#SecurityScan 47: Acquisition of MQ-9B drones, Crisis of Pakistan Economy & more
Cyber security firm Mandiant called it the broadest known campaign ‘by a China-nexus threat actor’ since the mass exploitation of Microsoft Exchange in 2021
NewsBharati 03-Jul-2023 15:26:39 PM
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This article is a summary of important events that have taken place in last one week affecting, India's national security.
News In Brief
5 militants killed in encounter at LoC in J-K's Kupwara
Five foreign militants have been killed in a gunfight that erupted along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of north Kashmir, officials said on Friday.
The gunfight erupted on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday after the Army and police launched a joint anti-infiltration operation in Jumgund area along the LoC in Kupwara.
A Chatbot That Won't Take Bribes for Giving Advice Is a Hit in IndiaSix months after OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT, trials in India are harnessing the technology to help some of the nation’s poorest people.Now, the advanced artificial intelligence is coming to a huge workforce that’s largely tech-illiterate and non-English speaking: India’s domestic workers, waste recyclers and struggling farmers.In the crowded neighborhoods of Bangalore, ragpickers, cooks and cleaners are taking part in an AI trial aimed at helping some of the nation’s poorest people access money from government anti-poverty programs without getting snarled in red tape and corruption.
This is an extremely positive use of Chat GPT.
Kerala Govt Opting For Chinese Optical Fibre Cables When Indian Made Cables Are Available
Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has questioned the Kerala government's decision to employ Chinese-made cable or optical fibre for the Kerala Fibre Option Network (K-FON) project. The KFON project, a collaborative effort between the Kerala State Electricity Board and Kerala State IIT Infrastructure Limited, aimed to provide internet connectivity to the entire state as well as free internet to BPL families, but failed to comply with regulations as it made use of cables originating from China.
Addressing the media over India’s growth in the digital sector in the last nine years, Chandrasekhar pointed out that the country has many optical fibre plants.
“This optical fibre is a domestically available product. There are many plants in India that manufacture optical fibre. Why did they (Kerala government) need to import from China? What was the pressure? What was the reason,” the minister asked.
How do we stop the infiltration of the Chinese in our state governments and political parties?
NIA releases footage of Indian High Commission attack, urges information on assailants
Avtar Singh Khanda, a close associate of arrested Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh and self-styled chief of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), died of blood cancer at a hospital in Birmingham, the UK, on this morning. He was linked to anti-India activities, including the attack on the Tricolour at the High Commission of India in London.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday released pictures of 45 individuals involved in the March 19 attack on the Indian High Commission in London by alleged Khalistani supporters. In a statement, the NIA asked the public to provide information about the persons seen in the video footage, adding that the identity of the informant will be kept secret.
Rajnath Singh pays tribute to Galwan heroes, their bravery will inspire coming generations
On the third anniversary of the Galwan Valley clashes, top military officers deployed along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh held operational discussions to further strengthen the preparedness in the region.
Narco-terror modules busted in Rajouri-Poonch
A major narco-militant module was busted in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri-Poonch area, leading to the arrest of eight people and the recovery of 44 kg of heroin and weapons. All are concerned over the organized nature of such modules and their ability to transport contraband to other states.
India, US near deal to build fighter jet engines in boost to PM Modi defence manufacturing plan
India has cleared the purchase of thirty armed drones from the US — its first ever — to boost its sea and land defenses as tensions with neighboring China and Pakistan persist, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The decision to clear the acquisition of the MQ-9B Predator drones was made by India’s Defence Acquisition Council Thursday. It comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US next week, where the two sides are also expected to agree to jointly manufacture jet engines in the South Asian nation. Modi’s government is in the midst of a 10-year, $250 billion military modernization effort.
The US is keen to deepen its cooperation with joint development and production of critical defence technologies in India and President Joe Biden has given a directive to remove all obstacles towards meeting this goal, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said.
The jet engine agreement would fit in with Modi’s wider push to boost defense manufacturing locally but with technology partnerships with nations that are keen to draw New Delhi into their orbit
India organises first-ever defence seminar and exhibition in Colombo to boost defence industrial partnership
India is seeking to expand its defence industrial partnership with Sri Lanka as part of a push to counter China's growing influence. Last week, the two countries held their first defence seminar and exhibition in Colombo, with Indian defence equipment on display. India has already committed to share practices and supply artillery to the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. Meanwhile, Maldives and India have signed ten MoUs covering arts, sports, education and healthcare, aimed at boosting their partnership.
