Defense

The tri-Service integrated defence staff (IDS) under the defence ministry is conducting the two-day “IndSpaceEx”, with all military and scientific stakeholders on Thursday and Friday, in the backdrop of China’s rapidly expanding space and counter-space capabilities.

The commandants and their second-in-command officers have been asked to strictly follow the directive and monitor their units to check “each and every” movement along this front, which is highly sensitive and vulnerable from the point of infiltration of terrorists from the Pakistani soil and unprovoked firing incidents.

Russia has been the largest supplier of defence hardware and military equipment to India and the IAF chief said that the two countries can join hands for the production of components and spare parts in India. “Using the example of the Su-30, I can say that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is already producing the Su-30MKI under the original licence. With them, we signed a contract for aftersales service of the Su-30MKI aircraft.

Naravane will be the senior most army officer when the incumbent Army Chief General Bipin Rawat retires on December 31. Naravane was commissioned into the 7th Sikh Light Infantry in June 1980. He has handled several appointments in peace, field and active counter-insurgency environments in the North-East, Jammu and Kashmir and as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka.

All stakeholders have been asked to submit reports related to the completion of the mega-exercise – codenamed ‘Sudarshan’ – aimed at tightening vigil along the infiltration-probe border, he said. Commanders of the forces were directed to strengthen their watchtower and man sentry posts more efficiently, besides organising multiple patrolling.

he year 2018 witnessed the lowest number of insurgency incidents and civilian deaths since 1997,” said the report. It said that the overall security situation in the North Eastern (NE) states improved substantially since 2013. The report said that compared to 2017, insurgency incidents have registered a decline of 18 per cent in the year 2018.

Prime Minister Modi-led government approved major changes in the Prime Minister Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund. As part of the decision, the rates of scholarship were increased in a substantial manner. Apart from this, the government also approved the proposal to grant organised cadre status to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) officers.

To be based in Pathankot and in the North East Region, these flying machines will be replacing the existing Russian Mi-35, in service and used as an assault helicopter and for ferrying troops. The whole delivery of the 22 machines purchased for $1.1 billion through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route will be completed by March 2020.

“I believe this is for the first time that the IAF will be using an anti-icing device made indigenously. An entire squadron of aircraft can be fuelled through this device that costs just one-third of what the government was paying for the imported ones,” Smart said.

In lieu with PM Narendra Modi’s commitment of augmenting India’s defence capabilities so as to step ahead with his dream of positioning India in the top-notch list of global powers, India has never shied away from strengthening its defence sector under his governence.