General Awareness

DEFENCE - June 2020

Jun 2020

Jul 08, 2020

Indian Navy's 'White Tigers' Squadron Completes 60 Years

Indian Navy's premier fighter squadron based at INS Hansa, Goa completed 60 years in service to the nation.
The INAS 300, the longest serving combat unit of the navy, gave birth to the Indian Navy's carrier borne aviation on July 7, 1959 and fighter jets from the squadron participated in Operation Vijay in 1961, Indo-China war in 1962 and the Indo-Pak wars in 1965 and 1971.
The 'White Tigers', as the squadron is popularly known, has the rare distinction of operating all three fighter aircraft of the Indian Navy - Sea Hawk, Sea Harrier and MiG 29K - from all three aircraft carriers - INS Vikrant, INS Viraat and INS Vikramaditya.
In its current avatar as the MiG-29K training squadron, INAS 300 has the responsibility to produce top-notch, war-ready, deck-borne fighter pilots who can be relied upon to defend the fleet or carry out a precision strike on enemy warships when needed.

Coast Guards of India and Indonesia Sign MoU to Boost Maritime Relations

In order to bolster the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Indonesia, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Indonesian Coast Guard (Badan Keamanan Laut Republik Indonesia).
It was inked by ICG Director General (DG) Krishnaswamy Natarajan and Head of Indonesian Coast Guard Vice Admiral Aan Kurnia in the presence of Ambassador of India to Indonesia Pradeep Kumar Rawat, and Mochammad Rizki Safary, Minister Counsellor of Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi, India and officials from Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Ministry of External affairs (MEA).
The objective of this MoU is to enhance the collaborative and cooperative engagements in maritime law enforcement, maritime search and rescue and marine pollution response.
This will also enable the exchange of information towards combating transnational maritime crimes on the basis of ensuring safe, secure and clean seas between the two nations.

Jul 07, 2020

Indian Army to Buy 2000 Akash 1S Surface to Air Missiles Soon

According to Defence analyst, Saurav Jha, the Indian Army has plans to soon place orders for 2 Akash 1S regiments – approximately 2,000 missiles – worth over Rs. 14,000 crore ($3.1 billion). Akash-1S is a medium-range Surface to Air Missile with multitarget engagement capability and comes with an indigenously developed seeker for much more effective target engagement in kill zone.
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) which is the Production house for manufacturing Akash surface-to-air missile system for Indian Army and Indian Air Force already has secured license & tech transfer agreements for the indigenous seeker from DRDO and the missile system already has completed its developmental trials where it has demonstrated its capabilities by successfully engaging various targets. BDL has production capabilities of 100 Akash Missiles per month and Akash 1S with Seeker has seen particular interests from Vietnam which is in talks with India for its export and local manufacturing in the country.
The Akash-1S is capable of striking down enemy fighter jets and drones very effectively and accurately. The Akash surface-to-air missile was designed to intercept enemy aircraft and missiles from a distance of 18 to 30 km. Akash-1S system has been designed and developed for the Indian Army based on their requirements and will replace the Vintage Soviet Era SA-6 surface-to-air missile system.

Boeing Ropes in HAL and Mahindra Defense for F-15EX Push in India

Strike optimised and latest variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle multirole fighter, F-15EX from Boeing has been offered to India which was confirmed earlier this year and now media reports confirm that state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mahindra Defence have also been roped in as Partners if F-15EX is selected by Indian Air Force (IAF) for its requirement of 114 fighter jets in latest Tender.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mahindra Defence are also partners in F-18 E/F Block-III fighter jet which is also on offer to IAF by Boeing. F-15EX is from Heavyweight class Fighter like Sukhoi Su-30MKI but it was offered to India in response to Russia being allowed to offer India for the first time Sukhoi Su-35 which too belongs to the same class as F-15EX.

Jul 06, 2020

India Eyes US Predator-B Drones for Surveillance

In the wake of multiple prolonged standoffs with the Chinese army in eastern Ladakh, India has conveyed to the US its renewed interest in the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) armed Predator-B drone, which not only collects intelligence through surveillance and reconnaissance but also locates and destroys the target with missiles or laser-guided bombs.
While India is operating Israeli Heron unarmed drones in eastern Ladakh, the acquisition of an armed drone has acquired urgency, with China not only using Wing Loong II armed drone but also in the process of supplying two systems to Pakistan, ostensibly to protect the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the PLA Navy's new base at Gwadar in Balochistan province.

Jul 04, 2020

Indra Receives Contract to Supply Navigational Aids for 37 Indian Military Airfields

Spanish defense systems company, Indra has been awarded a contract for the supply of navigational aids to 37 of Indian military airfields. The contract is part of the ongoing Modernisation of Air Field Infrastructure (MAFI) project by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD). The systems will be supplied through the Indian company Tata Power SED which was awarded the INR 1,200 crore (USD 159 million) MAFI contract.
The 37 military airfields belong to the Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The modernisation of India's airfields started in 2011 with Indra supplying navigational aids to IAF's 30 airfields under the MAFI Phase-I program. According to Indian MoD, the airfields modernized under MAFI Phase-I have been of immense benefit to both military and civil users.
With the new contract, Indra will deliver an additional 24 instrument landing systems (ILS) and 29 Doppler Very High Frequency (VHF) Omni Range (DVOR) guidance systems during a project period of three years. The company has also supplied navigational aids to most of the country's civil airports, making Indra a major contributor to flight safety for air traffic in India.

Japan Deepens Intelligence Sharing with India, Australia and the UK

Japan seeks to expand cooperation in sharing defense intelligence with partners such as India, Australia and the U.K. broadening the scope of its state secrets law to include exchanges with countries beyond the U.S. The expansion came in last month's revision of standards for the legislation, which already covers Washington, Tokyo's closest ally. The law — enacted in 2014 amid controversy — sets penalties of up to 10 years in prison for leaking secrets deemed to risk causing severe damage to Japan's national security, covering areas such as defense, diplomacy and counterterrorism.
Classifying information from a foreign military as a state secret will facilitate joint exercises and tie-ups for developing equipment. It also becomes easier to share data on Chinese troop movements, an increasingly crucial issue as it has grown harder for Tokyo to track Beijing's activities in the region on its own.
Chinese Coast Guard vessels sailed through waters in the East China Sea around the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by China as the Diaoyu.
The law change is geared toward the U.K., Australia, India and France, with which Japan has signed agreements that obligate both sides to keep classified defense information secret. Reducing the risk of leaks should encourage these countries to share confidential data.

Jul 03, 2020

Defence Ministry Approves Procurement of MiG-29 and Sukhoi Fighter Jets

The Defence Ministry gave its approval to the Indian Air Force to speedily procure 21 MiG-29 fighter jets besides 12 Sukhoi MK1 from Russia – a key development that comes in the middle of an almost two-month long military standoff with China.
The Defence Ministry's Defence Acquisition Council also gave its nod for the upgradation of existing 59 MiG-29 aircrafts.
The DAC also approved acquisitions of various platforms and equipment required by the Indian Armed Forces for an approximate cost of Rs. 38,900 crore.
It also cleared the acquisition of 248 Astra Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missiles for the Indian Air Force and the Navy.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

October GK, September GK, August GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services and Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26