A.K. Antony’s Seoul Mission

As I mentioned in my previous entry, New Delhi isn’t sitting idly by as China is busy enlarging its strategic footprints around India. Another example of how India’s defence establishment is becoming increasingly China-centric (compared with even the recent past, when it was obsessed with Pakistan) is the visit from tomorrow by Defence Minister A.K. Antony to South Korea—the first time an Indian defence minister has undertaken an official trip to Seoul.


It won’t just be Beijing watching closely—Japan will be too, considering its complicated relationship with South Korea (the Japanese won’t have forgotten, after all, how in 2005 South Korea led the ‘Coffee Club’ of more than 40 countries against the so-called G-4 bid of Japan, India, Germany and Brazil for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council).
 
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BrahMos aims to create $13 billion order book

Economic Times

Brahmos, the missile joint venture between India and Russia, is inviting a lot of global attention, particularly from South America, Middle East, Asia Pacific and African regions, a senior defence official told ET. With this newfangled demand BrahMos aims at creating an order book of $13 billion for the indigenously-built Brah-Mos.

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Honorary IAF Rank for Sachin Tendulkar

CrickBlog

Sachin Tendulkar for the Air Force? No. The Indian cricketer is not quitting cricket for the forces but he is set to join their ranks!

The Air Force has proposed that Tendulkar be made honorary Group Captain in the IAF, the draft of which has been forwarded to the defense ministry as well as to the Prime Minister’s Office and the President of India for final ratification.

If the decision goes through, it wil be the second time that a cricketer, a civilian, is given an honorary position in the forces. Kapil Dev, the Indian captain of the 1983 World Cup, was awarded the honorary Colonel rank in the Indian Army. He had the opportunity of interacting and amiring the valour of the Indian troops on that occasion. Now Sachin may get a taste for flying and get his own ‘wings’.

While some may be asking: what does Sachin have to do with the Armed Forces? It appears the effort is to not only appreciate Tendulkar’s role as a proud Indian but also, as Sachin’s face to boost the image of the Indian Air Force, though one wonders if it will motivate others to actually join the IAF because of him.