By IANS
New Delhi : Network centric warfare (NCW), a concept that is only now taking root in much of the developed world and is virtually non-existent in the Third World, is at an advanced stage in India and is set to expand exponentially in the future, a top commander says.
“We are already on course. In fact, there is no other network that is operating as well as in any developed country as it is in India,” the Indian Army’s Signals Officer-in-Chief, Lt. Gen. S.P. Sree Prakash, said here Sunday.
NCW relates to the transfer of data in real time from the lowest soldier to the highest general and the ability of the network to integrate the data into useful information on operational, tactical and strategic levels irrespective of geographical locations.
“Network centricity and network connectivity is already in existence. We are in place and we are also geared up to take care of modernisation or replacement of the existing system,” Prakash told IANS.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the 97th anniversary of the Corps of Signals that is responsible for maintaining the Indian Army’s 24X7 communications network.
“We are the catalysts in the Indian Army’s march towards any revolution in military affairs in general or in particular when we talk about network centric warfare,” Prakash explained.
In this context, he noted that Signals had already upgraded the Army Radio Engineering Network (AREN) that was being used by the three strike corps and was about to launch the fourth phase of the Army Static Communication Network (ASCON) backbone to enable voice, data and video links to the smallest of fighting units in the field.
“ASCON has been planned in five phases. Due to financial constraints, the money is given in phases. We’ve gone on to finish phase three. For phase four, a RFP (request for proposal) has been given to ministry of defence for approval and we will soon be issuing it.
“Once all the five phases of ASCON are completed, there will a pan-India network to connect all formations whether in field or peace locations,” Prakash added.
“The system is functioning very effectively. What happens is that in every phase, technology is something that is always changing. So, every phase has to keep pace with the contemporary technology plus it is also has to get integrated with the legacy (existing) system.
“That is the challenge. Up to phase three, we have been able to achieve this integration and I am sure this will also be possible in the remaining two phases,” the officer maintained.
“We have already fielded one phase of the CDMA cellular network in the (Udhampur-based) Northern Command (that is responsible for guarding Jammu and Kashmir). I can guarantee you that we are ahead as far as the requirements of the Indian Army and the defence services are concerned.
“When new demands come, we are already ready,” Prakash added.
He also noted that today the aspirations of the users are very high.
“At one point of time, when you could speak to each other on telephone, you were happy. Then you shifted to data exchange. Now you have video. You have live coverage. That actually is network centricity when you’re looking at every element of connectivity in three elements – speech, data and video,” Prakash pointed out.