tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post1540959006056303629..comments2024-03-28T05:22:10.255-07:00Comments on Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.: Kargil redux: A senior Pakistani Air Force officer's account of the PAF's role in KargilBroadswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-35401508275517326672020-08-01T12:24:09.456-07:002020-08-01T12:24:09.456-07:00I would suggest the not so naive and uptight acade... I would suggest the not so naive and uptight academics of pakistani soil to read this article thoroughly and understand what kind of petty games those in most powerful coriddors play for self glory at the possible cost of full fledged war resulting in millions of casualties of civilians. These self obsessed lunatics should never be hailed as heroes but portrayed as a national threat. If they are beyond being held for accountable then surely the intelligentsia should label them as"risk to national interest" rather then "national heros". Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08996656892008633578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-38145596871089494602009-05-25T20:53:20.398-07:002009-05-25T20:53:20.398-07:00the article is good. however, i disagree that Indi...the article is good. however, i disagree that Indian arent capable of objective analysis. actually, in cas of kargil, Indian analysis of their failures are extensive and well known. Even the pakistanis admit it.<br /><br />the trouble with our reaction was that it was slow due to complacency that had set in. Kargil was something the the defense forces needed to wake them up.<br /><br />on pakistani side. I have serious doubts over their abilities especially on strategic fields. Kargil was an ill-conceived venture which is now termed as one of the biggest military blunders.<br /><br />on the whole, the war was one because of the bravery of the indian soldier helped with the incompetence of the pakistani leadershipUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08305736511475825642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-9881689782064528572009-02-28T23:23:00.000-08:002009-02-28T23:23:00.000-08:00ALSO, I STAND SOLIDLY BEHIND MY COMMENT THAT WE IN...ALSO, I STAND SOLIDLY BEHIND MY COMMENT THAT WE INDIANS SEEM INCAPABLE OF THE KIND OF CRITICAL ANALYSIS IN THIS ARTICLE.<BR/><BR/>ALSO, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T READ IT YET, READ GENERAL (THEN BRIGADIER) JAHANGIR KARAMAT'S ANALYSIS ENTITLED, "THE TANK ATTACK THAT FAILED"... SHREDDING PAKISTAN'S HANDLING OF A COUNTER ATTACK BY AN ARMOURED BRIGADE IN THE BATTLE OF BASANTAR. (INCIDENTALLY, IT WAS MY REGIMENT, HODSON'S HORSE, THAT PLAYED THE MAIN ROLE IN BEATING BACK THAT COUNTER ATTACK)<BR/><BR/>CONTRAST THAT WITH HOW WE HAVE TREATED THE HENDERSON-BROOKE REPORT ON THE 1962 WAR WITH CHINA. BURIED EQUALLY DEEP IS THE HIMMATSINGHJI REPORT OF THE 1950s. CAN ANY OF US CLAIM THAT THE KARGIL COMMITTEE REPORT HAS BEEN UNSPARING OF FAILURES AT MULTIPLE LEVELS DURING THAT 1999 CONFLICT?<BR/><BR/>THIS IS NOT PAKISTAN, WHERE DEMOCRACY IS AT BEST TENUOUS. THIS IS INDIA, WITH A TRADITION OF FREE SPEECH AND OPENNESS. LET'S NOT DELUDE OURSELVES WITH ANY PRETENSE ABOUT BEING SELF-CRITICAL IN MILITARY MATTERS.Ajai Shuklahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16488839157370084666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-25381528442200763872009-02-28T23:22:00.000-08:002009-02-28T23:22:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Ajai Shuklahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16488839157370084666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-33872082847864209702009-02-28T23:14:00.000-08:002009-02-28T23:14:00.000-08:00TO TAKE THE DISCUSSION ON THE IAF'S GPS-ASSISTED B...TO TAKE THE DISCUSSION ON THE IAF'S GPS-ASSISTED BOMBING FORWARD, HERE'S SOMETHING FROM AN ANONYMOUS VISITOR TO THE BLOG.<BR/><BR/>"There seems to be some confusion about GPS-assisted bombing by IAF.... GPS-assisted bombing is different from GPS-guided bombing. The latter actually guides the bomb right to the target within centimetres, but this kind of accuracy is only available to US forces through encrypted P-code transmission of data. What (the article refers to is the) use of commercial GPS for the purpose of navigating to a point accurately and releasing the bombs to a fair degree of proximity to the target. A commercial GPS can get you to within 10 metres of where you want to go. My cell-phone (Nokia 6220) gets to the doorstep with the GPS-assisted navigation!"<BR/><BR/>THAT'S THE POST.<BR/><BR/>THANKS,<BR/><BR/>AJAIAjai Shuklahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16488839157370084666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-88199582884601166282009-02-20T10:12:00.000-08:002009-02-20T10:12:00.000-08:00"was he asking for the IAF to deploy its Searcher ..."was he asking for the IAF to deploy its Searcher Mk1 UAVs that were originally destined for Singapore but were eventually acquired by the IASF from IAI in 1996" <BR/><BR/>UAV didnt come into service till 2000Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-27303024788210643532009-02-19T21:55:00.000-08:002009-02-19T21:55:00.000-08:00Can anyone here throw light on the following two K...Can anyone here throw light on the following two Kargil-specific issues:<BR/>1) In the run-up to OP Vijay, between February and May 1999 why was the then COAS constantly asking the IAF to deploy helicopter gunships over the area of operations? Was he so naive that he could not comprehend the acute vulnerability of such helicopters to MANPADS (or did he assume that the infiltrators were just Jihadis without access to MANPADS), or was he requesting for suppressive fire from helicopter gunships at lower altitudes and if so was he at that unaware of the high-altitude Pakistani intrusions?