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Tuesday,
June 26, 2001, Chandigarh, India   |
Squirrel helicopters for India
22,820 evacuated as
volcano simmers |
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Indo-China meeting on LAC on June 28 Kashmir talks path to peace: Jaswant
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JVP
opposes lifting ban on LTTE Sonia to
address UN session
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Squirrel helicopters for India Paris, June 25 As the organizers, GIFAS —Groupement des Industries Francaises Aeronautiques et Spatiles — bid au revoir to the participants and milling throngs of tourists and Parisians, one heard of the holding of the Farnborough International Air Show in the U. K. from July 22 to 28, 2002. This is organized by The Society of British Aerospace Companies, whose President, Mr. Ken Maciver, says the U.K. has the largest aerospace industry in Europe. As pan-European and global programmes become more commonplace, the U.K. holds a pivotal role in the development of major programmes such as Airbus, Joint Strike Fighters, the Meteor Missile programme and Astrium space consortium. The presence of India through Hindustan Aeronautical Limited was also felt at the Show. Official delegations arrived for studying the world market for technology transfer, aircraft and helicopters (civil and military), equipment and armament for the up gradation of the fleets of the Indian Air Force, the Army and the Navy that maintain their separate aviation wings. Though the exact details of India’s shopping list are not fully known, one learns from big names like EDAS —European Aeronautics Defence and Space — a consortium of leading industries in France, Germany, Spain and the U.K. or the Dassault Aviation that India is as keen on “Squirrel Helicopters” — transport choppers —suited to operate at high altitudes as on the “Falcon” Corporate Jets. The former belong to the family of Eurocopters. At least two Falcons are owned by the Tatas. Encouraged by their performance response Dassault Aviation is optimistic of more new orders. There is talk of Air India and Indian Airlines replacing their aging fleet of Boeings. While final contours of the future setup of the two organisations oscillates in the hands of the politicians, at the Air Show there were whispers of negotiations on acquisition of the Airbus. At least Dassault was appreciative of the interest evinced in the Airbus by India. Notwithstanding the lack of floor-co-ordination in New Delhi, all three wings of the defence are keen for upgradation and new products. The Indian Navy is keen to have its fleet of aircraft and helicopters either replaced or better equipped. Most of its fleet, 200-odd, is past the middle age. It not only requires next generation aircraft carrier (Virat, bought second hand from the U.K. in 1987 is too inadequate with carrying capacity of only 27 aircraft) but also swift birds enabling it better defend the sea. In fact, sources told TNS, of the basic difference between the Indian and Pakistan Navy. The former is “Sea Control” force, whereas, the latter is “Sea Denial” force engaged in only “protection” performance. With India’s 97 per cent international trade and 70 per cent oil trade through the sea, the Navy has a stupendous task of surveillance of the sea routes keeping economy pulsating as also defending the long coastline. The answer to India’s defence requirements in terms of upgradation and new state-of-the-art equipment lies not just in such world-class Air Shows but in indiginisation as well. Though design-stage of an aircraft carrier is approved and Cochin shipyard available building an aircraft carrier that takes at least 10 years or so. Moreover, India’s aerospace private industry is still nascent, almost non-existent. Therefore the outcome of how India finally benefits from the just concluded Air Show will be watched with interest in the days ahead. Certain facts have surfaced. India is poorly placed as compared to other countries in aerospace business and industry. With the demolition of the Berlin Wall and disintegration of the Soviet Union, the geo-political situation has undergone a sea change shifting the power balance from multi-polar to uni-polar system. There is growing anxiety as much among the governments as the people who question maintaining of huge defence forces in the wake of changed global political and military scene. Naturally, the demand is for downsizing of the armed forces as well as reducing defence budgets. Thus the four ‘power’ blocks vying as much for economic survival as for new customers are Europe, Israel, the USA and Russia. Within