1. BSF first female camel squad to be deployed along India Pak Border
Tags: Defence
Border Security Force (BSF) will soon deploy its first female camel riding squad along the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The female camel riding squad participated for the first time in the BSF Raising Day Parade on 1st December. This Squad is the first of its kind in the world.
- Giving this information, DIG BSF Bikaner, Pushpendra singh Rrathore said that Intensive training was given to this squad at the Bikaner Regional Headquarters of BSF under the supervision of skilled trainers
- The BSF is the only force in the country to have the Camel Contingents and the Camel Mounted Band.
- BSF, traditionally known as the 'first line of defence', the Camel Contingents are used to keep a vigil in the vast expanse of the Thar Desert.
Border Security Force (BSF) :
- It is one of the 7 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in India. It was set upon 1 December 1965.
- It is the only CAPF which has an Air Wing, Water wing and Artillery wing.
- It comes under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
- It is also known as the ’first line of defence' in India.
- Director General of BSF : Pankaj Kumar Singh
2. Defence Ministry issues themes for the Republic Day Tableaux 2023
The Union Ministry of Defence which is responsible for organising the Republic Day ceremony in New Delhi has proposed three specific themes for 2023 Republic Day Parade tableaux.
They are India@75, International Year of Millets and Nari Shakti.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- In a letter from the defence ministry, various state governments, Central ministries and departments have been invited to participate in the Republic Day Parade on January 26 by creating a tableaux choosing any of these three themes or a combination of the three.
- The theme of the 2022 Republic day was India @75.
3. JIMEX 2022: India- Japan starts joint naval exercise in Bay of Bengal
Tags: place in news Defence
According to the Ministry of Defence the sixth edition of Japan India Maritime Exercise 2022 (JIMEX 22) hosted by the Indian Navy commenced in the Bay of Bengal on 11 Sep 2022.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The Japanese Navy which is officially called as Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) is being represented by Naval ships Izumo, a Helicopter Carrier, and Takanami, a Guided Missile Destroyer.
- The Indian Navy is being represented by three indigenously designed and built warships; Sahyadri, a multi-purpose stealth frigate and Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes Kadmatt and Kavaratti. Additionally, Guided Missile Destroyer Ranvijay, Fleet Tanker Jyoti, Offshore Patrol Vessel Sukanya, submarines, MIG 29K fighter aircraft, Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft and ship borne helicopters are also participating in the exercise.
- JIMEX 22 involves two Phases; exercises at sea and a harbour phase at Visakhapatnam.
- The 5th edition of JIMEX -21 was held in Arabian Sea from 6 to 8 October.
4. INS Satpura & P8 I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft reached Darwin, Australia to participate Exercise Kakadu
Tags: Defence
INS Satpura and a P8 I Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the Indian Navy reached Darwin in Australia for participation in multinational Exercise Kakadu-22, hosted by the Royal Australian Navy.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Exercise Kakadu 2022 (KA22) is starting from September 12, involving over 15 ships, over 30 aircraft and around 3,000 personnel from over 20 countries.
The KA22 is being commanded by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and supported by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
The biennial exercise, which was started in 1993, is the major international participatory activity of RAN.
The theme for this year’s exercise is "Partnership, Leadership, Friendship”
It is scheduled to conclude on 24 September.
About INS Satpura :
It is an indigenously designed and manufactured 6000 ton guided missile stealth frigate with the capability to seek and destroy enemies in air, surface and underwater.
The ship is a part of the Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
P8 I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft :
It is manufactured by American aviation company Boeing, is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
5. MDL launches 3rd Stealth Frigate of Project 17A ‘Taragiri’
Tags: Defence Science and Technology
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), which is under the defence ministry, on 11 September launched Taragiri, the third stealth frigate of Project 17A.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The ship is designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation Bureau of Naval Design.
The estimated launch weight of the vessel is 3510 tonnes.
The 149.02 Metre long and 17.8 Metre wide ship, is propelled by a CODOG combination of two Gas Turbines and 02 Main Diesel Engines which are designed to achieve a speed of over 28 knots at a displacement of approx 6670 Tons.
The ship is built using an integrated construction methodology that includes hull block construction in various geographic locations, integration and construction at slipways in MDL.
The foundation stone of Taragiri was laid on 10 September 2020 and the ship is expected to be delivered by August 2025.
The total value of Project 17A is around Rs 25,700 crore.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
First Ship of Project 17A :
The first ship of Project 17A, 'Nilgiri', was launched on September 28, 2019, and will undergo sea trials in the first half of 2024.
The second 'Udayagiri' class ship under this project was launched on May 17 this year.
It is expected to commence sea trials during the second half of 2024.
6. Army’s Kibithu base in Arunachal Pradesh renamed after first CDS, late General Bipin Rawat
Tags: place in news Defence Person in news State News
To honour the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) late General Bipin Rawat, the Kibithu military garrison in Arunachal was named as General Bipin Rawat garrison on 10 September 2022.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Kibithu is a small hamlet near Walong on the banks of the Lohit Valley in Arunachal Pradesh close to the India-China border.
- Gen Rawat commanded his Battalion 5/11 Gorkha Rifles as a Colonel at Kibithu from 1999-2000.
- The Governor of Arunachal Pradesh (Retd), Brigadier BD Mishra, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and other senior military and civilian dignitaries were present on the occasion along with daughters of the late CDS.
- General Bipin Rawat and his wife along with senior Army and Air Force officers died in a Helicopter crash in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu 8 December 2021. He was going to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Tamil Nadu to address the faculty and student officers of the ‘Staff Course.
- He was the 27th Army chief and was the first Chief of Defence Staff. He was appointed to the Chief of Defence Staff post on December 31, 2019.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Arunachal Pradesh :
- It is the easternmost region of India. It is also called ‘Land of the Dawn-lit-Mountains’ or land of rising sun.
