The Situation Report

16th August 1998

Hi-tech for Tiger hunt

A Joint Operations Command is re-born

By Iqbal Athas

Chief Information Officers of Fortune 500 companies met in Aspen, a city in the west central US state of Colorado, late last month, to hear of a subject far distant from their day to day public relations chores.

A senior Defence Department official was telling them about the unprecedented changes taking place in warfare. "We are on the edge of breaking through network centric warfare," Deputy Secretary of Defence, John J. Hamre, said. He is the 'chief operating officer' of the Defence Department under which 1.4 million men and women serve on active duty in the uniformed services. That is besides another 800,000 civilians who work there.

The new changes, according to Hamre, comes from the way information technology is being brought into the core of the war. He spoke of the technology which will soon be within reach. "We will have a device about the size of a watch that will be worn by our average soldier that will monitor vital signs," he said.

Hamre predicted: "When a squad is deployed at night, the sergeant does not have to wonder if a private has fallen asleep in a foxhole (bunker). He can see it on a monitor. If one of our soldiers got hit, you don't necessarily have to send out a couple of guys to try to get him and find out he's already dead and put more lives at risk when you're in a firefight."

He declared that "we are putting computers on-board airplanes along with pilots that serve as co-pilot for all practical purposes, giving that pilot extra situational awareness, cueing and advice. We're going to be able to put inside a tank a monitor with a graphic picture of the entire battlefield for that tank commander. You can't imagine how limiting your perspective is when you are inside a tank, buttoned up, bouncing all over, maybe wearing chemical protective gear, trying to have some idea where the enemy is and where your own friendly forces are."

"We were still massing people close to each other, side by side so the soldiers could hear shouted orders. Firepower technology had advanced, however, so that cannon could mow people down. That's why there were so many casualties in the (American) Civil War, because communications technology still relied on people standing close enough to hear an order. We're now moving into a much more interesting and highly leveraged dimension where a person who launches the missile doesn't have to see the target. We're going to be sharing information across a network and still be able to attack and destroy an opponent. This dramatically improves the survivability of our own forces….,"he said.

Hamre describes this will bring about a "wholly different world where people don't have to see each other and yet, they can operate together as a combined arms team. Its dramatic what we're going to be able to do."

As revolutionary changes portend to dramatise warfare as a new millennium is round the corner, the modern technologies of yesterday which the innovators are putting behind them, are beginning to invade the conflict zones of poorer, developing nations. Joining this club in the recent weeks has been Sri Lanka.

The military establishment has decided to bring in highly sophisticated technology to supplement its increasingly modernising arsenal to counter terrorism. A high level team headed by a senior Brigadier is now evaluating a multi million rupee deal in this regard. Military officials say a finality would be reached within the next few weeks.

Yesterday, a high powered three member Army team left for a leading capital to negotiate procurements which included sophisticated hardware. Described as controversial by some well informed sections of the defence establishment, at least one segment of this deal is said to be over 23 million US dollars or Rs 1518 million. The powerful and the influential were wined and dined by sales teams that occupied the luxury suites of Colombo's leading hotels.

Deals to bring in more sophisticated technology, amounting to over Rs 350 million, are now under evaluation whilst others are at the preliminary stage of the procurement process. Yet others which have been concluded have just begun to arrive. For obvious reasons one cannot elaborate on the deals in question or itemise the vast volume of procurements that is dramatically updating the technology and military sophistication to greater levels. That is in the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

Improving the capabilities of the Sri Lanka Navy, in particular, has drawn special attention. In a foreword to the 101st edition of Jane's Fighting Ships (1998-99), out last week, Captain Richard Sharpe observes "An unusual tribute to the importance of sea power, even in local confrontations, was paid by the President of Sri Lanka last November, when she said, "If we had upgraded our Navy earlier, the problem of Tamil separatist terrorism would not have taken the present form.' Ships continue to be sunk on both sides and there are further plans to increase investment in the Navy."

A reference is being made to the increasing volume of procurements with the objective of highlighting two vital factors. First is the all important factor of the enormously heavy expenditure the war is taking. The current year's budgetary allocation is Rs 49 billion. There is no doubt that the new procurements running into a few billions will see an unprecedented high in the defence budget . In other words, billions are being poured for more firepower and more sophistication.

