Indian Military

ISLAMABAD: In a sign of changing dynamics in US-Pak military ties post-Osama bin Laden, Pakistan's powerful army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has laid down conditions for intelligence sharing with the Americans.
He also brushed aside possibility of a full scale military operation in North Waziristan at this stage under pressure from the US.
A meeting of the Pakistan Army's Corps Commanders chaired by army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani yesterday decided to share intelligence with the US "strictly on the basis of reciprocity and complete transparency".
"It has been clearly put across to US intelligence officials that no intelligence agency can be allowed to carry out independent operation on our soil," said an unusually detailed statement issued by the military after the meeting of the army's top commanders yesterday.
Kayani informed his commanders that military to military relationship with the US has to be viewed within the larger ambit of bilateral relations between the two countries.

NEW DELHI: In yet another provocation, China has denied visa to a senior IAF officer hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, who was to travel as part of a military delegation, after which India has put the visit on hold.
Group Captain M Panging, based in Northeast, was refused visa by the Chinese embassy without being given any reasons, sources said.
Reacting strongly, India put on hold the visit that was to start from January 10.
The officer was to be part of the Integrated Defence Staff team travelling to China on a four-day visit under a bilateral defence exchange programme.
The 30-member tri-Service Indian delegation, being led by an air vice marshal-rank officer, had to visit Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai there.
China, which lays claim over Arunachal Pradesh, has often denied visa to those hailing from the state despite protests by India.
The visit by Indian military delegation was reciprocal to the one undertaken by the Chinese last month and is part of the confidence building measures between the two sides.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to India in December, France has made a pitch for the two nations to cooperate in operations where their armed forces are deployed, including in the anti-piracy efforts in Gulf of Aden.

French Defence Minister Herve Morin also wants to enhance consultations between the two counties on regional issues such as terrorism and situation in Afghanistan.

"As I had the opportunity to convey to defence minister A K Antony during my visit in December 2009, we can go even further in enhancing our consultations on the regional situation -- I am specifically referring to Afghanistan, where France is engaged -- but also on major international issues," he said.

"We could also intensify our cooperation at the theatres of operation where both our armed forces are deployed, piracy in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden being such a case."

"Lastly, we could develop more armament programmes that are efficient and adapted to the needs of both armed forces," Morin said to a question on how Indo-French strategic partnership could be improved in the defence sector.