Europe France has taken the lead to reduce its Air Force and the USA is reported to have closed nearly 40 of its forward air basis. Russia’s ‘captive’ market in East Europe is dwindling. Though Israel has the capability of providing new equipment and armament on existing or improved basic structures of aircraft and helicopters, its manufacturing capacity is limited. The USA has a large domestic market of its own apart from some protégés in West Asia. For Russia that equipped the Third World on easy terms of trade in the past new challenges stare in the face. Thus despite such a politico-military balance, the business at the Air Show indicates that there is concern among the leading aerospace industry magnets due to fluctuating and dwindling demand for their ‘products’. But the arms race continues and aerospace has come to stay put as a business and trade. This is reinforced by two facts. One is the newfound equation between industry and government in participating countries. Both supplement and compliment each other’s efforts. That is, perhaps, one of the reasons that in commercial dealings here confidentiality is the watchword. In fact the orders that bulge from the books of the exhibitors have not grown overnight. These have brewed for the past several months and only the occasion, Air Show, was used to announce the packets and packages. The occasion also laid foundation for future explorations. The second fact is if there is so much concern over high expenditure on defence why go in for state-of-the-art combat aircraft and helicopters ranging from Eurocopters, Hawks and Typhoons to Rafale, Sukhois etc? Yet there is market available for all these and accessories that go with air defence and warfare. While the French Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, visited the Show on Saturday; the air display on the last day filled the light blue sky with scores of multi-colour parachutes as paratroopers dropped to the ground one after the other. It was a very warm, sunny day that saw many Parisians take off their shirts as they rubbed shoulders to have just one last look at the variety of air and space machines, sat in simulators of the fastest and deadliest aircraft and choppers, collected Show souvenirs and spent the week-end-picnicking. The Le Bourget airfield is silent. Another bi-annual show is over. The man marches onward and upward to new un-explored horizons of technology and space and the show shall go on. |
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73 feared dead as
typhoon hits China
Beijing, June 25 The typhoon, which left 30 persons missing or dead in Taiwan, slammed into the coastal town of Fuqing late on Saturday night, said the official from the town’s Civil Affairs Bureau. He said 21 persons in the town died, while 38 others were missing and three were injured. China’s official media has given no details at all about the typhoon and officials in other towns along the southeastern coast refused to comment on casualties or damage. The semi-official China News Service said the typhoon, packing force 12 winds, affected the coastal towns of Quanzhou, Ningde and Putian before it headed north towards Shanghai, which did not suffer serious damage. But the CNS said 52 houses were destroyed and 2,000 others were flooded on the island of Chongming, in the mouth of the Yangtze River north of Shanghai, after 24 hours of torrential rain.
AFP, ANI |
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22,820 evacuated as volcano simmers Legaspi (Philippines), June 25 Thin smoke rose from the crater of the mountain in the central region of Bicol at daybreak, as evacuees arrived at packed government schools beyond the 8-km danger zone declared by the government. No casualties have been reported. Local officials say people are well-drilled and cooperative after having endured frequent eruptions. Up to 80,000 persons were displaced in February, 2000. The civil defence office in Manila said 22,820 persons had been moved to safer areas since Mayon began erupting again on the weekend. The government and private relief workers were taking advantage of a lull in volcanic activity today to boost supplies and erect sanitation facilities for the evacuees. Chief government volcanologist Ernesto Corpuz said the crater was quietly extruding lava early today after an “intense activity lasting 1-2 hours” yesterday. “It’s not over yet,” he warned. “We can still expect major eruptions in the next few days or hours,” he added. Corpuz said sensors recorded volcanic tremors on the 8,141-foot mountain overnight, indicating that magma was still rising and “more explosions and lava flows are expected”.
