My Experiences

Wars are won by logistics and India has a dire shortage of logistical aircraft/helicopters. At present, India's best logistical aircraft is C-17. But we have only 11 and rest are in need of replacement being at the end of life stage. On top of it, Boeing has stopped manufacturing more C-17s. This brings us to the conclusion, what next to satisfy India Army, Navy and Air Force logistical needs for air transport. C-17 capacity is 77 tons, while there is no other aircraft of similar capacity available today, There is A-400M with half the payload capacity but can carry diverse missions. e.g. Strategic/tactical lift due to its requirement of shorter runway length (1 km vs 2+ km). This can significantly enhance the fighting power of the military by providing them fast and reliable transport to and from battlefield. Present rotational time of 2+ years of battalions should be significantly reduced to 1+ years to reduce stress on soldiers.  And their operational requirements can be met quic

  Army insignias are used to denote the rank of the soldier and an officer. A soldier commands respect and authority both within army and outside among civilians as per their rank. The hierarchy within Army is depicted beautifully with gradual addition of the three basic insignias used in the Army. These are: 1.     Baton & Sword: It exemplifies the warrior and the leader for the soldier wearing it. Their skill in using the weapon and ability to perform their duty as part of the fighting unit is signified with this insignia. 2.     Star: This is used for JCOs today to signify the achievement of showing the proficiency in using weapons and merit achieved in officer training. It signifies leadership ability too and ability to inspire others. 3.     Ashoka emblem: This is the seal of the Government of India. It signifies the authority and leadership ability.      Below figure shows the arrangement of the above three insignias for the officers in the Indian army. We can see t