SOURCE: IDRW.ORG.
Former Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhaduria, has shed light on the aerial tensions during the 2021 standoff with China near Ladakh. In a recent statement, he revealed that the Rafale fighter jets, India’s most advanced aircraft at the time, played a central role.
According to Bhaduria, when the situation escalated, the Rafales were India’s strongest aerial defense. He further stated that China responded swiftly to their deployment. As soon as the first Rafale landed in Leh, China reportedly deployed four of their latest J-20 stealth fighters. This tit-for-tat escalation continued, with China deploying 20 J-20s by the time India had positioned four Rafales.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Veda Aeronautics, a rising star in India’s defense startup scene, is making strides in the crucial area of counter-drone technology. The company is currently developing an interceptor missile designed to be launched from Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) and High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
This interceptor missile system aims to address the growing security concern posed by unauthorized drones, also known as UAVs. These drones can be used for malicious purposes like surveillance, espionage, or even attacks.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has released a new image showcasing the significant progress made on its colossal new dry dock. This state-of-the-art facility is rapidly approaching completion, poised to become a game-changer for India’s shipbuilding and ship repair capabilities.
A key aspect of the project’s progress involves the installation and commissioning of a massive 600-ton gantry crane. This powerful crane will be instrumental in handling the large vessels the dry dock is designed to accommodate.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
As Rajnath Singh, the current Defence Minister of India, turns 73 this year, the conversation around his effectiveness and the future direction of the ministry gains renewed focus. Singh’s tenure has been a mixed bag, with several achievements and notable criticisms. In particular, comparisons with his predecessor, Manohar Parrikar, highlight areas where some believe Singh’s leadership has fallen short.
Manohar Parrikar, who served as Defence Minister from 2014 to 2017, is often credited with initiating significant reforms and promoting the Indianization of the defence sector. Parrikar’s approach endeared him to both public and private defence companies in India, as well as to defence analysts and researchers. His tenure was marked by a push for self-reliance and modernization, setting ambitious targets for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and upgrading government defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
As global space security threats escalate, India is proactively bolstering its military space capabilities. The strategic move comes in response to the increasing militarization of space by various nations, necessitating a robust and comprehensive approach to safeguard national interests in this critical domain.
Space has become an arena of strategic competition, with countries like the United States, China, and Russia significantly enhancing their military space programs. These advancements pose potential threats, ranging from the disruption of satellite communications to more direct anti-satellite (ASAT) attacks. Recognizing these challenges, India has embarked on a path to develop its own military space capabilities to ensure security and operational readiness.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
A fresh perspective emerges in a new book examining the complex relationship between India and Pakistan. The book delves into the “neuroses and psychoses” of these two nations, exploring both their historical grievances and potential pathways to peace.
The unique aspect of this book lies in its use of a psychotherapist, Neil Aggarwal, to mediate conversations between former security officials – AS Dulat from India and Asad Durrani from Pakistan. Aggarwal’s expertise aims to “defuse tension” through acknowledging negative emotions and fostering collaborative problem-solving. While the effectiveness of this approach on such a long-standing conflict remains to be seen, it offers a novel lens for understanding the situation.
Continue readingSOURCE: HAL
Mr. S. Somanath, Chairman, ISRO inaugurated state-of-the-art Propellant Tank Production and CNC Machining facilities at HAL’s Aerospace Division today. The newly established facilities will provide a major boost to ISRO’s ability to meet its growing production needs, articularly for the Launch Vehicle Mark–3, India’s heaviest and most powerful rocket.
Appreciating HAL’s efforts, Mr Somanath said HAL has enormous capacities and this potential should be explored in the larger interest of both the organizations.
Continue readingSOURCE: INDIAN ARMY
General Manoj Pande COAS reviewed the progress of construction at the ongoing work site of in Delhi. COAS was updated on Green initiatives & infusion of the Best Engineering practices in the ongoing project.
The Green initiatives incorporated include transplantation of 476 fully grown trees, plantation of 5790 saplings & use of environment friendly energy & construction ideas. Post construction the Thal Sena Bhawan aims to be a NetZero Building in line with the enduring GoGreen initiatives of the Indian Army.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFP
India has played an increasingly larger part on the global diplomatic stage under Prime Minister Narendra Modi — but his third term will see him look to take a starring role. PM Modi portrays his country as a leader of the Global South, with himself a chief spokesman for the loose grouping, and another five years in office gives him greater longevity and seniority among the world’s most powerful, despite his reduced parliamentary majority.
The 73-year-old is pressing for the world’s most populous nation and fastest-growing major economy to have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFP
Scores of people staged a small protest in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, an AFP journalist said, as Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed election victory in neighbouring India.
The protesters criticised the crackdown in recent years by Modi’s government on the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Uzair Ahmad Ghazali, the head of a Kashmiri refugee organisation, told crowds at a rally in Muzaffarabad that Modi’s re-election would bring “more oppression and more restrictions for Kashmiri Muslims”.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
Opposition leaders in Gilgit City of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) this week organised a press conference raising their concerns over the wrongdoings of the ruling party and the matter of leasing guest houses and forest lands to private entities in PoGB, a local news outlet reported.
Raja Zakaria Maqpoon while raising the issue of leasing governmental forest land and rest houses in PoGB said that “the national park and the wildlife comes under the jurisdiction of the local administration and has no intervention of the Pakistani administration. I myself, have produced profits PKR 30 to PKR 40 cores from this department and have distributed them amongst the people. Hence, the wildlife and the forests are a profitable opportunity. However, the ruling party has not convinced us that the leasing of these lands will be profitable”.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Thirteen unclaimed packets of cocaine, valued at ? 130 crore in the international market, were recovered from a creek area near Gandhidham town in Gujarat’s Kutch district in the early hours of the morning today, police said.
A preliminary probe suggested the smugglers had hidden the contraband at the sea shore to avoid getting caught, Kutch-East division Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar said, adding this is the second major drug recovery from the same creek area in eight months.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Panic gripped an Air Canada Toronto-bound flight after the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here received an email claiming a bomb had been planted on the airplane, officials said on Wednesday.
The threat turned out to be a hoax. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) office received an email at 10.50 pm on Tuesday stating that a bomb had been planted in the Delhi-Toronto Air Canada flight, the officials said.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a pilot project of Tele MANAS for the armed forces.
Tele-MANAS, part of India’s national tele-mental health programme, was launched in October 2022. It offers comprehensive, integrated, and inclusive 24/7 tele-mental health services with a toll-free number 14416.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
India’s strategic outlook in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is taking a significant leap forward with plans for a new fleet of nuclear attack submarines (SSNs). This program, reportedly initiated in 2015 by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), aims to bolster India’s “overall deterrence capability” in the region.
The new SSNs will complement India’s existing nuclear triad, which comprises land-based ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), and now, nuclear attack submarines. The SSNs are likely to be constructed at the secretive shipbuilding centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), where India’s SSBNs are currently under development.
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