- It shares its International border with China, Bhutan and Myanmar.
- Arunachal Pradesh finds its mention in the literature of Kalika Purana and the great Hindu Epic Mahabharata. It is believed to be the Prabhu Mountains of the Puranas.
- It was earlier called as North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and it was renamed as Arunachal Pradesh in 1972. It was a Union Territory.
- It became a state on 20 February 1987.
- Governor of the State: (Retd), Brigadier BD Mishra
- Chief Minister: Pema Khandu
- Capital: Itanagar
7. Army chief witnesses “Exercise Parvat Prahar” in eastern Ladakh, as India China starts disengagement in Ladakh
Tags: place in news Defence Person in news
The Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande who is on a two day (10&11 September) visit to Ladakh witnessed the Army war game code named “Exercise Parvat Prahar” on 10 September 2022.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- His visit assumes significance because the disengagement process between India and China at the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area (Patrolling Point-15), has already started in the area. The process which started on 8 September will be completed by 12 September 2022.
- Tensions arose between the two neighbouring countries in eastern Ladakh in May 2020, when China arbitrarily deployed its army in the area. India-China army came face to face at patrolling point 15 and finally led to a bloody clash in June 2020.
- Both India and China have agreed to dismantle and verify the temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the Gogra-Hot Springs area of the LAC in eastern Ladakh and they will go back to the area they held before the Chinese incursion.
- This disengagement process follows the sixteenth round of talks between the Corps Commanders of India and China that was held at Chushul Moldo Meeting Point (in eastern Ladakh) on July 17, 2022.
8. India and Japan announces first joint Air Force exercise
Tags: place in news Defence Summits International News
Reflecting the growing security cooperation between the two sides, India and Japan announced plans for their first air force exercise as New Delhi backed Tokyo’s efforts to reinforce its defence capabilities over the next five years.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- This was announced after the meeting of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with the Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada held in Tokyo, Japan on 8 September 2022.
- Rajnath Singh arrived in Japan after his visit to Mongolia.
- He also participated in India-Japan 2+2 dialogue involving the Defence and Foreign ministers of both the countries. India was represented by External Affairs minister S.Jaishanker and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while Japan was represented by its Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defence minister Yasukazu Hamada.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
India -Japan military exercise :
- At present both the countries conduct Dharma Guardian, JIMEX and Malabar exercise. Japan also participated in the MILAN naval exercise 2022 held in Visakhapatnam.
- DHARMA GUARDIAN-2022, an annual exercise between Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Force was held from 27 February -10 March 2022, Belgaum Karnataka.
- The last edition of the India – Japan Maritime Bilateral Exercise, JIMEX, between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), was held in 2021 Arabian Sea from 06 to 08 October 2021.
- The last edition of Malabar exercise was held in 2021 involving the Australian, United States, Japanese and Indian Navy at sea of Philippines and Bay of Bengal.
9. NTPC to Supply Renewable Power to Army’s Western command for next 27 years
Tags: place in news Economy/Finance Defence
India’s largest power company NTPC has signed a long term agreement with the Army’s Western Command to supply 25 MW/year of solar power from the national solar grid of the country for the next 27 years.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- This is the first agreement by the Indian Armed Forces for sourcing power from renewable energy sources,” said NTPC in a Twitter post.
- The Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) was signed at Western command headquarters, Chandimandir, Haryana on 8 September 2022.
- According to a statement issued by the Western Command, the new move will decarbonize upto 38 percent of the energy portfolio of Western Command, apart from accruing a substantial savings to the exchequer.
- The solar energy will be sourced from Sholapur in Maharashtra.
NTPC Renewable energy capacity :
- Presently, NTPC has 2.3 GW of commissioned renewable capacity.
- The NTPC Group plans to achieve 60 Giga Watt of renewable energy by 2032.
- NTPC recently commissioned India’s largest floating solar plant at Ramagundam, Telangana. It is a 100 MW plant.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Command structure of the Indian Army :
- The Headquarter of the Indian Army is at New Delhi with the President being the Commander in Chief of the Army.
- Headquarters of the Indian Army: New Delhi
- Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj Pande
- The Indian Army has 6 operational commands and one Training command. Each command is headed by a General Officer Commanding in Chief with the rank of Lieutenant General.
Command | Headquarters |
Western Command | Chandimandir (Haryana) |
Eastern Command | Kolkata (West Bengal) |
Southern Command | Pune(Maharashtra) |
Northern Command | Udhampur(Jammu ) |
Central Command | Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) |
South -Western Command | Jaipur (Rajasthan ) |
Army Training Command | Shimla(Himachal Pradesh) |
Army Day is observed on 15 January every year.
10. Wildlife Board Approves New IAF Base in Ladakh
Tags: place in news Defence State News
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will soon get a new base in Ladakh.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- According to a report published in the Economic Times on 8 September 2022, the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife, which is led by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav has approved the proposal.
- The new base will be built on 500 hectares of land in the Changthang sanctuary area, right next to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
- The need to boost the IAF presence in the region was felt after the rapid development of airfields and bunkers by the Chinese along the LAC in the area.
- In June 2020 there was a border clash in Ladakh, between the two armies leading to the death of 20 Indian soldiers and a number of Chinese soldiers.
- The Changthang sanctuary area is a cold desert sanctuary in Leh district. It is home to Tibetan wild Ass, Kiang and the rare black necked cranes.
- Since it is a cold desert sanctuary, permission from the Environment ministry was necessary.
Air Force Airfield in the region :
- The key air base of the IAF is in Leh. It has had Advanced Landing Ground facilities at Fukche since the 1960s besides Daulat Beg Oldie, Thoise and Nyoma.
