Monthly Archives: October 2024
SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
India’s ambitious Loyal Wingman program, which aims to develop unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) to support manned fighter jets, is taking a significant leap forward with the development of a new generation of air-to-air missiles.
The program’s UCAVs, also known as Loyal Wingmen, will be equipped with the Next-Generation Close Combat Missile (NGCCM), a local variant of the ASRAAM Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM). This ensures compatibility with existing Indian Air Force (IAF) weaponry.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is taking a multi-pronged approach to strengthen India’s tank defenses. While actively developing an Active Protection System (APS) for tanks, DRDO is also exploring its potential to counter the growing threat of swarm and FPV (First-Person View) armed drones.
An APS is a crucial defensive suite designed to detect, track, and intercept incoming threats before they can damage a tank. Traditionally, these systems focus on neutralizing ATGMs, tank rounds, and other infantry anti-armor weapons. However, the recent war in Ukraine has highlighted the vulnerability of Armoured vehicles to drone attacks, particularly highly maneuverable first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Army is actively exploring the potential of weaponized robot dogs to bolster its capabilities against drone threats. Lessons learned from the war in Ukraine and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have highlighted the growing need for advanced anti-drone technologies.
The army has already inducted a robot dog equipped with a machine gun and RPG, demonstrating its interest in employing robotic platforms for military operations. Now, the focus is on harnessing these capabilities to counter drone threats effectively.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a key laboratory under India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is actively working on integrating advanced radar systems with the TAPAS (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The radar systems in focus include a Multi-Parameter Phased Array Radar (MPAR) and a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), designed to meet the stringent surveillance needs of the Indian Navy. This development comes in the wake of the Navy’s interest in procuring 10 TAPAS UAVs, primarily to bolster maritime surveillance in the strategically significant Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Indian Navy’s interest in TAPAS stems from the need for persistent and high-resolution intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a vital maritime area where Chinese submarines and warships have frequently been sighted. TAPAS, with its long-endurance capabilities and the addition of MPAR and SAR radar systems, will play a crucial role in enhancing India’s ability to monitor and protect its maritime borders.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Russia is set to propose its BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) for India’s prestigious Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) program, aimed at replacing the aging Soviet-era BMP-II fleet that has been the backbone of the Indian Army’s Mechanised Infantry since the 1980s. The FICV project is a critical modernization effort by the Indian Army to enhance its capabilities, especially in light of ongoing border tensions and increasing security threats.
The Indian Army’s FICV program was initiated to replace its aging fleet of BMP-IIs, which have long outlived their operational utility. The BMP-IIs have been heavily deployed, particularly along India’s northern borders to counter China’s cross-border transgressions. However, they suffer from several limitations, including the lack of night-fighting capability, modern sensors, and anti-drone systems—crucial aspects in today’s modern battlefield environment.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The latest satellite imagery from Kochi reveals that the new dry dock under construction at Cochin Shipyard has been flooded. This significant development marks a major milestone in the project, which is set to become the largest dry dock facility in India.
The new dry dock is capable of handling vessels with a docking displacement of up to 70,000 tonnes. This impressive capacity will enable Cochin Shipyard to accommodate larger and more complex ships, further solidifying its position as a leading shipbuilding and repair facility in the country.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Composites Research Center (CRC) is spearheading a groundbreaking project to develop a composite hull for an advanced armored platform, codenamed VIKRAM VT-21. This innovative initiative aims to enhance the protection and survivability of future armored vehicles by leveraging the superior properties of composite materials.
The VIKRAM VT-21 project is set to gain further momentum with the integration of the Nag Mk II anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). This powerful weapon system, known for its precision and long range, will significantly bolster the platform’s combat capabilities.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
At a time when the Indian defence researchers are developing a large number of tactical missile systems, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has given approval for setting up a new missiles testing range in Andhra Pradesh. The proposal was cleared by the CCS headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week as per which the new missile range will come up in the Nagayalanka area of Andhra Pradesh, government sources told ANI.
The new missile testing range will be used for test firing of tactical missile systems like the surface to air missile systems, anti tank missiles and various other projects being developed by the Research and Development Organisation, they said. The CCS in its meeting last week gave clearance to major proposals of the armed forces including that of buying 31 Predator drones from the US and two nuclear submarines to be built by the Project ATV for developing strategic submarines for the Indian Navy, they said.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum began in New Delhi on Sunday with a meeting between the Board of Directors and External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar as the latter highlighted key ways to strengthen US-India strategic and economic ties as well as emphasised upon the natural synergy between the two nations, a statement by the USISP Forum said.
EAM Jaishankar, in conversation with John T Chambers, highlighted key ways to strengthen US-India strategic and economic ties, the statement said.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFP
Israel’s military said a Hezbollah drone had killed four soldiers at one of its northern bases Sunday, as it expanded its bombardments of Lebanon and troops battled militants across the border.
The attack on a military training camp in Binyamina, near Haifa, is the deadliest such assault on an Israeli base since September 23, when Israel increased its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Emergency services reported more than 60 wounded.
Continue readingSOURCE: AP
SpaceX pulled off the boldest test flight yet of its enormous Starship rocket on Sunday, catching the returning booster back at the launch pad with mechanical arms. A jubilant Elon Musk called it “science fiction without the fiction part.”
Towering almost 400 feet (121 meters), the empty Starship blasted off at sunrise from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border. It arced over the Gulf of Mexico like the four Starships before it that ended up being destroyed, either soon after liftoff or while ditching into the sea. The previous one in June had been the most successful until Sunday’s demo, completing its flight without exploding.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
President’s rule was withdrawn in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, paving the way for the formation of a new government in the union territory.
A gazette notification to this effect was issued by the Union Home Ministry. “In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 73 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) read with Articles 239 and 239A of the Constitution of India, the order dated the 31st October 2019 about the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall stand revoked immediately before the appointment of the chief minister under Section 54 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,” the notification signed by President Droupadi Murmu said.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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Ladakh’s recent sightings of aurora, marked by reddish or greenish light in the night sky and usually observed in the far northern regions, is a validation of our efforts in space weather monitoring, a team of astrophysicists that predicted the activity about 48-72 hours prior said.
The appearance of intense red-coloured light rays in the sky on the intervening night of October 10-11 was the latest in a series of recent auroral sightings — previous ones occurred on those of May 11 this year, and November 5 November and May 10 of 2023.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
The Ministry of Defence on Sunday informed that continuing with the Long Range Training Deployment in the Persian Gulf, INS Tir and ICGS Veera of First Training Squadron (1TS) have arrived at the Port of Manama in Bahrain.
An official said that aimed at enhancing Naval cooperation and augmenting interoperability, the Indian Navy is set to engage with the Royal Bahrain Naval Forces (RBNF) on various domains of maritime ops and best-shared practices.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
The border tourism initiative of the Jammu and Kashmir Administration and Tourism Department has brought significant changes in the ground situation after the implementation of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan a few years ago.
Jammu and Kashmir’s administration recently developed the famous Baba Chamliyal temple in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district to promote border tourism given the prevailing peace on the border. The Baba Chamliyal Temple, which was considered a symbol of harmony between India and Pakistan in the past, has been visited by thousands of devotees and especially on the occasion of the annual fair, a large number of people gather here.
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