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Showing posts from January, 2020

J&K: Three Pakistani Terrorists Killed In An Encounter With Security Forces On Jammu-Srinagar Highway

The Security forces gunned down three terrorists in an encounter at Bann Toll Plaza on Srinagar-Jammu national highway in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday (31 January), reports The New Indian Express. One policeman has also sustained injuries in the ongoing encounter and has been hospitalised. According to the report, the security forces have stopped the vehicular movement on the highway linking Jammu and Kashmir as the encounter is still underway. The encounter began in the early hours of Friday (31 January) after the J&K police intercepted a Srinagar bound truck at Bann Toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar highway. The police said the terrorists travelling in the truck fired on them, forcing the cops to return fire, triggering an encounter. As per the report, after the initial gun fight, two terrorists travelling in the truck fled and ran away into nearby areas. The security personnel were conducting searches for the terrorists and as a security measure, the vehicular t

Operation Vanilla: All You Need to Know about Indian Navy’s support to Madagascar

Indian Navy has launched ‘Operation Vanilla’ on January 28 to help flood-hit Madagascar. Indian Navy’s Airavat has been reached at Madagascar on January 30. Indian Navy’s large amphibious ship will provide all necessary assistance to disaster-hit Madagascar. Madagascar is a country located in the Indian Ocean which about 400 kilometers away from the coast of East Africa. Madagascar is the world’s second-largest island country after Greenland. According to government agencies, India stands in solidarity with Madagascar during a national disaster. About Madagascar Disaster: Madagascar affected by the cyclone Diane recently. About 92,000 people have been affected due to floods in the country. President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, has requested the international community to help the country with all possible measures. Heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides caused the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of a large number of people. About Operation Vanilla: Indian Navy Ship

India celebrates 71st Army Day in Pune

The Army Day is celebrated every year on 15 January to mark the taking over of the Indian Army by the first Indian Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General (Later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa, OBE, on the 15 January 1948. He took over the reins of the Indian Army from Lieutenant General Sir Francis Butcher, KBE, CB, MC, the last British Commander-in-Chief. The day is marked by ceremonial events all over India.To commemorate this momentous occasion, the Southern Command organised a wreath laying ceremony at National War Memorial at Pune to pay homage to those who made supreme sacrifice while safeguarding the sovereignty of the nation. The event was graced by Lieutenant General SK Saini, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command who laid the wreath in remembrance of the martyrs. On this 72nd Army Day, the brave officers and soldiers of the Southern Command resolve to uphold the glorious traditions of the Indian Army

India may invite Australia for Malabar naval exercise with US & Japan

India is considering inviting Australia to take part in its trilateral Malabar naval exercise with the US and Japan this year, which if it happens will mark the first time the “Quad” countries will come together for the high-voltage combat manoeuvers on the high seas after a gap of 13 years. There is “a move by India to include Australia” in the 24th Malabar exercise, which will be held in the Bay of Bengal in July-August after the monsoons, but “the final decision is yet be taken”, said sources on Tuesday. Australian diplomatic sources, on being contacted by TOI, said, “We have a very strong bilateral defence relationship with India. We would be glad to consider all opportunities to engage with the Indian military”. An Australian warship, Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba, incidentally, is also currently in Mumbai on a four-day visit. The move to include Australia in Malabar, if it actually translates into reality, will come after India also agreed last year to upgrade the “Quad” dia

Our govt cleared the stalled purchase of Rafale aircraft for IAF: Narendra Modi

The BJP government cleared the work which had been stalled for more than three decades leading to the inclusion of Rafale aircraft in the fleet of Indian Air Force (IAF), said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. "For over 30 years not a single next-generation fighter plane was added to IAF's fleet. Our ageing aircrafts used to meet with accidents, fighter pilots kept getting martyred but the people responsible for getting the new planes had no concern," Modi said at the National Cadet Corps (NCC) rally at Cariappa grounds in New Delhi. "Should we have let that continue? Should we have allowed the Air Force to get weakened? No. We cleared the work which was stalled for more than 30 years and today I am happy that India has got the next-generation fighter plane Rafale and it will fly in the country's skies soon," Modi added. Modi further said that the Centre had not only approved the purchase of adequate bulletproof jackets for its own soldiers, but it is

With Over 1,000 companies DefExpo 2020 will be the biggest ever: Defence Ministry

The Defence Expo 2020 in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow city is going to be by far the biggest expo as a high number of companies have registered this year. The number of international companies confirming their presence at the expo has also gone up as compared to previous expos. Ministry of Defence (MoD) in its release said, 'The number of companies registered for participating in the 11th edition of the biennial mega defence exhibition, DefExpo 2020, to be held at Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow between February 5-9, 2020; has reached 1,000. In the DefExpo 2018, held in Chennai, 702 companies had participated. Thus, it has become by far the biggest ever DefExpo to be held in India.' The number of participating foreign companies has also increased to 165 from the previous figure of 160 as informed by the Ministry. Apart from this, over 70 countries are expected to participate. The booked exhibition space by exhibitors for DefExpo 2020 has gone up by 60 per cent to over 42,800 squar

