Is India Emerging as France of Asia?

Warming Sino-Indian relationship tells the US that India is not an unconditional ally

YaleGlobal, 21 November 2006
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PHILADELPHIA: Diplomats and analysts will be watching closely as Chinese President Hu Jintao visits India this week, the first by a Chinese head of state to India in a decade. Few capitals have as much interest in the outcome as Washington. However, those in the US who see India simply as a hedge against China will likely be disappointed—for the two Asian giants have also taken giant strides toward better ties. The US may be better off viewing India as an ally like France—one which shares many values with Americans, but pursues its own course.

This week’s India visit will be a reminder of an important fact to those who focus exclusively on the US-India relationship as an alliance of democracies with shared values and ever closer economic and cultural ties: India and China are enjoying a honeymoon of their own. Long forgotten are the lows of 1998, when then Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes famously called China the country’s “number one threat” and accused it of encircling India with its missiles, navy, and allies Pakistan and Myanmar. For its part, China has modulated its position on Kashmir. Ongoing border talks have led to Chinese recognition of the Himalayan state of Sikkim, absorbed into India in 1975, as part of India—although differences continue on Arunachal Pradesh, an Indian state which China claims. But overall the language describing this relationship has taken a 180-degree turn. After Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s 2005 visit to India, the two countries heralded a “strategic and cooperative partnership.”

Indian Defence Briefs: MiG-29 Upgrades, Scorpene SSK, More

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued Nov. 23, 2006)



Life Enhancement of MiG-29

The Indian Air Force has proposed a midlife upgrade and Total Technical Life (TTL) extension of MiG-29 aircraft. As part of the midlife upgrade, the life of MiG-29 aircraft, which were inducted between 1986 and 1995, gets extended from 25 years / 2500 hours to 40 years / 3500 hours to meet the requirements of the IAF. These aircraft use technologies of 1980s vintage and better technologies are now available which can considerably enhance the operation capability of the aircraft.

Midlife upgrade and TTL extension is a globally accepted process and is undertaken scientifically to ensure performance, safety and air worthiness. The proposed life enhancement is based on the studies done at Russian Federation facilities.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Ms Ingrid Mcleod in Lok Sabha today.



Research & Development Work on Trishul

No decision has been taken by the Government to stop Research and Development work on the indigenous ship defence missile Trishul as reported in the section of the media.

So far, 82 flight testq have been conducted and Rs. 275.40 crore have been spent on development of Trishul missile for all the three services and ground systems.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Anandrao V Adsul and other in Lok Sabha today.



Steps to Prevent MiG-21 Crashes

The cause of a few MiG-21 aircraft accidents in the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been attributed to engine failure due to jamming of the Reciprocating Slide Valve (RSV) of the engine fuel system resulting from possible contamination of fuel.

The engine of MiG-21 aircraft, which is made of numerous small and intricate components, sometimes develops problems at varying stages of exploitation under different environmental conditions. Once an accident takes place, the investigators of the accidents have to study the remnants of the components of the system to try and establish the cause of the failure. In cases of fighter crashes, the components are destroyed due to the high impact speed and intense fire in the wreckage.

Therefore, it is not always possible to pinpoint the cause of the engine failure. However, in a few MiG-21 aircraft accidents, the problem of jamming of RSV has already been identified by investigators. The remedial measures could not be instituted till the investigators identified the cause.

Several steps are taken by the IAF on a continuous basis to augment flight safety. In this direction, the RSV has been modified in consultation with the designers of the equipment. Besides the use of one - micron filters during refueling of aircraft and maintaining high level of fuel discipline at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) division and operating units have been instituted by the Indian Air Force. These measures have resulted in sharp reduction in the accident rate of the MiG-21 aircraft.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Datta Meghe in Rajya Sabha today.



Manufacture & Purchase of Submarines

Mazagon Dock Limited, a Defence Public Sector Undertaking, has been contracted to construct six Scorpene Class submarines for the Indian navy under Transfer of Technology from M/s Armaris, France.

The first of the submarines of Scorpene class is scheduled to be delivered in 2012 and one each every year thereafter till 2017. The total cost of the project sanctioned by the Government is Rs. 18,798 crore.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri C Ramachanraiah in Rajya Sabha today.



Exodus of Pilots From Air Force

Against an authorized strength of 3278 pilots in the Indian Air Force (IAF), 3068 pilots are in position. The vacancy of 210 pilots cannot be termed large as it does not affect operational requirements.

There is no large departure of pilots from the Air Force. The details of the numbers of IAF pilots who have sought premature retirement during the last four years is as follows:

- 2003: 72 pilots
- 2004: 116 pilots
- 2005: 58 pilots
- 2006: 19 (up to Oct. 31)

A majority of the pilots released from the service have already completed their useful tenure as pilots. These exits do no affect the operational status of the squadrons.

The improvement in the job profile of the IAF pilots is a continuous process keeping in view the job specific requirements and operational necessity.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Janardhana Poojary in Rajya Sabha today

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The Dance of Deception goes on.

Since our new found "friendliness" with Pakistan - blech.

It isn't hard to see the clumsy Chinese maneuvering in this mess. They were never hung up on finesse from the start - the old Imperial arrogance born of contempt for "barbarians".

