1. Tata, Airbus to make C-295 transport aircraft for IAF in Gujarat
Tags: Defence National News
A consortium led by the Tata group and Airbus will manufacture the C-295 transport aircraft in Gujarat, the government said in a statement on 27 October.
Important facts
The total cost of the project is ₹21,935 crore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the transport aircraft manufacturing project for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Vadodara, Gujarat on October 30.
As part of the contract, 16 aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition and 40 will be manufactured in India.
It will manufactured by the Indian Aircraft Contractor, Tata Consortium of Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) led by TASL.
This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company.
The aircraft can also be used for civilian purposes.
The first 16 fly-away aircraft will be received between September 2023 and August 2025.
The first Made in India aircraft is likely to be received by September 2026.
Aircraft capability
C-295MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology.
It will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of IAF.
It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo.
Short take-off/land from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features.
It will strengthen the logistic capabilities of the IAF.
2. Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise ‘Simbex’ - 2022
Tags: Defence National News
The Indian Navy is hosting the 29th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Visakhapatnam from October 26 to 30, 2022.
Phases of SIMBEX-2022
Port Phase at Visakhapatnam from 26th to 27th October 2022
Sea phase in the Bay of Bengal from 28 to 30 October 2022
Important facts
Two ships from the Republic of Singapore Navy, RSS Stalwart (a Formidable Class Frigate) and RSS Vigilance (a Victory Class Corvette) arrived at Visakhapatnam on 25 October 2022 for participation in the exercise.
The Harbor Phase saw extensive professional and sporting interactions between the two navies which included cross deck visits, Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) and planning meetings.
About SIMBEX series of exercises
It began in 1994 and was initially known as Exercise Lion King.
The scope and complexity of the exercise has risen substantially over the past two decades to include advanced naval drills covering a wide spectrum of maritime operations.
The exercise exemplifies the high level of cooperation between India and Singapore in the maritime sector.
It also highlights the commitment and contribution of the two countries towards enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean region.
3. Shaurya Diwas celebrated in Srinagar
Tags: place in news Defence
The Defence ministry organised the ‘Shaurya Diwas’ celebrations in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) on October 27, 2022 to commemorate the 75th year of air landed operations of the Indian Army at Budgam Airport in 1947.
The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the Chief Guest at the Shaurya Diwas’ celebrations. The event was organised as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
Background to the Day
On October 27, 1947, the Indian Army was air-lifted by the Indian Air Force and landed at the Budgam Airport to evict the Pakistani backed Tribal invaders from J&K, a day after the ‘Instrument of Accession’ was signed between Maharaja Hari Singh and the Republic of India.
Infantry Day
27th October is also observed by the Indian Army as ‘Infantry Day’. It was on this day in 1947 that Infantry-men from the Indian Army became the first troops to land at Srinagar airport.
Speaking on the occasion Rajnath Singh paid rich tribute to the courage and valour of the first Param Vir Chakra recipient, Major Somnath Sharma, who despite being injured led a company & saved the Srinagar airfield. This enabled the Indian to land its forces in Jammu and Kashmir and saved the state from falling into Pakistan’s hand.
He also paid glowing tributes to the bravery of other Gallantry award winners such as Brigadier Rajinder Singh and Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, who gave away their lives to protect the motherland.
4. PM launches Mission DefSpace for Armed Forces
Tags: Defence National News
Realising the economic and strategic potential of global space, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 October launched “Mission DefSpace” for developing innovative solutions for the Armed Forces.
Important facts
The mission is launched for developing innovative solutions for the Armed Forces.
The Prime Minister also released the fourth Defence Indigenization List, which prohibits the import of 101 items after a certain time limit.
Under Mission DefSpace, 75 challenges in the space sector have been identified for private firms to work on.
Space technology is shaping new definitions of India's liberal space diplomacy and giving rise to new possibilities.
There are more than 60 developing countries with whom India is sharing its space science. The South Asia satellite is an effective example of this.
Fourth defence indigenisation list
As part of efforts to boost the domestic defence industry and defence exports, the Ministry of Defence has released a positive indigenization list.
It pays special attention to the equipment/systems which are being developed and which are likely to be converted into solid orders in the next five to ten years.
The Ministry of Defence had earlier released the first, second and third positive indigenization list, which consisted of 310 items.
What is a positive indigenization list?
A positive indigenization list means that the armed forces will procure the listed items only from domestic manufacturers.
Manufacturers can be private sector players or Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
Govt Initiatives for indigenisation in defence sector
The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit under the automatic route in the defence sector has been increased from 49% to 74%.
In October 2021, the government dissolved the four-decade-old Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and merged 41 factories of seven new state-owned companies to manufacture defence hardware ranging from munitions to heavy weapons and vehicles.
India has inaugurated two defence industrial corridors, one in Tamil Nadu and the other in Uttar Pradesh, to promote the flagship "Make in India" programme.
According to an estimate, the Indian Armed Forces are projected to spend around USD 130 billion in capital procurement over the next five years.
5. India successfully test nuclear capable Agni prime missile
Tags: Defence
India has successfully tested its new generation nuclear capable Agni Prime’ or Agni P ballistic missile from the coast of Odisha on 21 October 2022. It was the third test of the missile which is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The first test was in June last year and the second test was in December 2021.