IAF, Army carry out joint exercise in central sector
"The #IAF recently concluded a joint exercise with the Indian Army in the central sector. Multiple combat assets were employed to simulate realistic combat situations for all participants.
Chinese capital takes flight to India, Japan, South Korea
Goldman Sachs said amid China weakness, 'investors have looked elsewhere in the region for opportunities', adding that Japan 'is in the limelight' while India has 'also returned to focus in recent months'
Anti-submarine warfare ship 'Anjadip' built for Navy launched
The vessel was named after the island of Anjadip located off Karwar Port, Karnataka signifying its strategic maritime importance, an official release said.
Indian Army chief-Post 1971 war, Pakistani POWs wished their officers were like Indian army officers.
COUNTERING CHINESE MULTIDOMAIN WAR
EU cuts 5 Chinese firms from sanctions list after Beijing vows to stop flow of military goods to RussiaThe three remaining businesses are Russian entities operating in China and will remain on the list.Measures are part of a broader package of sanctions, the 11th in total, designed to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
EU tells its members to ban Huawei and ZTE over ‘materially higher risks’ than other 5G suppliers.Decision to publicly go after blue-chip 5G providers reflects Brussels’ frustration with the bloc’s slow pace of change in ensuring network security
‘We cannot afford to maintain critical dependencies that could become a weapon against our interests,’ says EU’s internal-market commissioner.
Chinese spies breached hundreds of Canadian public, private networks, security firm says nearly a third of the organisations affected by the hack were government agencies, including foreign ministries. Cyber security firm Mandiant called it the broadest known campaign ‘by a China-nexus threat actor’ since the mass exploitation of Microsoft Exchange in 2021
U.S. in talks to deploy 'multi-domain' army unit in JapanThe U.S. has started discussions with Japan about having its ally host a new multifunction army unit, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has said, as Washington seeks to address potential threats posed by China.Multi-domain task forces handle such wide-ranging capabilities as long-range strikes, air defense, intelligence, cyber warfare, electronic warfare and logistics support.
US, Japan, Taiwan to share real-time drone intel: reportReputed trilateral intelligence-sharing arrangement signals an evolution in US minilateral strategy to contain China.
Indonesia-led ASEAN sea drills will take harder aim at ChinaFirst-ever joint ASEAN naval drills in September to come as Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines take ever firmer sea stands against China.
PLA cuts into Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s radio call with air force officerA PLA warning was played as the island’s leader was making a radio call to a captain stationed in the southern city of Kaohsiung. Security specialists call for an investigation in case plans are being leaked to the PLA.
China’s wedding woes see annual unions nearly halved in past decadeNot since 1979 have so few people tied the knot in China.Now deaths outnumber births, people keep having fewer children, and those who do decide to start a family are waiting longer and longer, bucking Chinese cultural norms
US Targets China Entities for Pilot Training, Hypersonic TechOver 30 Chinese entities added to Commerce Department list. Groups also added for hypersonic weapon tech, flight modeling.The US Commerce Department restricted exports to entities that it says recruited Western pilots to train Chinese military personnel, as well as some that helped develop hypersonic weapons.They were among groups added Monday to the department’s so-called Entity List, which covers national-security threats.
Chinese arsenal is growing
SIPRI estimated that of the total global inventory of 12,512 warheads in January 2023, some 9,576 were in military stockpiles for potential use which was 86 more than in January 2022.
China had been spying from Cuba for some time
A Biden administration official said on Saturday China had been spying from Cuba for some time and it had upgraded its intelligence collection facilities there in 2019. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that a new spying effort was underway on the island.
Link between Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan remains strong: UN report
The report said that contrary to statements to not allow Afghan soil to be used for attacks against other countries, the Taliban have harboured and allowed active support of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Blinken credits US diplomacy for slowing China's expansion of spying, basing overseas
Ahead of his visit to Beijing later this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said that the Biden administration has taken diplomatic measures that have slowed down China's attempt to project military strength around the world.
Some Western diplomats say they expect Chinese diplomatic pressure for facilities in the South Pacific and across the Indian Ocean.
Chinese navy ship pays port call to Philippines in goodwill tour of region
It was a rare visit for a Chinese naval ship to the Philippines, whose new government under Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been strengthening ties with the United States, including more joint military exercises and in February granting the American military greater access to the country's military facilities.