Peking is still running its guerrillas in the Himalayas and meddling in Borneo, playing their game of a smiling front while stirring up conflicts among others. It isn't much of a leap to see them stirring up Afghanistan in hopes of fomenting jihad against the west, hoping this will result in an unstable Mideast situation that they can exploit. One benefit of their policy is this rapproachement with India over Pakistan.
They must be chortling over how neatly they did it, but it's more Great Wall logic and will most likely end as all such has in the past for them - disaster.

It's the nature of the beast - it can't change. Just as O'Henry ruined generations of would-be writers, Sun-tzu's hold on Peking's imagination continues to cripple their outlook on the world. China refuses to see anyone as an equal; a fact that won't be long lost on India (if it has been lost at all).

The Chinese think they're playing India - I suspect India is looking through the same glass. More Chinese paranoia.

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The Chinese think they're playing India - I suspect India is looking through the same glass

You hit the nail on the head right there M19. The Indians see the Chinese as a counterweight of their own against US influence. Its a smart move on their part and I have to believe that they will continue to be more neutral than pro-US, but will always be leary of their regional "adversary" China.

India Acquires Capability for Air Defence Against Incoming Ballistic Missile Threats

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued Nov. 27, 2006)

The country today achieved a significant milestone in missile defence system. It acquired the capability for air defence against incoming ballistic missile threats, at 1025 hrs this morning.

A Target Missile (modified Prithvi) simulating adversary's missile was launched from Interim Test Range, Balasore. The trajectory of the target missile was continuously tracked and the information was compiled in the Mission Control Centre (MCC) and transmitted to Launch Control Centre (LCC) for launching the interceptor missile.

The interceptor missile had Inertial Guidance in Mid Course and Active Seeker Guidance in terminal phase.

The target missile was successfully intercepted. Many technologies relevant to interceptor missile developed by the country got validated through this successful mission.

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has conveyed his heartiest congratulations to the entire DRDO Scientific Community and its Programme Director and Chief Controller of Research and Development Dr. VK Saraswat for the success of the mission. (ends)


India claimed that it had acquired an anti-missile capability, following the interception of a Prithvi ballistic missile (above) by an unspecified missile. (Photo PIB India)


DRDO Scientists Successfully Intercept Missile

(Source: ddi Indian Government news; issued Nov. 27, 2006) (Edited for accuracy)

For the first time, India's defence scientists successfully experimented with the coordinated launch of two missiles from two different test ranges on the Orissa coast.

The Prithvi-2, as a target missile, was first launched from the launch complex No. 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, 15 km from Balasore, at around 1015 hours.

A second missile was fired from launch complex No. 4 located on the Wheeler's Island off the Bhadrak district coast in the Bay of Bengal about 60 seconds later to successfully intercept the first, the sources said adding all data were being analysed.

The interception occurred over the Bay of Bengal, the source said.

Confirming the success, a senior scientist at the ITR said: "It is a great success. It is a moment of pride for the people of the entire country".

The experiment, which was to be held on Sunday, was deferred till today.

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India Tests Intercept of Incoming Missile

(Source: Voice of America news; issued Nov. 27, 2006)

NEW DELHI --- India has carried out a test in which it used homegrown missile technology to intercept another missile. As Anjana Pasricha reports from VOA's New Delhi bureau, this is a relatively new technology being developed by a handful of countries.

In Monday's test, scientists used India's surface-to-surface Prithvi II missile to target another missile.

Scientists said the "attacker" missile was launched from the Chandipur test range in Orissa state, and the "defender" missile was fired a minute later from an island to intercept it over mid-sea.

Officials called the test a success, and the Defense Ministry said the country has achieved a significant milestone in missile defense.

Scientists gave no details, but say they are analyzing the data.

Defense analysts say the test was carried out to judge the effectiveness of the Prithvi missiles in intercepting enemy missiles from neighboring countries. Both China and Pakistan have missiles capable of hitting Indian cities.

Uday Bhaskar, at the government-funded Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis in New Delhi, says missile interception technology is a relatively new area being explored by a handful of countries. He says the test is significant because it demonstrates that India is exploring the same technology, although the development is at an early stage.

"Much of missile defense is predicated on the ability to intercept an incoming missile, and that itself is a fairly technical domain, and many countries are trying to acquire different degrees of proficiency," said Bhaskar. "So, to that extent, I would characterize it as an important step at a technological level. But I would like to underline the fact that this is very nascent."

Defense analysts say other Asian countries, such as China and Japan, are also investing heavily in missile interception technology, after the United States began placing a greater emphasis on missile defense. The United States was the first country to use it in combat, when Patriot missiles were used to shoot down Iraqi Scuds in the first Gulf War in 1991.

India's arsenal of missiles includes several short, medium and long-range missiles, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. The Prithvi missile, which was used in Monday's test, has a range of about 250 to 300 kilometers.

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India to Increase Production of T-90 Tanks

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued Nov. 29, 2006)

(Editor’s Note: An Indian crore is equal to 10 million)

The Government proposes to produce more T-90 main battle tanks for the Indian Army. Heavy Vehicle Factory (HVF), Avadi has so far produced 181 tanks and supplied to Indian Army.