Agni Prime is a two-stage canisterised missile with a maximum range of 2,000 km. It is a two stage missile that can be launched from rail or road, be stored for longer periods
DRDO Chairman: Dr Samir Kamat
6. Prime Minister Modi lays the foundation stone of the strategic Deesa Air Base in Gujarat
Tags: place in news Defence State News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a new air base at Deesa in Banaskantha district of north Gujarat near the India-Pakistan border. The air base is of strategic importance as it will reduce the strategic gap of 355 Kms between the Air Force station in Bhuj and Uttarlai. The air base is expected to be completed by 2024.
Deesa Air Force Base
The project was approved by the Vajpayee government in 2000 but the project actually took off in 2017 when Modi became the Prime Minister. Deesa is a Greenfield air base spread over an area of 4,519 acres being developed in the Banaskantha region.
It is 130 km away from the Pakistan border.
Strategic significance of the Deesa Airbase
Gujarat is economically very important for India and Pakistan is expected to hit the state during a conflict situation. The Deesa base will provide the Indian Air force the capability to take down the Pakistani planes launched from Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad, Shahbaz F-16 airbase in Jacobabad.
Deesa will also make Pakistani cities of Hyderabad, Karachi, and Sukkur vulnerable with its deep penetration strike aircraft.
The airbase can also be used to retaliate against Pakistan in case of a major terror strike in Gujarat or along the south-western sector apart from giving support to any land offensive in future.
The Indian fighter plane can cross the international border in mere two minutes at Mach 2.0 speed if there is an emergency.
Indian Air Force Chief: Air Marshal Vivek Ram Choudhary
7. PM Modi unveils Hal’s indigenous trainer aircraft HTT-40
Tags: Defence
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled HTT-40, an indigenous trainer aircraft designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), at the India Pavilion during 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on October 19, 2022. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel were among those present on the occasion.
The HTT-40 would be used for basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying and close formation flights whereas its secondary roles would include navigation and night flying.
Earlier in the day the Prime Minister inaugurated the 12th DefExpo being held in Gandhinagar from 18-20 October 2022. The theme of the 12th DefExpo is Path to Pride Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
It is owned by the Government of India. It comes under the ministry of Defence.
Headquarters: Bengaluru
8. India-Africa Defence Dialogue
Tags: Defence International News
India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) being held on 18 October on the sidelines of the 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Important facts
The theme of the dialogue is ‘India-Africa : Adopting Strategy for Synergising and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation’.
It aims to explore new avenues of convergence for mutual engagement including in the areas of capacity building, training, cyber security, maritime security and counter-terrorism.
Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA), India's leading think-tank for advanced research in international relations, is the knowledge partner for the India-Africa Defence Dialogue.
India’s approach towards Africa is guided by the Kampala Principles enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.
On February 6, 2020, the first ever India-Africa Defence Ministers' Conference was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in conjunction with the DefExpo.
What are Kampala Principles?
The Kampala Principles promote the ownership of private sector partnerships (PSEs) through development cooperation by partner countries.
These principles ensure the alignment of PSE projects and programs with national sustainable development priorities.
About African continent
It is the second largest continent (after Asia), covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth.
It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the Red Sea and Indian Ocean in the east, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the south.
The island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa, is one of the largest islands in the world.
The African continent has a population of over one billion, with a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion, making it a huge potential market.
Africa is a resource-rich continent rich in crude oil, gas, pulses and lentils, leather, gold and other metals, all of which are lacking in substantial quantities in India.
9. 12th Defence Expo dedicated to Indian defence companies to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 18 October to 20 October
Tags: place in news Defence Summits
India’s flagship exhibition on Land, Naval and Homeland Security systems, Defence Expo 2022 will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from 18-22 October 2022. Earlier the 12th Defence expo was proposed to be held in the month of March 2022 but was postponed due to the logistics problems being experienced by participants. The 11th Defence expo was held in Lucknow in 2022.
Theme of the Defence Expo 2022
The theme of the 12th Defence Expo is Path to Pride
Defence Ministers explains the theme of the defence expo 2022
Speaking at the curtain raiser press conference in Gandhinagar on 17October 2022 ,Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that 'Path to Pride' was not just a theme of DefExpo 2022, but a ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision of a ‘New India’.
He said that the DefExpo 2022 during ‘Amrit Kaal’ reflects India's resolve to be among the leading nations in the defence & aerospace sectors in the next 25 years.
First time defence expo exclusively for Indian companies
For the first time only Indian companies have been invited for the defence expo. Foreign defence companies which have set up a joint venture with Indian companies can also participate in the expo. A record 1340 companies are participating in the expo.
For the first time, States/Union Territories (UTs) have been invited to set up pavilions at the event.
International participation
Seventy five (75) countries have confirmed their participation in the DefExpo 2022.
The defence minister will host the second India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) on October 18, while the Indian Ocean Region plus (IOR+) conclave will take place on October 19.
More than 53 African countries have been invited for IADD and 44 for IOR+ conclave.
Defence Expo
It is organised by the Union Ministry of Defence. The main purpose behind the expo is to promote defence exports from India as well as invite foreign companies to explore defence tie-ups and business in India.
Traditionally, the Defence expo has been held in New Delhi every two years
Later it was shifted to Panaji, Goa (2016), Chennai (2018) and Lucknow (2020).
10. Indian Naval Academy to conduct Indian Navy Sailing Championship 2022 in Kerala
Tags: Defence
Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala will conduct Indian Navy Sailing Championship 2022 at Marakkar Watermanship Training Centre in Kerala.
Important facts
Championship 2022 will be organised from 18 -21October 2022.
This mega championship is the largest intra-Navy sailing regatta in which nearly 100 yacht persons from all three Indian Naval Commands will participate.
This Sailing Championship is one of the events organised by the Indian Navy to commemorate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Khelo India.
