Energy: Space as the Source of Our Future Energy

Space Research is a key to exploiting its potential. One area of importance is ‘space solar energy’. It is to understand if we can tap this energy through ‘solar cell systems’, beam it on earth, collect it, and put in the energy distribution system.

The idea needs examination. Peter Garretson in his Article in the IDSA ‘Space as the Source of Our Future Energy’ says:

“The idea is to launch giant orbiting solar collectors into space, where there is no night, and beam the power to receivers on the ground, where it is fed as electricity to the grid. Long championed by former President Dr. Abdul Kalam, and the Aerospace Society of India (AeSI), the idea is seen as a long-term solution for energy security and climate change, and the most environmentally benign and scalable renewable energy option, which deserves its own focused development programme”.

“Existing communications satellites use a similar process, using the power of the Sun on their solar arrays to power a radio transmitter for sending radio and television signals. But the small antenna on communications satellites prevents them from being able to focus a beam for power-beaming”.

With advances in technologies especially metallurgy and nano-technologies, it may be possible to tap the solar energy from the space in scientific & commercial terms, and use it to meet the increased energy needs of the future.

Click http://www.idsa.in/publications/stratcomments/PeterGarretson220509.htm


Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/

(A Global Solution for Offsets)

Credit: The IDSA, http://www.idsa.in/ , A Think Tank of India on Matters Defence, An Article by Peter Garretson, Airpower & Spacepower Strategist, and Grand Strategist, is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.

Future Soldier

One of the most significant issues in the ongoing process of development both in terms of doctrine and technologies for land warfare is without doubt the emergence of what are normally referred to as "future soldier system" programmes.

Nowadays, most of these programmes are either in the early stages of implementation or in a stage of advanced planning of design. The ample number of countries undertaking such modernisation programmes makes this specific domain of the defence industry an important market for the future. The most significant of the aforementioned programmes are: Land 125 (Australia), African Warrior (South Africa), Felin (France), IdZ (Germany), Future Combatant (Greece), Soldato Futuro (Italy), Combatiente Futuro (Spain), Soldier Modernisation Program (SMP) (Netherlands), NORMANS (Norway), Soldado do Futuro (Portugal), Advanced Combat Man System (Singapore), IMESS (Switzerland), MARKUS (Sweden), ANOG (Israel), FIST (UK), BEST (Belgium),Projekt TYTAN (Poland), 21st Century soldier (Czech rep.), F-INSAS (India), Integrated Soldier System Project (Canada) and Land Warrior (USA).

Pse read the complete Article on http://www.epicos.com/epicos/portal/media-type/html/role/content/page/default.psml/js_panename/News+Information+Article+View?articleid=145046&showfull=false

Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh

http://www.svipja.com/

(A Global Solution for Offsets)

Courtesy: http://www.epicos.com/

Strategy: Time to Modify India’s Nuclear Doctrine

India needs to make its Nuclear Doctrine more 'potent', and 'straight'. No more 'dove- like' articulations in view of the emerging threats to its Security. Mr Ali Ahmed's Article is timely and thought provoking. He says:

"This policy brief proposes a direction of review by interrogating a principal pillar of the doctrine – that of massive punitive retaliation".

"There has even been a recommendation by a departing National Security Advisory Board on jettisoning ‘No First Use’ – perhaps the most salient pillar of the doctrine."

"The sub-paragraph of interest of the press release subsequent to the Cabinet Committee on Security endorsing the nuclear doctrine of 04 Jan 03 reads: “(ii) A posture of “No First Use”: Nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or on Indian forces anywhere; (iii) Nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to inflict unacceptable damage. "

http://www.idsa.in/policy_briefs/AliAmhed24042009.htm for complete Article.

We need to revisit the doctrine in keeping with our national aspirations. Pse also read my Posting on this Blog below. We can't allow Nuclear Terrorism, state-sponsored or otherwise, to take better of Us.

Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/

Credit: The IDSA, http://www.idsa.in/, An Article by Mr Ali Ahmed, Research Fellow at the IDSA, New Delhi. The IDSA is India’s Think Tank on Matters Defence.

Nuclear Terrorism

A many States are nuclear armed. It pronounces devastation if struck – a fear of death to living. We as nations need to revisit ‘destiny and life’ as a philosophy.

There is no gain saying that a coward dies a hundred deaths a day. More prosperous and wealthy You are, more scared You are to die. Where does this end? We need to pause and think the way we react to ‘nuclear terrorism’ or suchlike threats, state-sponsored or otherwise.

Psyche of races that hold the trigger to strike a ‘nuke hit’ is an important factor in any appreciation. How cultured they are? What is their declared philosophy? What are their objectives? How much vulnerable they themselves are to first or second retaliatory strike? Etc.

