Defense

In a slew of new reforms related to manpower in the armed forces initiated by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, the retirement age of officers and jawans from technical branches is proposed to be increased. As part of the initiatives, the Department of Military Affairs under General Bipin Rawat has also proposed that in order to retain highly-skilled manpower in the defence forces, pension entitlements of the officers taking premature retirement would be revised.

A second batch of three Rafale fighter jets arrived at Jamnagar airbase in Gujarat on Wednesday evening after flying non-stop from France, in a further boost to the strike capability of the Indian Air Force when India and China are locked in a bitter border row in eastern Ladakh.

In a major boost to the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program, Indian private defence technology firm Dynamatic Technologies has completed building the front fuselage of the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) version of the Tejas jet, Livefist reports.

Enhanced PINAKA rocket, developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been successfully flight tested from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha today, 04 November 2020. Development of Enhanced Pinaka system was taken up to achieve longer range performance compared to earlier design with reduced length.

As part of ‘Mission Sagar-II’, Indian Naval Ship Airavat entered Port Sudan on 02 November 2020. The Government of India is providing assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries to overcome natural calamities and COVID-19 pandemic, and towards the same INS Airavat is carrying a consignment of 100 Tonnes of food aid for the people of Sudan.

As India is fast-tracking the construction of its border infrastructure in view of increasing threats from hostile neighbours, the 1,751 km long Indo-Nepal border will soon have ‘laser walls’ or infrared fencing to maintain effective vigil.

Russia has fulfilled requirements related to India’s defence equipment list handed over in the month of June. Sources confirming the development said that India’s defence requirements included light guns, projectiles, bombs.