India had signed a contract with Russia in 2001 for license production of 1000 T-90 tanks and an initial order of 300 tanks has been placed on HVF, Avadi. The supply to Army against this order will commence from the year 2007-2008.

While the T-90 tanks were procured directly from Russia at the cost of Rs. 11 crore in 2001, the issue price of indigenous tanks for the current year is Rs. 12 crore.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Defence Production Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to Shri Braja Kishore Tripathy in Lok Sabha today.

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Indian MoD Denies Scrapping Trishul SAM; Details Ongoing Missile Programs

(Source: ddi Indian Government news; issued Nov. 3029, 2006)

(Editor’s Note: An Indian crore is equal to 10 million)


The government has denied that it proposes to wind up 'Trishul' missile project and said that its development has been completed.

"The development of Trishul Missile Project has been completed," Defence Minister A K Antony told Rajya Sabha in a written reply, adding that the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) is in dialogue with the Air Force for its possible induction after jointly developing the user trial criteria.

So far, Rs 275.39 crore have been spent on the project, he said.

To a related question, the Defence Minister said the development of Trishul, Akash and Nag missiles was currently going on under Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme.

While Trishul is low-level quick-reaction surface-to- air missile system with a range of 9 km, Akash, is a medium range air defence system with a multi-target handling capacity. It has a range of 25 kms.

Nag is a third generation anti-tank missile with "top attack" and "fire and forget" capability, he said.

Antony, also informed the Upper House that BrahMos cruise missile has been inducted into defence forces and the Air Force and the Navy have placed orders for the system. (ends)



Projects under the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued Nov. 29, 2006)

The development of Trishul, Akash and Nag missiles is currently going under the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Programme (IGMDP) managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

- Trishul: Low Level Quick Reaction surface - to - air missile system with a range of 9 km.
- Akash: Medium range, air defence system with a multi-target handling capacity. It has a range of 25 km.
- Nag: Third generation anti - tank missile with "top - attack" and "fire & forget capability.

The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme started in July 1983. The details of cost and Probable Duration of Completion are as given below:

Sanctioned cost (Rupees, in crore)



Probable duration of completion extended from July 1995 to December 2007

Some of the DRDO projects have got delayed for various reasons e.g. denial of critical technologies, import embargoes, technology - developmental issues, etc. However, the situation has not affected our defence preparedness.

After the successful development of system, induction into Armed Forces takes its time. With all this situation, Ministry of Defence acquires hardware to keep the preparedness high. Acquisition budget is based on the threat perception. There it has shown fluctuating trend over last three years.

The following table gives the figures for actual expenditure by year (Rupees, in crore)

- 2003-2004: 14583.76 crore
- 2004-2005: 27208.57 crore
- 2005-2006: 25489.10 crore


Trishul Missile Project

The development of Trishul Missile Project has been completed. Air Force configuration has met the user requirements during its various developmental flight trials DRDO is in dialogue with Air Force for possible induction after jointly developing the user trial criteria. So far, Rs. 275.39 crore have been spent on this project.

There is no other, short range quick reaction surface-to-air missile, project going on in DRDO.

Projects are monitored by the multi-tier mechanism, which includes members from users, finance, production and inspection agencies from the beginning of the project with powers to take immediate action to control the cost and time delay. Project are designed and developed based on state-of-the-art technology and are comparable with the best available in the international market in its class.


Induction of Akash, Nag and Trishul Missiles

The sanctioned cost for the development of Akash, Nag and Trishul Missiles, in 1983, was Rs. 142 crore and the same was enhanced to Rs. 1112 crore in 2006. Initially, the Probable Date of Completion (PDC) was July 1995 which has been extended to December 2007. Delay is mainly due to extra time required to develop and realize the state-of-the-art technologies required for Akash, Nag and Trishul missile systems.

So far about 50 tests for Trishul missile and 40 each for Akash and Nag missile have been carried out proving various subsystems and integrated systems.

Akash and Nag missile system are ready for users' trial after which they will enter into production and induction phase. Development of Trishul missile has also been completed. Air Force configuration has met the user requirements during its various developmental flight trials. DRDO is in dialogue with Air Force for possible induction after jointly developing the user trial criteria.

There has been no adverse impact on the combat preparedness of defence forces due to delay in induction of these missile systems. Whenever the requirement has been felt by defence forces in meeting the operational requirement, systems have been acquired, where indigenous system are not available.


Induction of Brahmos

The supersonic cruise missile BrahMos has been inducted into our Defence forces. After a series of successful flight trials, the missile has proved its accurate performance against ship and land targets with devastating destruction capability. Indian Navy and Army have accepted the BrahMos system and paced for production of the systems. The induction process on naval ships in progressing and will start for the Army in 2007.

BrahMos missile system being the best in the class has tremendous market potential in international arena. There are countries showing considerable interest in the product. Both the Indian Russian Government will take joint decision on the countries whom the missile will be exported.

BrahMos being a joint venture, the production is being shared by the consortium of industries from India and Russia. The Indian Armed Forces will have the superior fire power and the best cruise missile in the world, by inducting BrahMos.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri BJ Panda in Rajya Sabha today.