A potent nation should instill ‘fear of God’ in its adversary of massive retaliation. We as a nation must project this view, politically, militarily, diplomatically, and as an Indian Race a little more openly & strongly. Let Us not be an innocent dove! This should be India’s ‘defence and growth mantra’ in the 21st Century.

And we must project our lethality in all its manifestations.

'The Strong Only Live, Others are Just Living’.

Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/

Strategy: Pakistan's Nuclear Security & Concerns

'From all indications, the US comfort level over nuclear security in Pakistan is in part a reflection of India's comfort level, and the emerging objectives of the Obama administration for Southwest Asia are to neutralise Al Qaeda Prime, and do whatever it can to help Pakistan secure its nuclear assets,' said Stratfor, the global intelligence company.

The expanding Taliban insurgency in Pakistan is rekindling concerns over the security of the country's nuclear arsenal. However experts say that the threat is not so much from the Taliban.

While Pakistan's primary means of containing India were many of these very jihadist actors, Stratfor said, Islamabad has long known that its nuclear weapons were the ultimate deterrent against a conventional war with its far more powerful regional rival.Thus, since the early days of the Pakistani nuclear programme, the army has treated the nuclear assets as its most prized possession and has invested a great deal to protect it from both internal and external threats.

The view within the US intelligence community is that there is simply no sound way to independently assess the workings of the systems with any great certainty. This means Washington has to rely on what it is hearing from Islamabad about control over its nuclear facilities, and on unilaterally obtaining information from third-party intelligence sources, and intelligence-sharing with other countries, such as India.

The United States thus works very closely with India on the issue of Pakistan's nuclear security, Stratfor said. 'New Delhi is a key source of intelligence on the status of that security, and a good - albeit imperfect - measure of valid concern is the degree to which India is worried about it, since it stands the greatest risk of being targeted by Pakistan-based nukes,' the intelligence group said.

'And although India continues to underscore the threat it faces from Pakistan-based militants, it remains comfortable with Pakistan's nuclear command-and-control infrastructure,' it said. 'This would explain to a considerable degree the current US comfort level’.

Arun Kumar
Credit: Stratfor on Yahoo

Leadership: Spiritual Quotient in Leadership

There is a meaning to life. Most of Us remain too engrossed in personal gains in this materialistic world, called ‘maya’, all the times. We forget the meaning of life in gathering ‘roti, kapra, and makan’ for ourselves, and achieving higher ranks considered to be ‘mother of all achievements’.

By the time some of Us understand it, it is too late.

It is in this backdrop that we need to assimilate The Speaking Tree of the Day: ‘Create a Vision for Life, Get What You Want’.

Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/

Credit: The TOI, 13 May 2009

Shaping the Neighbourhood: A Discussion on Strategic Affairs with C Raja Mohan: Part 6/6

What Can India do to Shape the Politics and Security of the Region? And What is India Most Likely to do.

There are three options. One, India could do nothing to influence the outcomes on the Durand Line that separates Pakistan and Afghanistan. The emphasis of such a policy will simply be on managing the consequences of the developments on the Durand Line.

Two, India could partner with the Pakistani military establishment to ensure that Pakistan’s survival and territorial integrity is not damaged. After all, Pakistan buffers India from threats from this historically unstable region. India could reduce tensions along Pakistan’s eastern boundaries—especially in Jammu & Kashmir—so as to enable the Pakistani army to concentrate on its western front that is currently up in flames. But this assumes that the Pakistani army will want to go along. Unfortunately, while Pakistan’s new civilian leadership has signalled a desire to improve relations with India, the Pakistani army has ratcheted up tensions in Kashmir, even while it faces down its own insurgency in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

This leads to the Third option—India could choose to raise the temperature on Pakistan’s eastern borders, accentuate its two-front problem with the aim of engineering a structural change in Pakistan. That strategy is, of course, constrained by the nuclear dimension of the balance between India and Pakistan.

What India might eventually do in this situation could be a combination of all three. One important new aspect however stands in bold relief. In the past, India was at odds with the international community on issues relating to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Today, it is possible to conceive greater co-operation between India and the international community in redefining the future of the north-western part of the subcontinent. Taking advantage of this must be an urgent priority for New Delhi. (Link it with ongoing ops of Pakistan in SWAT).

Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/
(A Global Solution for Offsets)
Credit: Pragati.

The Week(s) in Review: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Weeks of May 2009

The Week in Review (TWIR) is IDSA’s Newsletter containing a brief analysis of important events. It covers issues in the following categories:

• Country Review: South Asia, East and Southeast Asia, and West Asia.
• Missiles, Space, Nuclear and Defence Review.
• Energy Security Review.
• International Terrorism Review.
• Internal Security Review.

