#SecurityScan 55: Chandrayaan's triumph to elevate ISRO's achievements and much more
China is investigating a Chinese national accused of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the country"s state security ministry said.
NewsBharati 29-Aug-2023 17:01:24 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
"Nurturing Space for Advancement: Chandrayaan's Triumph to Elevate ISRO's Achievements"
Former ISRO Chief, Kasturirangan, underscores the profound significance of Chandrayaan-3, emphasizing that it positions India firmly within the league of nations shaping policies for planetary exploration and resource extraction from space. This assertion gains added weight when we consider India's decision in June to become the 27th signatory to the Artemis Accords, a US-led initiative aimed at implementing the fundamental principles of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.
Two transformative factors have reshaped India's outlook. First, ISRO's development of indigenous capabilities after the sanctions has made collaboration with it an enticing proposition for various space agencies. Secondly, the global geopolitical landscape has evolved significantly over the last four decades, with China emerging not only as a strategic rival to the US but also as a prominent spacefaring nation. ISRO's collaboration with NASA has deepened over the past 15 years.
Additionally, Indian industries stand to benefit significantly. For instance, since the 1980s, ISRO has been transferring technology to domestic companies, particularly those engaged in special materials, chemicals, broadcasting, and navigation.
The successful soft landing on the Moon brings it closer to realizing its original vision of becoming a conduit for the diffusion of technology.
Internal Security
US court stays extradition of Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Rana
"The extradition of Rana to India is stayed pending the conclusion of his appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit," Judge Fischer said in the order issued on August 18.
Jammu-Kashmir: Arrests of those linked to terrorism marks over five times increase in past four years
Official data shows that over 2,300 individuals linked to terrorism were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, marking a significant increase compared to the previous four-year period. The data also indicates improvements in the security situation, with declines in casualties, grenade attacks, IED blasts, terrorist recruitment, and stone pelting.
Asserting that 99 per cent infiltration attempts from Pakistan on the border have been foiled in Jammu and Kashmir this year, army said on Wednesday said the security agencies are fully alert and working to finish terrorism rather than just contain it. The border security grid is "much stronger than ever" with the addition of "new elements" to scuttle any attempt from Pakistan to push terrorists and smuggle arms and narcotics.
Internal security, terrorism, cyber security discussed at high-level meet chaired by Amit Shah
A high-level security conference chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah discussed various subjects including internal security, terrorism, narco-finance, and cyber security. The conference, which brought together police leadership, experts, and practitioners, aimed to address existing and emerging national security challenges.
Security forces recover firearms, ammunition during search operations in Manipur
Security forces recovered firearms, ammunition and bombs from Manipur's Imphal East and Imphal West districts during search operations, police said in a statement. Search operations were conducted in the fringe and vulnerable areas of Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Thoubal districts.
India to expand digital payments with AI-powered voice transactions
UPI to roll out services targeting rural users with limited internet access and literacy.
Pakistan a Failed State
TTP militants attack security convoy in northwest Pakistan; kill 6 soldiers
The attack occurred in the Asman Manza area of the South Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan when armed TTP militants opened fire at a convoy, killing six soldiers, Inter-Services Public Relations the military's media wing, said.
Dialogue between India and Pak paused since Modi came to power: Mani Shankar Aiyar
Mani Shankar Aiyar, a diplomat-turned-politician, has advocated for the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan. Aiyar believes that India cannot fully establish its position in the world as long as it views Pakistan as an enemy. Until PM Modi, there has always been conversations between the two nations, but it has come to a halt since PM Modi came to power.
External Security
LCA Tejas successfully test-fires ASTRA beyond visual range missile
Indigenously-developed light combat aircraft Tejas on Wednesday successfully test-fired an ASTRA beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile off the coast of Goa. The missile release was successfully carried out from the aircraft at an altitude of about 20,000 feet.