The second important factor is the fact that procurements to revolutionise the military comes in the backdrop of the ongoing "Operation Jaya Sikurui" (Victory Assured) which completed its fifteenth month yesterday. The man who has run the military machine against the LTTE so far, General Anuruddha Ratwatte, has declared that the ongoing separatist war was at a "decisive phase." He has strongly objected to the conduct of the Provincial Council elections until this phase is through. He has placed November, this year, as the latest deadline by which he hopes to complete "Operation Jaya Sikurui" and establish a Main Supply Route to Jaffna.

Hence it is no military secret to say that major confrontations are on the cards when "Operation Jaya Sikurui" gets into top gear anytime now, firstly for the recapture of the strategic junction of Mankulam and thereafter for a link up at Kilinochchi to facilitate a land based Main Supply Route to the Jaffna peninsula. It is also not a secret to note that troops would have to face a less formidable but difficult enemy - the onset of the north east monsoon. Heavy downpour last year forced tanks and even recovery vehicles to get bogged down in deep layers of mud. The bunkers flooded causing a hepatitis epidemic that affected over 600 soldiers.

According to military records, the ongoing separatist war began on October 15, 1981. Two armed guerrillas shot dead Lance Corporal Hewawasam and Private Tissera at Kankesanthurai Road in Jaffna thus challenging state power. The Army then had a combined strength of nearly 10,000 officers and men. Today, it has grown over twelve fold. Similarly the other two forces, the Police and other auxiliary units adding to a total of well over 175,000. The growth followed the exacerbation of the separatist insurrection after the ethnic violence in 1983. In that year, the LTTE was a rag tag group of some 50 cadres.

Last year, Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte, estimated the LTTE strength at 2,500 in an interview he gave an English weekly. But senior military officials say the number was much higher.

If the coming weeks are going to be "decisive" in the battlefields of the Wanni, another significant development which was equally decisive came last week.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, approved the setting up of a Joint Operations Command (JOC) to direct and control all counter terrorism activity.

Technically the JOC came into effect from August 3, when the Ministry of Defence appointed Lt. Gen. Rohan de S. Daluwatte, as the General Officer Commanding (GOC). He is to hold this post in addition to his duties as Commander of the Sri Lanka Army.

The decision to set up a JOC came after the authorities examined several proposals. They included one recommendation for the setting up of a unified military command to be headed by the senior-most service commander who was to be designated Joint Chief of Staff. Another was a proposal to set up a National Operations Council (NOC).

The Joint Operations Command, based in Colombo, is to soon take over the task of directing and controlling all counter terrorism activity including operations. Until it becomes fully operational, the existing Vavuniya based Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH) will continue. The JOH is under the operational control of Major General Srilal Weerasuriya, Overall Operations Commander (OOC). He is also Chief of Staff of the Army.

Even before the decision was made to set up a Joint Operations Command (JOC), there was speculation in the vernacular media that Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Cecil Tissera, was to be appointed Joint Chief of Staff.

When reports surfaced again, this time in the English media, Mrs Manel Tissera was the cynosure of all eyes at a Navy Seva Vanitha function early this week. Many sought to extend congratulations. Like her husband, Mrs Tissera was surprised too.

Vice Admiral Tissera was deluged with congratulatory calls early this week but told his well wishers he knew nothing of such an appointment. Even as he was being congratulated, the Ministry of Defence, had, I understand, notified Lt. Gen. Daluwatte of his appointment as GOC of the new joint military apparatus.

A Joint Operations Command (JOC) was set up for the first time when President J.R. Jayewardene, was in office. The first GOC was General Tissa (Bull) Weeratunga. He was followed by General Cyril Ranatunga and later by General Hamilton Wanasinghe.

In September, 1993, however, the previous government scrapped the JOC and established a high powered Defence Co-ordinating Committee in its place. Among its tasks were to prepare strategic plans, establish unified commands in strategic areas, collectively carry out anti-terrorist operations and co-ordinate with civilian authorities.

Now that a new phase of procurements and modernisation is under way, and a Joint Operations Command has come into place, the coming weeks and months will certainly be decisive, for the nation, not merely the ongoing phase of the separatist war.

Fifth Column

Editorial/Opinion Contents