Sudarshan Shakti was no ordinary military exercise

Sudarshan Shakti was no ordinary military exercise. It showed that the Indian Army is ready to embrace network-centric warfare. Avalok Langer reports

A HORDE of cameramen jostled to capture the rising sand cloud as another blast rocked the desert. Four Mi-35 attack helicopters degraded the enemy defences as a line of T-90 and Arjun tanks entered the battlefield, leading the way for an all-out infantry assault. As two helicopters flew in, dropping off a team of para commandos, another swooped to pick up an injured soldier from the desert.

Involving over 60,000 military personnel, 500 tanks, UAVs and IAF fighter jets, Sudarshan Shakti was the largest military exercise India has seen in the past 20 years. But the real military marvel was tucked under camouflaged nets 25 km away: the Joint Operations and Information Room (JOIR). Linked to a standalone server and an array of antennae, the JOIR, set up by the army’s 21 Corps, is the first practical application of network-centric warfare (NCW) at the corps level in India.

Armies around the world are becoming leaner and meaner thanks to technology. In today’s information age, where “one ounce of silicon in a computer can have more power than a tonne of uranium,” according to US cyberwarfare expert Alan D Campen, NCW is the new way to fight.

Imagine a combination of Skype and Facebook enabling a soldier to send video feeds, information, orders and suggestions up and down the chain of command, all in real time. Soldiers pinned down by fire can directly ask for an air strike, guiding the pilot or UAV to the target themselves. UAVs, satellites, human intelligence and multiple services combine to provide the central command with real-time information on the enemy’s movements. NCWenables battlefield transparency, allowing you to seize the initiative by predicting your enemy’s movements and links every aspect of the military to a single command centre.

“For mobilisation, we are dependent on the nation’s infrastructure,” says 21 Corps Commander, Lt Gen Sanjiv Langer, “and in the past few years, India’s infrastructure has developed substantially. We have gained from the information technology revolution that hit India. Combined with better weapons systems, we were able to take stock of our capabilities and set up a joint command centre.”

The JOIR looks like a high-tech set from a Bond movie. It comprises four shipping containers that could be assembled anywhere in two hours flat. Multiple screens line the walls and officers shuttle between maps and workstations. Each station was responsible for a separate set of information. Some access real-time intelligence reports from UAVs, direct satellite feeds for the first time (a separate military satellite is in the pipeline), special forces, radars and enemy intercepts. Another station maintains a constant link with the IAF. Others look at supplies, artillery and enemy degradation. A data wall allows the commanders to view information as and when required, as well as stay in touch with different headquarters and centres simultaneously. The biggest breakthrough is a constantly updated map, with red and blue dots denoting enemy positions — movement and our responses.

“It is an interactive centre, where information flows up and down the command channel,” explains Brig Rahul Bhardawaj. Through radio, real-time visuals and information coming up the channel allows the commander to plot enemy movements on a map, analyse enemy capabilities and structure the army’s response. They are able to provide troops on the ground with supplies, reinforcements, air support and visuals of enemy camps, enabling them to plan their point of attack and even strategically launch rockets 90 km into enemy territory.

“Sometimes there are advantages in entering a field late, we can learn from others’ mistakes,” says a senior officer. The lessons learnt are reflected in the NCWset-up. The Corps HQ is connected through LAN, the only way to hack into the system is physically. Choosing to stay away from civilian networks, the connectivity down the channel is through the army’s own intranet systems, ASCON and AREN.

Imagine a combination of Skype and Facebook enabling a soldier to send video feeds and info, all in real time

“I’m not saying that hacking is impossible, but the system has to be hacked from an army computer. As we develop our NCW capabilities, we will have to develop firewalls and protection systems, that is the only way,” says the officer. To prevent an information overload, data is screened at a Unit, Brigade and Division level before being forwarded to the Corps level. The apex body will remain the Corps and each system will not overlap. “We have opted not to follow the networks-of-networks system. Soldiers out on the field have only a one-to-one link with their respective command centre, they are not connected to the entire network,” explains a senior officer. “Say five soldiers are behind enemy lines, one is captured and is unable to access the kill switch on the radio. The enemy will not be able to tap into the NCWsystem as the soldiers radio set is not connected to the entire system. They provide information up the channel, which is processed on a need-to-know basis. Our system will recognise the change in voice signature and modulation and we will cut off that particular set.”

