1. Govt approves creation of new Weapon Systems branch in Indian Air Force
Tags: Defence National News
On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 8 October, the Centre has approved the creation of a weapon system branch for IAF officers.
Important facts
This branch will enhance the war capability of the Indian Air Force.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary said that this is the first time after independence that a new operational branch has been created in the Indian Air Force.
The Weapon Systems Branch will work to strengthen the branches dealing with Surface-to-Surface Missiles, Surface-to-Air Missiles, Remotely Operated Aircraft and Special Weapon System Operators in twin and multi-crew aircraft.
The establishment of this branch will save Rs 3,400 crore by reducing the expenditure on flight training.
The Indian Air Force is also planning to induct women Agniveers from next year.
2. Kenya’s first woman General leads delegation to Indian Military Academy
Tags: Defence
A high level delegation from the Kenya Military Academy visited the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun on 5-7 October. This tour has been done under the Indo-Kenya Defence Cooperation.
Important facts
A five-member delegation, led by Major General FG Ahmed, Commandant, Kenya Military Academy, reached the Academy, participated in the military training for Gentlemen Cadets at the IMA.
Major General FG Ahmed is the first woman to hold the rank of General in the Kenya Armed Forces and Commandant Kenya Military Academy.
She was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1985 and was posted to the Kenya Air Force.
The Kenyan military delegation also met Lt Gen VK Mishra, Commandant, IMA and discussed military training and administrative matters in detail.
Indian Military Academy (IMA)
IMA was established in 1932 by Field Marshal Sir Philip W Chatwood.
In 1947, the command of the Indian Military Academy was given to Brigadier Thakur Mahadev Singh.
In 1960, the institute was renamed as Indian Military Academy (IMA).
The then President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan presented the flag to the Academy for the first time on 10 December 1962.
It is located in Dehradun.
About Kenya
President - William Ruto
Capital - Nairobi
Official Languages -Swahili, English
Currency - Kenyan shilling
3. 30th Rapid Action Force Anniversary Parade in Hyderabad
Tags: Defence National News
Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra attended the 30th Rapid Action Force Anniversary Parade in Hyderabad on October 7.
Rapid Action Force
It is a special force which was created in October 1992 by converting 10 independent battalions of CRPF.
These units were formed for riots, riot-like situations, to build trust among all sections of the society and for internal security duty.
It is the most reliable force that reaches the site without wasting time, in the shortest possible time when a crisis situation arises.
This force is in possession of a separate flag which is a symbol of peace.
This flag was presented by the then Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani on 7 October 2003 to commemorate the 11 years of the RAF's service to the nation.
It is continuously training men and women jointly every year for UN peacekeeping missions in different countries (Haiti, Kosovo, Libera etc.).
There are 10 battalions in this special force, which are battalion numbers 99 to 108 in CRPF, they are headed by an Inspector General.
Inspector-General of RAF - Arun Kumar
4. Vice Admiral Arti Sarin assumes charge of Commandant AFMC Pune
Tags: Defence Person in news
Vice Admiral Arti Sarin took over as the commandant of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune on 5 October 2022. She was commissioned in 1985 into Armed Forces Medical Services and she has the distinction of having completed two postgraduate degrees.
She is from the Indian Navy.
Colonel P P Chowdry was the first commandant of the AFMC.
Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC)
Armed Forces Medical College is the first medical college to be set up by armed forces in Asia.
It was set up on 1 May 1948 at Pune, Maharashtra.
It caters to the medical needs of the armed forces in India.
5. The Indian Army deploys M777 Howitzers
Tags: Defence National News
The Indian Army has deployed the M777 Ultra Light Howitzer (155 mm) in the harsh terrain of the country's northern border.
Important facts
This gun is highly transportable for rapid deployment to meet any operational contingency.
In the next five years, there are plans to induct several guns, including indigenous ones, into the Army's artillery regiments.
India has contracted 145 M777 guns from BAE Systems (British Aerospace) and more than half of them have been inducted.
The Indian Army has also deployed the K9 Vajra-T52-caliber self-propelled artillery gun in Ladakh.
M777 Ultra Light Howitzer
The M777 is a key component of the Army's Field Artillery Rationalization Plan (FARP), which was approved in 1999.
The 155 mm/39-caliber M777 howitzer has a range of up to 30 km, but is capable of striking targets at ranges of more than 40 km in some areas.
Built with titanium and aluminum alloys, the howitzers weigh 4,218 kg.
The Indian Air Force CH-47F Chinook helicopter can carry the howitzer as an underslung load for rapid deployment in high altitude areas.
6. Defence Minister inducted first indigenously developed light combat helicopters into Indian Air Force in Rajasthan
Tags: Defence Science and Technology
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inducted the first indigenously developed light combat helicopters (LCH) named Prachand was inducted into Indian Air Force (IAF) at Jodhpur in Rajasthan on October 3.
