Page 23 - Indian Army

Still a degree of standoff; broader understanding needed: Army chief on LAC

The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is sensitive but stable, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said on Monday. Addressing a press conference ahead of the Army Day, Gen Dwivedi said there is still a degree of standoff in the region and efforts are needed to restore trust between the Indian and the Chinese militiaries. The Army chief said patrolling and grazing in traditional areas have started in Depsang and Demchok, the two friction points from where the two sides have disengaged in October. Our deployment is balanced and robust and we are capable of handling any situation, he said. We are focusing on boosting border infrastructure and capability development, the Army chief said on the overall LAC situation. On the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said it is overall under control and the ceasefire pact with Pakistani side is holding up along the Line of Control. At the same time, the Army chief said infiltration attempts are continuing and the terror infrastructur

Army chief justifies decision to replace 1971 war painting with new artwork

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday justified replacing an iconic painting of Pakistan's surrender in the 1971 war at his office in Raisina Hills with a new artwork titled "Karam Kshetra". The painting on the 1971 war was removed from the Army chief's lounge in December and it was subsequently installed at the Manekshaw convention centre. The shifting of the historic painting had anguished many Army veterans and the decision came under some criticism. "If you see the golden history of India -- it has three chapters. It has the British era, the Mughal era and the era before that. If we wish to connect that and the Army's vision, symbolism becomes important," Gen. Dwivedi said. The new painting, "Karam Kshetra", meaning "Field of Deeds", is a creation of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Jacob of the 28 Madras regiment. It portrays the Army as a guardian of "Dharma" that protects the nation's values and reflects its evolution into a technologically-advanced integrated force, accord

India successfully tests third-generation Nag Mk-2 anti-tank missile

India has successfully carried out field evaluation trials of indigenously-developed third-generation anti-tank guided missile Nag Mk-2. The defence ministry said the trials were conducted recently at a firing range in Rajasthan's Pokhran in the presence of senior Army officers. "Field evaluation trials of indigenously-developed Nag Mk 2, the third-generation anti-tank fire-and-forget guided missile, were successfully conducted recently at Pokhran field range in the presence of senior officers of the Indian Army," it said. "During the three field trials, the missile systems destroyed precisely all the targets -- maximum and minimum range, thus validating its firing range," it said. The Nag missile carrier version-2 was also field-evaluated. "With this, the entire weapon system is now ready for induction into the Indian Army," the ministry said in a statement. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian Army and

No troop cuts at LAC this winter, summer review likely, says Army chief

The LAC in Ladakh remains 'sensitive but stable', says Army Chief Dwivedi, ruling out winter troop cuts while emphasising summer reviews contingent on trust and talks

Surya Kiran: Indo-Nepal joint military exercise focuses on urban warfare

It focuses on counterterrorism and operations in challenging terrains, the exercise features rigorous training in jungle survival, urban warfare, heliborne operations, and ambush tactics

Dream big, strive to become changemakers: Army chief urges NCC cadets

Recalling his days as an NCC cadet, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday urged the youth to dream big and strive to become the "changemakers, innovators and leaders" of tomorrow. Addressing a gathering of cadets and officers during his visit to the ongoing National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment, Gen Dwivedi also wished his best to an NCC expedition team that will attempt to scale Mount Everest later this year. "Being part of NCC is a way of life. The formative years as a cadet will forge a unique identity for each one of you, and shall form the edifice of your achievements later in life," the army chief said. It is also encouraging to know that in 2024, 100 boy cadets and 10 girl cadets joined the army's pre-commissioning training academies through NCC's entry schemes, while more than 8,800 NCC cadets joined the force as Agniveers, Gen Dwivedi said. The army chief was welcomed by the NCC cadets upon his arrival at the camp. Later, he also interac

Army, SDRF, and other agencies continue rescue ops in Assam's Umrangso

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister discussed the rescue operation with Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy and sought assistance

