1. Indian Coast Guard commissions its second ALH Mk III Squadron in Kochi
Indian Coast Guard chief VS Pathania on May 04, commissioned the second made in India ALH Mk III Squadron at Coast Guard Air Enclave (CGAE) in Kochi.
This is equipped with the indigenously developed Advanced Mark III (ALH Mark III) helicopters.
The second squadron of ALH Mk III choppers aims to boost the security of the western seaboard further and enhance India’s rescue capability.
The commissioning is a tremendous leap towards self-reliance in the field of search and rescue operations and long range maritime surveillance.
The indigenously developed ALH Mk-III helicopters are fitted with an array of state-of-the-art sensors that enhance the maritime prowess of the Coast Guard.
Four helicopters have been deployed in Kochi to cover the entire coast of Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep.
The Squadron, led by Commandant Kunal Naik has nine officers and 35 men.
TLMC conference
The Coast Guard Headquarters-4 (Kerala and Mahe) at Fort Kochi organised the annual Technical and Logistics Management Committee Conference.
Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard) and senior officials are attending the conference.
Director General VS. Pathania inaugurated the conference and acknowledged the force's collective efforts to maintain a fleet of 256 ships and aircraft.
2. France pulls out from India's P-75I Project
Tags: National International Relations Defence
Ahead of Modi's scheduled visit to France, French defence major Naval Group has announced that it is unable to participate in the P-75 India (P-75I) project, which seeks to build six conventional submarines in India for the Indian Navy.
Why did France pull out?
The French firm pulled out of the project as it could not fulfil the conditions of the Request for Proposal (RFI) placed by the Indian Navy.
Request for Proposal (RFP) requires that the fuel cell be AIP Sea Proven, which is difficult for India as the French Navy does not use such a propulsion system.
AIP refers to Air-Independent Propulsion.
AIP technology allows a conventional submarine to remain submerged for much longer than ordinary diesel-electric submarines.
India wants AIP technology as none of its existing ships have it while Pakistan and China both have AIP-equipped submarines.
What is Project 75?
In June 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security had approved a plan for the Indian Navy to indigenously build submarines by 2030.
Under the first phase of the P-75 in 2005, India and France signed a $3.75 billion contract to build six Scorpene-class submarines.
The executing company on the Indian side was Mazagon Docks Limited, and on the French side was DCNS, now called Naval Group.
The first submarine under the project was commissioned in December 2017.
Thereafter, another five were built and on 20 April, INS Vagsheer was launched which will be commissioned by 2023.
What is P-75I?
The Project 75I-class submarine is a follow-up to the Project 75 Kalvari-class submarine for the Indian Navy.
In the late 1990s, at the time of the Kargil War, a three-decade plan for indigenous construction of submarines took shape.
This is known as Project 75 and Project 75I, two separate series of submarine building lines in collaboration with foreign entities.
Under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six diesel-electric submarines, which will also include advanced air-independent propulsion systems.
3. DRDO successfully test-fired Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System
Tags: National Defence Science and Technology
The longest range indigenous artillery gun i.e. 155mm/52 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) was successfully test fired at Jaisalmer's Pokhran Firing Range (PFFR) from 26 April to 2 May 2022.
What is ATAGS ?
The Advanced Artillery Gun System Project is a modern 155 mm artillery gun developed by DRDO.
This gun is manufactured by Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems Limited.
It weighs 18 tonnes and has a firing range of 48 km.
The 155mm ATAGS developed by DRDO was first fired in 2016.
It took almost four years to develop the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, the Indian Army currently has seven Advanced Towed Artillery Guns available.
4. LG Baggavalli Somashekar Raju to take over as Vice Chief of Army Staff
Tags: Popular Defence Person in news National News
Lieutenant General Baggavalli Somashekar Raju will take over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff on 1 may.
An alumnus of Sainik School Bijapur and National Defence Academy, Raju was commissioned into the Jat Regiment on 15 December 1984.
He commanded his battalion during OP Parakram in the Western Theatre and in Jammu and Kashmir.
Raju also has the distinction of commanding the Uri Brigade on the Line of Control, a counter insurgency force and the Chinar Corps in the Kashmir Valley.
Raju has also served as the Commandant of the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan.
During his illustrious career spanning 38 years, BS Raju has been involved in several important regimental, staff and instructional appointments at Army Headquarters.
Before taking over as the co-chief of the Army, Lt Gen Raju was the Director General Military Operations during the standoff with China on the LAC.
He is also a qualified helicopter pilot. He has flown in the UNOSOM-2 operation in Somalia.
5. Anti-ship version of BrahMos missile successfully test-fired
Tags: Popular Defence Science and Technology
An anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Andaman and Nicobar Command and Indian Navy.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command is the only tri-services command of the Indian armed forces.
On 19 April, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired a BrahMos missile from a Sukhoi fighter jet on the eastern seaboard.
In march 2022, the Indian Navy successfully test-fired an improved version of the BrahMos missile from a stealth destroyer in the Indian Ocean.
About BrahMos-
It is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and Russia’s NPOM.
