Defense

Almost eight months after a theft on board the indigenous aircraft carrier in Kerala”s Cochin Shipyard, where INS Vikrant, is under construction, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested two suspects from Bihar and Rajasthan.

India’s premier warship builder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd of Kolkata has delivered ICGS Kanaklata Barua, the fifth and final ship in the series of Fast Patrol Vessels (FPV) for the Indian Coast Guard. This is the 105th vessel delivered by the Miniratna Category 1 Defence PSU shipyard.

Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged on the ground at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh, as both the nations gear up for the next round of military talks scheduled to commence this week, according to sources. The Chinese Army has also pulled back its troops from the Galwan valley, PP-15 and Hot Springs in Eastern Ladakh area by 2 to 2.5 kilometres, Zee News has come to know.

India has the world’s largest and most experienced troops trained for high-altitude battles, a military expert affiliated to China’s leading maker of equipment for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has said, adding that mountaineering is an “essential skill” for each Indian soldier deployed in the mountains.

Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Ltd, a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Lockheed Martin, is seeing growth opportunities through its operations in Hyderabad, at a time when Central government is bringing defence reforms in terms of defence procurement, pushing indigenous manufacturing and increasing foreign direct investment (FDI).

In a major boost for Security Forces, nine Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists have been killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir, in the last 24 hours, including four on Monday (June 8). According to Director General of Jammu-Kashmir Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh, four terrorists were killed by Security Forces in an encounter in Pinjora area of Shopian district.

Home Minister Amit Shah has played another Desi gamble, ordering the central para-military forces and central police organisations to go for purchase of arms and ammunitions from the Indian firms, besides the procurement from the State-run Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). He wants to put a total ban on their procurement from abroad.

“We are currently in the process of drafting the defence production and export promotion policy and hopefully, within a month or so, we would like to put it in public domain for seeking your feedback and comments which will be covering all aspects of what the finance minister announced on 16th of May,” Defence Production Secretary Raj Kumar said at a webinar attended by various defence companies.

Two specially modified Boeing-777 aircraft, capable of countering missile threats, will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Air India One fleet by September-end, two people familiar with the development said on Wednesday. The first head-of-state Boeing-777 aircraft will arrive in India from the United States by August-end followed by the second one a month later, they said on condition of anonymity.

As part of the Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today, two landmark Defence Arrangements between Australia and India have been established. The Australia-India Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement and the Defence Science and Technology Implementing Arrangement provide a framework to deepen defence cooperation between the two countries.