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US Aerospace Industry Trade Mission Begins India Tour

(Source: Aerospace Industries Association; issued Dec. 4, 2006)

ARLINGTON, Va. --- About 30 representatives of AIA member companies arrived in Delhi, India and began six days of meetings and outreach Monday in the association's first-ever trade mission to the country.

AIA Executive Vice President of Defense and International Affairs Mark Esper is heading the delegation, which includes stops in Delhi and Bangalore.

"We are excited about this opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with both the Indian government and the country's aerospace industry," Esper said.

The mission comes as more U.S. aerospace companies are looking to India as a possible market for both defense and civil aviation products.

The trip includes meetings with Indian commerce and defense officials. Participants will also meet with U.S. State Department and Commerce Department representatives and the American Chamber of Commerce in India. Esper said the U.S. companies on the mission are investigating doing business directly with the Indian government as well as possible joint projects with Indian companies.

The majority of participants are AIA Supplier Management Council members who do not have independent international outreach. Varun Nikore, AIA's Supplier Management director, said the trip could open many doors for participants.

"India provides a huge potential market for U.S. aerospace suppliers," said Nikore, who played a lead role in organizing the mission.

India has been opening to U.S. aerospace products in the last decade after relations improved following the end of the Cold War and cooperation on the war on terror. The two nations signed a defense pact last year, and the trade mission comes as Congress works out the legislation needed to support a major Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement that will strengthen the bonds and cooperation between India and the U.S. on a number of issues. Indian airlines bought 98 Boeing airliners last year and is considering buying U.S.-built fighter jets.

AIA is partnering with Tri Polus, a London-based international trade consulting firm, and the Confederation of Indian Industry on the mission.


Founded in 1919, the Aerospace Industries Association represents the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, space systems, aircraft engines, materiel, and related components, equipment services, and information technology.

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Congress Passes U.S.-India Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Bill

(Source: US State Department; issued Dec. 9, 2006)

WASHINGTON --- Congress passed the U.S.-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act shortly before adjourning for the remainder of 2006. President Bush said in a White House statement that the legislation “will strengthen the strategic relationship between America and India.”

“I am pleased that our two countries will soon have increased opportunities to work together to meet our energy needs in a manner that does not increase air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, promotes clean development, supports nonproliferation, and advances our trade interests,” the president said.

In a separate statement, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the measure will help "build a solid foundation for the enhanced, multi-faceted relationship we seek with India -- a country that is a rising force on the world scene."

The legislation codifies the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation agreement, announced July 18, 2005, by President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Washington, and then signed in early March during Bush's state visit to India.

The original version or the legislation was passed by the House of Representatives July 26, 359-68. The Senate, however, made changes in the bill before approving it, 85-12, on November 16.

In the United States, different versions of an approved bill are reconciled before being sent to the president. In this case, the House and Senate conferees agreed on a final product December 7. First the House and then the Senate passed this reconciled version of the bill December 8.

A key element of the agreement is the provision of assistance for India’s civilian nuclear energy sector, which currently provides only 3 percent of the country's electricity. India wants to raise that percentage for economic development purposes.

The United States sees the agreement as a way for India formally to comply with some of the same tenets codified in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which New Delhi never signed. India has agreed to separate its nuclear reactors used for civilian purposes from those designated for military use. Further, it has agreed to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor its 14 civilian reactors and to bring them under IAEA safeguards, to continue its moratorium on nuclear weapons testing, and not to transfer nuclear technology to third parties. (ends)

Bush signs India nuclear deal
Reversal opens doors to trade, controversy

By Mark Silva
Washington Bureau
Published December 19, 2006
source link

WASHINGTON -- With goals of ending India's nuclear "isolation" and easing world oil supplies, President Bush signed legislation Monday that will enable American companies to assist in the expansion of Indian civilian nuclear power generation.

The agreement, representing a reversal of three decades of discord with India over its nuclear weaponry, opens significant new trade doors with the emerging Asian power, already the world's largest democracy and in coming years to become the most populous nation.

But the deal courts controversy because it does not require inspection of India's nuclear weapons facilities, and some fear it could encourage emerging nuclear powers to defy international oversight.

The Bush administration, by encouraging use of nuclear power by a nation whose appetite for electricity is expected to double in the next decade, hopes to ease pressure on world oil supplies and avert spiraling prices for the U.S. and other leading nations. Yet skeptics question how rapidly India can expand its nuclear energy.

The legislation was handed to Bush this month by a bipartisan alliance in Congress after intensive White House negotiations with India. It is expected to recalibrate the balance of power among the fastest-growing economies of Asia even as the U.S. attempts to support and channel the ambitions of two competing giants, India and China.


`A strategic move'

Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, who secured the deal during months of shuttle negotiations with Indian leaders, said the measure "will represent a major sea change in the way the world works. There's a larger story here, and that is that the United States is making a strategic move to build a new relationship with India."

He said the U.S. is not attempting to curtail the power of China with this initiative, but allowed that "this deal, and the emergence of this relationship, could change the strategic landscape in . . . all of Asia to the benefit of the United States."

The U.S.-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act requires India to submit 14 of its nuclear reactors, and all of the many new civilian reactors it hopes to build in coming years, to international inspection. It enables India to keep eight military reactors private and exempt from oversight.

