The Hindu : Infantry officers' meet to focus on surveillance, firepower

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2003

National

National

Infantry officers' meet to focus on surveillance, firepower

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JULY 8. Senior Infantry officers, including the Chief of Army Staff, N. C. Vij, will be discussing doctrinal issues facing the Infantry at a three-day annual conference beginning tomorrow at Mhow. According to official sources, they will also discuss the deployment pattern, threat perception from militants in Jammu & Kashmir, new tactics and the induction of new weapon systems.

The conference will also be attended by the heads of two service think-tanks, who happen to be Infantry officers. These two officers — Pankaj Joshi, head of the Delhi-based Integrated Defence Staff and J. J. Singh, chief of the Shimla-based Army Training Command (ARTRAC) — are expected to actively participate in the discussions, aimed at defining the Infantry's futuristic role and the need to modernise itself.

Lt. Gen. Joshi's inter-services team had recently devised a short-term as well as a 15-year perspective plan for weapon acquisition. Similarly, Lt. Gen. Singh's ARTRAC is studying contemporary operational strategies, especially the kind of close coordination the three arms of the Anglo-American military could achieve during the recent Iraq operations.

High on the agenda for the meet would be, according to officials, effective surveillance along the Line of Control in J & K through electronic devices and enhancing the efficiency of firepower in war. These two areas are high on the Army's priorities.

To acquire a decisive edge in these two areas, the Army is setting up an integrated electronic surveillance grid in areas manned by the 15 and 16 Corps in J & K and inducting other gadgets such as spotter scopes with digital cameras, hand-held thermal imagers and direction finders.

It also plans to increase the Infantry's firepower by acquiring new generation carbines and lightweight assault rifles.

Weapon-effect simulators are also to be inducted in order to enhance operational efficiency.

About 30 Infantry officers, including both the Deputy Chiefs of Army Staff, the Army Headquarters Quarter Master General and several Command Chiefs, are expected to attend the meet.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National