Indian Military Update

@ The Indian Army has won the struggle to control the Agni-II missile and will form a new Strategic Rocket Regiment to control it. Agni-II will apparently be carried on railroad cars; it reportedly takes a crew of 150 to operate each missile. The 333rd Missile Group controls the shorter-ranged Prithvi missiles.

@ The Indian Comptroller and Auditor General has blamed the Ministry of Defense for delaying the replacement of older aircraft (and the upgrading of equipment on aircraft scheduled to remain in service) for the astronomical accident rates among Indian military aircraft.

@ India has asked Israel to send counter-insurgency experts to help it fight the growing uprising in Kashmir. India recently declared the entire state of Kashmir to be "disturbed"; this gives any military officer or NCO (but not privates) the legal right to shoot to kill anyone suspected of wrongdoing. This life-and-death authority is to be used only when "necessary to do so for the maintenance of public order". Officers or NCOs who decide to fire (or order a private to fire) are to give "such due warning as he may consider necessary".--Stephen V Cole