SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Eurofighter Typhoon consortium has quietly intensified its campaign to secure the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) lucrative tender for 114 fighter jets under the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program. The consortium has reportedly raised concerns with the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding Dassault Aviation’s ability to meet India’s price expectations and delivery timelines for its Rafale jets, which are also competing in the MRFA program.
According to MoD sources cited by idrw.org, Dassault has been facing difficulties scaling up its production of Rafale jets at its facility in France. The French company is expected to reach a production rate of only 24 jets annually by 2025, leading to questions about whether Dassault can meet the stringent delivery schedule outlined by India. Furthermore, Dassault’s plans to produce Rafale jets at a new facility in India face complications. The company reportedly insists on full control over its Indian production plant, a condition that may not align with India’s expectations for technology transfer and local partnership under the “Make in India” initiative.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
India’s quest for self-reliance in underwater warfare takes a significant leap forward with Project-76, a program aimed at developing next-generation, indigenous submarines equipped with a Vertical Launching System (VLS). This marks a major advancement in Indian naval capabilities, offering the potential to launch long-range land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles, significantly enhancing offensive and defensive capabilities.
Project-76 submarines are being designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) with a targeted displacement of 3,000 tons. This design choice offers greater submerged volume compared to previous classes, allowing for advanced features and increased operational flexibility.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
A senior Indian Air Force (IAF) official, speaking anonymously to idrw.org, has expressed a preference for private sector companies to be involved in the production of the fighter jet chosen in the upcoming MRFA (Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft) tender. This tender aims to acquire 114 fighter jets for the IAF.
The official cited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s state-owned aerospace company, as having a full workload. HAL is close to securing additional orders for 97 Tejas Mk1A fighter jets, on top of the 83 already ordered in 2021. Additionally, HAL is responsible for the Tejas MkII program, partnered with the 5.5th generation AMCA program, and will handle the production of the HTT-40 trainer aircraft. Plans also include the HLFT-42 supersonic trainer program.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a significant boost to its unmanned aerial capabilities, the Indian Armed Forces have received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to procure 31 MQ-9B Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from the U.S.-based General Atomics. The deal, which has been under consideration for some time, is expected to be signed by the end of 2024, with initial deliveries slated for late 2027 or early 2028.
The MQ-9B UAV, an advanced and highly versatile drone platform, is renowned for its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, as well as its strike potential. The Indian Navy, Army, and Air Force will be the primary recipients, marking a new chapter in India’s drive to modernize its defense forces with cutting-edge technology.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is poised to initiate trials of the software-defined radio (SDR) technology that will be integrated into the Tejas MkII program. This marks a crucial milestone in the development of advanced communication capabilities for India’s indigenous fighter aircraft.
ADA has commenced testing two SDR units. One SDR will undergo rigorous environmental stress screening to ensure its resilience in demanding operating conditions. The other SDR will be subjected to safety of flight testing to verify its reliability and performance in real-world flight scenarios.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Paras Anti-Drone Technologies, a subsidiary of Paras Defence and Space Technologies (Paras), has won the ADITI 1.0 Challenge for “Mobile Ground Station in S/X/Ka band for Transmitting and Receiving Data from Satellites”. The Scheme/Challenge was launched by Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) Ministry of Defence, Government of India as ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX), a Scheme under iDEX for Promoting Innovations in Critical and Strategic Defence Technologies. As per the Scheme, Paras Anti-Drone Technologies is eligible for a grant amount upto 50% of the Product Development Budget (PDB), with a maximum limit of Rs. 25 crore.
The ADITI 1.0 Challenge was launched in April 2023 with the aim of identifying and supporting innovative defence technologies. Paras Anti-Drone Technologies was one of the 20 shortlisted companies from across India. The company’s Mobile Ground Station was selected as the winner based on its technical merit, commercial viability, and potential impact on national security.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
India is poised to achieve complete self-reliance in drone technology, according to R Shivaraman, co-founder of Big Bang Boom Solutions (BBBS), a leading defense startup. This significant development will enable the country to deploy both armed and unarmed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for tactical missions and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) purposes against its adversaries.
