1. INS Sunayna in Seychelles
Tags: Defence International News
INS Sunayna entered Port Victoria Seychelles on 24 Sep 22 to participate in the annual training exercise Operation Southern Readiness of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
Important facts
This reaffirms the commitment of the Indian Navy to maritime security in the Indian Ocean region.
It also marks the first participation of an Indian Navy ship in the CMF exercise.
The ship is scheduled to participate as an associate participant in the capacity building exercise organized by the CMF.
Representative delegations from USA, Italy, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and ships from UK, Spain and India are participating in the joint training exercise.
INS Sunayna
It is the second Saryu-class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy.
It was designed and constructed indigenously by the Goa Shipyard Limited.
It is designed for fleet operations, coastal and offshore patrol, maritime surveillance and monitoring of sea lines of communication, and offshore asset and maintenance work.
In June 2018, it was deployed as part of "Operation Nistar", a HADR mission to evacuate Indian citizens from cyclone-hit Socotra islands.
About Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)
It is a multi-national naval partnership to promote security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters.
Its main focus areas are counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation etc.
2. Defence Ministry signs contract to acquire additional Brahmos missiles
Tags: place in news National Defence National News
An agreement worth Rs 1,700 crore was signed between the acquisition arm of the Defence Ministry and M/s BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd on September 22 for additional supply of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The total contract value signed so far for these missiles has exceeded Rs 38,000 crore.
The induction of these missiles will further enhance the operational capability of the Navy.
The contract will also promote indigenous production of critical weapon systems and ammunition with active participation of domestic industry.
It may be mentioned that BAPL is a joint venture between India and Russia which is making a significant contribution in the development of a new generation of surface-to-surface missiles.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
About BrahMos :
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile.
It is a joint collaboration between India and Russia.
The missile is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against surface and sea-based targets.
BrahMos was first flight tested at Pokhran test range in Rajasthan.
3. Bank of Baroda and HDFC Bank to be a service center for Defence ministry SPARSH pension system
Tags: Economy/Finance Defence
The Defence Accounts Department of the Union Ministry of Defence signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bank of Baroda and HDFC Bank, to onboard them as Service Centers under the System for Pension Administration (defence) (SPARSH) initiative on 21 September 2022.
Now defence pensioners having accounts with these banks can get their pension directly in their account.
Speaking on the occasion the defence secretary Dr Ajay Kumar said that the objective is to bring 17 Lakh pensioners out of the total 32 lakh defence pensioners on SPARSH by the end of September, 2022 and the remaining pensioners will be brought to SPARSH at the earliest.
He said that the average time in pension settlement has come down significantly to about 16 days.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
System for Pension Administration (SPARSH) :
- SPARSH is a web-based system for processing the pension claims and crediting the pension directly into the bank accounts of defence pensioners without any external intermediary.
- This system is administered by the Defence Accounts Department through the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj and caters to all the three Services and allied organizations.
4. Indian Coast Guard and the US Coast Guard conduct joint exercise 'Abhyas-01/22’ off Chennai coast
Tags: Defence
The Indian Coast Guard and American Coast Guard conducted a joint exercise 'Abhyas-01/22' off the coast of Chennai on 19 September 2022.
Joint exercise 'Abhyas-01/22' marked the culmination of the four-day goodwill visit of the US Coast Guard ship Midgett to Chennai.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
Indian Coast Guard :
- Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was officially established on 1st February 1977.
- It comes under the Union Ministry of Defence.
- Its main role is to prevent seaborne smuggling of goods, to ensure the safety and protection of the islands, and to provide protection and assistance to the Indian fishermen and mariners at the high seas.
- Motto: “Vayam Rakshamah - We Protect”
- Headquarters: Ministry of Defence, New Delhi
- Director-General: Virender Singh Pathania
5. The entire MiG -21 squadron to be retired by 2025: IAF
Tags: Defence
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has announced that it is retiring its 51 Squadron consisting of MiG 21 Bison aircraft based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir by September 2022.
After this, only three squadrons of the MIG 21 Bison planes would be left in service and would be phased out by the year 2025.
The Indian Air Force plans to retire one squadron each of these planes per year and the last one will be phased out in 2025.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
Squadron 51 :
- The squadron 51 which is also known as ‘Sword Arm’ became famous after it thwarted the Pakistan Air Force attack on India on 27, February 2019 after the IAF bombed terrorist site in Balakote, Pakistan.
- Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman, who was awarded Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 during a dogfight over the Line of Control on February 27, 2019, was in the No. 51 squadron then.
- It is the only instance in the world where a Mig-21 plane has shot down F-16 planes.
MiG 21 and its high crash rates :
- MiG stands for Mikoyan and Gurevich and i, is the Russian word for and.
- They were two Soviet engineers who designed the MiG series of fighter jets for the Soviet Union.
- India inducted MiG-21 fighters in 1963 and it inducted a total 874 planes.
- More than 400 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents that have claimed the lives of around 200 pilots during the last six decades.
- One of the main reasons for the high rates of crashes is that it is the largest number of planes in the IAF.
- The IAF has been forced to fly Mig-21 despite the fact that it has outlived its age. The government of India has failed to buy an adequate number of planes to replace existing MiG -21 planes.
- Now the government plans to replace the MiG-21 plane with the various versions of the indigenously developed Tejas fighter Aircraft.
6. INA Ajay decommissioned after 32 years of glorious service
Tags: Defence
INS Ajay was decommissioned on 19 September after rendering 32 years of glorious service to the nation.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The ceremony was traditionally held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.
