Defense

India and France are to sign a pact on securing communication links between their top military officials, a sign of their deepening defence partnership especially in the Indian Ocean region that comes against the backdrop of an increased Chinese footprint and the persistence of threats like the Islamic State.

Metal cutting, the first step in the start of commercial production, of the of indigenously made single-engine fighter plane Tejas (Mk-II) is scheduled for February 2020, according to Dr Girsh S Deodhare, director of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and head of the Tejas programme.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday met top defence officials from Vietnam and Bangladesh and an Australian diplomat and held talks on issues of mutual interest. The Army chief met Admiral Aurangzeb Chowdhury, chief of Naval Staff of Bangladesh Navy, and Lieutenant General Ngo Minh Tien, deputy chief of the General Staff, Vietnam People’s Army.

The ammunition can be busted in the air as well as after its penetration into bunker-type structures by using its different fuses.
The Excalibur ammunition was developed in the US for improving the accuracy of the artillery shells in the war in Afghanistan which the Americans have been fighting for almost two decades now.

“The visit aims to consolidate bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh, as also to explore new avenues for naval cooperation,” the defence ministry said. Sources said Admiral Singh and Admiral Chowdhury discussed ways to bolster maritime security cooperation between the two countries.

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Yesso Naik said during Question Hour that the government has approved admission of girls in five Sainik Schools ⁠— Kalikiri (Andhra Pradesh), Kodagu (Karnataka), Ghorakhal (Uttarakhand), Chandrapur (Maharashtra) and Bijapur (Karnataka) for the academic session 2020-21.

The Naxals were once very active in the Western Ghats along the coastal districts. The last time Naxal activities were reported in this region was during the state assembly and Lok Sabha polls, after which there is no trace of them. After Shivamogga, Chikkamagalur and Udupi districts, Naxals made their way to Dakshina Kannada, a decade ago. Uppinanagady witnessed the first Naxal activity in 2007.

Myanmar has plans to buy similar Kilo-class submarines — called Sindhughosh-class by India — from Russia, which gained ground after Bangladesh inducted two Ming-class diesel-electric submarines from China in 2016. Bangladesh, incidentally, also plans to construct a submarine base in Cox’s Bazar with China’s assistance.

“As far as the Philippines Army is concerned, the consensus on the BrahMos system is a done deal. Now, it’s all about the price negotiations and we hope the deal will be finalised next year,” said a person familiar with the negotiations who declined to be named.