IAF's Tejas vs PAF's JF-17 Thunder: Which One is the Better Home-Made Fighter Jet

In the early hours of February 26, 2019, 12 Indian Air Force Mirage-2000 fighter jets from Dassault Aviation, the French company who also manufactures the Rafale Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircrafts, entered Pakistani airspace and dropped 1,000-kg laser-guided bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror launch pads across the Line of Control. The very next day, Pakistan Air Force deployed its US sourced F-16 Falcon and Pakistan-China co-developed JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. Pakistan recently updated its homemade JF-17 Thunder to add more firepower to the jet that competes against the IAF’s Tejas LCA. Here’s how the Indian Air Force’s Tejas LCA and Pakistan Air Force’s JF-17 Thunder stack against each other: History :: Tejas LCA: India has long borrowed its fighter jets from countries like Russia, France and Britain under a license agreement to manufacture it locally by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. However, back in the 1980s, HAL started the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme to replace the age

India plans 5,000-km range Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile

With the K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile completing the development stage and ready for induction, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has gone back to the drawing board to develop a 5,000km-range submarine-launched platform that matches the surface-to-surface Agni-V missile, according to senior officials. The 5,000km-range submarine-launched ballistic missile will carry the same K-series label and will cover all of Asia, parts of Africa, Europe and Indo-Pacific including South China Sea, the officials added. While the details remain classified and the DRDO tight-lipped, the officials said that after testing the 3,500km-range K-4 missile twice in one week, the weapon is now fully developed with fixed parameters and is ready to be inducted on INS Arihant class of nuclear submarines. The solid fuelled K-4 is a three-metre tall missile with accuracy within 100 metres of its over one tonne nuclear warhead. Both the tests were conducted using underwater pontoon

Indian Air Force Lands AN-32 Flying on Biofuel Near China Border

The Indian Air Force is aiming to cut fuel costs by around $4 billion by 2024. With the successful landing of the biofuel- blend-powered transport aircraft at a height of around 3,524 metres, the force will gradually move to use the fuel in other aircraft as well. The An-32 twin-engine military aircraft, flying on a 10% biofuel blend successfully landed at Leh, bordering arch-rival China on Friday. Leh, at the altitude of 3,524 metres above sea levels, is a strategically important airfield, located just 250 km from the China border. Last year, IAF’s formidable workhorse the AN-32 aircraft was formally fleet certified to fly on blended aviation fuel containing up to 10% of indigenous bio-jet fuel. Before landing in the Himalayan region, the IAF had undertaken a series of evaluation tests and trials with this green aviation fuel for the last two years. The IAF had claimed in the past, that the scope of these checks was in “consonance with international aviation standards”. The bio-jet fu

Host of indigenously-developed military systems of DRDO to be showcased at DefExpo

More than 500 products from various technology clusters will be displayed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at the upcoming five-day Defence Expo 2020 in Lucknow, officials said on Friday. The 11th edition of the biennial mega event will be held from February 5-9. "The DRDO will exhibit more than 500 products from all technology clusters in the five-day mega expo in line with the theme of the event 'Digital Transformation of Defence'," the Defence Ministry said in a statement. The DRDO will display a number of products in the India Pavilion at DefExpo, which has been set up to showcase the combined strength of the DRDO, public and private sector in defence manufacturing, it said. ADVERTISING Ads by Teads "Over 500 products from various technology clusters will be displayed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at the DefExpo 2020," the statement said. The display of various indigenously-developed military syste

K4 test and new fighter base boost India’s Act East Policy

India’s decision to test the K4 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) and to establish a new base of Sukhoi-30 fighter jets not far from the Bay of Bengal coast is adding new teeth to its Act East Policy. It is also reinforcing lines of contact with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — a giant connectivity project on land and sea. The 3,500-km range K4 missile, which can be launched from Arihant class nuclear submarines, add a new dimension to India’s second strike capability—the ability to carry out a retaliatory nuclear attack after absorbing an initial strike by an atomic weapon. The newly acquired heft to carry out a crushing nuclear counterattack with an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), from a concealed underwater platform, steels India’s nuclear deterrent. Nuclear triad :: India has been developing its nuclear triad, enabling launch of atomic weapons from land, air and sea, following the 1998 atomic tests. The K4’s 3,500 km reach, which can cover the entire

Controp to supply Indian Army with iSky 50HD uav electro-optic system

The iSky-50HD is a member of CONTROP’s iSky family of lightweight, compact EO/IR observation systems, which have been specifically designed for use in challenging airborne environments. The iSky-50HD features highly-sensitive multi-spectral sensors, which are gyro-stabilized and have advanced image processing algorithms,thereby providing maximum sensor ranges and performance,for a variety of airborne defence applications. In daily operation around the world since the 1990s, the iSky systems are integrated into a wide variety of UAV, helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft and aerostat platforms. “Winning this tender confirms CONTROP’s leadership in the field of electro-optic systems,” says Mr. Hagay Azani, CONTROP’s CEO & President. “We are very proud to have been awarded this strategic tender, which reflects our deep commitment to supporting the Indian Armed Forces with the latest technology. The DRDO tested several systems and concluded that our technology and pricing was best suited to

