Defense

Doda has become totally “terrorist-free” district after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Masood was neutralised in an encounter, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said. Three terrorists, including a top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, were killed on Monday morning in an overnight encounter at the Runipora Khulchohar area in the Anantnag district of South Kashmir.

PITHORAGARH: The photograph and citation of an Indian soldier, Hawaldar Gajendra Singh, a native of village Badalu in Pithoragarh district, has been included in the Russian army museum’s gallery of gallant soldiers in Moscow. Singh was awarded the ‘Order of the Red Star’, a Soviet military decoration, for his bravery in the Second World War in 1944. Apart from him, only one other Indian soldier, hailing from Tamil Nadu, has been honoured with the ‘Order of the Red Star.’

The 7.62 x 51 mm FN Scar, is going to help in the upgrading of the firepower of SF in the dense jungles of the Northeast and Myanmar and will be replacing the ‘1B’ LMGs which were manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) almost a few decades ago. These small weapons are considered to be of critical value for the Special Forces as support weapons enabling them with heavy firepower.

As Indian troops remain dug in at Ladakh in a prolonged standoff with China, allies are pitching in with commitments to deliver urgently needed weapons and ammunition for the armed forces. France has promised to deliver additional Rafale jets next month, an in-service Israeli air defence system is expected soon, precision artillery rounds will be sent by the US, and Russia will make early deliveries of ammunition and weapons worth $1 billion.

‘PLA relies on fear to extract performance, which does not work in a place like Nathu La in Sikkim. They are extremely low paid. My counterpart once told me that he gets one third of what I get,’ said a retired Indian Army colonel, who was posted in Leh until recently.

Amid heightened Chinese fighter aircraft and helicopter activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian armed forces have deployed their advanced very quick-reaction surface-to-air missile defence systems in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

India played a unique role throughout the Korean War, having no specific geo-political interests in the Korean Peninsula and maintaining a neutral position before and during the war years, yet believing in the reunification of the peninsula. At the United Nations, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN and a member of the UN’s Special Political Committee, V K Krishna Menon took on the responsibility of finding a solution to the pressing issue of the future of the prisoners of war.

Ka-226 T helicopter project announced in 2014 is expected to replace Indian army’s light utility helicopters Cheetah and Chetek. The main aim of the project is on “Make in India” production of KA 22T helicopters with Indian companies expected to take large scale part in the project. Many of local Indian vendors are expected to become the suppliers as the Russian-Indian joint venture has signed MoUs with a number of companies.

Navy said in a statement that the induction not only stands testimony to the joint resolve of the Indian Navy and DRDO towards indigenous development of Defence technology but has also given a major fillip to the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and the country’s resolve to become ‘Atmanirbhar’ in niche technology.