DTN News: India To Resume Selling Arms To Nepal

DTN News: India To Resume Selling Arms To Nepal

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) KATHMANDU, Nepal - July 25, 2009: India will resume sending arms to Nepal, lifting a four-year ban imposed after former Nepalese King Gyanendra enforced autocratic rule in the Himalayan kingdom. The ban's end is part of the fruit of the July 21 meeting of Nepalese Defense Minister Bidya Devi Bhandari and Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony, according to Indian Defence Ministry sources. India and Nepal will also resume talks on India-Nepal security issues, the sources said.Details of the sales are not yet formalized. India had been supplying Nepal automatic rifles, machine guns, mortars, mines and mine-protected vehicles. It also had sold two Advanced Light Helicopters to Nepal at a discount. Recruitment of Gurkhas from Nepal in the Indian Army and joint training of the countries' troops will begin soon, the sources said.The countries have had strong military ties since they concluded an agreement about recruiting Gurkhas in 1949. The relationship deepened as the Maoist insurgency gained ground in Nepal. The resumption of military supplies to Nepal is well-timed because it will stem the growing Nepal-China ties that had gained momentum after the Maoists briefly came to power in Nepal in 2008, said Mahindra Singh, a retired Indian Army major general. That government fell in May, after Prime Minister Prachanda sacked the country's army chief, plunging Nepal into political turmoil.

DTN News: Nepal TODAY June 15, 2009 - Nepalese Police Trying To Control Unrest Situation Created By Maoist In Katmandu

DTN News: Nepal TODAY June 15, 2009 - Nepalese Police Trying To Control Unrest Situation Created By Maoist In Katmandu

*Source: DTN News (NSI News Source Info) KATMANDU, Nepal - June 15, 2009: Nepalese riot police take cover as Maoist supporters throw stones at them in Katmandu, Nepal, Sunday, June 14, 2009. Three years after war ended in the Himalayan nation, the former Maoist guerrillas are among the biggest threats to Nepal's fragile peace.

Maoists demonstrate in front of police office against death of party cadre. Hundreds of Maoist cadres staged demonstration in front of the Metropolitan Police Post at Balaju, Kathmandu, Sunday evening, against the suspicious death of their fellow cadre.

"There has been some suspicion ... that the Maoists are trying to capture power, trying to capture the military, that they want to put their Maoist military cadre inside the top positions of the Nepali military," Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal told the AP in an interview.

DTN News: India TODAY May 5, 2009

DTN News: India TODAY May 5, 2009

(NSI News Source Info) SILIGURI, India - May 5, 2009: Indian female paramilitary soldiers stand guard near the border with Nepal ahead of third phase polls, at Panitanki village, about 40 km (25 miles) north of the eastern Indian city of Siliguri April 28, 2009. The India-Nepal and India-Bangladesh border will remain sealed from 28 April evening to 30 April, Siliguri's sub-divisional officer said on Tuesday.

DTN News: Nepal TODAY May 4, 2009

DTN News: Nepal TODAY May 4, 2009 (NSI News Source Info) KATMANDU, Nepal - May 4, 2009: Student supporters of Nepal's opposition political parties shout slogans as they protest against the government decision to fire the army chief, Rookmangud Katawal, in Katmandu, Nepal, Monday, May 4, 2009. Nepal's prime minister Sunday fired the army chief after a struggle over admitting former Maoist rebel fighters to the military, sparking mass protests and jeopardizing the survival of the country's first elected government since the monarchy was abolished.

British Commonwealth Nations Provide Bulk Of The UN's Peacekeeping Forces

British Commonwealth Nations Provide Bulk Of The UN's Peacekeeping Forces

(NSI News Source Info) March 8, 2009: The UN's peacekeeping army of 112,000 troops, would be much less effective, were not for the British Empire. About a third of those peacekeepers come from nations that were formerly part of the British Empire (mostly from what used to be British India; India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal.) To maintain and protect is empire, the British recruited lots of local troops, and trained them as they would British soldiers. While most of the officers were British, most of the NCOs were locals.

The Indian Army's participation in the UN peacekeeping operations spans a period of 57 years covering 43 UN Missions, in which over ninety thousand Indian soldiers have served in various parts of the world. In support of UN peacekeeping endeavors, the Indian Army has contributed outstanding force commanders, elite military contingents, impartial observers and dedicated staff officers. Their devotion to duty and excellent performance has been widely acclaimed.

Before the British relinquished its colonies after World War II, it also trained many locals as officers. Much of this Western training and military traditions took hold, especially in South Asia. The British encountered some formidable local armies when they moved into India three centuries ago. But the British had better technology and more advanced military doctrine. The Indians noted this, and some of the local rulers quickly, but not quickly enough, adopted the superior British practices.

