SOURCE: AFI
Five British doctors and academics specializing in blood cancer have weighed in on the death of Avtar Singh Khanda, a pro-Khalistan activist based in the UK. Khanda passed away at the age of 35 from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a fast-moving blood cancer.
The experts confirm that AML can be a highly aggressive form of cancer, and its rapid onset wouldn’t be consistent with poisoning. This statement contradicts claims made by pro-Khalistan groups in the UK who allege Khanda was poisoned.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
An Apache helicopter of the Indian Air Force made an emergency landing in Ladakh and sustained damage due to undulating terrain and high altitude, the IAF said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday and both the pilots on board are safe, it said. The IAF has ordered a Court of Inquiry into the incident. “An IAF Apache helicopter carried out a precautionary landing during an operational training sortie in Ladakh on April 3. During the process of this landing, it sustained damage due to undulating terrain and high altitude,” the IAF said in a brief statement.
Continue readingSOURCE: AP
A training aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force has made ‘an emergency landing’ in a rice field on a wetland in Narail. The incident occurred in the Tarashi Beel of Maizpara in Sadar Upazila around 2:40pm on Wednesday, said Sajedul Islam, an inspector at Narail Sadar Police Station.
Two pilots on the aircraft were safe and taken to the Air Force’s base in Jashore, according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence. Md Afsar Uddin, a deputy assistant director at the fire service, said the aircraft took off from Bangladesh Air Force Base Birshreshtha Matiur Rahman in Jashore at 1:34pm. Farmers working in the Tarashi Beel rice fields saw the jet coming down later in the afternoon.
SOURCE: ANI
Reaffirming India’s stand that Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) is an integral part of India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that this is not just the Bharatiya Janata Party’s position but that of the whole country.
He further said that the prime concern regarding Pakistan is that of terrorism, and if anything unruly happens, it will be given a firm response. “On the issue of PoK, there is a national position and not the party’s position. The Parliament of India has taken a united stand and every political party in the country has supported that stand. We will never accept that the PoK is not a part of India. It’s a united stand, it remains our stand,” Jaishankar said addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
Continue readingSOURCE: REUTERS
India plans to build its first privately managed strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) by 2029-30, granting the operator the freedom to trade all of the stored oil, the chief executive of Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) said.
Allowing a fully commercial SPR mirrors the model adopted by countries such as Japan and South Korea, which allow private lessees, mostly oil majors, to trade the crude. So far, India has allowed only partial commercialisation for its three existing SPRs in southern India, which have a combined capacity of 36.7 million barrels.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Two senior US treasury officials are in India to urge New Delhi to maintain the implementation of the oil price cap aimed at limiting profits to Russia, while also promoting stable global energy markets, according to an official announcement.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing Anna Morris and PDO Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy Eric Van Nostrand are travelling to New Delhi and Mumbai from April 2-5 to meet with government and private sector counterparts, the Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
India successfully flight tested the new generation ballistic missile Agni-Prime from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The defence ministry said the test-flight was carried out on Wednesday evening. It said the test met all the trial objectives validating its reliable performance, as confirmed from the data captured by a number of range sensors deployed at different locations.
“Strategic Forces Command (SFC), along with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), conducted the successful flight-test of new generation ballistic missile Agni-Prime from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha at around 1900 hours on April 3,” the ministry said in a statement.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The defence ministry on Wednesday trashed reports which claimed that the new Sainik Schools were allocated to institutions based on their political or ideological affiliations.
Online media platform ‘The Reporters’ Collective’ in a report claimed that the government handed over 62 per cent of the new Sainik Schools to people associated with Sangh Parivar, politicians from the BJP and its allies.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
The Indian Navy said on Wednesday that its P8I aircraft have reached in Atsugi, Japan for bilateral anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and subject matter expert exchange with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Further, the crew will plan and execute Maritime Reconnaissance and ASW operations along with JMSDF. Sharing on social media X, the Indian Navy posted, “An #IndianNavy P8I arrived at Atsugi, Japan for Bilateral ASW & Subject Matter Expert exchange with #JMSDF. The crew will plan & execute Maritime Reconnaissance & ASW operations alongwith JMSDF. – #BridgesofFriendship.”
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh is slated to visit New Delhi after the conclusion of the general elections in India later this year. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud confirmed to the media that the “prime minister will visit India after the elections. The official schedule is yet to be fixed”.
The announcement comes amidst recent speculation sparked by several media reports suggesting that Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India is scheduled for June. If realised, this visit would mark her first official trip to India following her victory in the national elections on January 7.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s state-owned aerospace giant, is poised to embark on the development of CATS-MAX, a revolutionary program that will transform the LCA-Tejas Trainer aircraft into the brain and brawn of a coordinated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarm.
CATS-MAX, derived from “Combat Aerial Teaming System – MAX,” will leverage the existing LCA-Tejas Trainer prototype as a platform for integrating vital data-linking and mission control systems. Industry sources familiar with the program, reported by idrw.org, suggest development could begin in mid-2025 with the first flight targeted for late 2025 or early 2026.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
India’s massive fleet of Su-30MKI fighter jets, the mainstay of the Indian Air Force (IAF), is undergoing a significant upgrade program. This collaborative effort between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the IAF, and private companies aims to enhance the capabilities of these powerful war machines.
One of the key challenges addressed in the upgrade is the Su-30MKI’s radar signature. Despite its strengths, the aircraft’s large size (around 30 tons) translates to a high Radar Cross-Section (RCS), making it detectable by long-range radars. This can limit its effectiveness in contested airspace, where stealth plays a crucial role.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
At the recent AeroSpace Services India (ASI) event in New Delhi, Boaz Levy, President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), called for a renewed collaboration between India and Israel on developing a next-generation air defence system.
Levy’s suggestion builds upon the successful collaboration between India and Israel on the medium-range surface-to-air Missile (MRSAM) system. This system, currently deployed by the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy, boasts a range of 70-90 kilometres and can engage various aerial threats.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
China’s Chengdu Institute of Aviation Industry conducted J-20 fighter jet test flights on the Tibetan Plateau in 2021. While this high-altitude testing served a purpose, it also exposed potential limitations of the J-20 in such environments.
The key challenge lies in the extreme conditions of the Tibetan Plateau. The test flights likely took place at Daocheng Yading Airport, which sits at over 4,000 meters above sea level.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
India has maintained a neutral position on the ongoing war in Ukraine, avoiding direct weapons sales to either side. However, recent reports suggest that Indian-manufactured 155mm artillery shells and propellant charges may be ending up with Ukrainian forces.
Military sources speculate that Slovenia placed an order with Indian defense companies for the shells and propellant charges, which were then transferred to Ukraine.
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