DAC gives nod to proposals worth Rs 7,800 cr to enhance operational capabilities of Indian Armed Forces
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has given its nod to proposals worth Rs 7,800 crore to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces. The ministry said that all procurements will be made from indigenous sources only.
IAF to order around 100 more LCA Mark-1A fighter jets for over USD 8 billion
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to replace its MiG-21 jets. The Indian Air Force is planning to order an additional 100 Mk 1A variant of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), with an estimated value of $8 billion. This order comes after the air force had already placed an order for 83 LCA Mk1A fighter jets. The Mk 1A version is an improvement over the original order, featuring modern avionics, radar, electronic warfare suite, and missile capability. With this order, the total number of LCA jets in the Indian fighter fleet will be 223, second only to the Russian Su 30MKI jets.
Defence ministry inks Rs 19,000 crore contract with HSL for 5 fleet support ships
The defence ministry has signed a Rs 19,000 crore deal with Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) for the acquisition of five fleet support ships for the Indian Navy. These ships, weighing 44,000 tons, will be the first of their kind to be built in India by an Indian shipyard. The project aims to boost self-reliance in defence manufacturing as the ships will be designed and constructed by HSL. The fleet support ships will be used for refueling, restocking, and providing assistance during disaster relief operations. The project is expected to generate employment for approximately 168.8 lakh man days over eight years.
Defence espionage case: CBI arrests Canada based businessman, Rahul Gangal
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested a Canada based businessman, Rahul Gangal during further investigation of defence espionage case. The accused arrived from Canada last week where he had obtained permanent resident status.
External Security
Ladakh: Army pays homage to jawans killed in accident
"In a solemn wreath-laying ceremony, Fire and Fury Corps Commander and all ranks paid homage with full military honours to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice, in the line of duty, in Ladakh on 19 August," the Leh-based 14 Corps, also known as the Fire and Fury Corps, said on 'X' . The troops were moving from Karu garrison to Kyari near Leh, an army officer has said earlier.
NIA chargesheets 16 in Jharkhand CPI (Maoist) arms seizure case
After taking over the matter, the NIA conducted several raids in the forest area of Bulbul, where CPI (Maoist) Regional Commander Ravindra Ganjhu, along with active cadres Balram Oraon, Muneshwar Ganjhu, Balak Ganjhu, Dinesh Nagesia, Aghnu Ganjhu, Lajim Ansari, Markush Nagesia, Sanjay Nagesia, Sheela Kherwar, Lalita Devi and around 40-60 others, had assembled to conspire and plan violent attacks on the security forces and in the Bauxite Mines area.
Armed forces veterans show true mettle as corporate leaders
An estimated 60,000-70,000 armed forces personnel retire or are released from active service every year, with a majority of them being in their early 40s. Tapping the pool of veterans not only adds to the diversity of the workforce but also helps meet shortage of skills in certain areas.
Representatives from visiting OIC delegation affirm counterterrorism efforts in China's Xinjiang region
In recent years the anti-China forces in the US and some Western countries continue to bring out the human rights situation in Northwest China's Xinjiang region, but the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other righteous people from the Islamic world insist on objective stance to speak for China, the region's Party chief Ma Xingrui said while extending appreciation to their support when meeting with the IOC delegation in Urumqi on Sunday.
Countering Chinese Multi Domain War
China’s Covid Zero Exit Tied to 1.9 Million Deaths in Just Two Months
China’s unexpected decision to end its strict Covid Zero policy in December 2022 led to nearly 1.9 million excess deaths in just two months, according to one of the first independent studies to estimate the virus’s devastation as it rampaged across the vast country. The shocking figure — even more so considering fewer than 7 million deaths worldwide have been formally attributed to Covid — applies only to adults over the age of 30 who died between December 2022 and January 2023, according to the paper published in the journal JAMA Network Open. The Chinese government had previously disclosed about 60,000 Covid-related deaths in health facilities from early December to the middle of January.