Indo-Pak war veteran Havaldar Baldev Singh passes away in Rajouri at 93

Veteran soldier Havaldar (retd) Baldev Singh, who fought four wars against Pakistan, passed away at his residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said on Tuesday. He was 93. The revered war hero passed away due to natural causes in his hometown Naushera on Monday, the spokesman said, adding that his last rites will be performed with full military honours at his village later on Tuesday. Born on September 27, 1931, at Naunihal village, Singh was just 16 when he volunteered to join the Bal Sena Force under the leadership of Brigadier Usman, Commander of the 50 Para Brigade, during the battle of Naushera and Jhangar in 1947-48. The Bal Sena, a group of local boys aged 12 to 16, served as despatch runners for the Indian Army in the critical moments of these battles. In recognition of their bravery, the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru honoured the Bal Sainiks, presenting them with gramophones, watches, and the opportunity to join the Army. Singh enlist

Army, navy engaged in rescuing 9 labourers trapped in Assam coal mine

Army personnel have been engaged to rescue the nine labourers trapped inside a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district, officials said on Tuesday. A relief task force with specialists such as divers and sappers, equipped with essential tools, reached the site in Umrangso to rescue the miners, a defence spokesperson said. 'Engineers task force with equipment, divers and medical teams from the Indian army and the Assam Rifles have joined the rescue efforts', he said. All efforts are underway in close coordination with the civil administration to rescue the trapped people, another official said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked the army for extending their help in the rescue operations. 'Much gratitude for this quick response. We are deploying all possible efforts to ensure the safe return of our miners', the chief minister posted on 'X'. NDRF and SDRF personnel are also at the site to rescue the miners trapped inside the coal mine. Two water pumping machines were also p

2 soldiers killed, 3 hurt as Army vehicle falls into gorge in J&K

Two Army personnel were killed and three injured when their vehicle fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district, officials said on Saturday. An Army vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge near SK Payen in the north Kashmir district, they said. The officials added that two soldiers lost their lives while three were rushed to the district hospital in an injured state. The hospital's medical superintendent Dr Masrat Iqbal told reporters that two soldiers were "brought dead". "The three injured (soldiers) were resuscitated and then referred to Srinagar," he added.

Border areas, remote villages in Ladakh digitally connected: Army

Sustained efforts by the Army, in collaboration with telecom service providers, in the past five months has brought border areas and remote villages in Ladakh, including remote locations of Kargil and Siachen, on the digital connectivity map. In a post on X on Thursday, the Indian Army also shared a video of this journey and glimpses of the change it has brought to the lives of local people in the region. In its post captioned 'Indian Army for India's First Villages: Bringing Connectivity & Hope to Remote Areas', the Army said the border areas and remote villages in Ladakh were "devoid of 4G mobile connectivity" until June 2024. "This was depriving the local communities from being connected to the digital revolution in the nation. The Indian Army in collaboration with Bharti Airtel set out to ensure connectivity in these First Villages of India," it said. The Army further said the Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps "proactively engaged all the telecom service providers" and assisted ...

J&K Police arrests 4 associates of JeM terrorist outfit from Pulwama

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday arrested four associates of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist outfit from Awantipora area of Pulwama district. "Police in Awantipora along with security forces have arrested four terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit JeM in Tral area," a police spokesperson said. He said the arrested terrorist associates have been identified as Mudasir Ahmad Naik, Umar Nazir Sheikh, Inayat Firdoos and Salman Nazir Lone. The spokesperson said incriminating materials have been recovered from their possession. The arrested individuals were involved in providing logistics support and transportation of arms and ammunition to the active terrorists of proscribed terror outfit JeM in Tral and Awantipora areas, the spokesperson said.