Brahmos is named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.
Brahmos produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.
BrahMos missile flies at a speed of almost three times the speed of sound or 2.8 Mach.
The range of the advanced version of the missile is learnt to have been extended to around 350 km from the original 290 km.
6. India becomes third highest military spender
Tags: Latest Defence International News
According to the report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), America is at the forefront of military spending among all the countries of the world, followed by China and India.
According to the report, US military spending amounted to $801 billion in the year 2021, a decline of 1.4 percent compared to the year 2020.
The US, China, India, Britain and Russia are among the five largest military spenders this year, accounting for 62 per cent of the total expenditure.
Total global military expenditure increased by 0.7 per cent in real terms in 2021, to reach $2113 billion.
India ranks third in the world with military spending of $76.6 billion, an increase of 0.9 percent compared to 2020 and 33 percent higher than 2012.
China, the world's second-largest spender, allocated an estimated $293 billion to its military in 2021, up 4.7 percent from 2020.
Russia's military expenditure in the year 2021 increased to 65.9 billion, which is 2.9 percent more than the year 2020.
Nigeria increased its military spending by 56 percent to $4.5 billion in 2021 in response to several security challenges such as violent extremism and separatist insurgency.
About ‘SIPRI’
Full form - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Formation- 6 May 1966
Founders- Tage Erlander, Alva Myrdal
Headquarters- Solna ,Stockholm (Sweden)
Director- Dan Smith
7. DefConnect 2.0
Tags: Defence
DefConnect 2.0 was inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 22 April 2022 in New Delhi.
It was organised by Innovation for Defence Excellence, Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) .
This program was organised under the aegis of Department of Defence Production.
DefConnect 2.0 aims to provide iDEX-DIO innovators the opportunity to showcase their capabilities, products and cutting-edge technologies.
The event will attract a large number of innovators and investors from India's major defence industries.
Various sessions will be held with industry stalwarts, which will give a new direction to the strategy of regular engagement of start-ups and various stakeholders.
About iDEX -
iDEX was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2018.
It provides a unified platform to various stakeholders in the defence and aerospace sectors.
It acts as an umbrella organisation to oversee technology development and potential collaboration in a specific area.
iDEX is instrumental in developing new capabilities in defence innovation.
The scheme is also improving the understanding of new entrepreneurs in terms of sensitivity of people towards defence innovation.
iDEX enables the Army to find solutions to complex challenges through its flagship programs such as Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) and Open Challenge (OC).
8. Navy chief unveils jointly produced navigation chart in Maldives
Tags: Defence
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Adm R. Hari Kumar during a three–day visit to the Maldives unveiled the first navigation chart jointly produced by India and the Maldives.
It helps ships to understand the maritime topography of Maldives Exclusive Economic zones, water depths and which areas to avoid.
He handed over hydrography equipment to consolidate the capabilities of the Maldivian National Defence Forces (MNDF).
The CNS also visited MNDF maritime assets and complimented the joint efforts of MNDF personnel and the Indian Navy for maintaining the role of worthiness of these assets.
He presented a consignment of engineering equipment for further sustenance of MNDF ships, thereby reaffirming India’s commitment to the capacity–building efforts of the MNDF.
The INS Sutlej is deployed to the Maldives for undertaking joint hydrographic survey under the MoU on hydrographic cooperation.
The two countries have been working together closely in several bilateral and multilateral fora such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and the Colombo Security Conclave.
9. Government appoints Lt Gen Manoj C Pande as next Chief of Army Staff
Tags: National Popular Defence Person in news
Presently Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Manoj C Pandey has been appointed by the Government as the next Chief of Army Staff.
His appointment to the post will be effective from the afternoon of April 30, 2022.
Born on May 06, 1962, Lt Gen Manoj C Pande was commissioned on December 24, 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) of the Indian Army.
During his long and distinguished service spanning over 39 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.
The Command appointments of Lt Gen Manoj C Pande include Command of an Engineer Brigade in the Western Theatre, as part of Strike Corps and an Infantry Brigade along with Line-of-Control in Jammu & Kashmir.
Other important Command appointments include a Mountain Division in the high-altitude area of the Western Ladakh and Command of a Corps, deployed along the LAC and in the Counter Insurgency Operations area of Eastern Command.
10. Five-day Army Commanders’ Conference
Tags: Defence
The Army Commanders’ Conference began today in New Delhi.
It is an apex-level biannual event that is held in April and October every year.
The conference will be held from 18 to 22 April and will be chaired by Army Chief Gen MM Naravane.
The conference is an institutional forum for deliberations at the ideological level, under which important policy decisions for the Indian Army are taken.
In the conference, senior officers of the Indian Army will discuss the border situation, full scenario threat assessment and preparedness and capacity development to deal with them.
Discussions will be held on the issue like infrastructure development in border areas, modernisation through indigenisation, induction of Niche tech and assessment on any impact of the Russia - Ukraine war.
The senior commanders will also discuss various issues related to regional command apart from work reforms, finance management, use of electric vehicles and digitization of the army.