India, Japan hold Deputy NSA strategic dialogue, discuss defence, economic security
India and Japan held the second Deputy NSA Strategic Dialogue to discuss cooperation in defence, economic security, and emerging technology. The meeting, co-chaired by India's Deputy NSA Vikram Misri and Japan's Deputy Secretary General Keiichi Ichikawa, focused on regional and global developments.
Chinese coast guard blocks Philippine vessels near disputed shoal but two supply boats breach cordon
Two Philippine boats successfully breached a Chinese coast guard blockade in the disputed South China Sea to deliver supplies to Filipino forces guarding a contested shoal. The Philippine coast guard vessels were blocked by Chinese coast guard ships for about five hours in the tense standoff.
Taiwan's president renews her pledge to stronger self defence during visit to war memorial
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen renewed her pledge to strengthen Taiwan's self-defence on Wednesday as she visited a war memorial from the last time Taiwan and China battled. Tsai, visiting the outlying islands of Kinmen where the conflict was fought 65 years ago, commemorated those who died in the conflict.
Sri Lanka 'processing' China's request for research ship docking that may raise security concerns in India
Sri Lanka is considering a request from China to allow a research ship to dock in the country, a year after a Chinese spy vessel's visit raised security concerns in India. The Chinese research vessel, 'SHI YAN 6', is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka in October for marine research activities. The country's foreign ministry is currently reviewing the application. Sri Lanka sees both India and China as important partners in its external debt restructuring, as it owes $3 billion to China among its total bilateral debt of $7.1 billion.
Australia to buy US Tomahawk missiles to boost long range strike capability
The US State Department in March approved the sale of the Tomahawks, which have a range of 1,500 kms (932 miles) but did not indicate at the time that a contract had been signed or talks had concluded. The ship-launched version of the missiles, manufactured by RTX Corp, will be deployed on the Royal Australian Navy's Hobart-class destroyers, he said. Australia says it needs to upgrade its defence forces as China is undertaking the biggest military build-up since the end of World War Two.
The Philippines is standing up to Beijing at a time of increased external and internal pressures
Pressure building on US to intervene on contested South China Sea feature as China ups ante and Philippines holds its ground.
After years of cozying up to Beijing under former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines under leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is taking a stand. The most recent example can be found in Manila’s reaction to China’s insistence that it moves a rusty old tank landing ship in the South China Sea. The Armed Forces of the Philippines says one of its supply boats was blocked and water-cannoned by a Chinese vessel on Aug. 5, as it tried to deliver supplies to troops stationed on the ship. 1 But Beijing says Manila is violating its sovereignty.
Philippine, Australian troops held exercises near South China Sea
Australian and Filipino troops held exercises on near South China Sea waters. About 1,200 Australian soldiers and 560 Filipino marines stormed a beach in the drill, arriving in amphibious assault vehicles, by parachute and on US Osprey aircraft. The exercise came after Chinese coast guard vessels fired water cannon and blocked a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
China puts onus on computing power as US tech war shows no sign of abating
With global competition for data and computing power intensifying, China will build more data and computing hubs while committing to technological breakthroughs China has the world’s second-largest computing capacity, but its expansion is necessary to boost the nation’s digital economy and ward off Washington’s tech curbs.
China investigates citizen accused of spying for CIA, security ministry says
China is investigating a Chinese national accused of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the country's state security ministry said on Monday.The 39-year-old Chinese national, surnamed Hao, was a cadre at a ministry and had gone to Japan for studies, which was where the spying recruitment occurred, the ministry said. Hao's gender was not revealed.The ministry said it uncovered another national also suspected of spying for the CIA after being recruited in Italy.
Chinese students join rat race to study abroad as job prospects dim amid slowing economy
China’s college students continue to flock abroad for higher education out of dissatisfaction with the domestic education system Applications to study overseas soared by over 23 per cent in 2022 from a year earlier, with Master’s programmes the primary choice for Chinese students.