The 21 Corps NCW set-up will be analysed and a workable model will be established after more tests. All this is part of the new-look army. Foreign Policy magazine has labelled 2011 as the year of India’s military expansion: “India has kept pace with its neighbour to the north and, in some areas, is actually exceeding it.”

India accounts for 9 percent of the world’s total arms transfers, making it the largest weapons importer in the world. India is slated to spend an estimated $80 billion on military modernisation by 2015 and over the next 20 years will acquire 103 new warships, compared to China’s 135. The army has also commissioned four new divisions to be set up along the eastern border, the biggest such expansion in decades.

BUT INDIA needs to move fast, according to the 2010 white paper on China’s Defence; not only is it expanding its navy, it has started the process of putting an NCW system in place under the new doctrine of ‘people’s war under modern conditions’. “Nobody is clear about China’s NCW capabilities, but one thing is clear: inspired by the US model, they are putting all their technology, capability and resources into developing their network,” explains strategic expert Ajai Shukla.

The 21 Corps NCW set-up will be analysed and a workable model will be established after more field tests

Though Pakistan is lagging behind in the race towards network centricity, the threat on our western front remains constant. A system like 21 Corps JOIR could have helped India avoid the Kargil War and 26/11 through better surveillance and faster responses. China’s growing interests in the region continue to antagonise India and in the world of “realistic deterrence”, where war is avoided through mutually assured destruction, we have to keep pace.

While 21 Corps has achieved a first, there are many hurdles in the way. At present, the army’s bandwidth is limited, only audio and visual feeds; the bandwidth needs to be increased. Anti-hacking and cyber warfare systems need to be constantly updated. India is still faced with the problem of cross-border communication deep in enemy territory, a system needs to be developed to enable such communication. India needs to remember the lessons learnt by the US: over-dependence on technology is detrimental, boots on the ground cannot be replaced by technology and even your enemy has networks.

“This exercise is about capability building, making us a leaner and meaner army,” explains Lt Gen Langer. “All these latest technologies create battlefield transparency not only for us, but also for our enemies. However, wars are won by superior plans and a will to win.”

With Courtesy of Avalok Langer

THE PRESIDENT REVIEWS EXERCESE SUDARSHAN SHAKTI

The supreme commander of Indian Armed Forces, Her Excellency Shrimati Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, The President of India alongwith Shri AK Antony, Raksha Mantri, General VK Singh, Chief of the Army Staff and Lt Gen AK Singh, General Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Command visited the forward areas in Desert Sector today to witness the ongoing EXERCESE SUDARSHAN SHAKTI.

EXERCESE SUDARSHAN SHAKTI, is one of the largest military exercise conducted by the Indian Army in the Southern Sector in recent years, to validate the concept of an enhanced Theatre offensive in a Joint Service environment, as well as operational and transformational effectiveness of SUDARSHAN CHAKRA Corps. This is being done under the backdrop of the study on Transformational and Theatrisation of Combat and Support Services of Indian Army, for which the Army Chief and Southern Army Commander were the main proponents.

The Supreme Commander reviewed the manoeuvers of the SUDARSHAN CHAKRA Corps. During the reviewed, the Supreme Commander alongwith other dignitaries were briefed by Lt Gen AK Singh and Lt Gen Sanjiv Langer, Corps Commander Sudarshan Chakra Corps.

They further emphasized the unique feature of this exercise in the context of jointmanship between the Southern Army and its counterparts SOUTH WESTERN AIR COMMAND (SWAC) wherein, the inter service operability focusing on seamless air-land battle is being tested and re-configured to suit the constantly changing operational requirements. The transformational initiatives spanning operational, conceptual and structural aspects as also organizational structures for absorption of new age technologies, particularly in the fields of precision munitions and targeting, advance surveillance systems, space and network centricity. These are being fielded and trial evaluated during the ongoing exercise. The thrust of the transformational initiative is for the Army to emerge as a modern, lean, agile net enabled force highly responsiveness to emerging challenges facing the nation in the 21st century.

In addition, many new concepts like the employment of the Strike Corps Aviation Brigade, fighting against a backdrop of Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) environment and tailor made logistics system to sustain any offensive are also being practiced and validated.