Please Click the Link below to read TWIRs:

May 18-24, 5(4), 2009

May 11-17, 5(3), 2009

May 4-10, 5(2), 2009

April 27-May 3, 5(1), 2009

Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/
(A Global Solution for Offsets)
Credit: In Arrangement with http://www.idsa.in/ , A Think Tank of India on Matters Defence.

Military Ethos and Leadership: Military Always is for the Govt. of the Day

(This Posting has been inspired by the a/m Article in the TOI on 07 May 2009, the day I go to Vote).

Military is for the Govt. of the Day or the King. Action in external aggressions apart, it is the sword arm for Governance when all other methods fail. In democratic form of the Govt. we call this an ‘Aid to Civil Power’. It is in this context that the Role of the Indian Forces in centuries past and today needs to be seen and evaluated.

In democratic systems where various parties expound different philosophies and ideologies, the Role of Military remains to support the Master of the Day unquestionably of whichever ideology, otherwise it would lead to anarchy.

Military ethos per se do not teach revolt or mutiny.

It does not mean that military personnel before joining the Forces, during their Service when they see a number of Govts. in power with different ideologies and later as Veterans, do not have an inclination towards a particular ideology. However they remain apolitical while in service to discharge their obligations towards the Govt. of the Day.

When not in active service, they could choose to join any party. Essentially what needs to be ensured by all veterans is that the Ethos of the Serving Military are not degraded or compromised by any action of theirs, or otherwise the Military would be impacted. Soldiers are a continuum of 'Past-Present-Future' in the real sense of the word; Generations of Valour they are.

Military Ethos, Leadership and Training the world over embed in Soldiers the values that dictate ‘Country First, Your Peers and Subordinates Second, and You the Third’ – a challenging credo indeed.

Soldiers sacrifice at the instance of the Govt. of the Day, whosoever it is and whenever it is at any point of history. The Govts. with different ideologies come to power & go, but soldiers' ethos do not alter. He dies to accomplish his mission, if need be.

Soldier is therefore a ‘common thread’ to all Governance.

It is in this spirit that the country needs to see Soldiers. He is NOT from Congress, BJP, Communists, etc, he is the Soldier of the Country.

They should never be treated as ‘Dead and Forgotten’ by a Grateful Nation. And ‘Don’t Divide Them’ whosoever You May be. Valuate Their Contribution if You Can, and Remember the Dead.


Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/
(A Global Solution for Offsets)

Indian Military Strategy & Tactics: ‘Hind Shakti”

The Indian Army's 'Hind Shakti' exercise aimed at conducting an offensive task in developed terrain by its premier strike corps concluded here on May 05, 2009.

Chief of Army Staff and GOC-in-C Western Command assessed the three-day-long maneuver, which was performed by the Kharga Corps near Barnala and Jagraon in the plains of Punjab. The Army chief expressed satisfaction over the operational preparedness, and commended the event as yet another step in the Army's continued endeavour to fine tune its strategy. He also complimented the Kharga Corps for its operational readiness, saying it was of an exceptionally high order.

The Exercise entailed participation by mechanised and re-organised plains Infantry Division in a blitzkrieg type armoured incursion, seeking rapid penetration into enemy's territory. The exercise included effective offensive support by Air Power and Artillery.

Units of Kharga Corps were also tested for their ability to undertake and sustain operational maneuvers against intensive Electronic and Information Warfare.

The Army successfully validated the capability of the in the Network Centric Warfare, as also in a NBC environment.

Our Forces do remain in ‘sync’ with the National Objectives.

Brigadier (Retired) Sukhwindar Singh
http://www.svipja.com/
(A Global Solution for Offsets)
Credit: PTI

Strategy:New Challenges Confront ASEAN

During the current era of change, the 42 years old ten-nation organization consisting of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, continues to be dawdling monolith weighed down by expectations and its own effectiveness.

This year, expectations were particularly high after the adoption and ratification of the Association Charter during 2007-2008. While trying to forge an EU-style community, the new Charter aims to establish a single market economy by 2015 for the region inhabited by 500 million people. The Charter also proposed to promote a ‘rule-based, people-oriented’ ASEAN “in which all sectors of society will be encouraged to participate in and benefit from ASEAN integration and community building”. The Charter is definitely a positive symbol and can provide a stronger basis for the organization to proceed. But at the same time, it is crippled by a lot of drawbacks.

Today’s ASEAN needs to get its act together in facing future challenges (global and regional) such as the financial meltdown and maintaining competitive capability vis-à-vis the rising economic dynamism of India and China. The organization also needs to take a leading role in institution building within East Asia and to achieve that goal, ASEAN needs to make its member states work together more closely.

Read the complete Article on http://www.idsa.in/publications/stratcomments/PranamitaBaruah040509.html

Credit: http://www.idsa.in/

Pranamita Baruah is a Research Assistant in the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.