Shivaraman, who is also the Director and Chief Technology Officer of BBBS, highlighted the phenomenal growth of India’s drone industry in recent years. Over the past five years, approximately 50 drone manufacturers have entered the market, and orders are now steadily flowing into this burgeoning ecosystem.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi met with General Yoshihide Yoshida, Chief of Staff of the Japan Self Defence Force, on Thursday in New Delhi. This meeting was part of Exercise ‘MALABAR 2024,’ a military exercise involving India, Japan, the United States, and Australia aimed at promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
During their meeting, General Yoshida and Admiral Tripathi discussed ways to enhance existing defence cooperation avenues, explore technological collaboration, and identify new opportunities to strengthen bilateral ties.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
India’s AstroSat and NASA’s space observatories have captured dramatic eruptions from stellar wreckage around a massive black hole, the ISRO said on Thursday. A massive black hole has torn apart one star and is now using that stellar wreckage to pummel another star or smaller black hole that used to be in the clear — this discovery was made using NASA’s space observatories — Chandra, HST, NICER, Swift — and ISRO’s AstroSat, the Indian space agency said.
“It provides astronomers with valuable insights, linking two mysteries where there had previously only been hints of a connection”, Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) said in a statement.
Continue readingSOURCE: UNI
Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi will visit Japan next week. This will be his first foreign visit as Army Chief. According to sources, General Dwivedi will leave on a five-day visit on October 14. This visit is important in view of the ever-increasing partnership between India and Japan to deal with China. At present, the Japanese Navy is exercising with the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal. This is the Malabar exercise, in which the navies of the Quad countries (India, America, Japan, Australia) are involved.
The visit holds immense significance given the growing partnership between India and Japan, especially to counter the growing influence of China. The Japanese Navy is currently conducting joint naval exercises with the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal as part of the Malabar exercise. Just two months ago, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defence Minister Kihara Minoru visited India for the 2+2 dialogue, where discussions on the Indo-Pacific region were the main focus. Both India and Japan are important players in the Indo-Pacific region. The governments of both countries have reiterated that in the current global environment, strengthening the India-Japan defence partnership is essential to ensure a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Continue readingSOURCE: REUTERS
Air India is continuing its revival by adding an order for 85 Airbus planes on top of an historic order for European and US jets last year, industry sources said.
Airbus said on Wednesday an unnamed customer had placed an order for 75 A320-family jets and 10 long-haul A350s. The sources said Air India was behind the order, which could be matched by a similar top-up order from Boeing.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The government on Thursday declared Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), a global pan-Islamic group set up in Jerusalem in 1953, a banned organisation as it aims to establish Islamic state and caliphate globally through jihad and terrorist activities.
In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said the HuT is involved in radicalisation and motivation of gullible youth to join terrorist organisations, such as ISIS and raising funds for terror activities. The HuT is promoting terrorism by using various social media platforms, secure apps and by conducting ‘Dawah’ meetings to encourage gullible youth to indulge in acts of terrorism.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
The Border Security Force (BSF) raised concerns over the spate of infiltration attempts from Bangladesh at the recently concluded nodal-officer level Border Coordination Meeting (BCM) with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Integrated Check Post (ICP) Petrapole.
The BGB delegation was headed by Lt Col Md Anwarul Mazhar, operations director and nodal officer, South West Region, while Nilotpal Kumar Pandey, DIG (G), Frontier Headquarters, BSF, South Bengal Frontier, initiated dialogue from the Indian side.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Two Naxalites were killed in a police encounter in Jharkhand’s Ganiotri forest, around 170 km from Ranchi, officials said on Thursday. The two are Harendra Ganjhu, the sub-zonal commander of the banned Tritiya Sammelan Prastuti Committee (TSPC), and his associate Ishwar Ganjhu.
Another Naxalite, Gopal Ganjhu, was arrested at the scene, the officials said, adding that encounter happened on Wednesday night. Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta confirmed the deaths of Ganjhu (also known by several aliases, including Ramdas Bhogta and Netaji) and Ishwar Ganjhu (alias Ghutari Ganjhu) during the encounter.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
In a fitting tribute to the brave soldiers of the 1962 Sino-Indian War’s Battle of Walong, the Indian Army is prepared to launch a series of commemorative events celebrating the 62nd Walong Day. The ceremonies will unfold from October 17, 2024, to November 14, 2024, in Arunachal Pradesh.
The event lineup, crafted to engage local communities, includes white water rafting, rallies, and treks, paying homage to the soldiers’ valour and adventurous spirit. Notable for their bravery in overcoming numerous challenges, the Indian Army soldiers’ legacy continues to inspire.
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