The national flag, the ensign of the Navy and the ship's decommissioning pennant were lowered in its honour.
The Chief Guest of the ceremony was Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Western Naval Command and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief.
The first Commanding Officer of the ship, Vice Admiral AG Thapliyal AVSM Bar (Retd) was the Guest of Honour.
About INS Ajay :
It was commissioned on 24 January 1990 at Poti, Georgia, then USSR.
It was part of the 23rd Patrol Vessel Squadron under the operational control of Flag Officer Commanding, Maharashtra Naval Area.
The ship was in active naval service for over 32 years.
It participated in several naval operations including Operation Talwar during the Kargil War in 1999 and Operation Parakram in 2001.
Note :
India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Cochin Shipyard in Kochi on September 2, 2022.
7. Army Day parade to be held in different parts of India
The Indian Army has announced that the annual Army Day Parade will be held in different parts of India as per the Prime Minister's vision to move significant events and festivities out of the national capital.
Army Day is observed every year on 15 January.
Till date the Army day parade was held in New Delhi. In the next year it will be held in the Southern Command area.
The Indian Air Force had also recently moved out its annual fly-past and parade from the Hindon Air Base (Uttar Pradesh) near Delhi to Chandigarh this year.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
Indian Army Day :
- It was on this day that for the first time an Indian took over the command of the Indian Army from the Britishers.
- On 15 January, 1949 Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa (K. M. Cariappa), took over as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from General Francis Robert Roy Bucher.
8. 6th edition of maritime exercise ‘JIMEX’ concludes
Tags: Defence
The sixth edition of the Japan India Maritime Exercise, JIMEX 22 hosted by the Indian Navy concluded in the Bay of Bengal 17 September. It started on 11 September in the Bay of Bengal.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Indian Navy ships led by Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet and Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships Izumo and Takanami participated in the week-long exercise.
In the exercise some complex exercises were jointly conducted by both the navies.
Advanced level anti-submarine warfare, weapon firing and air defence exercises were conducted by both sides.
The Indian Navy was represented by three indigenously designed warships, - the Sahyadri, the anti-submarine frigates Kadmat and Kavaratti.
Shipborne helicopters, fighter aircraft and submarines also participated in this exercise.
About JIMEX 2022 :
This present edition of JIMEX 22 marks the 10th anniversary of JIMEX, which debuted in Japan in 2012.
It was celebrated to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between both the countries India and Japan.
It seeks to strengthen the high level of interoperability between the maritime forces of the two countries through complex exercises in surface, sub-surface and air domains.
Its aim was to enhance interoperability and streamline seamanship and communication processes.
The exercise is part of the ongoing efforts between the two navies towards ensuring safe international shipping and trade in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
9. AN-32 Transport Aircraft
Tags: National Defence Science and Technology
To reduce its carbon footprint, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to fly a modified AN-32 transport aircraft operating on 10% blended biodiesel for 200 flight hours in the next six months.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The aircraft flew on biodiesel mixed with aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for the first time in December 2018.
So far, one AN-32 has flown 65 hours with 10% biofuel mixture and the performance has been quite satisfactory.
Another aircraft, the Dornier, is undergoing ground testing after being approved by the engine's original manufacturer Honeywell to use 50% biofuel.
The global aviation industry is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
The indigenous bio-jet fuel was first produced in 2013 by the CSIR-IIP laboratory in Dehradun, but could not be tested for commercial use on aircraft.
This fuel is made from Jatropha oil procured from Chhattisgarh Biodiesel Development Authority (CBDA) and then processed at CSIR-IIP, Dehradun.
About AN-32 :
It is a twin-engine, tactical light transport aircraft designed and manufactured by Antonov Design Bureau of Ukraine for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The AN-32 is derived from the AN-26 transport aircraft.
The current total number of AN-32 transport aircraft operating around the world is 240.
It can fly at a maximum speed of 530km/h and its cruise speed is 470km/h.
It has ten variants.
10. Indigenous Light Combat Helicopter to join IAF helicopter fleet in October
Tags: place in news Defence
The Indian Air Force helicopter fleet will be boosted with the induction of the indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) at Jodhpur, Rajasthan on 3 October 2022. The LCH has been manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
IMPORTANT FACTS -
Capability of LCH :
- According to HAL, the LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world that can land and take-off at an altitude of 5,000 m (16400 feet) with a considerable load of weapons and fuel. It has been made to meet the requirement of the armed forces operating in the high altitude area of Ladakh and Siachen.
- It is suited to perform the roles of search and rescue, destruction of enemy air defence, counter insurgency operations, combat against slow moving aircraft etc.
Limited Series production :
- In March 2022 the Union Government had approved the manufacturing of 15 limited series LCH for the Army and the Air force .Of the 15 limited series production helicopters approved, 10 are for the IAF and five for the army.
- The light combat helicopter Limited Series Production (LSP) is an indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter. It has an indigenous content of 45% that will increase to more than 55% in the further series.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) :
- It was set up as Hindustan Aircraft Limited by Walchand Hirachand in 1940 at Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Karnataka.
- It was taken over by the government of India and merged with Aeronautics India limited and was renamed as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on 1 October 1964.
- Its main business is to design, develop, manufacture, repair and overhaul of aircraft, helicopters, engines and related systems like avionics, instruments and accessories.
- It comes under the Ministry of Defence.
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
