Defense

A maiden contingent of 34 CRPF women personnel was on Saturday inducted into its specialised jungle warfare commando force CoBRA, which will soon be deployed in the anti-Naxal operations grid of the country. The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was raised under the CRPF in 2009 for undertaking intelligence-based jungle warfare operations. It has been an all-male affair for this unit till now.

HAL and Safran Aircraft Engines, France, on Friday signed an MoU at Aero India 2021 to explore opportunities for strategic business cooperation that leverage the complementary talents and capabilities of both parties and support development of a robust ecosystem for aero-engines in India, consistent with the goals of the Make in India initiative.

The DRDO handed over Licensing Agreements for ToT (LAToT) for 14 DRDO developed technologies to 20 industries. The technologies transferred are from the area of electronics, laser technology, armaments, life sciences, materials science, combat vehicles, naval systems, aeronautics, sensors, etc.

A total of 201 MoUs, product launches and technology transfers were concluded at the Bandhan ceremony held on the last day of Aero India 2021 at Yehalanka, Bengaluru on February 05, 2021. These included the formal handing over of the Advanced Light Helicopters MK-III to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG), commencement of Performance based logistics of ICG fleet, initial operational clearance of Army version of Light Utility Helicopter etc.

Air Works undertakes base maintenance for ATR 42/72, A320 and B737 fleet of aircraft from its facilities in Mumbai, Delhi, Hosur and Kochi. It also undertakes modification and assembly of rotary-wing aircraft and is an Authorized Service Centre (ASC) for Bell and Leonardo helicopters.

This MoU will be a precursor for cooperation on futuristic systems for the Indian armed forces, entailing advanced transfer of technology, and a “very high” indigenous content, leading to self-sufficiency in the field of cutting- edge technology in defence, the statement said.

According to the newest agency IANS, the HAL delivered three out of the 16 Mk-III helicopters to Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh at Aero India. These are fully loaded multi-mission helicopter is fitted with an array of advanced sensors.

Indian Air Force operates a variety of aircraft fleets of foreign origin ranging from legacy MiG-21 Bison to the state-of-the-art Rafale aircraft. For increased self-reliance and to meet sustenance requirements in product support of IAF aircraft and systems, indigenisation of aircraft as well as systems spares and setting up of indigenous Repair and Overhaul (ROH) facilities for aggregates are key focus areas of IAF.

The Defence Testing Infrastructure required for realisation of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ in Defence sector, got a major boost with inauguration of the upgraded Naval Environmental Test Facility (NETF) by Vice Admiral MS Pawar, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff on 04 Feb 21.

Mr R Madhavan said composites are one area where HAL will collaborate. Composites raw materials, mainly in the form of prepregs used in platforms like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) are currently imported.