2025 to be year of reforms, aim is to boost modernisation: Defence ministry

The Defence Ministry on Wednesday declared 2025 as the year of reforms and that the aim will be to facilitate establishment of integrated theatre commands to bolster jointness among the three services. The reform measures would be rolled out to transform the armed forces into a technologically-advanced combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations, it said. The ministry said the focus in 2025 will be on new domains such as cyber and space, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonic and robotics. "'Year of Reforms' will be a momentous step in the modernisation journey of the armed forces," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said. "It will lay the foundation for unprecedented advancements in the country's defence preparedness, thus preparing to ensure the security and sovereignty of the nation amidst the challenges of the 21st century," he said. The decision on observing 2025 as the year of reforms was taken at a high-level meetin

Indian Army's assertive approach along LAC; focus on combat might in 2024

In a year bookended by intractable conflicts and geopolitical fragmentation, India focused on ramping up military prowess by broadly firming up defence procurement worth Rs 4.22 lakh crore even as Indian and Chinese militaries completed pulling back their troops from border face-off points in eastern Ladakh. The disengagement of frontline forces at the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following an understanding reached on October 21 marked a major thaw over four years after deadly clashes between the two nations' troops in the Galwan Valley severely strained the bilateral ties. At the same time, the Indian military guarding the nearly 3,500 km LAC maintained an assertive approach, and bolstered its overall surveillance mechanism to closely track activities by People's Liberation Army (PLA) on the Chinese side of the de-facto frontier. The year also saw India expanding its strategic heft in the key maritime domain with the Indian

Army officer assaulted at Kochi NCC camp over 'food poisoning', 2 arrested

The accused duo entered the college premises on the night of December 23, threatened, and attacked Lieutenant Colonel Karneyil Singh, the administrative officer of the 21 Kerala NCC Battalion

India's defence exports crossed record Rs 21,000 cr over decade: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that India's defence exports have crossed a record Rs 21,000 crore from Rs 2,000 crore a decade ago. Addressing officers at the Army War College (AWC) in more than two-centuries-old Mhow Cantonment, Singh said a target has been set to achieve defence exports of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029. He said mastering frontier technologies is the need of the hour in the constantly evolving times, noting that military training centres are playing a crucial role in equipping and readying soldiers to deal with future challenges. "Our defence exports, which were around Rs 2,000 crore a decade ago, have crossed the record figure of Rs 21,000 crore today. We have set an export target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2029," Singh said. He said Made-in-India equipment is being exported to other countries. Singh mentioned radical changes in warfare in his speech, saying that unconventional methods like information warfare, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based warfare, pro

Rajnath calls 'unconventional methods' of warfare as new challenges in Mhow

Rajnath Singh made the address while making the first visit by a Defence Minister to the Army War College, Mhow in last 24 years

Indian Army in joint operation recovers arms and ammunition in Manipur

Based on specific intelligence inputs of the presence of arms and ammunition in the general area Ngariyan Hill, Imphal East district Indian Army and Manipur Police launched joint search operations

Army unveils statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at eastern Ladakh's Pangong Tso

The Indian Army has installed a statue of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji on the bank of Pangong lake at an altitude of 14,300 feet, a region that is close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in the eastern Ladakh sector. The Army's Leh-based 14 Corps said the inauguration of the statue celebrated the "unwavering spirit" of the Indian ruler as his legacy remains a source of inspiration. The statue was unveiled on Thursday by Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, the General Officer Commanding of the 14 Corps, widely known as Fire and Fury Corps. The towering symbol of valour, vision and unwavering justice was inaugurated by Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla, the 14 Corps said on X. "The event celebrates the unwavering spirit of the Indian ruler, whose legacy remains a source of inspiration for generations," it said. The Army has been making efforts to integrate India's "ancient strategic acumen" into the contemporary military domain. The unveiling of the Shivaji statue came weeks after India a

'Exercise Surya Kiran': 300 Indian Army personnel depart for Nepal

During the exercise, the soldiers of two nations will be able to share best practices, enhance interoperability and foster a stronger bond in conduct of joint operations