General Awareness

DEFENCE - June 2020

Jun 2020

Oct 07, 2020

IAF Set to Place Orders for 21 MiG-29 Jets from Russia

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to place an order with Russia for 21 twin-engine MiG-29 jets by December. Of the 1980s vintage, the jets are no longer in production but 21 airframes built then remain in Russia. Top sources in the security and defence establishment said that the jets purchased by India will be upgraded to the latest version before they arrive here.
The purchase comes as the IAF faces a depleting force strength due to its fleet of legacy aircraft and budgetary constraints.
The IAF will first place orders for the MiG-29, and then go in for another 12 Su-30 MKI, which are being manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under licence from Russia. The IAF is also expected to soon place a long-pending order for the indigenous 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark 1A.
India and Russia have been in talks for the purchase of more MiG-29 jets since last year.

Govt. Okays Induction of Nuke-capable Shaurya Missile Amid Ladakh Standoff

The Narendra Modi government has approved induction and deployment of 700-km range surface-to-surface supersonic Shaurya strategic missile even as forward movement has been recorded in development of 5,000 km range K-5 submarine-launched ballistic missile. Shaurya is the land version of the submarine-launched BA-05 missile and has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The land version was discreetly tested for the final time before induction as part of user trials in Odisha's Balasore on October 3.
According to top missile experts, Shaurya is a delivery system stored in a composite canister for rapid deployment and minimum interaction with the elements for a long period. The strategic missile flies at a supersonic speed of Mach 7, or 2.4 km per second, at a height of 50 km (within atmosphere) and hits the designated target at Mach 4.
The missile will be soon deployed at locations identified by the Indian Strategic Forces Command under guidance from National Security Council. The missile has a warhead weighing around 160 kg.
While the Modi government's decision to go for a land version is significant as the missile can be launched by a single vehicle, the DRDO is also making rapid strides in the development of a 5,000 km version of the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). With a range equivalent to Agni-5 land-based ballistic missile, the K-5 will be deployed on Arihant class of nuclear submarines.

Oct 06, 2020

DRDO Test Fires Torpedo SMART

The Defence Research Development Organisation successfully test fired SMART Torpedo. SMART is Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo.
The Torpedo was test fired from Wheeler Islands in the coast of Odisha. The launch is important for India to establish its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. SMART is an anti-submarine Torpedo system and is the fastest in the world. It has a range of 650 km.
In 2016, the Government of India allocated Rs 340 crores to develop SMART. In SMART, two weapon capabilities have been combined to form one and thus Hybrid. The two weapon capabilities are the missile part and the torpedo part. The Torpedoes all over the world have launch range around 50 km and the rocket assisted one have till 140-150 km. However, SMART due to this hybrid technology has a range of 650 km.
China's Yu-8 ASW missile works on the same hybrid technology as that of SMART. However, its range is only 40 km.

Oct 05, 2020

India to Acquire Spurt Light Tank from Russia

India is currently in advanced talks with Russia to acquire light weight tanks. These are newly developed tanks in Russia. They are being acquired to be used in high altitude areas of Line of Actual Control.
The need to buy Sprut Light Tanks has come after border hostilities with China increased in the Line of Actual Control. The new tank is under trial in Russia.
India is to acquire two dozen Sprut light weight tanks in the first tranche. The cost of one tank is less Rs. 500 crores. This falls within the emergency financial powers provided to the chiefs after Galwan clash.
Spurt Light Tank is a self-propelled tank destroyer and a light tank. These tanks shall be air dropped from an aircraft with three operating men sitting inside. It weighs 18 tonnes and can reach a speed of 71 kilometres per hour.

Oct 04, 2020

Lockheed Martin Offers F-21 for India's Exclusive Use

The top leadership of Lockheed Martin made a powerful pitch for the F-21 aircraft, by stating that its offer of not selling the aircraft to any other country if Indian Air Force (IAF) gave it the contract for 100-plus aircraft, was still on the table.
William L. Blair, Vice President and Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin India, and Brett Medlin, Campaign Lead-F-21 India, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said that building the fighter aircraft in India was the next "natural step" for the company. The representatives of the US aerospace giant further added that India's partnership on F-21 would lead to a future partnership for the use of F-35, arguably the most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world right now. They also elaborated on why the F-21 and F-16 were totally different aircraft, contrary to concerns in some circles.
The F-21 is also the only fighter in the world capable of both probe/drogue and boom aerial fuelling capability. This, along with Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs), delivers greater range penetration and loiter staying power to the Indian Air Force.
The F-21 also delivers an advanced single-engine, multi-role fighter at the most optimal Life Cycle Cost for the Indian Air Force with the longest service life of any competitor—12,000 flight hours.
The F-21, in concert with India's Rafale and Tejas, will fill a critical operational gap for the Indian Air Force.

India Successfully Tests New Version of Shaurya Missile

Amid the ongoing border dispute with China, India successfully tested a new version of the nuclear-capable Shaurya missile off the coast of Odisha.
The new version of the missile will be inducted in the strategic forces to complement one of the existing missiles in the same class.
The missile would be lighter and easier to operate in comparison with the existing missile and can strike targets at around 800 km. In the last phase while moving close to its target, the missile moves at hypersonic speeds.
This comes just days after India successfully tested an indigenously developed laser-guided anti-tank guided missile in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar.

Oct 03, 2020

Alpha Design Wins Rs. 591 Crore Contract to Upgrade Soviet-era Pechora Missile System

In a major fillip for Government's push for indigenous defence manufacturing, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has roped in private sector players Alpha Design Technologies Limited (ADTL) to upgrade the soviet era Pechora surface to air systems.
ADTL will be upgrading and digitising 16 of the Pechora missile and radar systems which are presently in operation under a contract worth Rs. 591 crore. Also, the contract has an options clause, under which the number of systems to be upgraded and digitised could be taken up to a total of 24 in the coming years.
The project would lead to the adoption of a host of indigenously developed technologies in the Pechora missile systems, like radar transmitter, thermal imager based electro-optical system and communication equipment.
The entire contract is to be executed within four years and the contract. For the contract, ADTL has partnered with Russian entities to upgrade the missile systems which have been in service for over 30 years. It should be noted that as per ADTL's chairman and managing director Col HS Shankar (retd), the upgradation of the existing systems will cost less than the procurement of fresh new systems.
The contract also gains significance, as ADTL beat public sector majors like Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to win it.

Bongosagar India -Bangladeshto Hold Three-day Mega Military Exercice

India and Bangladesh are to hold a mega military exercise in Bay of Bengal. The exercise is to be followed by a two-day patrolling called CORPAT.
The annual maritime exercise, called "Bongosagar" that is to be held in Bay of Bengal was begun in 2019. The Indian Navy is to deploy guided missile corvette Khukri and anti-submarine warfare corvette Kiltan. The Bangladeshi Navy is to be represented by guided missile corvette Prottoy and guided missile frigate Abu Bakr.
Apart from these, a number of helicopters from both Indian and Bangladesh Navy will also participate in the exercise.
The first edition of CORPAT began in 2018. This exercise helps to develop mutual sharing practices and also develop mutual communication between the two navies.
Other military Exercises between India and Bangladesh
Sampriti is an annual military exercise that is held between India and Bangladesh. The exercise was begun in 2010 and has been conducted annually since then.

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