The White House and members of Congress who supported the deal have argued that nuclear power holds a promise of making India less reliant on Middle Eastern oil while easing pressure on world oil prices.

"The United States has a clear interest in helping India meet this demand with nuclear energy," Bush said at the bill-signing.

India to Arm ALH Helicopter with 20mm Turret

(Source: Nexter (formerly GIAT Industries); issued Dec. 20, 2006)

HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) has awarded a contract for the supply of 20 THL 20 turrets that will equip the Indian Armed Forces’ ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter). The order covers the development phase of 20 turrets. The first deliveries will take place in 2008.

This new contract strengthens our group's position in the field of weapon systems for helicopters.

Mounted under the ALH’s nose, the THL 20 is armed with a 20mm M 621 ultra-light and low-recoil force cannon which makes the turret lighter and provides it with high firepower capabilities. This turret features outstanding aiming accuracy that enables to engage air and land targets at very long range.

In the "Indian" version, the THL 20 turret is combined with a helmet sight, thus making it easier and quicker to use.

Inheriting the THL 30’s capabilities, the THL 20 turret already equips 24 Romanian Army IAR Brasov helicopters. To date, over one hundred and thirty THL 20 and THL 30 turrets have been ordered by France and for export.

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`Slavery' ends for 50 boys working at India factories

By Muneeza Naqvi
Associated Press
Published December 29, 2006
source link

NEW DELHI -- For two years, 12-year-old Bhola worked more than 15 hours a day without being paid or allowed to visit his parents. On Thursday, he and 49 other child laborers were enjoying their first full day of freedom.

The boys, ages 8 to 14 and whose parents are poor farm laborers in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, were rescued early Wednesday by a non-governmental organization, in cooperation with local authorities. They had been brought to New Delhi to work in small factories making elaborately embroidered fabric called zari.

The embroidery requires working with very fine needles on which the children often hurt themselves.

"We freed these 50 children after some frantic parents came to us saying that they were unable to get in touch with their children," said Kailash Satyarthi of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, or South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude. The children were held in the factories and not allowed to visit their parents.

On Thursday, some of the children described to reporters how they were often slapped and beaten with leather belts.

"For two years, these children have worked for free. ... This is a sort of slavery," Satyarthi said. "There are a million such places where the child labor laws are laughed at."

Despite the subcontinent's growing economic power, child labor remains widespread in India. An estimated 13 million children work in India, many of them in hazardous industries, such as glassmaking, where child labor was banned in 1986.

Earlier this year, India also banned the hiring of children under age 14 as servants in homes or as workers in restaurants, tea shops, hotels or spas.

Critics of India's child labor laws say the bans have only a small effect because they do little to address the poverty at the root of the problem.

How Rice and Burns cooked the nuke deal

Quote:
WASHINGTON: Risky enterprises often hang on a wing and prayer. But remarkably for the mostly choreographed and generally cautious world of high-stakes diplomacy, there was a moment when the US-India nuclear deal was balanced on one knee.

That strong knee, and a steady pen that hovered over a statement that rested on it, belonged to R Nicholas Burns, the Bush administration's pointman to negotiate the nuclear deal with India.

It was the morning of July 18, 2005, shortly before 11 am President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already begun walking towards the East Room of the White House for a joint news conference.

But in the nearby Roosevelt Room, Burns sat on a chair with a draft of the joint statement on his knee, surrounded by a huddle that included US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, his Indian counterpart M K Narayanan, and India’s Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.

They quibbled over words, phrases, and sequencing till the very last moment. Should the statement describe India as a nuclear power or merely a state with a nuclear programme (compromise "a responsible state with advanced nuclear technology")? Will India commit to a ban on nuclear testing (compromise: India will continue its "unilateral moratorium on nuclear testing"). Will India sign THE additional protocol with the IAEA or AN additional protocol?

It was one of the many hairy moments in the months-long negotiation over the nuclear deal. They wrapped up the text with seconds to spare, enabling the statement to be distributed at the end of the news conference. A similar moment occurred in New Delhi's Hyderabad House on March 2 when President Bush visited India.

"It really went down to the wire many times," Burns recalled in an interview to Times of India on Tuesday, a day after President Bush signed the bill into law, allowing America's star diplomat to bask in satisfaction. "I can say there were moments of great tension."

Yet, failure was not an option. There were directions from the highest level that the 'nucular' deal needed to be done. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had worked past 10.30 pm the previous night (a Sunday) to narrow differences with the Indian side. She had woken Burns up at 5.30 a.m. on Monday with new instructions, before calling on Singh at 8 am (Had the deal failed to materialise, the joke among some hacks went, it would be called "Burnt Rice.")

But the Indian side was asking too much -- recognition as a full nuclear power and all that it entailed. From the Indian side, which largely confirmed Burns’ account of the talks, the Americans were giving too little. "The Indian negotiating team is very tough...they are resolute defenders of the country’s position," Burns recalled on Tuesday.

What finally clinched the deal each time there was a deadlock, Burns said, was the fundamental US decision to break away from three decades of non-proliferation orthodoxy that had walled India off. The decision, he said, came not because any individual had an epiphany, but through a gradual evolution of policy that segued from the second Clinton term into the first and second Bush terms.

