1. India gets Rafale's 36th and last aircraft from France
Tags: Defence National News
Rafale, the last of the 36 IAF Rafale aircraft, has landed in New Delhi after refuelling by a UAE Air Force tanker aircraft after taking off from France.
Important facts
With the landing of the last Rafale aircraft, the delivery of 36 Rafale fighter jets to the country has been completed.
The first batch of five state-of-the-art Rafale fighter jets arrived in India on July 29, 2021, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 aircraft at a cost of around Rs 60,000 crore.
Earlier, according to the deal, France had handed over 35 Rafale fighter jets to India.
These jets are stationed at Ambala, Haryana and Hashimara in West Bengal.
The 36th aircraft with RB tail number has been handed over to India by France and all its parts and other components have been replaced as it was being used for upgrading.
About Rafale aircraft
It is a French twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation Company of France.
It was introduced in the year 2001.
State-of-the-art technology has been used in it and it is a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft.
The Meteor missile, SCALP cruise missile and MICA missile system present in it make it very important from the point of view of security.
It can fly at a speed of 2,222 kilometres per hour and a height of 50,000 feet.
Its length is about 15.27 meters and it can carry 9,500 kg of bombs and ammunition at a time.
2. India-Kazakhstan joint military exercise "KAZIND - 2022" to begin in Umroi, Meghalaya
Tags: Defence National News
The 6th Edition of Indo - Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22” is scheduled to be conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya from 15 to 28 December 2022.
Important facts
Troops of the Kazakhstan Army, including troops from the regional command, 11 Gorkha Rifles and troops from the Indian Army will participate in the exercise.
Aim of the exercise is to build positive military relations, imbibe each other’s best practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking counter terrorist operations in semi urban / jungle scenario, under a UN peace enforcement mandate.
This joint exercise will enable the two armies to train, plan and execute a series of combined tactical drills for neutralising of likely threats that may be encountered in UN peacekeeping operations.
The scope of this exercise involves a Command Post Exercise (CPX) at the Battalion level and Company level Field Training Exercise (FTX) on sub-conventional operations.
During the exercise, participants will engage in a variety of missions ranging from joint planning, joint tactical drills, basics of special arms skills, HADR and raiding a hostile target.
About exercise “KAZIND"
Joint annual training exercise with the Kazakhstan Army was instituted in 2016 as Exercise Prabal Dostyk, which was later upgraded to a company level exercise and renamed as Ex Kazind in 2018.
3. Indian and Indonesia Navy conducts the 39th Edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT)
Tags: Defence
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The 39th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy is being conducted from 08 – 19 December 2022.
The CORPAT will be executed along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) from 15 to 16 December 2022 and will conclude at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar.
Along with INS Karmuk, L-58 (indigenously built Landing Craft Utility vessel) and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft will be participating in the CORPAT. KRI Cut Nyak Dien, a Kapitan Pattimura Class Corvette, would represent the Indonesian side.
Coordinated Patrol
India conducts Coordinated Patrol with the navies of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and France.
The main aim of conducting the coordinated petrol between two navies is to strengthen mutual understanding and enhanced interoperability between both the navies in countering transnational maritime threats at sea.
4. Indian Army's Airawat Division conducted Ex Sanchaar Bodh
Tags: Defence
Indian Army's Airawat Division conducted Ex Sanchaar Bodh in extensive obstacle ridden terrain of Punjab.
Important facts
Tactical communication capabilities were validated in the exercise.
The determination to win at any cost in the face of adversity was confirmed in practice.
About Indian Army's Airawat Division
The Indian 1 Armoured Division, under II Corps, is headquartered at Patiala.
The 1 Armoured Division, nicknamed the "Black Elephant" or "Airawat" Division, is considered to be the pride of the Indian Army.
Elephants have been regarded as precious and majestic since the "puranic" era.
The supremacy of Elephant is also well illustrated in the Hindu Mythology.
