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Petco edPUBLISHER'S NOTE
Silence of
the Lambs
NE OF the most outrageous
phrases used time and
‘again during the American
invasion of Iraq was a ubig-
uitows new form
reportage called “embedded journalisn
In effect, you travelled with the troops,
were one of them and report
razzmatazz of 24 hour news, breaking
news and exchisive news, it gets tii
alised even further. Where is the
‘depth analysis, the perceptive debate
‘and the informed discourse?
Guorouics hopes to be the catalyst in
spatking this debate. To look at foreign
policy, international security
ed on the war from the
trenches s0 0 sa
Chris Hedges, one of
America’s best known war
correspondents made per
haps what was one of the
most defining assessments of
the practice: “The embed-
ding of se
nalists in military units does
and defence from the prism
‘of developments on the
grounds, the trends and the
‘options and offer our readers
an opportunity to make their
‘own informed choices. Forfar
too long, national security
ralhundred jour | “K Srinivasan | beet
not diminish the lie, These journalists
do not have access to their ova t
portation. They depend on the 1
for everything, from food to a place to
sleep. They look to the soldiers around
them for protection. When they feel the
fear of hostile fire, they identify and
seek to proteet those who proteet them.
‘They become part of the team. It is @
natural reaction. I have felt it. But in
that experience, these journalists
become participants in the war effort.
‘They want to do their bit, And thei bit
Is the dissemination of myth, the myth
used (0 justify warand boost the morale
of the soldiers and civilians.”
Is there an Indian context toi Unfor-
tunately, yes. A large number of those
who cover the country’ geopolitics
space — niational security, foreign policy
and defence —have accepted a sto moto
strategy of practicing embedded jour-
nalisn inthe belief tha sanitised releas-
fs, informal briefings and an acceptance
that there are areas that are off-bounds
because of law and order and geo-strate-
gic importance i furthering the cause of
hational interest The establishment too,
prefers it this way. There are a few
luncomfortable questions and in the
different ge
text, Winston
“I cannot forecast to you the action of
Russia, It is a riddle wrapped in a mys-
tery inside an enigma: but, perhaps,
there isa key. That key is Russian nation:
al interest." Ic looks so strikingly similar
to what & happening in the Indian con.
text 70 years later!
That reminds us of the savage Dr
Hannibal Lecter from the film classic
Silence of the Lambs, who said, though
in an unconnected situation: “As your
mother tells you, and my mother cer-
tainly told me, ivi important, she always
used to say, always to try new things”
In Georoucs, we hope to try afresh
‘and nail the Lecters and the Chiltons of
the world. And, most important, try
Ore:
stini@newslinein
(1)ll with the Indian armed forces. GeoPoumics takes close look at the ongoing
mess in the military management of the country.
IN-DEPTH (P26)
DISPELLING MISGIVINGS
A fresh perspective on the mi
THE SEA HAWK
criticised Nuclear Liabil- The pre
nt and the former chief of Indian
ity Bill. The legislation, in fact, seeks to position India as. a Navy make a strong case for the aircraft carrier
responsible nuclear power. toaugment India's maritime eapability
PERSPECTIVE (P32) CYBERSPHERE (P70) SCRUITINY (P20)
Rethinking TheWar —‘ Techno-Savvy Honour at stake
Doctrine Terrorists ‘What is the truth behind the Rs 300
‘zore Sukh land scam’? Gravois
fsn'ti the time to revisit India's military Teroristshaveset up theirown medialabs, —Yolves into the
doctrine of “dssuasive deterrence “in tune equipped with high-definition cameras, lap- ented the Arn
‘with national inerestsas influenced bythe top computersand the software that permits
regional and gobalsiategicenvizonment? _ imagesto be edited and manipulated
roversy which has
ge.North Bast holds immense Asthe White House opisto senior police officer Encirling India remains 2
significance for India’s prioritise relations with an fempathises with the Indian long team Chinese strategy,
‘geopolitics even as it has ascendant China, Georouncs police force which has o deal though Beijing has chaser
Perennially defied integration takes a critical Look atthe With both cultural conflict and cozy upto New Delhi,
into the national ethos. American Left's growing fragmented social control infor naw.
‘unease with Ind rural areas
NEIGHBOURS (P63)
Arefreshingly
objective and realistic
analysis of the
bilateral relations by
Bangladesh High
Commissioner to
India, Tariq A Karim,
‘SPECIAL REPORT (P17)
‘Volume 1 m No 1
oe Its time to exercise constant
K SRINIVASAN Vigil in the wake of recent
whee Chinese activities aimed at
PRAKASH NANDA exploiting the potential of the
Soares rivers emanating from Tibet
VISHAL DUGGAL into India.