The President Shrimati Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, applauded the dedicated efforts of the Southern Army and Sudarshan Chakra Corps in their pursuit of excellence and was enthralled to witness the indomitable spirit of the soldier displayed during the conduct of the operational maneuvers in a realistic environment.

While addressing the troops the President was appreciative of Indian Army and said "The Indian Army is the pride of our nation and is seen by the nation as a role model." She urged the Indian Army to continue its quest for excellence and in that EXERCESE SUDARSHAN SHAKTI, would be a major land mark for our Armed Forces to enhance our Combat Potential. The President was hopeful that Army would maintain its highest tradition of dedication, loyalty, courage and sacrifice and would always keep the National flag flying high.

EX SUDARSHAN SHAKTI

SERVICES HAVE TO RECONCILE THEMSELVES THEIR ROLES IN OVERLAPPING SPHERES : ANTONY

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony today called upon the Services to ‘act in reconciliation amongst themselves’ while expanding their role on overlapping spheres so that the country can have better and strong Armed Forces. He offered to play ‘a limited role in finding reconciliation’ towards that effort. Shri Antony’s remarks came at a Seminar on Army Aviation here when several speakers advocated a greater role for this youngest army wing.

“Although you (Army Aviation Corps) are going in for force accretion, while enhancing your capabilities and performing your role, you must ensure that there is perfect synergy between Army and Air Force. Services will have to act in reconciliation amongst themselves so that India can have better and strong and Armed Forces. In your attempt at arriving at reconciliation, I will try to play a limited role in finding such reconciliation”, he said.

Shri Antony said, in the current scenario, asymmetric challenges can come through land, air or water and even by cyber space. In such a situation, a joint air, land and maritime campaign will be an essential requirement. He called upon the Armed Forces to adopt a holistic approach to Security as no single wing of our Security Forces can work in isolation. ‘The need for synergy and pooling in of efforts and resources is being felt, like never before’, he said.

Referring to modernization of Armed Forces, Shri Antony said, the government is fully aware that some nations are augmenting their infrastructure and modernizing their military capabilities. He said, instead of unduly worrying about this, ‘we must also continue to improve our infrastructure at a steady pace. At the moment, we are doing that’, he said.

Shri Antony said, the nature of warfare has changed drastically. The challenges range from terrorism, asymmetric threats, internal disturbances to conventional warfare. ‘Wars of the future will be short, limited, but intense’, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief of Army Staff Gen VK Singh complimented the Army Aviation Corps for fulfilling its mandate to a great extent in the last 25 years. Making a prognosis for the future, Gen Singh said closer integration of all resources and assets will be important for success in any theatre of conflict.

The former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash, an ace aviator himself, traced the history of naval and army aviation wings and advocated a realistic appraisal of their role viz. the Air Force taking into account the security dynamics and objectives in a conflict situation.

Two-day bi-annual Senior Maintenance Staff Officers’ Conference from 12 -13 Sep 2011

A two-day bi-annual Senior Maintenance Staff Officers’ Conference from 12 -13 Sep 2011 was inaugurated by the Chief of Air Staff at Air Headquarter yesterday. Delivering Inaugural address by, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne highlighted the operational imperatives and Maintenance challenges of the IAF, due to wide spectrum of weapon systems and associated infrastructure. He urged SMSOs to be pro-active and address the issues in right earnest. He emphasized the core values of IAF and vision of “People First Mission Always”. He deliberated on the issues of Modernisation, challenges to security and ethos of IAF. He reiterated the importance of human element and working as a team to gain the synergy in modern times

Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance (AOM) Air Marshal J Neri carried out a brief overview of various fleets and covered actions initiated by Air HQs to enhance maintainability for safe operations.

The two-day Conference is meant to dwell over complex maintenance issues in IAF due to different environmental conditions, legacy systems with obsolescence and vintage related problems, state-of-the-art systems and requirement of infrastructure etc.

Representatives from HAL and BEL would interact and present their perspective on Maintenance of equipment supplied by them.

Director General (Aircraft) Air Marshal RK Vashisht, Air Marshal P Kanakraj and other high officials of Air HQs participated in the discussions.