Bharatiya Janata Party leaders led by L K Advani on Wednesday raised with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh their objections to Defence Minister A K Antony's statement on the killing of Indian soldiers along the LOC, terming it as a "goof-up", and pressed for a clarification on the serious matter.
Th defence minister said warships of the two countries conducted seven exercises, involving participation of two US nuclear carriers and five nuclear-powered submarines in the Malabar series of war games.
Defence Minister A K Antony fainted during the passing out parade ceremony at the National Defence Academy in Kharag Vasla, Pune on Saturday morning.The minister first fainted at the commencement of the ceremony. A chair was brought for him. Antony then took the salute and addressed the cadets. He fainted a second time when the cadets were marching off. Taken to his car, the defence minister observed the conclusion of the ceremony from his vehicle.
A total of 162 soldiers of undivided India have been laid to rest in 17 locations in Germany. Of these, 50 have been commemorated in the Berlin War Cemetery. These soldiers belong to Indian Armoured Corps, Indian Artillery, Infantry, Royal Indian Army Service Corps, Madras Sappers and Miners, Indian Army Remount Corps and Indian Army Ordnance Corps.
India is capable of facing any threat to its security coming from any quarter, Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday said in the wake of a warning from a top al-Qaeda commander.
Defence Minister AK antony said infiltration attempts will be stepped up in the run up to the crucial elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
Ruling out joining any military pact or alliance with other countries, Defence Minister A K Antony made it clear that India will not tone down or give up its growing engagements with major powers like the United States, Russia and others as these were aimed at increasing the capabilities of the Indian armed forces. He also said that the country's armament programmes were going at a steady pace.
The terrorists exchanging heavy gunfire with security forces in Bhati Dhar jungles of Poonch are suspected to be from Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, the army said on Wednesday, but did not specify any time frame for flushing them out.
In a major embarrassment to the Army, three of its officers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, now deputed on the United Nations Peace Mission in Congo, have been accused of raping a woman in South Africa while they were holidaying there, an allegation that has prompted the defence ministry to order a probe."We have ordered an enquiry into the incident," Defence Minister A K Antony said on the sidelines of an Indian Air Force function on Tuesday.
Speaking at the silver jubilee function of the Indian Coast Guard Aviation at Daman, Antony emphasised the need for faster modernisation of the Coast Guard in view of emerging seaward threat.
There is a shortage of 11,153, 1,403 and 1,368 officers in the army, navy and air force respectively, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. This deficiency has been continuing from a long time in varying degree and there is no shortage of personnel below officers ranks in the armed forces, Defence Minister A K Antony said in a written reply.
Pressing for early conclusion of the civil nuclear deal, the US on Wednesday said, "The clock is ticking" and hoped the United Progressive Alliance government would be able to end the domestic deadlock on the issue in time.
"Development of Trishul missile system has been completed as technology demonstrator," Defence Minister A K Antony said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
In response to a query asked by MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Rajya Sabha on the release of the report, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "The report has been recommended to be declassified in the national security interest."
"India wants peaceful relations with its neighbours... But we should not lower our guard and have to remain vigilant to face any challenge," Antony said while interacting with troops in the 14 Corps headquarters in Leh.
"For the first time, we had an exercise with China in their territory. Next joint exercise will be held in India this year. You can wait for it," Defence Minister A K Antony told reporters in Laungwala at Rajasthan on Sunday.
The threat posed by maritime terrorism and infiltration along the vast stretches of the coastal belt was a matter of grave concern, with India having sensitive installations in close proximity to the sea.
India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft is on schedule and would be comparable to frontline Mig-29 and Mirage 2000 fighters when it starts rolling out by 2011, Defence Minister A K Antony said in New Delhi on Thursday.
"The scientists have produced results. It is excellent...up to the point," he said.
The defence minister remained equally vague on the standing committee asking for immediate withdrawal of army from the internal security duties to let these be handled by the central para military forces. The committee had also sought a fixed time schedule for gradual withdrawal of the army from the counter-insurgency duties in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.
As many as 327 army personnel committed suicide during this period
On a question regarding the difficulties faced by tribal people in Naxal-affected areas, Antony said steps had been taken to solve their problems and the issue was discussed at the meeting of chief ministers convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently.
Fanning the hopes of private industry, the government today said it would consider allowing 49 per cent foreign investment in the defence sector "on a case-to-case basis."
Building up on strategic partnership forged in July, India has agreed to transfer 5,000 naval spares to Vietnam to make its several ageing ships operational. The announcement was made by Defence Minister A K Antony in Hanoi on Monday during his meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart General Phung Quang Thanh. Antony is on a three-day visit to Vietnam.
Relations with Russia are very important for India and do not depend on one contract or a single event, Defence Minister A K Antony said after witnessing a live demonstration of Indian Air Force's ability to deliver the lethal punch at Pokharan near Jaisalmer on Saturday.
Upset over the poor infrastructure along the Sino-Indian border in Sikkim, Defence Minister A K Antony on Sunday said he would "vigorously" pursue for taking urgent steps to develop the frontier areas to match China.
Amid reports of Gorshkov deal entering into rough weather, Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said the government was trying to settle the issue of acquisition of the Russian aircraft carrier with the highest level in Moscow.
Playing the great general will be a challenge for the talented actor.
The navy's ships, submarines, aircraft and on-shore centres will also be linked through a satellite-based network to prepare the force for the challenges of modern maritime warfare.
In Jammu and Kashmir, compared to last year, the violence level had come down by 50 per cent, he said. The only concern now was of cross border militancy which was continuing even after three years of ceasefire, he added.
The army in Jammu and Kashmir will vacate schools and hospital buildings under its use in the state by the end of November.
There can be forward movement on the Siachen issue if Pakistan is willing to authenticate current troop positions on the glacier, Defence Minister A K Antony said
But, at the same time, strict transparency in all arms deals will be maintained, he said.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday concluded his four-day visit to Moscow leaving for home without meeting with President Vladimir Putin. He is the second senior Indian minister to have visited Moscow in one week who the president hasn't met, the other being External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Under the new deal signed in New Delhi on Friday by top officials of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Russia's state owned arms agency Rosenbroexport, Russia has agreed to supply 40 Sukois in semi-knocked down kits at a cost of $1.6 billion. By agreeing to new annual cost escalation of five per cent, India would now be paying whopping $5 billion for 230 Sukhois fighters, which currently are IAF's mainstay.
Politicians may have given a go-by to one of India's proudest soldiers, but hundreds of people thronged to India Gate in New Delhi to sign the condolence book to mark their grief on the passing away of the country's first Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw.
Antony was replying to a question on whether the government planned to put in place a truce with terrorist groups in the militancy-ravaged state during the ongoing month of Ramzan.
"The minister has taken a serious view of such reports and wants Army Headquarters to probe these charges in depth," defence ministry officials said.
With Lok Sabha elections just a year away, a key committee of the Congress embarked on an exercise aimed at turning around the electoral fortunes of the grand old party, which has been been on a losing spree.
As Antony talked to army officers and journalists accompanying him, several camera flashes went off on the Pakistani side.
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