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Nepal requests India for light attack helicopters

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

Nepal has requested India to urgently supply Lancer light attack helicopters -- manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited -- along with other ammunitions, artillery pieces, engineering equipment, vehicles and other military wares to augment its ongoing operations against Maoist rebels.

King Gyanendra declared internal emergency in Nepal on Monday evening, giving sweeping powers to the army, which has now been deployed in full swing to fight the Maoists who have been spreading terror since Friday last.

Sources said the Nepalese army authorities requested the Indian Army to expedite the supply of the military wares for which orders have already been placed.

"They want us to expedite the supply. The orders were placed some time back," said a senior Indian army official.

Nepal's interest in Lancer stems from the fact that the Nepali authorities would be stepping in whatever air power available with them to fight the Maoists who infest and rule the tough mountainsides of Nepal.

The small attack helicopter with a Cheetah airframe is specially designed for surveillance, patrolling, and for carrying out attacks on enemy.

"Lancer are perfect for them," said a senior army official in New Delhi.

While there is no confirmation about the Lancer demand, or when it would be supplied, sources in army headquarters said, they would 'try and speed up' the supply of armaments and other equipment.

The request for speeding up the supplies was also made by Nepal army chief, who landed in New Delhi on Sunday, while rushing back cutting short a visit to Germany.

He had called on Indian Army Chief General S Padmanabhan.

Nepal army chief enjoys the status of honorary Chief of Army Staff in India, and the Indian army chief is bestowed the same privilege in Nepal.

The Sunday call on was significant, as it came two days after the Maoists started violence on Friday.

Nepal army is not only going to depend heavily on Indian arms and ammunition in its litmus test, but also on about 15 officers and other ranks who have undergone counter-insurgency training in India in the northeast.

COIN (Counter Insurgency) training started in India for Nepali army personnel only about a year back, 'based on specific request of the Nepal army', officials said.

Nepal has been discussing the possibility of deploying the army against Maoists for a few years now.

But former King Birendra had been resisting the move, and only agreed to army's involvement in social developmental work in Maoist affected region.

Nepal is in the process of creating an Armed Police Force, a paramilitary outfit, for dealing with internal crises such as the Maoist insurgency.

Some elements of the APF have been training in India.

However, the crisis precipitated much ahead of all assessments.

The Nepal army, now going in for full deployment against Maoists, has basically been a ceremonial army that is aware that it can not win a conflict with China or India, their two neighbours.

Nepali army, with a total strength of about 40,000, is basically a protegee of India.

Till a few years back, their entire officer cadres used to be trained at the National Defence Academy, Kadakwasala and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

Recently, Nepal army has set up its own military academy.

Nepal officers and other ranks still undergo training in various defence institutes of India.

In fact, officials said that Nepal army personnel constitute the largest number of foreign soldiers training in India.

A substantial portion of the Nepal army's equipment and weapons are also Indian.

The Nepal army soldier's personal weapon, 7.62 SLR rifle, is Indian.

The Nepalis also possess a large amount of artillery pieces, parachutes, engineering equipment and several vehicles provided by India at a 'friendly price'.

India has also gifted them four Chetak helicopters that form part of the 11 Air Brigade of the Nepal army.

Nepal has no airforce, the 11 Air Brigade has three transport planes, including an Avro, four Chetaks, and seven other helicopters.

The Air Brigade is being expanded with two more Russian built Mi-8s, sources said.

Though, Nepal no more adheres to the old understanding with India to first exploit Indian military wares before approaching another country, India still remains a key logistical provider of the Hindu kingdom's army.

In 1989, it was RNA's purchase of some anti-aircraft guns from China that irritated India and finally snowballed into the economic blockade against Nepal.

If India heeds to Nepal army's SOS, then the Himalayan kingdom's army would receive ammunition of all types, some artillery pieces, more vehicles, including Maruti Gypsys, some engineering equipment, and possibly one or two fast attack helicopters.

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