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nook 2010 | esTEJAS
PROJECT
TO COST OVER
Bs13,000 CRORE
‘THE OVERALL developmental cost of
‘Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has
quietly zoomed past the Rs 13,000-crore
‘mark, with the government sanctioning
the extension of the fighters “full-scale
engineering development” (FSED) all
December 31, 2018.
‘Tejas developmental saga will now
stretch across 35 years, sanctioned as the
project was way back in 1983 at a cost of
Rs 560 crore to replace the ageing
MiG-2is.
‘The story of Tejas is quite similar to
that ofthe Arjun main-batle tank, which
thas not been operationalised by the Indi-
fan Army yet, though the project was first
approved 36 years ago.
“The success of TEIAS will boost Indias
{indigenous delence production, given the
fact that India sil ports 70 per cent of
‘tsmiltary hardware and software.
“This is a very sorry state of affairs
‘Even alter 27 years since LCA was sant
tioned, itis yet to see light of the day.”
says the latest report ofthe parliamen-
tary standing committee on defence,
‘tabled in Parliament, recently.
‘The TEJA project includes single-
seater IAF twin-seater trainer and naval
LCA variants. With Tejas prototypes
‘locking 1,350 fights il now, the “inal
‘operational clearance” for the IAF variant
‘is now slated for December 2012.
$0, IAF should have its first Tejas
‘squadron of20 fighters by 2014-15.
India is now going in for foreign
engines to power even the Tejas Mark-IL
version after the indigenous Kaveri
fengine failed to pass muster after
20 Years of development at a cost of Rs
2,839 crore,
Consequently, while the fist 20‘Tejas
will be powered by the American GE-404
engines, the hunt is on for new more
powerful engines for the next six Tejas
‘Mark-H squadrons (16-18 jets in each).
‘The Rs 13,000-crore mark for the LCA
projectis breached even f the Kaver fias-
‘ois kept aside. For one, the FSED Phase-
|, which finished in March 2004, cost Rs
2,188 crore.
‘The Phase-I, which was to be com-
pleted by December 2008 at a cost of Rs
3,301 crore, will now get over in Decem-
ber 2012, with additional funds of Rs
2,475 crore.
‘Moreover, in November last year, the
government “accorded" sanction for
“continuing FSED of LCA tll December
2018, with an estimated additional cost
‘of Rs 5,302 crore”
Amid all is, IAP is keeping its ngers
crossed, grappling as itis with a free-fall
in the number of its fighter squadrons,
down to just 32 from a sanctioned
strength of 395.
Army to buy
missile
systems
THE INDIAN army has issued a global
Request for Information (RFI) about
medium-range loitering missile systems,
seeking details about their day and ni
camera payloads, ground control stations
data links, launchers and the like
The RFT has been sent to Israel
Maat and US-based Ra
‘one ofthe few companies that can manut
ture such sophisticated and hi-tech systems.
Te loitering missile is basically a UAV which
‘ean transmit data after hovering over a target
undetected for about half-an-hour and the
hita selected target. The Indian armed forces
have inducted over 100 Israeli Searcher-I,
Heron and other UAVs as “force-mmuldiplirs
in reconnaissance missions as wellas far pre:
cision strike operations,
The RFI states thatthe Army isi
in asystem with capabilities that include top:
attack and the ability o abort an attack after
targ
‘wants a system where the launch
mounted ona Tatra truck, The RET has sought
details on the misile’s cruising speed,
mum range at which itean engage
loitering time, data link’srange and the like
Ie is understood that these missiles cast
about S10 million a piece and hence these
wil be used very selectively: Industry sources
say that this will be the second purchase of
such systems by India and offset contracts are
already undervay forthe frst purchase.
ICGS Vishwast
commissioned
A NEW generation ollshore patrolling
vessel (OPV), IOGS Vishwast, has been com
tisioned into the Coast Guard in mid-March,
'Vishvvast, meaning "Trustworthy, sa pro:
jection of the Indian Coast Guard's will and
‘commitment to maritime order and security”
a defence ministry statement said. The fist of
itsclass ship has been indigenously developed
by Goa Shipyard Limited. Special features of
the ship include an integrated bridge system,
an integrated machinery control system, a
high-power external fire fighting system and
sted