General Awareness

DEFENCE - June 2020

Jun 2020

Jul 18, 2020

QUAD is Ready but No More Free Lunches for ASEAN on South China Sea

In September 2007 under the UPA-I regime, India, US, Japan, Australia, Singapore participated in Malabar Naval exercises in Bay of Bengal. This was before the concept of QUAD – US, India, Japan and Australia – was not even born but Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ruled Beijing sent demarche to all four countries and virtually blaming the exercises partners for targeting the Middle Kingdom. With the Indian Left parties badgering the Manmohan Singh regime already over India-US nuclear deal and not willing to earn the wrath of Chinese rulers, the naval exercise concept was dropped like a hot potato by all barring the US.
Thirteen years later, India, Japan and Australia are again on the same cross-road with Chinese dragon breathing on Ladakh land borders with India, contesting Senkaku Islands with Japan, openly threatening Australia with trade war, and talking nuke missiles to exercising US navy in South China Sea (SCS).
While the call on QUAD naval exercises is still to be taken, US Navy following the new maritime policy in SCS sent a guided missile destroyer into the contested waters at Spratly Islands as part of the freedom of navigation operation. USS Ralph Johnson is backed by two super carrier task forces led by USS Ronal Reagan and USS Nimitz, who are exercising in international waters off the Chinese coast.
With the Narendra Modi government not a believer in free lunches as the ASEAN regimes, India has rejected the Chinese claims on SCS by calling it a global commons and openly advocated its long held position of freedom of navigation and overflights. Even though the Russian trade to the port of Vladivostok passes through SCS, Moscow has been silent on the SCS issue given its perceived closeness to the Chinese authoritarian state. Australia and Japan have also bilaterally discussed the SCS issue and like ASEAN want America to be at the fore-front. The so-called Tiger economies of ASEAN talk against China behind closed doors to the QUAD but are virtually servile before the Middle Kingdom as they do not have either the political or military heft to challenge China.

Jul 17, 2020

Taiwan Military Holds Live-fire Drills against Potential Chinese Threat of Invasion

Taiwan's military fired missiles from the air and the island's shore facing China in a live-fire exercise to demonstrate its ability to defend against any Chinese invasion.
Assault helicopters launched missiles and fighter jets dropped bombs on targets at sea, while tanks and missile trucks fired from a beach to deter a simulated invading force.
As per President Tsai Ing-wen, the drill was to show the world the determination and efforts to protect our country.
The drill was part of a five-day annual exercise.
China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that is part of its territory. The self-governing island of 24 million people lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) off China's southeast coast across the Taiwan Strait.

Jul 16, 2020

Defence Research Body Develops Fully Indigenous P7 Heavy Drop System

DRDO developed P7 Heavy Drop System which is capable of para dropping military stores up to 7-tonve weight class from IL 76 aircraft.
This system is fully indigenous and being manufactured by L&T who makes the platform system, parachutes manufactured by Ordnance Factory.
This system has been made under the Make in India programme.
According to DRDO, as part of mandatory requirement prior to accord Bulk Production Clearance (BPC), joint team of Indian Army, IAF and ADRDE conducted validation Trials at Agra, on two systems, which were dropped from IL76 ac from an altitude of 600 mtrs at 280 kmph speed. The store landed safely with the help of cluster of five large size parachutes (750 sqm each).
The system would be a force multiplier for armed forces, while enabling the rapid delivery of combat store in the far flung inaccessible areas.

Fiscal Powers for Forces to Meet Urgent Needs

In view of the prevailing situation along the northern borders, a special meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, delegated financial powers for urgent 'capital acquisition' projects up to Rs. 300 crore to the armed forces to meet urgent operational needs.
These include acquisition of weapons and equipment under the 'capital head' of the defence Budget. Till now, financial powers up to Rs. 500 crore under the 'revenue head' were vested with the Vice-Chief of the Army.
The move will shrink procurement timelines, ensure placement of orders within six months and deliveries within a year.
The Defence Ministry has also decided on pension for armed forces personnel with less than 10 years of service who have been rendered invalid. This includes physical and mental infirmity neither attributable to nor aggravated by service.

Jul 15, 2020

New Israeli Assault Rifles Set to Manufacture in India under Make in India Initiative

The latest Israeli Assault Rifles, Arad and Carmel, will be manufactured under the Make in India initiative in the PLR Systems Private Limited, established by Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) in 2017 as a joint venture with Punj Lloyd in Madhya Pradesh, India.
ARAD is a lightweight modular assault rifle with two variants: 5.56X45 mm and 300 AAC Blackout.
The ARAD AR is designed based on the requirements of the Specialist units and infantry forces with enhanced operational flexibility.
PLS Systems is the first private sector company that has a license for manufacturing Small Arms like the Tavor series, Galil sniper rifle, Uzi Pro submachine gun, Masada pistol and the Negev Light Machine Gun (LMG) and Ammunition.
Fouraces System India Private Limited bought the company from Punj Lloyd.

Jul 14, 2020

DRDO-Rolls Royce JV for 110 kN Jet Engine Soon

Louise Donaghey, Senior Vice President – India and South Asia for Rolls-Royce Defence confirmed that company is close to announcing a partnership to co-create a new engine with India.
In 2017, India and U.K. had agreed to cooperate on developing advanced defense products such as the gas turbine engine which was confirmed by the visiting U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Sir Michael Fallon. Kaveri project which was shelved due to lack of desired thrust levels achieved was to be revived with help of France and GTRE and Safran Group were working together till price steep developmental cost quoted lead to the fallout of talks.
India and the US also had formed joint working groups on jet engine technology and carrier technology under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) but it was later dismantled after several rounds of talks failed to break the deadlock over Transfer of Technology (TOT) of the core section of the engine which India was demanding from the US.

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