General Awareness

DEFENCE - October 2019

Oct 2019

Feb 05, 2020

US Adds low Yield Nuclear Weapon to Its Submarine Arsenal

The U.S. military deployed a new addition to its nuclear arsenal — a long-range missile armed with a nuclear warhead of reduced destructive power. The so-called low-yield missile joins other, more powerful weapons aboard stealthy submarines prowling the oceans.
The debut deployment aboard long-range submarines, known as boomers, is a landmark in U.S. nuclear weapons policy. It is the first major addition to the strategic nuclear arsenal in recent decades and is a departure from the Obama administration's policy of lessening dependence on nuclear weapons in pursuit of a nuclear-free world.

India to Get Theatre Commands Borders

According to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, India will have theatre commands overseeing the country's borders with China in the North/North-east; Pakistan in the North/West; and a peninsular command looking at the country's eastern and western seaboards. While this will take three years, he added that the country's armed forces are poised for the biggest reorganisation ever with the creation of the Air Defence Command.
During the transition, the theatre commanders will be assigned to be under the service chief so that the change doesn't impact the battle capabilities of the forces.
Among the other new commands that are expected is a "Logistics Command" that will look into logistics of all three services in a holistic manner.

Army Buys Ammunition Worth Rs. 30,000 crore to Fill Shortage

The Army has bought ammunition worth over Rs. 30,000 crore over the last three years to slowly fill a critical firepower shortage that was highlighted in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector in 2016.
As per sources in the Army, the force has signed 39 contracts to procure ammunition for the guns and tanks in its inventory since the Uri attack and the subsequent surgical strikes.

Feb 04, 2020

L&T MBDA Missile System Sets up Integration Facility in Tamil Nadu

L&T MBDA Missile Systems (LTMMSL) has set up a missile (inert) integration facility at Coimbatore. LTMMSL is a joint venture between engineering and construction major L&T and the European defence company MBDA. L&T owns 51% stake in LTMMSL while MBDA has 49%.The inert facility in a Special Economic Zone and will carter to domestic and global markets. The company has set up the assembly line for inert integration (without explosives), testing the Missile Subsystems and weapon launch systems.

Joint Logistics Nodes Being Set Up for Better Integration

The government told the Rajya Sabha that joint logistics nodes were being set up at Mumbai, Guwahati and Port Blair for better integration between the three services. In a written reply, minister of state for defence Shripad Naik also said that a study team was preparing the roadmap for the creation of an Air Defence Command. The purpose of the roadmap is to come up with a proposal of integrating the air defence resources of different services under a single agency, so as to ensure jointness and optimisation of resources, procedures and communication arrangements. In his first official directive after taking over as chief of defence staff, General Bipin Rawat asked top officials of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) to prepare a proposal to create an Air Defence command to enhance military synergy and optimally utilise the resources of the armed forces.

Feb 03, 2020

Russia's 'Viking' Air Defence System to Be Shown in India at Defence Expo

DefExpo India 2020 is set to kick off on February 5 and run until February 8, 2020 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, with over 1,000 companies from nearly 70 countries expected to participate. Models of the new Muk-M3 'Viking' anti-aircraft missile system will be displayed at the upcoming DefExpo India 2020 exhibition.
Within the framework of DefExpo India 2020, the company will present 1:3 scale models of the Viking air defence system for the first time ever in India, including the 9M317ME anti-aircraft guided missile.
In addition, the company will present other offerings, including the S-400 Triumf, the S-300VM Antey-2500, several variants of the Tor missile system, the S-300 Reef ship-based anti-missile system, the shipborne Shtil-1 multi-channel air defence system, and the Tunguska mobile tracked self-propelled anti-aircraft system, along with the Club-S and Club-N cruise missiles (the latter are export variants of the Kalibr).

Russia's Modernised Tu-160M Strategic Bomber Performs 1st Test Flight

According to Russian aerospace and defence company Tupolev, Russia's modernised Tu-160M strategic bomber performed its 1st test flight
The first flight of the first deeply modernised Tu-160M prototype bomber based on the Tu-160 combat aircraft took place at the KAZ airfield named after S. P. Gorbunov, a branch of PJSC Tupolev.
During the flight, the necessary checks were performed on updated systems and equipment installed as part of the deep modernisation of the aircraft. According to the crew, the flight went as normal, the systems and equipment worked without any remarks. Tu-160M features an onboard defence system, an advanced communications system, new engines and weaponry that significantly expand the bomber's performance and strike capabilities.

IAI to Unveil New Long-endurance Heron MK II UAV

Israel Aerospace Industries will unveil its latest multi-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, Heron MK II, at the Singapore Airshow next month. Using the most advanced technologies developed by IAI to date, the Heron MK II is a strategic and versatile aircraft capable of carrying diverse payloads. Fitted with a Rotax 915 iS engine, the Heron MK II can reach an altitude of 10668 m., a maximum speed of 140 knots and can remain in the air for 45 consecutive hours.
The Heron MK II is an updated model of the Heron UAV, which is used by the Israel Air Force and is operational with over 20 other organizations around the world. With larger and improved sensors, the standout feature of the Heron MK II is its standoff capability, gathering intelligence from tens of kilometers away from enemy fire and without crossing borders.

Feb 02, 2020

Iraq Resumes Joint Ops with US-led Coalition

Iraq's security forces have resumed operations with the US-led coalition to fight IS sleeper cells, after tensions led to a more than three-week pause. The US-led coalition had announced in January that it was freezing its anti-IS campaign in Iraq after a spate of rocket attacks on its bases.

Feb 01, 2020

Over 1,500 IAF Personnel Sent to Combat Squadrons

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has posted more men to its combat squadrons as part of a restructuring exercise aimed at boosting the capability of the fighting units to take up operational tasks.
More than 1,500 personnel have been transferred to combat squadrons at key bases across the country during the last few months. The men posted to these squadrons have been drawn from the Air Headquarters in Delhi and other IAF commands. The IAF has around 30 fighter squadrons against an optimum strength of 42-plus combat units required to tackle a combined threat from China and Pakistan. The army plans to relocate over 200 officers from the Delhi headquarters to forward areas.

Poland Inks Contract for F-35 Fighter Jets

Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed a contract worth $4.6 billion under which the country will acquire 32 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets from the United States.
As per Blaszczak, the acquisition will enable the Polish military to make a technological leap.
The agreement foresees the delivery of 32 multi-role aircraft along with a training and logistics package.
With the delivery of the aircraft, which is scheduled to begin in 2024, Poland is to become the first user of the F-35s in the region.

Indo-Israeli JV to Manufacture Loitering Munition in India

Israeli UVision Air announced a joint venture with Indian Aditya Precitech to manufacture loitering munitions under the brand PALM (Precision Attack Loitering Munition) Hero Systems.
The JV, called AVision will explore various opportunities in India for Loitering Munitions Systems including the design, manufacture, sales, maintenance, support, upgrading, and lifecycle management. The partners will also maintain a supply of spare parts for the warranty and post-warranty periods for current and future versions of the smart munitions systems.
Regarding this partnership, Aditya's representative and Avision's CEO, Col. (ret.) Anil Yadav, remarked, "We look forward to producing the full range of loitering munitions, which will be offered to India's military, paramilitary forces as an effective response to multiple threats with minimal collateral damage."

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