China, meantime, has become increasingly assertive in pressing its broad claims to the strategic South China Sea, which has put it at odds with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
China acting 'counter to our interests': Germany
The document prepared by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition slammed China for putting regional stability and international security "under increasing pressure" and for disregarding human rights. At the same time, it acknowledged that the Asian giant "remains a partner without whom many global challenges and crises cannot be resolved".
EXTERNAL SECURITY
Pakistan: Why despite a crumbling economy the army wants a split mandate in polls ahead
Beyond Imran Khan, the Pakistani army is also not comfortable with the two older established parties, the PMLN and PPP. They have therefore forged the IPP in the hope that it will be able to emerge as a third force and hold the balance of power more accurately in the military's favour
Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh, GOC-IN-C HQ Southern Command
Five key lessons for the Indian Army from the Russia-Ukraine war
1. Room for conventional conflict
The General said that people have started to believe that the chances of a full-blown conventional war between countries is very slim, had started to think that any war will be short, swift, localised skirmish in the grey-zone.
The strategic thinking before this war has veered to the notion that possibly conventional wars are a thing of the past. People had already started thinking that grey-zone warfare, small conflict, short and swift battles are the order of the day".
The Russia-Ukraine war has broken that misconception. India should be prepared for a long-drawn conventional war, especially since we have active border with two of our neighbors, he said.
This is something which is extremely important because we have two active borders. One of the important lessons is that India must always be prepared for a conventional conflict. We can’t let our guard down. The capabilities and intentions can change at any given point, relations can deteriorate very quickly.
2. Drone Warfare
General Singh says that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones have become a great asset in warfare. "The way drone warfare is unfolding is simply amazing," he says.
Drones have not only enhanced situational awareness for opposing forces but have also provided high-quality footage of warfare, previously inaccessible to the general public. These high-quality recordings are also utilized to achieve propaganda victories within their respective populations.
3. Information Campaign and Narratives
The information campaign and the battle of narratives that is seen folding out in the current war also holds a very important lesson for India.Propaganda videos using the high-quality footage from drones were able to turn public morale and sentiment from 'doom and gloom' to 'hopefulness'.
4. Civil-Military fusion
General Singh says that, "the Russia-Ukraine war has become something like a multi-domain conflict. So, the conflict is not only on the field and between the two armies, everything is being weaponised. Everybody is involved, both people in uniforms and those not in uniform".
"So, in India we have to look at a civil-military fusion, which will make our defences and capabilities stronger.
"Earlier, we used to have a nodal concept of defence. There were only limited roads and tracks. Our strategy was that you deny road access, so important towns used to be held as a node. But today we have the Bharatmala project and the western freight corridor," General Singh says."My point is how can we leverage the capabilities that the country has for defense purpose," he further adds.
5. Logistics and Atmanirbharta
As the Russia-Ukraine war has demonstrated, logistics is the key component in planning if one plans to win a long-drawn full-scale conventional war.
"Another key issue is self reliance, 'AtmaNirbharta'. India is today at the cusp and we are saying that it’s Amrit Kaal. AtmaNirbharta in terms of weaponry and critical technologies is also crucial. There is also a focus from the government on these aspects," he says.
The General adds, "We, as Armed Forces, have to play a very constructive and positive role in this" adding that the government has to support (the private industries and MSMEs) in terms of policy and budget, while we will have to do the hand holding".
Construction Of A 56-Km-Long Concrete Road Near Saser La
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in India has issued bids for the construction of a 4-km-long concrete road near Saser La, a mountain pass located at an altitude of 17,800 feet in the Karakoram range of eastern Ladakh. This road section will form part of a larger 56-km military road project that aims to connect Sasoma, Saser La, and Murgo. The objective is to create an alternate route to Depsang and Daulat Beg Oldie in the Sub-Sector North.
The construction of this concrete road highlights India's determination to bolster its border infrastructure and match China's persistent aggression. It is crucial that this new road and other infrastructure endeavors are completed within their designated timelines. The operationalization of the strategic Sela tunnel becomes paramount as it would provide year-round connectivity to Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district. These projects will not only benefit the armed forces but also the local residents who serve as essential sources of information.
To counter China's provocative actions, India has launched the Vibrant Villages Programme, which commenced in April at Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh. This program aims to comprehensively develop approximately 3,000 villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. The success of these initiatives is vital in maximizing border security and countering China's provocations.
Pak Economy In Constant Crisis
Pakistan has long remained an ‘international economic basket case’, heavily dependent on foreign aid and doles. The country’s economy has been in constant crisis.
