SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to bridge a potential production gap between the Tejas Mk1A and MkII fighter jets. With extended production of the Mk1A due to additional orders, and a desire for faster delivery of the more advanced MkII, the IAF has instructed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to explore involving the private sector in Tejas MkII production.
The HAL’s initial plan envisioned three Tejas Mk1A production lines, capable of delivering up to 24 jets annually. However, recent plans for an additional 97 Mk1A jets have extended the production timeline to 2031-32. This creates a potential two-year delay before HAL can fully switch to MkII production, which was initially slated to begin in 2029.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Israeli defence technology firm ELBIT Systems has proposed its expertise in developing a new Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) system that could be integrated with India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program.
ELBIT’s solution aims to enhance the operational capabilities of the AMCA’s pilots by integrating the HMD with the existing DASH helmet system. This advanced HMD could potentially replace the conventional Head-Up Display (HUD) currently featured in the AMCA cockpit simulator developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Safran, a leading aerospace and defence company, has expressed its commitment to manufacturing M-88 engines entirely in India to support Dassault’s bid for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Medium Range Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender.
The M-88 engine is the powerplant for the Rafale fighter jet, which Dassault is offering to the IAF for 114 jets. Safran’s MRO facility in Hyderabad is already capable of producing M-88 engines, and the company is prepared to scale up production significantly if it receives a substantial order.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s premier aerospace manufacturer, is reportedly closing in on a landmark agreement with General Electric (GE) for the transfer of technology (ToT) related to the F-414 engine. According to sources close to IDRW.org, the deal, which will provide India with 80% of the technology for the advanced engine, is likely to be finalized by December. This development marks a critical step in boosting India’s self-reliance in defense manufacturing, particularly in the production of high-performance jet engines for its future fighter aircraft.
The F-414 engine, a product of GE Aerospace, is a high-performance turbofan engine that powers a range of fighter aircraft, including the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Saab Gripen E. India has selected the F-414 to power the next generation of its indigenous fighter aircraft, specifically the Tejas Mk II and the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programs.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is constantly evolving to meet the demands of modern warfare, exploring new methods to enhance its operational capabilities. One innovative approach is to procure the Embraer C-390M Millennium transport aircraft and convert it into a mini aerial bomber capable of launching the Nirbhay cruise missile and Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (ALUAVs).
This concept, while unconventional for a transport aircraft, holds significant potential for providing the IAF with a cost-effective and flexible strike platform. This article delves into how the C-390M could be transformed into a dual-role platform, capable of operating as both a transport and strike aircraft, and the strategic advantages it offers.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
India has recently signed a deal with GE Aerospace to supply LM2500 gas turbine engines, which will be assembled locally by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and used to power future Indian Navy ships. While this deal marks a significant step toward enhancing the Navy’s capabilities and strengthening indigenous defense production, there has been notable outrage on social media surrounding this development. Some have raised concerns over India’s continued reliance on foreign companies, while others question why alternatives—especially Indian or European options—aren’t being prioritized.
This article explores why this outrage exists, the reliability and proven success of the LM2500 engines, the potential alternatives, and whether India’s decision to work with GE Aerospace is a strategic one.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), one of India’s premier defense shipyards, has commenced preparatory work for the commissioning of two major warships: Surat, the final vessel of the P15B destroyer class, and Nilgiri, the first vessel of the P17A frigate class. Both ships are scheduled to be commissioned by November or December 2024, marking significant milestones in India’s indigenous warship building program.
Surat is the fourth and final destroyer under the Project 15B (P15B) class, a follow-up to the earlier Kolkata-class destroyers. Known for their stealth features and enhanced combat capabilities, P15B destroyers are among the most advanced surface combatants built by MDL. Surat represents the culmination of a project that began in 2011, aimed at building state-of-the-art destroyers equipped with modern weaponry and sensor systems, optimized for multi-role missions in both open seas and littoral waters.
