Defense

With the department of military affairs soon to have additional and joint secretaries after Cabinet clearance, the task of reorganisation of the three services under theatre commands has begun with a China specific Northern Command and Pakistan specific Western command under serious consideration. India’s Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat has been given the mandate by the Narendra Modi government to create theatre commands much like the ones China and the US currently have.

Dr. Mark T. Esper, Hon’ble Secretary of Defence of the United States of America is visiting India for the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting. Today Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri had a bilateral meeting with him in South Block, New Delhi.

A war memorial has come up in at Bum La in Arunachal Pradesh. Joginder Singh of 1st Battalion the Sikh Regt received the highest gallantry award, ‘Param Vir Chakra’ in the Eastern Theatre during the 1962 Sino- India War.

The defence canteens sell liquor, electronics and other goods at discounted prices to soldiers, ex-servicemen and their families. With annual sales of over $2 billion, they make up one of the largest retail chains in India. The October 19 internal order from the defence ministry, reviewed by Reuters, said that in future, “procurement of direct imported items shall not be undertaken”.

The first batch of women pilots of Indian Navy have been operationalized on Dornier Aircraft by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi. The three women pilots were part of the six pilots of the 27th Dornier Operational Flying Training (DOFT) Course, who graduated as ‘Fully operational Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) Pilots’ at a passing out ceremony held at INS Garuda, Kochi on 22 Oct 20.

Shri Sanjiv Mittal, IDAS, Controller General of Defence Accounts in his inaugural message said that display of Army War Trophy – “T-55 tank” in the premises of PCDA (O) reflects the synergy between the Army and Defence Accounts Department

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which guards the LAC with China, has posted its first officer to head the newly-created Guwahati-based eastern command that oversees deployment of border battalions in that region.

India and Central Asia’s biggest state Kazakhstan are exploring widening defence partnership including joint production as well as opening a new chapter in the heavy engineering sector.