<BR/>2) Why did the then CO of 121 Bde make repeated requests for UAV sorties for tactical recce? I ask this because the Army had then officially stated that it did not have any operational UAVs. If that's the case, was he asking for the IAF to deploy its Searcher Mk1 UAVs that were originally destined for Singapore but were eventually acquired by the IASF from IAI in 1996 after Singapore decided to cancel its order for the Searcher Mk1s and instead go for the Mk2 variant?Prasun K Senguptahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00369323150694008798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-42198789617272195072009-02-19T21:44:00.000-08:002009-02-19T21:44:00.000-08:00I agree. The remark "we Indians are incapable of" ...I agree. The remark "we Indians are incapable of" is totally uncalled for and not even true.Prasun K Senguptahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00369323150694008798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-88415478067092639442009-02-19T16:50:00.000-08:002009-02-19T16:50:00.000-08:00ajai why the self-goal about "we Indians seem inca...ajai why the self-goal about "we Indians seem incapable of" ?<BR/><BR/>there are numerous articles on BR by ex-servicemen that describe the wars as they experienced it, nothing more nothing less.<BR/><BR/>while praising Air Cmde Tufail(whose writings I find excellent BTW) it is not necessary to belittle ourselves.<BR/><BR/>this is not expected from you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-74399423471697525422009-02-19T13:44:00.000-08:002009-02-19T13:44:00.000-08:00To Anon@22:55: Do you mean that in the whole of Pa...To Anon@22:55: Do you mean that in the whole of Pakistan there is only 1 site/area that is heavily defended by SAMs? I'm asking this since you said "just that particular area".Prasun K Senguptahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00369323150694008798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-36189538357111058872009-02-19T09:25:00.000-08:002009-02-19T09:25:00.000-08:00Prasun, I beleive that USA disabled just that pa...Prasun,<BR/> I beleive that USA disabled just that particular area which was heavily defended using surface to air missiles, since if INDIA were to attack pak, the first attack by INDIA would have been on those sites.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-40460156083888150722009-02-19T04:58:00.000-08:002009-02-19T04:58:00.000-08:00To Aditya: Am well aware of their existence, as I'...To Aditya: Am well aware of their existence, as I'm about site-specific differential GPS solutions. But error correction models are applicable only under conditions of 'zero induced errors'. What we may be confronting are either total absence of CA-code availability or introduction of induced errors within CA-code, with total denial of PY-code from Navstar (which is why India and Russia have evolved joint protocols for accessing PY-code navigational updates using GLONASS. When you say GPS 'civilian' signals were unavailable for a single day along the India-Pakistan border, what exactly may such a void achieve over a narrow strip of territory, unless there is total denial of coverage over a specific theatre of operations or multiple theatres of operations, and in-depth?Prasun K Senguptahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00369323150694008798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-61854976566096798512009-02-18T15:27:00.000-08:002009-02-18T15:27:00.000-08:00Prasun, while you rightfully call some people &quo...Prasun, while you rightfully call some people "twerps", do you know what are loosely, tightly and ultra-tightly coupled navigation systems? <BR/><BR/>How about error correction models?<BR/><BR/>Converting civilian GPS to < 5m accuracy is not easy, but it is not - pardon the pun - rocket science.<BR/><BR/>That said, GPS bombs in Kargil? Quite silly. Apparently for one whole day after the Parliament attacks, GPS (civilian) service on the entire Indo-Pak border winked out for a day. They can do it, they will do it.Adityahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09705142532738266928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-78094531729229904412009-02-18T08:30:00.000-08:002009-02-18T08:30:00.000-08:00To Anon@17:47: Thank god you highlighted the GPS i...To Anon@17:47: Thank god you highlighted the GPS issue. Most of the twirps involved in discussing this issue as well as that about the last BrahMos test-firing can't tell the difference between civilian CA-code and military PY-code involving both the US Navstar GPS satellite constellation and Russia's GLONASS GPS satellite constellation. No one in India is naive to make use of CA-code for MILSPEC navigation. Therefore, the question of the US 'switching off' access to CA-code navigational inputs doesn't arise at all since the US Defense Dept since 1991 has unilaterally offered to the international commercial aviation community FOC utilisation of the Navstar GPS' CA-code.Prasun K Senguptahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00369323150694008798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-27398703810303850632009-02-18T05:03:00.000-08:002009-02-18T05:03:00.000-08:00IAF drops less than a grand total of 3 to 5 laser ...IAF drops less than a grand total of 3 to 5 laser guided bombs from Mirage 2000s, and the Pakis spin an urban legend about IAF 'Integrated LGBs litening kits with Isreali help', AFTER the first 2 days. Hilarious. As if such a thing can be done in a jiffy and with no trails and anything, IAF would go drop LGBs costing a couple of hundred thousand each! Maybe the Paki cant accept the fact they got precision bombed by plain dumb old spanish 250kg bombs lying around in IAF inventory, skillfully rigged up by IAF technicians, trailed at a firing range in Rajasthan and dropped with great precision by IAF pilots.