R Nicholas Burns was the unlikeliest diplomat to be handed charge of the India nuclear deal job. A career US foreign service officer, he had dealt with almost every region of the world, except Asia. He was an Africanist (his first postings were in Africa), an Arabist (Cairo and Jerusalem), and an Europeanist (worked on Balkans, in Nato). He was often described as among the most brilliant young diplomats.

But India had never been on his resume, except for an occasional blip as a history major at Boston College or a foreign policy grad at Johns Hopkins. In fact, astonishingly for such a high level diplomat, he had never even been to India till his first visit in July 2005. Some among the Indian press corps in Washington -- present company included -- recall vividly his almost total lack of interest in South Asia during his days as a state department spokesman (1995-1997) except for anodyne statements on India and Pakistan.

"It was a huge gap in my education," Burns admits now, having made seven visits to India in the past 18 months, more than he has made to any other country.

It all began to change in March 2005 when the firm of Bush and Rice decided to make a giant leap in ties with India – "overturning three decades of orthodoxy," in Burns' words. Burns had just returned to Washington from his posting as the US Permanent Representative to NATO, another prize in his glittering resume. He and Rice had worked in the White House National Security Council during the Bush Sr administration, overseeing the fall of the Berlin Wall
and sweeping changes in Europe, and they got along well.

But during two Clinton terms, Burns continued in service as a career diplomat (as spokesman and later as envoy to Greece), while Rice repaired to academia, famously developing her India thesis. Washington insiders say she found the Talbott-Jaswant Singh, Clinton-Vajpayee initiatives (Next Steps in Strategic Partnership) too timid and tentative. The time for steps was over; it needed a leap.

Now at the helm at State Department in Bush’s second term, Rice sounded Burns on the India initiative as part of his job as Undersecretary. Ever the history major, he immediately grasped the monumental change that was around the corner. He took the job, and was confirmed by the US Senate on March 17, 2005, even as Rice was flying back from New Delhi having broken the news of the tectonic shift in US policy to a stunned Indian government, which could hardly believe what it was hearing.

A week later, on Friday March 25, the State Department, with Burns back on board in Foggy Bottom, went public with the historic shift, saying the US goal "is to help India become a major world power in the 21st century" and it "understands fully the implications, including military implications, of that statement." The statement jolted every major diplomatic capital in the world.

It was the start of India 101 for Burns as he began soaking up Indian history, literature, culture, even Bollywood. Today, after seven visits, including a last one that took him to Hyderabad and Mumbai and brought him in contact with workaday Indians outside the political and diplomatic realm, he can't wait to go back, least of all because the 101 has led him to 123, the agreement that will seal the bilateral rules governing the nuclear deal.

Looking back at what has been accomplished so far, Burns says despite all the tensions, there was never any doubt that the nuclear deal would be clinched. Successive US administrations going back to the Truman era always had an eye on India and "one was always searching for ways to conjure up a way to build a relationship" that had eluded both sides for so long.

The pivotal moment came at the turn of the century, when it became apparent that India was no longer the sideshow in the US or the world. Indian arts, movies, literature, cuisine made a continuous splash in America, and backed by the rise of Indian-Americans on the academic, business, financial, and professional landscape, it became hard to escape India in America.

As Burns conducted interminable rounds of negotiations with his Indian interlocutors such as Shyam Saran and Jaishankar (he did not keep a log, he says, but it added up to "hundreds of hours") they became his personal friends. He came to admire their tenacity.

It's not known to many, but several key members of the Indian team have family in the US, (which would have been fodder to critics of the deal, except they too have family connections here.) Smile

There were many times drafts went back and forth as they tried to come up with "documents both sides could live with." But because the two countries had gone past the adversarial mind-set, compromise was easier. "Friends try to help each other out...so we did," Burns said.

Despite this, or perhaps because of this, the deal has its share of critics. And in a strange twist, principal opponents of the deal in both countries are groups that have disliked each other for decades -- Indian nuclear scientists and American non-proliferationists -- and viewed each other with great suspicion.

Inside both governments, there is some chuckling about the "uncompromising and reactionary purists" as one
official put it. For supporters of the deal, some ultranationalist and superannuated scientists fail to see the gains -- that India gets to move on undeterred with weapons program with eight unsafeguarded reactors and its fast-breeder program firewalled from the intrusive aspects of the agreement under an unstated "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy. Even President Bush’s clarification that the Hyde Act is largely advisory in nature has not calmed their restive souls.

In Washington, the non-proliferation purists don't see the American gains -- of getting a handle on a significant part of India’s nuclear program, with strategic and economic gains for US to boot -- either. On the flip side though, both constituencies are seen as a tempering influence that keeps their side from giving away the store.

Burns declines to get into the unspoken implications of the deal, asserting only that it is positive for both sides. Asked if President Bush's take that the Hyde Act is largely advisory will cause aneurysms on the Hill, he would merely say the statement "speaks for itself." Following the bill-singing ceremony in the East Room on Monday, he quietly slipped into the Blue Room, where the mood was anything but blue, to join a celebration with key lawmakers and administration officials. Then he returned to Foggy Bottom with Condi Rice for another small staff celebration where there was the sweet aroma of success -- not "Burnt Rice."