The 1 Armoured Division played a major role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
At that time the Division consisted of 2 Royal Lancers, 4 Hodson's Horse, 7 Light Cavalry, 16 'Black Elephant' Cavalry, 17 Cavalry (Poona Horse), 18 Cavalry and 62 Cavalry.
5. Japan, Britain and Italy to jointly build sixth generation fighter jets
Tags: Defence International News
Japan, Britain and Italy are merging their next-generation jet fighter projects to build an advanced front-line 6th generation fighter into operation by 2035. It is for the first time that Japan is collaborating in a defence project without the participation of the United States of America since World War Two. It is seen as a move by Japan to counter an increasingly assertive China and Russia in the region.
The project will merge the British-led Future Combat Air System project, also known as Tempest, with Japan's F-X programme in a venture called the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
Britain's BAE Systems, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Italy's Leonardo will lead design of the aircraft, which will have advanced digital capabilities in AI and cyber warfare.
The newly developed fighter plane will replace Britain’s Typhoon fighters and Japan’s F -22 fighter plane.
Britain, Italy and Japan are part of the US fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter program and parts of the planes are assembled in Italy and Japan. The new jet is not expected to affect the F-35 program.
China and Russia also are developing the 6th generation fighter plane. At present China has 5th generation fighter planes J-20 and J-31, while the Russian 5th generation planes are Su-57.
India which has the Rafale fighter plane is considered to be a 4.5 generation plane.
6. Indian Navy to participate in the first International Fleet Review of the Bangladesh Navy
Tags: Defence
Indian Navy ships Kochi, Kavaratti and Sumedha arrived in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh to participate in the maiden International Fleet Review (IFR) being conducted by the Bangladesh Navy (BN). The ships are taking part in a variety of activities being conducted as a part of BN IFR-22 from 06 to 09 December 2022.
International Fleet Review -22 is being conducted by BN this year, to commemorate the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Prime Minister Mrs Sheikh Hasina will be the chief guest at the International Fleet Review.
International Naval Fleet Review is an event where the ships of the Navy’s of many countries are gathered together in a formation and are paraded.
7. HAL and BEL in the top 100 defence companies list of SIPRI
Tags: Reports Defence International News
Two Indian government owned defence companies Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) have been included by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute((SIPRI) in its list of 100 top defence companies in the world 2021. In a report released by SIPRI on 5 December 2022 HAL was ranked 42nd with $3.3 billion in arms sales and HAL was ranked at 63rd Rank with $1.8 billion sales in 2021.
HAL is the manufacturer of fighter aircrafts like LCA Tejas, Su-30MKI, helicopters like LCH Prachand etc, and trainer aircrafts for the Indian Air Force. BEL manufactures advanced electronics equipment for the armed forces.
Last year apart from HAL and BEL, Indian Ordnance Factories were included in the top 100 defence companies.
Highlights of SIPRI report
In 2021, the total arms sales of the world’s Top 100 totalled $592 billion in 2021, marking an increase of 1.9 per cent in their arms sales compared with 2020.
The United States has 40 companies in the top 100 defence companies in the world.
The top 5 companies are all American.
China has 8 companies in the top 100 companies.
Country-wise, in the 2021 list,
- US companies topped with a share of 51 per cent of the total arms sales, followed by Chinese companies with 18 per cent,
- UK firms with 6.8 per cent, and
- French companies with 4.9 per cent share.
Russian companies garnered only 3 per cent of the global share.
India is the world’s second-biggest importer of weapons after Saudi Arabia and is also the world’s third-biggest spender on defence after the US and China.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. It is funded mainly by the Swedish Government.
It was set up in 1966
Headquarters: Solana, Sweden
8. 7th edition of Sangam exercise begins in Goa
Tags: Defence
The 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian Navy MARCOs and US Navy SEALs commenced from 1 Dec 22 at Goa.
Important facts
Exercise Sangam was first conducted in 1994 and is an important military and diplomatic initiative between the two nations, reflective of the trust and friendship between them.