Why China is still on the sidelines in Afghanistan, 2 years after messy US troop pull-out
China has made no secret of its joy over the US Afghan debacle, mocking the rival power for failing to learn ‘profound lessons’ from the ‘Kabul moment’. But it has been reluctant to fill the void, with pundits citing ‘no illusions about great influence over the Taliban’ and lingering security risks
China’s economic slump gives US a chance to gain clout with countries indebted to Beijing
Beijing unlikely to overtake US ‘in any significant measure of economic power’ in next two decades, influential Washington advisory panel hears Private-sector lending for Global South infrastructure projects should be encouraged as alternative to Chinese financing, witnesses testify.
China’s 40-Year Boom Is Over. What Comes Next?
The economic model that took the country from poverty to great-power status seems broken, and everywhere are signs of distress. For decades, China powered its economy by investing in factories, skyscrapers and roads. The model sparked an extraordinary period of growth that lifted China out of poverty and turned it into a global giant whose export prowess washed across the globe.
China’s Fertility Rate Dropped Sharply
A Chinese media report gave rare insight into the country’s demographic crisis since Beijing stopped publishing fertility-rate data.
China, U.S. Test Intelligent-Drone Swarms in Race for Military AI Dominance
Beijing and Washington prioritize autonomous vehicles and surveillance, study shows. The U.S. and China are accelerating research on how to integrate artificial intelligence into their militaries as part of a global race to take advantage of the fast-developing technology.
South Korea, Japan and the US have a message for China and North Korea
The trilateral summit at Camp David was a historic moment, but the challenge lies in the political will to pursue joint planning. Last Friday, US President Joe Biden hosted South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the US presidential retreat Camp David. This has been widely hailed in those three countries as a breakthrough summit, with all three committing to annual trilateral talks, joint military exercises and a crisis hotline, and signaling more broadly, an intention to boost their strategic partnership.
News In Brief
Modi, Iran President explore partnership on Afghanistan, counter-terrorism
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Iranian President Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi to discuss cooperation in various areas, including Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, energy, trade, investment, and connectivity. They also agreed to expedite infrastructure cooperation, particularly regarding the Chabahar Port, which serves as India's gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Saudi Border Guards Accused of Killing Hundreds of African Migrants
A Human Rights Watch report says the guards regularly fire on African migrants trying to enter the kingdom from Yemen and killed hundreds in a 15-month period.
Ukraine War
Blood and billions: The cost of Russia's war in Ukraine
The war has caused death on a level not seen in Europe since World War Two. More than 9,000 civilians had been recorded as killed and more than 16,000 injured by the end of July, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ,which said it believed the actual figures were considerably higher.
Plane crash believed to have killed Russian mercenary chief seen as Kremlin's revenge
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of a Russian private military company, and several top officers were presumed dead in a plane crash that is believed to be an assassination. This comes two months after Prigozhin's company staged a mutiny that challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority. While the cause of the crash is still unknown, many see it as an act of vengeance by the Kremlin. Prigozhin's mercenaries had previously carried out a revolt, capturing military headquarters and downing military aircraft.
Russia warns F-16 donations will escalate war with UkraineTwo injured in Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow region, nearly 50 flights disrupted
Arrivals and departures from Moscow's four main airports - Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky - were restricted, disrupting 45 passenger planes and two cargo planes, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said. Russian officials have repeatedly cautioned that military drones flying over Moscow - which along with its surrounding region has a population of nearly 22 million people - could cause a major disaster.
Why Russia’s War in Ukraine Could Run for Years
From Moscow to Washington, a lack of clear and achievable strategic goals points to a long conflict.Russia’s war on Ukraine is in danger of becoming a protracted struggle that lasts several more years. The reason isn’t just that the front-line combat is a slow-moving slog, but also that none of the main actors have political goals that are both clear and attainable.
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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.