US warship 'Trenton' to join Indian fleet

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"WASHINGTON: Nearly two centuries after Bombay’s famed Wadia family built HMS Minden — the ship on which the American national anthem Star Spangled Banner was written — history will sail a full circle later this month.

The US Navy is all set to hand over Seattle-built USS Trenton, an amphibious transport warship, to the Indian Navy. It will be the first American-made vessel to join India’s growing blue water fleet.

A crew of more than 300 Indian Navy personnel is already training in Norfolk, Virginia, to take charge of Trenton in a formal ceremony on January 17, when the ship will be officially decommissioned from the US Navy. It will then set sail for India, where it is likely to be inducted into the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

When introduced into the Indian Navy in mid-2007, the 17,000-tonne Austin-class platform, formally called a Landing Platform Dock or LPD, will be India’s second-largest warship, second only to the 28,000-tonne Hermes-class aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

Built by Lockheed and commissioned in 1971, the amphibious ship has a complement of 28 officers and 480 men, and can transport nearly 1500 marines. Although Trenton cost more than $400 million to build, New Delhi is buying it at a bargain basement price of around $48 million — which includes four mechanised landing craft and other bells and whistles — under a US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

New Delhi believes the ship is good for another 15 years. The Indian Navy is also looking to procure six SH-3 Sea King helicopters to operate from the 173-metre-long vessel that has seen action in Somalia, Liberia and Lebanon among other places, landing US troops and rescuing American citizens.

Indian officials say Trenton, which is expected to be renamed INS Jalashva (Sanskrit for seahorse), will provide the Navy with enhanced amphibious capability. Besides landing troops during war and rescue operations, it can also function as a command and control platform during offshore and mid-sea mishaps.

The Trenton transaction marks an unusual and little known naval connection between two distant countries that are now heading towards a strategic military partnership. In 1810, the Indian company Jamshedji Bomanji Wadia built the HMS Minden at the Duncan Docks in Bombay, the first Royal Navy ship built outside the British Isles. It was on Minden that Francis Scott Key is said to have written the poem ‘The Defense of Ft. McHenry,’ later renamed ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and adopted as the American national anthem.



Indian-made ships were frequent visitors to the US in the 18th and 19th century and American sea-farers visited Bombay and Surat to see the Wadias, India’s traditional shipbuilders, at work.

Trenton is named after the capital of New Jersey. In another coincidence, Kris Kolluri, an India-born immigrant became the governor of

New Jersey for just one day last week (to stand in for an out-of-town governor), the first person of Indian origin to make the grade.

Although a small deal in financial terms, the Trenton transfer is said to presage both greater strategic interplay and military transfers between the US and India. Some Washington pundits see India as an American partner in patrolling the vital sea lanes from the Gulf of Hormuz to the Straits of Malacca.

The dye is cast...for better or worse...India will be our most important strategic ally as we move toward the inevitable conflict with China and its new closest friend, Iran.

Pakistan will be the wild card, but I don't like our footing with them...never have.

India says millions of children undernourished

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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Malnutrition rates among Indian children remain one of the highest in the world, and a massive programme to improve health and nutrition has failed to make a serious dent, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday.

Some 50 million children aged below six are covered under the 45 billion rupees ($1 billion) Integrated Child Development Services scheme, but it has been poorly implemented, Singh said in a letter to state chief ministers after an adverse health ministry report said.

"There is strong evidence that the programme has not led to any substantial improvement in the nutritional status of children under six," Singh said, urging strong action.

A further 110 million children in the 0-6 age group remain outside the purview of the program which was meant to expand gradually.

The average malnutrition rate in some Indian states such as most populated Uttar Pradesh is 40 percent, higher than Sub-Saharan Africa where it is around 30 percent, UNICEF says.

Boeing Strengthens India Executive Team

(Source: Boeing Co.; issued Jan. 17, 2007)

NEW DELHI --- In a move to strengthen its in-country presence, Boeing India is announcing the appointment of two senior executives to lead its efforts in India.

Boeing today named Ian Thomas as vice president of Boeing International and president of Boeing India, effective Jan. 19. He is responsible for leading Boeing's enterprise-wide India team, strengthening the company's local presence and finding new ways to pursue growth and productivity initiatives. Thomas succeeds Anil Shrikhande, who has been appointed vice president and country leader for Integrated Defense Systems.

"With Ian joining the Boeing team and Anil dedicating his extensive experience, market insights and in-country relationships to IDS, Boeing has significantly strengthened its ability to capitalize on growth opportunities in this strategically important market to Boeing," said Laurette Koellner, president of Boeing International.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes' sales and marketing team will remain in its current structure and continues to be led by Dinesh Keskar, vice president of Sales for South and Southeast Asia, from Seattle. Keskar will continue to work with senior government officials and ministries related to commercial airplane activities. Larry Coughlin, managing director of India Operations, will remain responsible for coordinating and integrating in-country operations for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Thomas joins Boeing India following a position in Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems business unit, based in London, where he served as vice president -- Europe, leading all business development efforts for the unit. From 2000-2005, he served as vice president -- UK Business Development, leading Boeing's business activities in the United Kingdom. He joined the company in 2001.

