Composite materials and Explosive Reactive Armour provide protection to the crews against a variety of anti-tank weapons. Accurate weapon control is achieved both by the gunner and commander through Third Generation Image Stabilized, Panoramic Commander Sight, Thermal Imaging and Auto Tracking.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) assists in operations especially in the wide-open desert spaces. Pakistan can indeed be very proud of this achievement. The tank has been designed to meet the requirements of Pakistan Army. It will be able to operate effectively over arduous terrain and in harsh climatic conditions. It is a product refined through stringent tests and trials covering thousands of kilometers of cross country running and firing consisting of thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Al-Khalid has provided the Pakistan Army with a weapon system, which will remain technically current well into this century and will meet the nation's defense requirements. The design also caters for upgrades; development and induction of new sub-systems in the future, which will further enhance the life span of this tank.  Chairman Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), Lt Gen Hamid Javaid said HIT went into serial production in 1980 to re-build T-series tanks and not only successfully accomplished this task but also contributed significantly by undertaking modernization of a large number of T-59 tanks. "Further upgrade of tank T-59 to Al-Zarrar configuration is being undertaken shortly, which would provide the old fleet capabilities of modern tanks," he added.

Flying Coffins OF Indian Air Force
185 MiGs lost, 50 pilots killed In 10 years

Published In Tribune News Service India

Air Force (IAF) keeps flying these overworked machines overlooking the safety of its pilots.

This however does not explain why the already overworked MiG-21s are being flown. They also blame high temperatures under which MiGs are flown. Incidentally, the IAF has been carrying out more than 60 per cent of its flying on the MiG-21s.

However, the experts say that with almost 60 per cent of flying being carried out on the MiG-21s, any amount of upkeep of machinery will not be adequate.

The resultant wear and tear could have an effect on the engine at any time. Experts say that more accidents were also happening as the pilots were being suddenly asked to fly MiGs, which are a high-demand aircraft, after getting the training on the low-demand ones. Despite the ‘best training’ being imparted to the pilots, they were somehow not being able to cope with the sudden high demand of flying the MiGs. Creating considerable doubts about air force training programs and pilots abilities.

According to them, most of the inquiries have pointed to deficiencies in the training of pilots as one of the primary reasons for accidents. The IAF has been compromising on standards. With few youngsters keen on taking up a flying career with the Air Force, the authorities have been forced to choose from the borderline cases, they said.

Incidentally, a recent internal study report of the IAF has pointed out that most of the pilots involved in crashes were those with a lower flying aptitude. This again brings us to the point that the IAF has lowered the standards for selecting the pilots. Leaving a big question mark that what will happen in case of war.

According to analysts, a relatively low aptitude, together with the demands for a high-skill aircraft like the MiG could prove to be very dangerous. The MiGs are being used to impart the stage-III training to the pilots which puts pressure on them after getting the initial training on aircraft like Kiran, which are sub-sonic in nature.