<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile brave hiding in the ground Paki spins up fanciful stories of LGBs and Isrealis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-47370813495699962802009-02-18T04:43:00.000-08:002009-02-18T04:43:00.000-08:00@Anonymous,About civilian GPS thing:I have read so...@Anonymous,<BR/><BR/>About civilian GPS thing:<BR/>I have read somewhere that uncle switched off GPS signals totally in the kashmir region during Kargil conflict.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-83347541682866189732009-02-18T04:17:00.000-08:002009-02-18T04:17:00.000-08:00Yeah, whatever. The Paki Army was getting their ...Yeah, whatever. The Paki Army was getting their butts kicked at Kargil and the PAF and Paki Navy were sitting tight at home and didn't want to come out and fight. The IAF was waiting there to shoot any Paki that ventured into the sky and the IN was just over the horizon , ready to unleash a salvo on Pakiland and any Paki naval asset that even attempted to move out of harbor.<BR/><BR/>Spin it whichever way you want, but that is the cold truth.<BR/><BR/>Someone, quick, slap that Paki Air Commodore awake. GPS assisted bombing indeed. Slap him awake and tell him that there are military GPS signals (only for US and Nato allies, IAF doesnt get those signals) and there are civilian signals. Civilian signals are totally useless for any precision bombing (they are degraded that way by design)and will be of absolutely no use in a knife edge mountain terrain like Kargil. That Paki needs to stop smoking some of that strong Afghan stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-1182009152574753952009-02-18T03:20:00.000-08:002009-02-18T03:20:00.000-08:00(NOTE: This article has appeared in the journal, "...<I>(NOTE: This article has appeared in the journal, "Defence and Security of India". It is a cold and objective analysis of the kind that we Indians seem incapable of. I am happy that I played a role in getting this article published in India.)</I><BR/><BR/>&<BR/><BR/><I>While the Indians were prompt in setting up an Inquiry Commission into the Kargil fracas, we in Pakistan found it expedient to bury the affair in the ‘national interest’. Compared to the Indians, Pakistani writings on the Kargil conflict have been pathetically few; those that have come out are largely irrelevant and in a few cases, clearly sponsored.</I><BR/><BR/>So, err, where is the truth really? Both sides claiming the other's the one doing "objective" reporting/analysis!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-7748095884470263022009-02-18T00:07:00.000-08:002009-02-18T00:07:00.000-08:00The artcile is already posted here: http://kaiser-...The artcile is already posted here: http://kaiser-aeronaut.blogspot.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-35528618987285405452009-02-17T23:54:00.000-08:002009-02-17T23:54:00.000-08:00Good One. Few sane men in Pakistan too...Pretty go...Good One. Few sane men in Pakistan too...<BR/>Pretty good pointing out of Indian Flainings too - Intelligence failure (usual suspects), inadequate risk mitigation to supply Siachen (why dont we have another road leading up there?).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-12608150596181598212009-02-17T23:37:00.000-08:002009-02-17T23:37:00.000-08:00Dear Sir,Excellent, unbiased article. Thanks for p...Dear Sir,<BR/><BR/>Excellent, unbiased article. Thanks for publishing same.<BR/><BR/>It shows that there a few sane persons left in Pakistan. However, these are becoming fewer & fewer with the rise of fundamentalism even in their armed forces.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-89299321228718186262009-02-17T23:10:00.000-08:002009-02-17T23:10:00.000-08:00It's always interesting to know about the other si...It's always interesting to know about the other side's perspective. But to get an unbiased analysis is even better.<BR/>Well written. And thank you Col. Shukla for posting this.Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16790687105594376404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-75753584334204356282009-02-17T21:59:00.000-08:002009-02-17T21:59:00.000-08:00Wonderful article. Read it in one breath. The auth...Wonderful article. Read it in one breath. <BR/><BR/>The author clearly states that Nawaz Sharif was in the know. A great actor, just as I and many others suspected - managed to fool the Indians and Americans both.<BR/><BR/>Also interesting to note the author's comments on feverish preparations in Skardu and the Indian intelligence's failure to spot them.<BR/><BR/>History will judge Commando Musharraf very poorly indeed. What an idiot of a man.Manuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10316927735571151982noreply@blogger.com