AFP |
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Indo-China meeting on LAC on June 28 Beijing, June 25 The Chinese delegation, led by Deputy Director General of the Asian Department Sun Quoxiang is leaving for India tomorrow for the ninth meeting of the group. Other members of the delegation include experts from the Foreign Ministry, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and other departments. “We believe that this meeting will be helpful in maintaining peace in the area along the LAC,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said. The meeting is considered significant as both sides are to compare their maps and exchange views on the “middle sector” on the LAC that stretches 545 km from Himachal Pradesh to Uttaranchal. The exchange of maps of the “middle sector” is considered helpful to move towards the ultimate objective of drawing the LAC on the ground. A similar exercise is likely to take place as regard the western and eastern sector of the LAC. The western sector covers Ladakh while the eastern sector covers Arunachal Pradesh. India asserts that China is illegally occupying 43,180 sq km of Jammu and Kashmir including 5,180 sq km illegally ceded to Beijing by Pakistan under the Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement in 1963. On the other hand, China accuses India of possessing some 90,000 sq km of Chinese territory.
PTI |
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Kashmir talks path to peace: Jaswant Wellington, June 25 Mr Jaswant Singh, the first Indian External Affairs Minister to visit New Zealand, was speaking after talks with Prime Minister Helen Clark and top ministers. He said they discussed the upcoming summit between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf. “We discussed the recent developments in our neighbourhood and the projected visit by President Pervez Musharraf which is due in the middle of July,” he told reporters. “That process (talks) is a continuation of what India has always subscribed to, a path of dialogue and reconciliation,” he said. Mr Jaswant Singh said New Zealand and India shared a common position on Fiji, where rebels last year toppled the elected government led by ethnic Indian Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry. “We hope very much that elections are held peacefully, they are violence free and also that the electorate of Fiji provides a very stable answer to the issues that currently afflict that country,” he said.
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Nepal House session begins amid fears Kathmandu, June 25 It was the first sitting of the House after the gunning down of King Birendra and his family on June 1. King Gyanendra, who survived the massacre as he was away from Kathmandu, is likely to address the joint session on Friday and outline the government’s programmes and policies. Five opposition parties had repeatedly stalled proceedings during the previous session, blaming Mr Koirala for government irregularities over the lease of an aircraft. Eventually, that session did not do any business for 57 days, embarrassing the government led by Mr Koirala’s Nepali Congress. The Opposition is now alleging that Mr Koirala, who is the in charge of palace affairs, failed to inform the public swiftly about the massacre. Mr K.P. Sharma Oli, a leader of the main opposition party, the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), said: “The first day of Parliament will face no problem,” a clear hint that trouble could come in later days. He said the issue of the massacre would be raised in Parliament. The Minister for Paliamentary Affairs, Mr Mahantha Thakur, said the current session would discuss 15 Bills that were under consideration during the previous session and nine Bills registered in Parliament.
IANS |
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JVP opposes lifting ban
on LTTE Colombo, June 25 JVP parliamentarian and propaganda secretary Wimal Weerawansa has been quoted as saying by the state-owned newspaper today that the party was very concerned over the request made by the TELO (Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation) to lift the ban on the LTTE. The TELO is one of the three Tamil political parties, which have signed the United National Party-sponsored no-confidence motion against the government. The People’s Alliance government was reduced to a minority after one of its key allies — Sri Lanka Muslim Congress — withdrew support on Wednesday. A TELO MP has been quoted saying that his party had agreed to support the no-confidence motion after the UNP agreed to several LTTE demands, including the lifting of the ban on the Tiger movement. But UNP sources said the party had not given any such assurance. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said yesterday that the no-confidence motion against the People’s Alliance government would be defeated at the time of voting. “The dreams of those who were clamouring to topple the PA government would never be realised, when the Parliamentary voting on the motion takes place next month,” he said. “The government will continue to govern the country for the next six years unhindered, correctly utilising the people’s mandate it had obtained in the last elections,” he said. President Chandrika Kumaratunga has also said nobody can topple the government as a result of the crossover by a small section of a PA coalition.
UNI, AP |
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Sonia to address UN session New York, June 25 Ms Gandhi, who arrived here yesterday, was driven straight from the airport to the hotel due to security reasons, where local community leaders led by the Indian National Overseas Congress President, Mr Surinder Malhotra, welcomed her.
PTI |
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