It is no secret that Gen Bajwa realistically believed that given the looming economic disaster, it made no sense to heat up Pakistan’s eastern borders with India, even as the Afghan Taliban and their Pakistani brethren were behaving in a growingly difficult manner. The Taliban were becoming difficult to handle both within Pakistan and across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistan desperately needs aid and facilitation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to persuade the international community and international finance institutions such as the World Bank and ADB to open their doors for enhanced economic assistance to Pakistan.
Pakistan today has barely enough foreign exchange reserves to cover one month’s imports. Even its ‘all-weather friend’ China has provided only token assistance in foreign exchange. The Chinese remain insistent on a direct presence and use of their equipment and personnel in all projects they undertake. Pakistan, moreover, has to repay Chinese loans in convertible currencies. International aid would not be available to Pakistan unless stringent IMF conditions are accepted. Even friendly oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE would provide only token assistance. They will, however, await clearance from the IMF before loosening their purse strings.
The heat on Pakistan by the IMF has made potential donors hold back on disbursement of aid. A senior IMF official recently noted that it is essential for Pakistan to undertake some painful reforms to clear the way for IMF assistance. Pakistan’s economy has grown at an estimated 0.3 per cent in 2022-23, with its per capita income falling last year.
It is clear that in these circumstances, Pakistan will be compelled to be careful in sponsoring cross-border terrorism in India.The present situation across western borders, where Pakistan is on the verge of bankruptcy, does give India more strategic space to deal with cross-LAC issues.
India, Bangladesh agree to initiate 5 joint development projects for border population
The 53rd edition of the conference was led by the chiefs or directors general (DsG) of the BSF and the BGB and ended with the signing of a 'joint record of discussions' at a BSF camp located in Chhawla area of the national capital. "During this conference, in a momentous decision, that will have a profound positive impact on the lives of the population along the India-Bangladesh border, a total of five developmental projects were agreed upon, enhancing the joint efforts towards progress and prosperity in the region.
Will it stop unabated Bangladeshi illegal migration from the West Bengal border?
CBI arrests four people including Senior Auditor of CDA (Navy) in bribery case
The CBI set up a trap and successfully caught both the Senior Auditor and Data Entry Operator red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 26,000. The representative of the contractor who paid the bribe was also apprehended. Searches were conducted at the premises of the accused which led to the recovery of certain incriminating documents. All four arrested accused were produced before the Court of Principal Special Judge for CBI cases, Visakhapatnam and remanded to 14 days of Judicial Custody.
Russia Ukraine War
From GPS-guided bombs to electronic warfare, Russia improves its weaponry in Ukraine
Russia has built heavily fortified defenses along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, honed its electronic weapons to reduce Ukraine's edge in combat drones, and turned heavy bombs from its massive Cold-War-era arsenal into precision-guided gliding munitions capable of striking targets without putting its warplanes at risk.
NATO will begin the largest air force deployment exercise in Europe in the alliance's history on Monday in a display of unity toward partners and potential threats such as Russia. The German-led "Air Defender 23" will run until June 23 and include some 250 military aircraft from 25 NATO and partner countries including Japan and Sweden, which is bidding to join the alliance.
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BRIG Hemant Mahajan
Passionate writer on National Security related issues, Brig Hemant Mahajan YSM (Retd) is M Sc, M Phil in Defence Studies. He joined IMA Dehradun in July 1973 and passed out as a Commissioned Officer on 15 June 1975. He was commissioned into 7 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY. He has served extensively in Counter Insurgency Operations in Insurgency and Terrorist prone areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and North East and has taken part in all important operations undertaken by the Army since 1975.
Brig Hemant Mahajan served in Jammu & Kashmir, in the deserts of Rajasthan, in Super High Altitude areas of Kargil and Leh, forward areas of Arunachal Pradesh. He was deployed in Punjab in ‘Operation Avert’. He was also involved in maintaining peace post ‘Operation Bluestar’ days in Punjab in the worst affected district of Gurdaspur, Taran Taran and Amritsar.He served in the areas of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Siliguri and Sikkim. He commanded his battalion 7 MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY in Operation Rakshak in the most difficult areas of Poonch and Rajouri during the times of highest militancy. His unit was responsible for stopping terrorists from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir. His unit was awarded Unit Citation, 18 gallantry awards including YSM (gallantry) for the officer.