In 2003, Shrikhande went to Boeing India as a vice president of Boeing International, and in 2004 was appointed managing director for Boeing India, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. Shrikhande joined Boeing in 2000.

"India represents one of Boeing's largest potential growth markets for defense products in Asia," said Mark Kronenberg, vice president for IDS Business Development for Asia-Pacific . "Anil Shrikhande's appointment reflects the importance IDS is placing on the Indian defense market which holds great potential to generate new revenue for the company."

The close relationship between Boeing and India goes back six decades, when India entered the jet age on the wings of Boeing jetliners. Boeing jets continue to be the mainstay of the country's domestic and intercontinental commercial fleets. Boeing also has important relationships with suppliers in India and is actively pursuing technical and business partnerships with Indian companies and institutions.

In December 2003, Boeing established a wholly owned subsidiary, Boeing International Corporation India Private Limited (BICIPL), to support the growing demands of India's aviation, aerospace and defense industries.

"India is a priority market for Boeing," added Koellner. "There is a tremendous opportunity for Boeing and India to work together in many ways to advance our common interests. The people we selected to lead our presence in India and drive our business are talented professionals with a proven track record for generating results. We have a solid business plan and a long-term view of the market. With this approach we are going to create even greater value for Boeing and our customers and partners in India."

India and Russia Sign Four Documents to Give a Boost to Military Cooperation

Indian Ministry of Defence | Jan 26, 2007
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The Defence Cooperation between India and Russia got a further boost when four different documents were signed here today between the two countries at the conclusion of the Sixth Meeting of the India - Russia Inter Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC). The Meeting was co-chaired by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony and the visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Russia Mr. Sergey Borisovich Ivanov.

The first agreement is on License Production and Technical Documents for the RD 33 series 3 Aero Engines; the second one is the general contract for RD 33 series 3 Aero engines and associated products. The two sides also signed a Protocol of intent for the joint development and production of multi-role Transport Aircraft and the Protocol of the Sixth India-Russia Inter Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation.

The Sixth Inter-Governmental Commission meeting witnessed the strategic depth of India -Russia defence relations widening to encompass non-defence strategic areas such as information technology and space research.

Putin guest of honour as India rolls out military might

Agence France-Presse | Jan 26, 2007
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Russian President Vladimir Putin was guest of honour at India's Republic Day parade, showing warm ties still exist between the former Cold War allies despite New Delhi's growing US tilt.

A tight security blanket was thrown over the capital as Putin, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Abdul Kalam watched the parade showcasing India's military might, technological prowess and cultural diversity.

Singh saluted Putin as a "special friend of India" after the Russian president promised energy-hungry India on Thursday more nuclear reactors and help building atomic energy plants.

Russia "remains indispensable to the core of India's foreign policy interests" though there has been a sea-change in the international situation during the last decade, Singh said.

Putin's presence at India's celebration of its 58th Republic Day was seen as the symbolic highlight of his two-day visit aimed at revitalising ties between Russia and India in the face of New Delhi's increasing US partnership.

US Defence Mission to participate in Aero India 2007

February 02, 2007 10:37 IST
Seeking to consolidate the momentum of the recent US-India strategic partnership, an executive defence mission would be arriving in India to participate in the country's major air show - Aero India 2007.

The Mission, launched by the US-India Business Council, would be led by William S Cohen, former US Secretary of Defence and CEO of The Cohen Group, and Ambassador Thomas R Pickering of The Boeing Company.

It would essentially showcase American excellence in technology superiority, reliability, and long-term partnership at the prestigious show, which would be organised between February 4 and February 11, 2007.

"Aero India 2007 provides an excellent platform for US aerospace companies to build alliances, find partners, and share cutting-edge technology with India. This is the first time in history that the US Government has approved such a large fleet of military aircraft for static and flying display in a major air show," the USIBC has said in a release.

Senior officials from the Department of Defence will also attend the show with a view to demonstrate US commitment to India as a long-term partner.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin are represented by senior executives on the mission, and have planned elaborate chalets to entertain their customers and dignitaries. Boeing will showcase the F/A-18F, C-17 transport aircraft, and Chinook heavy-lift chopper. Lockheed Martin will showcase the F-16, C-130j, and P-3c.

"USIBCFs 7th defence mission to India comes on the heels of unprecedented US-India strategic defence cooperation, as embodied in the successful passage of the Civilian Nuclear Legislation.

Led by USIBC, the American business community continues to serve as the leading advocate for a stronger strategic partnership with India," the organisation said.

In addition to Boeing and Lockheed Martin, companies on the Mission include Honeywell, General Electric, Raytheon, The Cohen Group, United Technologies Corporation/Pratt & Whitney, Bell Helicopter Textron, Emergent Bio-Solutions, L-3 Communications, and The Fremont Group.

"The US-India Business Council is pleased to once again accompany America's finest companies to India, where we can demonstrate our commitment as a long-term partner in the aerospace and defence sectors of India. US industry looks forward to working closely with India's defence and aerospace establishments to advance its critical defense systems," said Ron Somers, President of the USIBC.

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