General Awareness

DEFENCE - June 2020

Jun 2020

Oct 02, 2020

Pentagon Okays $90 mn Sale of Spares, Support for C-130J Super Hercules Aircraft to India

The Pentagon has approved India's request to buy US$ 90 million worth of equipment, spare parts and logistical support for its fleet of C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft.
In its notification to the Congress, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said that the proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship and improve the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.
The items ordered by India are aircraft consumable spares and repair/return parts; ground support and equipment; Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD) fire extinguisher cartridges; flare cartridges; BBU-35/B cartridge impulse squibs.

Air Marshal Amit Dev Takes over as AOC-n-C of Indian Air Force's Eastern Air Command

Air Marshal Amit Dev took over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force's Eastern Air Command from Air Marshal R D Mathur. An alumnus of Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College, Air Marshal Amit Dev was commissioned into the fighter stream of IAF in December 1982 as a fighter pilot and has built a distinguished career spanning nearly 38 years.
Defence spokesperson Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh said that prior to his present appointment Air Marshal Amit Dev was Air officer-in-charge of personnel at Air Headquarters Vayu Bhawan in Delhi following his posting as director general of air operations at Air Headquarters.
Air Marshal Amit Dev has flying experience of more than 2500 hours, including operational flying on MiG 21 and MiG 27 fighter aircraft.

DRDO Successfully Test Fires Laser-guided Anti-tank Guided Missile

An indigenously developed laser-guided anti-tank guided missile was successfully test fired in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar.
It was the second such successful test firing of the missile, having a range of upto 5 km, in the last 10 days.
The weapon was test fired from an MBT Arjun Tank at KK Ranges in Armoured Corps Centre and School (ACC&S) in Ahmednagar.
The ATGM employs a tandem heat warhead to defeat explosive reactive armour (ERA)protected armoured vehicles in ranges from 1.5 to 5 km.
It said the ATGM has been developed with a capability to launch from multiple platforms and is currently undergoing technical evaluation trials from 120 mm rifled gun of MBT Arjun.

Oct 01, 2020

Fast Petrol Vessel ICGS Karnatak Barua Commissioned

The Indian Coast guard Vessel Karnaklata Barua was commissioned at Kolkata through video conferencing.
The ICGS Kanaklata Barua is one of the five FPVs (Fast Patrol Vessels) built by GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers). The GRSE is a Defence Public Sector Undertaking. It was delivered in June, 2020.
The vessels were designed for maximum speed of 34 knots. They are medium range surface vessels with a length of 50 metres, width of 7.5 metres and displacement of 308 tonnes.
There are 42 Coast Guard Stations in India. They are divided under five broad regional Head Quarters. They are
North East Region, Kolkata
Eastern Region, Chennai
Andaman and Nicobar Region, Port Blair
Western Region, Mumbai
North West Region, Gandhinagar
Apart from this, the Indian Coast Guard operates five Coast Guard Air Stations and ten Coast Guard Air Enclaves.

Sep 30, 2020

India Successfully Test-fires BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile with over 400-km Range

India successfully test-fired an extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. The supersonic cruise missile is capable of hitting targets at more than 400-km range.
The test was carried out under PJ-10 project of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, under which the missile was launched with an indigenous booster.
BrahMos is the first supersonic cruise missile known to be in service. Induction of the first version of BrahMos weapon complex in the Indian Navy commenced in 2005 with INS Rajput as the first ship.
All future ships being built and ships coming for mid-life up-gradation will be fitted with the missile, sources said.
The Indian Army has also inducted three regiments of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile.

Sep 29, 2020

Indian Navy, Air Force to Get Indigenous 'Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon' With 100 Km Range

At its meeting the Defence Acquisition Council, headed by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the procurement of the indigenously developed 'Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon' or SAAW for the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.
Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), SAAW has a range of around 100 km and weighs around 125 kg. The weapon, which is being procured at an approximate cost Rs. 970 crore, will give the Air Force and the Navy the capability to hit enemy airfields and runways from a standoff distance with high precision during conflicts.
Given that this weapon can be launched from standoff ranges, the aircraft launching it can remain at a safe distance from the enemy target. In many cases, the weapon can be fired by IAF fighters from within the Indian air space.
Apart from SAAW, the DAC also cleared the procurement of Static HF Trans-receiver sets for field units of the Indian Army and the Air Force at an approximate cost of Rs. 540 crore to enable seamless communication.

India, US, Japan and Australia Hold Meet on Indo-Pacific under Quad Framework

Senior officials of India, the US, Japan and Australia held a virtual meeting under the framework of Quadrilateral coalition or "Quad", focusing on ways to promote peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting took place in the backdrop of China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
The foreign ministers of the four member nations of the "Quad" are set to hold talks in Tokyo next month to further boost their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the officials reaffirmed their commitment towards a "free, open, prosperous and inclusive" Indo-Pacific region based on shared values and principles and respect for international law.
The MEA said the officials reiterated their firm support for ASEAN-centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms for the Indo-Pacific, and their readiness to work with ASEAN and all other countries towards realising a common and promising vision for the Indo-Pacific.
Ten-nation regional grouping Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a major stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific region.
A statement by the US said the four countries explored ways to work together in the Mekong sub-region, in the South China Sea, and across the Indo-Pacific to support international law, pluralism, regional stability, and post-pandemic recovery efforts.

Sep 28, 2020

Israeli Defence Forces Successfully Test Sea-to-sea Missile System

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) conducted a successful test of a new sea-to-sea missile system.
According to the IDF, the system was designed to ensure Israel's continued naval superiority.
The announcement comes a month after its rival Iran revealed its Abu-Mahdi long-range cruise missiles for its navy.
In recent years, the Israeli defence establishment has invested heavily in fortifying its naval abilities.
As per reports, the new Israeli missile system has precision capabilities with a longer range and expanded offensive options.

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