Continue readingSOURCE: PIB
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has called upon the private sector to move forward from ‘participation’ to ‘taking lead’ in the defence sector, assuring the Government’s full support to make India an innovation & technology hub and one of the strongest countries in the world. He was addressing scientists, industry leaders, academia, start-ups, MSMEs and young entrepreneurs during Twaral, a DRDO-Industry Workshop on Defence Technology Acceleration organised at DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi on October 18, 2024.
Sharing insights on the transformation of the defence sector in the recent past, Raksha Mantri stated that, today, technology has transformed conventional warfare into unconventional warfare. “New dimensions have been added to modern-day warfare such as drones, cyber warfare, bio-weapons and space defence. In this transformative phase, R&D in defence will definitely make the defence sector stronger. It is heartening to witness our scientists, industrialists, academia, start-ups, MSMEs and young entrepreneurs working together in this endeavour. It is time for the private sector to take lead as it has the ability to absorb rapid changes and create new innovations,” he said.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Hyderabad-based Ananth Technologies on Friday handed over two 400 kg class satellites to ISRO, which will be part of the Space Docking Experiment planned by the space agency later this year.
The satellites will be launched onboard the PSLV-C60 mission slated for a December launch and considered a stepping stone for future missions such as the Indian space station and Chandrayaan-4 mission that aims to bring lunar rock and soil samples back to earth.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
The leader of the People’s Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier, has said that Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside the gurdwara in Surrey in 2023, was not Canadian but a “foreign terrorist who used fraudulent documents to claim asylum in Canada several times starting in 1997.”
In a post on X, Bernier said that authorities should have deported Nijjar after his fake asylum claim, like the hundreds of thousands of fake asylum claimants who are in Canada right now.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Nikhil Gupta who has been accused of trying to hire a hitman to attack Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has reiterated his innocence and asked a federal judge for a Hindi-speaking lawyer saying that he was not fluent in English.
Appearing in a federal court here on Friday, he asked the court through his lawyer for the return of a prayer book that had been confiscated from him after his arrest in the Czech Republic. The proceedings were procedural and Judge Victor Marrero set the next court date on January 17 at the request of Gupta’s lawyer Jeffrey Chabrowe, who asked for more time to study the evidence produced by the prosecution.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said it is difficult to specify a timeline for ending the prolonged war in Ukraine but asserted that his country will win, as he appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern over the situation.
Days ahead of the 16th BRICS Summit to be hosted by him, Putin also endorsed Modi’s description of the grouping, saying the Indian leader had “aptly” noted that it is “not an anti-western one but a non-western one”.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said the Popular Front of India (PFI), a proscribed terrorist organisation, was working to create an Islamic movement in India through a “jihad” that included non-violent air raids and “guerilla theatre”, apart from various methods of cruelty and subjugation.
The federal agency issued a statement, saying it has attached fresh assets worth more than ? 35 crore that are “beneficially-owned and controlled” by the PFI “in the name of various trusts, companies and individuals” as part of its ongoing probe against the outfit and entities linked to it.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
A bullet-riddled body of a labourer hailing from Bihar was on Friday recovered in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district, officials said. The body was recovered from Wachi area of Zainapora in the south Kashmir district, they said. They labourer identified as Ashok Chauhan was living in Sangam area of Anantnag.
One of his colleagues told PTI Videos they left their rented room at 7 in the morning and he was with them for about an hour.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
India on Friday dispatched the first tranche of 11 tons of medical supplies to Lebanon as part of a humanitarian effort to support the nation amid rising tensions and the ongoing conflict in southern Lebanon. A total of 33 tons of medical supplies are being sent.
Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson for the MEA, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “India sends humanitarian assistance to Lebanon. A total of 33 tons of medical supplies are being sent. The first tranche of 11 tons of medical supplies was dispatched today. The consignment comprises of a wide range of pharmaceutical products, including cardiovascular medications, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), anti-inflammatory agents, antibiotics and anaesthetics.”
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