SOURCE: PTI

IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari on Wednesday said “Balakot-like operations” have shown that given political will, aerospace power can be effectively used beyond enemy lines.

In his address at a seminar on “Aerospace Power in Future Conflicts” here, he also said that as nations increasingly rely on space-based assets for building strategic advantage, “militarisation and weaponisation of space has become an inevitable reality”.

SOURCE: REUTERS

India plans to spend nearly $3.7 billion to fence its 1,610-km (1,000-mile) porous border with Myanmar within about a decade, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter, to prevent smuggling and other illegal activities.

The centre had said earlier this year it would fence the border and end a decades-old visa-free movement policy with coup-hit Myanmar for border citizens for reasons of national security and to maintain the demographic structure of its northeastern region.

SOURCE: IANS

The Indian Coast Guard will inaugurate its Hovercraft Maintenance Unit (HMU) and lay the foundation stone for a new jetty at Okha on March 28, followed by the opening of the Operational Team Mess (OTM) and Married Accommodations in Veraval on March 29 in Gujarat.

The Defence Secretary will officiate as the Chief Guest at both events, significantly enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational infrastructure.

SOURCE: ANI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that under the garb of Article 370, the youth were “pushed down the path of terrorism” in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is marching ahead with “peace” since its abrogation nearly five years ago.

Shah said that terrorism is being “wiped out” in the Union Territory and that stone-pelting has become a thing of the past.

SOURCE: PIB

Army Commanders’ Conference, first for the year 2024 will be organised in hybrid mode with the conference in virtual mode scheduled on 28^th March 2024 and thereafter physical mode in New Delhi on 01^st and 02^nd April 2024. Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri will also address and interact with senior military leadership during the conference. The conference serves as a pivotal forum for apex leadership of the Indian Army to brainstorm conceptual issues, review and assess the overall security situation. It will lay down key priorities facilitating important policy decisions, to chart the course for future direction.

Starting on 28^th March 2024, the conference will be chaired by the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Manoj Pande at New Delhi with Army Commanders’ participating in virtual mode from their respective Command Headquarters. The deliberation will be on critical agendas impacting the field army and veterans’ welfare. The conference will also feature talks by distinguished Subject Matter Experts on the evolving geopolitical landscape and ramifications for national security.

SOURCE: PIB

We take strong objection to the remarks of the Spokesperson of the US State Department about certain legal proceedings in India.

In diplomacy, states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. This responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.

SOURCE: ANI

US President Joe Biden lauded the prompt action by personnel on board the cargo ship ‘Dali’, which struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore causing the bridge to plunge into the river below sending several people and vehicles into the water.

Shipping company Synergy Maritime Group which managed the Singapore-flagged freight ship in a statement on Tuesday said the entire 22 member crew of the vessel are Indians.

SOURCE: ANI

Two Chinese nationals were arrested at Siddharthnagar’s Kakrahwa post on the Indo-Nepal border after they were intercepted entering Uttar Pradesh illegally on Tuesday. The man was identified as Zhou Pulin, a native of Sichuan in China, while the woman was identified as Yuan Yuhan, a native of Chongqing in China.

The police also recovered two Chinese passports, a tourist visa for Nepal, mobile phones, two Chinese SIM cards and a total of nine cards of different types in two small bags.

SOURCE: ANI

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the US has reverberated across the Indian coal and petcoke markets, sparking concerns about potential supply chain disruptions and price impacts.
According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, the incident, triggered by a vessel collision with a supporting pylon, has led to the suspension of navigation through Baltimore Harbor, a critical hub for coal exports.

India, a major importer of US thermal coal, is bracing for challenges in its supply chain following the bridge collapse.

SOURCE: PTI

Six Naxalites, including two women cadres, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Wednesday, a police official said.

The gunfight took place in the forest area located along the Talperu river near Chipurbhatti village under Basaguda police station area, when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

SOURCE: AFI

In a recent opinion piece published on “The Print,” Lt Gen (Dr) Prakash Menon (retd), Director of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution and former military adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat, advocates for the establishment of an airborne command post. This proposition comes at a crucial juncture when advancements in satellite-based geospatial monitoring technologies have made concealing underground facilities increasingly difficult. Lt Gen Menon argues that an airborne command post presents a compelling solution to this challenge, offering enhanced survivability and redundancy to the nuclear command authority.

The primary rationale behind the proposal for an airborne command post lies in the evolving landscape of strategic defense. With the advent of sophisticated satellite surveillance capabilities, the concealment of underground facilities, traditionally used for housing command centers, has become a daunting task. Once detected, these fixed installations are susceptible to targeted attacks, including communication jamming, thereby compromising the command and control capabilities vital for nuclear deterrence.

SOURCE: AFI

Russia’s atomic energy giant, Rosatom, is in discussions with Indian nuclear authorities to supply technology for small modular reactors (SMRs). This collaboration could address India’s growing energy demands while providing a clean and sustainable solution.

Evgeny Pakermanov, President of Rosatom Overseas, highlighted the company’s experience in SMR technology. Rosatom is currently constructing its first land-based SMR in Yukatia, a remote province in Russia. This 190 MWt (55 MWe) power plant utilizes enriched uranium and requires minimal land (only 15 acres). Scheduled for operation in 2028, this project showcases the potential of SMRs to provide clean energy in geographically challenging regions.