Important facts
The LCH was inducted at an event in Jodhpur in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary.
The LCH is designed to promote the combat prowess of the Indian Air Force.
In March 2022, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the purchase of 15 indigenously developed Limited Series Production (LSP) LCHs at a cost of Rs 3,887 crore.
About Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)
It is a dedicated combat helicopter designed and developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The Advanced Light Helicopter in LCH is similar to Dhruv.
It has several stealth features, armoured-protection system, night attack capability and crash-worthy landing gear.
The helicopter can be deployed for high-altitude bunker-busting operations, counter-insurgency operations in jungles and urban environments, as well as assisting military forces on the ground.
It has indigenized several key aviation technologies like glass cockpit and composite airframe structure.
It is the only attack helicopter in the world that can land and take-off at an altitude of 5,000 meters or 16,400 feet with weapons that meet the specific requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.
7. Indian Navy Signs White Shipping Information Exchange agreement with New Zealand Navy
Tags: Defence
India Navy has signed a White Shipping Information Exchange agreement with the Royal New Zealand Navy during the visit of Chief of Naval Staff(CNS) Admiral Hari Kumar to New Zealand from 29 September to 01 October 22.
The White Information Shipping Exchange will facilitate closer collaboration towards enhancing shared Maritime Domain Awareness and will promote greater transparency in the maritime domain.
What is White shipping information
White shipping information refers to exchange of relevant advance information on the identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels.
The Indian Navy needs to be aware about the movement of various types of ships like fishing boats, merchant vessels etc. Passing though the Indian region.
Being aware of the identity of the ships passing through the region helps the Indian Navy in identifying any potential threat from the sea ..
Awareness about the identity of the vessel by the Navy is called Maritime
8. Armenia becomes the first country to buy Pinaka rocket system from India
Tags: Defence International News
India has signed a $250 million agreement with the former Soviet republic of Armenia to supply indigenously developed multi-barrel rocket launcher Pinaka and other munitions .This is the first time the Pinaka system is being exported from India.
Earlier in 2020 India supplied four Swathi radars worth $43 million to Armenia.These are weapon locating radars that can track incoming artillery projectiles and pinpoint the location of enemy gun positions for counter-action.
Pinak has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and manufactured by Indian private firms. It is an artillery system where multiple rockets are fired simultaneously from a single platform.The Pinaka system has been deployed at the forward position in Ladakh along the border with China.
The government of India wants to increase its defence export and has set an export target of Rs 35,000 crore by 2025.
Armenia
It was part of the former Soviet Union which gained its Independence in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It is a European country in Transcaucasia.
Capital : Yerevan
Currency : Dram
Prime Minister: Nikol Pashinyan
9. Swedish defence firm SAAB announced to manufacture Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon in India
Tags: National Defence National News
Swedish defence firm Saab on 28 September announced its plan to set up a manufacturing facility in India for the Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon system under the NDA government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative to bolster indigenous defence manufacturing.
Important facts
Production at the new facility is expected to begin in 2024, with the name of the production site yet to be disclosed.
Manufacturing will be carried out by Saab FFV India Pvt Ltd, a new subsidiary wholly owned by SAAB.
This will be the company's first manufacturing facility for the Carl-Gustaf M4 outside Sweden.
The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) was manufacturing the Carl-Gustaf M3 with a range of up to 1,200 metres under a tie-up with Saab.
Saab will continue its partnership with Munitions India Limited (MIL) and Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) for the manufacture of Carl-Gustaf arms and its ammunition.
About Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon systems
Carl-Gustaf M4 is a shoulder-fired weapon system with a range of 1,500 metre.
It weighs less than seven kilos and is under one metre in length.
It helps soldiers with a multitude of missions they may have to accomplish on the battlefield.
This weapon system has been in service with the Indian Army since 1976, and its earlier M2 and M3 variants have been produced in India.
10. Government appoints Lt General Anil Chauhan as the Chief of Defence Staff
Tags: Defence Person in news
The Government of India has appointed Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who shall also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs with effect from the date of his assumption of charge and until further orders.
The post of the CDS was vacant after the death of the first CDS, General Bipin Rawat, was killed in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021. General Rawat took over the CDS post on 1 January 2020.
Lt Gen Anil Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
- The post of the Chief of Defence staff was created by the government on the recommendation of the Kargil Review Committee headed by K. Subramanyam.
- The CDS is a 4 star General whose rank is the same as the chief of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
- He is the military adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority (chaired by the Prime Minister), which handles India’s nuclear arsenal.
- He will ensure the integration of land-air-sea operations through the eventual setting up of theatre commands.
- The CDS remains in office for the period mentioned by the government or retires after attaining the age of 65 years.
- He is not eligible to hold any government office after demitting (resigning) as the CDS.