When the British left, the South Asian armies remained very British in the way they trained and operated. That meant well trained and well led troops, but without all the gadgets that Western nations lavish on their soldiers. For peacekeeping, the disciplined and reliable South Asian soldiers are excellent peacekeepers.

Those from other less affluent nations often lack the discipline and good leadership, and account for most of the peacekeeping scandals. Meanwhile, corruption, casualties and lack of success are discouraging countries from contributing their troops for peacekeeping. The corruption angle is interesting, as it pertains both to the corruption within the UN bureaucracy, and the corrupt atmosphere the peacekeepers operate in, and often succumb to. Casualties are expected, but the contributing countries feel a lot of their troop losses are the result of restrictive UN rules that limit what peacekeepers can do. This, in turn, is believed most responsible for a lack of success for the peacekeeping missions. India, Bangladesh and Pakistan (who contribute nearly a quarter of the UN force) are not happy with the lack of volunteers from other major nations. The chief reasons for that are the same ones annoying the current peacekeepers (corruption and restrictive rules of engagement). In addition, the major military powers (with the exception of China and Russia) feel they already contribute quite a lot in the form of money to pay the peacekeepers. And the contributors are also upset at the lack of results. The UN will spend about $8 billion on fifteen peacekeeping operations this year. This pays for a force of over 112,000 troops and support staff. It's actually a pretty cheap way of keeping some conflicts under control. The causes of the unrest may not be resolved by peacekeepers, but at least the problem is contained and doesn't bother the rest of the world too much.

This is an increasingly unpopular approach to peacekeeping, except in the UN bureaucracy. Many UN members would rather send peacekeepers to where they are not wanted (by the government, usually a bad one, that is often the cause of the trouble in the first place.) Most of the money is going to a few large peacekeeping operations. Three of the largest (Congo, Darfur and south Sudan) get over half the cash. Africa has the largest number of "failed states" on the planet and, as such, is most in need of outside security assistance. The Middle East is also a source of much unrest. But there the problem isn't a lack of government, just bad government. Most Middle Eastern nations are run by tyrants, who have created police states that at least keep anarchy at bay.

India, Russia To Float $600 Million JV To Develop New Aircraft

India, Russia To Float $600 Million JV To Develop New Aircraft

(NSI News Source Info) Bangalore - February 13, 2009: With defence sector being open to foreign direct investment, the ongoing modernisation plan of Armed Forces and enormous new opportunities in the civil aviation sector have opened innumerable new avenues for investment. India companies, making the most of the opportunity of sharing the expertise in the fields of R&D production and product support with other global players at the Aero India 2009, inked a few pacts on Thursday to give a boost to the aviation sector. The country's Bird Group announced an agreement with the Switzerland-based business jet company-VistaJet Holding SA-to market the Vistajet in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Russian MIG-35 fighter, bidding to supply 126 multi-role combat aircraft to IAF, has a good chance to win the deal as it was a strong product to meet India's defence needs, Mikhail Pogosyan, CEO RSK MIG and Sukhoi, said here on Thursday. In yet another deal, India and Russia will establish a 50:50 joint venture in the next few months to develop a multi-role transport aircraft at a cost of $600 million, a top Russian official said. While Bangalore-headquartered Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) would be the Indian partner, the Russian side would identify its partners, likely to be United Aircraft Corporation's (UAC's) transport and cargo divisions, in the next few weeks, president and chairman of UAC, Alexey I Fedorov said. The jointly developed transport aircraft would be inducted into the Russian and Indian Air Force, he said on the sidelines of the ongoing South Asia's biggest airshow 'Aero India-2009'. Meanwhile, global leader in aerospace and defence related services European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company ( EADS) said it has signed 25 agreements in India since August last year to enhance cooperation with the country's aerospace and defence industry, company officials said. “A competitive Eurofighter Typhoon bid proposal and a comprehensive offset offer were submitted to the Indian authorities in (August) 2008 (in response to bids for medium multi role combat aircraft (MMRCA) programme”, Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of military air systems, an integrated business unit of EADS defence and security said. Since then, 25 MoUs have already signed to enhance industrial cooperation with India's aerospace and defence industry, he said. The Eurofighter Typhoon partner companies are confident of fulfilling the 50% offset obligation (under which 30% of the contract amount has to be invested in India) of the Request for Proposals (RFP) (in connection with MMRCA) and would offer India access to an international.

Bird Air Services Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bird Group, signed a comprehensive marketing agreement with Pacific Propeller Intl (PPI), a global repair and overhaul services provider to several regional airlines and military aircrafts. Under the agreement, PPI would provide its services and products through Bird Air within the Indian subcontinent, executive director of Bird Group Ankur Bhatia said. It would also help facilitate MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) services for propeller based engines for aircrafts in India at PPI prop shops.