Defense

Official sources said the government has decided on a broad plan to speed up modernisation of the Army, Navy and the Air Force under which a range of critical weapons, missiles, fighter jets, submarines and warships will be procured in the next few years. The armed forces have been pushing for adequate allocation of funds so that they are well prepared to deal with the possibility of a “two-front” war on both northern and western borders.

IAF Chief B S Dhanoa will resurrect the 17 squadron at an event on Tuesday at the Ambala Air Force Station as it prepares to receive the Rafale jets, official sources said. The ‘Golden Arrows’ 17 Squadron was commanded by Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa during the Kargil war in 1999. The squadron was formed in 1951, and initially it flew de Havilland Vampire F Mk 52 fighters.

The grenade is being developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment. At present, the Army is using two calibers of weapon-launched grenades. The 30 mm, which is fired from a heavy, tripod-mounted automatic grenade launcher, and the 40 mm variant that is fired from a UBL or MGL. Two types of UBLs—one designed by the DRDO is integrated with the rifle’s firing mechanism and a Russian variant that has its own trigger—are in use.

The IAF’s helicopter fleet has steadily been increasing over the past few years and the highlight, of course, is the recent addition of Boeing-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters. Apart from these, the Indian Air Force also has medium and heavy lift helis that not only transport the Prime Minister of the country but also helps in rescue operations during natural disasters.

Speaking to state-owned broadcaster Rossiya-1, Borisov said that Russia has received the advance payment from India and air defence missile systems will be delivered in accordance to schedule time. Last year, during the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit both the countries had signed a USD 5.43-billion deal for S-400 air defence missile systems.

According to the plan, the wings for the next generation of the Tejas aircraft, orders for which are yet to be placed by the Indian Air Force (IAF), will now be manufactured by Larsen and Toubro (L&T). According to the sources, the government has been keen to engage private players in the project because an aerospace ecosystem needs to be built in India.

IN ships and aircraft of Andaman and Nicobar Command have been participating in the biannual Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) with the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) since 2003. The Objectives of the Indo-Thai CORPAT are to ensure effective implementation of United Nations Conventions on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS)

In flight-testing on Saturday in Bengaluru, HAL’s test pilots threw the HTT-40 into multiple spins and, each time, the trainer returned to level flight smoothly. In so doing, the HTT-40 cleared the so-called “six-turn spin test”, regarded as the ultimate and most difficult test for a trainer aircraft.

During the port call, there would be professional interactions between personnel of both the navies, official calls and interaction with dignitaries of the Royal Cambodian Navy. In addition, social engagements, visits by the local populace and various sports events are also planned during the visit. The visit of the IN ships would further bolster the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries and contribute to the security and stability in the region.

The head of India’s defence acquisition wing Apurva Chandra said that a high-level committee will align the procurement procedures with the aim of ensuring a seamless flow from asset acquisition to life cycle support. The defence procurement procedure stipulates the process for buying weapons and equipment with money from the defence capital budget, whereas the manual governs acquisitions from the defence revenue budget.