Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews April 1, 2015 No it is not an April Fools Day joke. India needs a CDS and fast. Alongwith the change in the new government that has promised a lot and not as yet delivered fully, let’s face facts. Cash isn’t exactly flowing from the tap. We need efficiencies in our system that come from commonality. Why not take a leaf out of Spain’s experience that has a CDS for four decades whose duties have evolved with changing times. Today, after drawing out a plan that includes threat perceptions for the next decade, a plan is charted out by the services that discuss equipment procurement, and commonality. Procurement is given to one supplier getting the country the best deal from economies of scale. Maintenance, whether it be weapons, too is shared. This gets me wondering about our petty issues that reminds one of two boys squabbling on who will fly the Apache. “Me!!! says the IAF…No Me, says the Army.” In retrospect, how insular can we be. Is this really in ...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews July 4, 2011 Even as IAF Chief P V Naik wanted a detailed debate on the need for a Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha has taken over as the Chief of Integrated Defense Staff to Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) and Integrated Defense Staff of the Ministry of Defense.  Sinha had earlier served as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defense Staff Operation and Policy Planning / Force Deployment at HQ IDS and Control Personnel Services at IHQ, MoD (Navy).  Commissioned in   1974 into the Naval Aviation Fighter Stream, Sinha is an alumnus of the Defense Services Staff College, College of Naval Warfare and National Defense College.    He has over 2,700 hours of flying 18 different aircraft, mostly from aircraft carrier Vikrant and Viraat on the Sea Harrier, he has commanded two Sea Harrier Squadrons and the Air Station at Goa.    The Flag Officer has also commanded the Coast Guard ship Ranijindan...