The present edition will see personnel from SEAL Team Five based at San Diego, USA and Indian Navy MARCOs from INS Abhimanyu.
It aims to exchange ideas and experiences on various aspects of Maritime Special Operations.
A joint exercise among US SEALs, MARCOs and other participating nations’ Naval Special Forces is held annually as part of Exercise Malabar.
The Sangam exercise is a bilateral exercise purely between the US and Indian Special Forces.
The exercise will be for a duration of three weeks, in which the personnel will be trained in Maritime Interdiction Operations, Direct Action Missions, Combat Free Fall Jumps, Special Heliborne Operations and other skill drills.
What are Indian Navy MARCOs?
MARCOS was raised in the year of 1985 as the Indian Maritime Special Force (IMSF).
2 Years later, MARCOS were renamed as the Marine Commando Force (MCF) with the deadliest motto “The Few The Fearless”.
9. 11th edition of Admiral's Cup Regatta to begin in Kerala from 6 December 2022
Tags: place in news Sports Defence
The 11th edition of the Admiral's Cup Regatta will be held at the Ettikulam Bay in the Kannur district of Kerala from 6-10 December 2022. The Regatta is organised as a fleet race in a single crew Olympic class Laser Radial sailboat.
Teams from 27 nations, including Australia, Germany, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UK, the USA, Japan, and Myanmar are participating in the annual sailing event.
It is hosted by the Indian Naval Academy situated in Ezhimala, Kannur district of Kerala.
Admiral's Cup Sailing Regatta
The Admiral's Cup Sailing Regatta was instituted in 2010 under the burgee of Yachting Association of India as a forum for competition in sailing in a regatta format amongst the officer trainees of friendly foreign navies.
The last Admiral's Cup was held in 2019 and a total of 25 countries participated in the event.
10. Navy Day 2022 to be celebrated at Eastern Naval Command Visakhapatnam
Tags: Defence Important Days
Every year since 1972, 4th December has been observed as Navy Day in India. The day is celebrated to honour the Indian Navy's role during the India Pakistan war of 1971. This year for the first time the Navy Day celebration is taking place outside New Delhi at Eastern Naval Command headquarters Visakhapatnam.
The Indian Navy launched Operation Trident on 4-5 December 1971 to block the Karachi port of Pakistan. During the operation the Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vessels including PNS Khaibar, killing hundreds of Pakistani Navy personnel.
Background to the Day
Navy Day was first celebrated on 21 Oct 1944 by the Royal Indian Navy, which coincided with the Royal Navy's Trafalgar Day of the British navy.
Until 1972 the Navy Day was celebrated on 15 December and the week in which 15 December fell was observed as Navy Week.
At the Senior Naval Officers’ Conference in May 1972, it was decided that Indian Navy Day would be celebrated on December 4 to recognise the efforts and achievements of the Indian Navy during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
Navy Day 2022
This year the Navy Day celebration will be held in Visakhapatnam. This is for the first time that the Navy Day celebration is being held outside Delhi. Indian Naval ships, submarines, aircraft and Special Forces from Eastern, Western and Southern Naval Command would showcase the capability and versatility of the Indian Navy. The event will culminate with a sunset ceremony and lighting up of ships at anchorage.
The Indian Navy will demonstrate India’s combat prowess and capability through an ‘Operational Demonstration' during the celebration.
President of India and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Droupadi Murmu would witness the event as the Guest of Honour.
The event will be hosted by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar.
Indian Navy
The modern Indian Navy was founded on 26 January 1950.
It comes under the Union Ministry of Defence
President is the supreme commander of the Indian Navy.
Current Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral R.Hari Kumar
Navy Day: 4 December
The Headquarters of the Indian Navy is at New Delhi
Naval Command and its Headquarters
Operational Naval Commands | Headquarters |
Western Naval Command | Mumbai |
Southern Naval Command | Kochi |
Eastern Naval Command | Visakhapatnam |