ISRO to send lady robot 'Vyomamitra' in unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft ahead of human spaceflight

Even before orbiting astronauts on India's first manned mission to space in December 2021, the Indian Space Research Organisation will send 'Vyomamitra,' a lady robot, in unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft. The robot was the centre of attraction at the inaugural session of the "Human Spaceflight and Exploration - Present Challenges and Future Trends" on Wednesday. Vyomamitra, a combination of two Sanskrit words Vyoma (Space) and Mitra (Friend), took everyone by surprise when she introduced herself to the audience gathered there. "Hello everyone. I am Vyomamitra, the prototype of the half-humanoid, been made for the first unmanned Gaganyaan mission," the robot said. Explaining about the role in the mission, she said, "I can monitor though module parameters, alert you and perform life support operations. I can perform activities like switch panel operations..." The robot said she can also be a companion and converse with the astronauts, recognise them

‘ISRO played vital role in national security’

Narayana Inamdar, former scientist at Indian Space Research Organisation , Hyderabad and National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Maryland-USA, said that the India’s space capabilities helped its Armed forces acquire actionable intelligence on the trouble zones and terrorist launch pads that were destroyed during the recent surgical strikes by India’s military. Addressing students at the inaugural function of the three-day Innovation Festival organised by the District Science Centre here on Tuesday, Mr. Inamdar said that after the surgical strikes, ISRO highlighted, for the first time its role in India’s national security. There are also some recent surgical strikes where ISRO played a pivotal role by helping the Indian Army specifically target terror pads. Former Deputy Director of National Remote Sensing Agency, ISRO, Hyderabad, Dilsukh Jain said it had launched several sounding rockets and GSLV-Mark 3. SOURCE : Defence News

Defence secy reviews work on indigenous aircraft carrier

The Empowered Apex Committee (EAC), headed by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, reviewed the progress in the construction of India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (Vikrant) at the Cochin Shipyard on Monday. The team included Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ashok Kumar, Chief of Materiel Vice Admiral G S Pabby, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition from Integrated Headquarters (IHQ) MoD (Navy) Vice Admiral S R Sarma and senior officers from Warship Overseeing Team and Carrier Acceptance and Trials Team. The team critically examined the current status of the project as the IAC is in a very advanced stage of construction and is scheduled to commence basin trials soon, followed by the sea trials in mid-2020. IAC construction is in an advanced state with the starting of all four gas turbines and main engines. The power generation systems, comprising eight diesel alternators, are ready and trials of the vessel’s major systems and auxiliary equipment are in progress. Source:

'Difficult to Predict But We're Prepared': CDS Bipin Rawat on War Scenario with Pakistan

Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Monday said it was very difficult to predict if a scenario of a war with Pakistan would emerge or not but all the defence services were prepared to take on any challenge. The top general, who inducted the Sukhoi-30 MKI squadron here, was responding to a question about any possibility of a war emerging between India and Pakistan. "All the defence services are tasked to be prepared for any option that may emerge. It is very difficult to predict a scenario. But, we are always prepared for any task that may be assigned to us," Gen Rawat said. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) said his new role was aimed at integrating defence systems and the three services (the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force). It was for this reason the post of CDS was created, he said. "...we will keep moving towards better integration and jointness," Rawat, who was appointed the country's first Chief of Defence Staff on December 30 last year, added

More oil from the US? India’s energy security to be top priority when Trump-Modi meet

Discussions around India's energy security will top the agenda during US President Donald Trump’s proposed visit to India this year. Though no specific dates have been announced for Trump’s visit, officials from various sectors of both countries have met frequently in recent months. Energy is an important component in the Indo-US trade mix, and currently, India imports around $4 billion worth of oil and gas from the United States of America. The ongoing US-Iran imbroglio has affected India’s energy supplies. This will have a cascading effect on India's strategic oil reserves and is expected to affect the country's refining capacity as it is a critical source of export earnings and has strategic implications. The crude imports from the US are expected to go up to around 10 million tonnes (MT) in the current fiscal year, which is likely to double after Trump's visit. India had to stop the import of crude oil from Iran last year after the Trump administration refused to gi

HAL has designs on a full LCA for Navy

After playing a prominent supporting role in the Light Combat Aircraft naval prototype’s tricky landing and take-off debuts from a Navy ship last week-end, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd eyes the prospect of fully designing and developing a twin-engine fighter plane for the Navy if or when an occasion comes up. Asked what the successful twin acts of naval protytpe NP2 mean for its manufacturer HAL, company Chairman and Managing Director R. Madhavan said the recent ship-based trials will, of course, not translate to business from the Navy unless a twin-engined fighter project formalises from the Force. Mr. Madhavan said, “It is our desire that the twin-engine Navy project be given to us so that we can design LCA-Navy as required. Such a step will lead to speeding up the project.” HAL has already been deeply involved in the ongoing deck trials of the two naval prototypes; it has produced them for the Defence Research & Development Organisation DRDO. The defence public sector company has c