General Awareness

DEFENCE - July 2020

Jul 2020

Sep 04, 2020

Pacific Nation of Palau Invites US Military to Build Bases as China Seeks Regional Clout

The tiny Pacific nation of Palau has urged the United States military to build bases on its territory, which lies in a region where Washington is pushing back against growing Chinese influence.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper visited the island nation last week and accused Beijing of ongoing destabilising activities in the Pacific.
Palau President Tommy Remengesau later revealed that he told Esper the US military was welcome to build facilities in his country, an archipelago about 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) east of the Philippines.
Remengesau also suggested a US Coast Guard presence in Palau to help patrol its vast marine reserve, which covers an area of ocean the size of Spain and is difficult for the tiny nation to monitor.
While Palau is an independent nation, it has no military and the US is responsible for its defence under an agreement with Washington called the Compact of Free Association.
Under the deal, the US military has access to the islands, although it currently has no troops permanently stationed there.

Germany Launches Indo-Pacific Strategy with Key Role for India

Germany, current EU president and Europe's biggest economy, has launched its Indo-Pacific strategy with India that is expected to play a key role in Berlin's outreach in the region where China's aggressive foreign policy has rattled countries.
The strategy released by German Foreign Ministry has several indirect references to Chinese behaviour that challenged rules-based world order. Berlin's strategy also suggested opening dialogue with institutions where India plays a key role -- Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation and Indian Ocean Rim Associationp -- in the areas of business and maritime safety, as well as disaster risk management.
The German government also announced that it will work to maintain rules-based order together with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. To this end, it will cooperate with India and Japan for UN Security reforms.
As an internationally active trading nation and proponent of a rules-based international order, Germany – embedded in the European Union – has a great interest in participating in Asia's growth dynamics and in being involved in shaping the Indo-Pacific region, as well as in upholding global norms in regional structures," suggested the strategy outlining Germany's key principle for the region.
The strategy also contains veiled but firm criticism of Chinese actions in the South China Sea and its fallout on global trade in what mirrors India's position on the issue.
More than 90 per cent of the world's foreign trade is conducted by sea, a large part of which via the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Up to 25 per cent of the world's maritime trade passes through the Strait of Malacca. More than 2000 ships per day transport goods between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea via this bottleneck. A disruption to these maritime trade routes and thus to the supply chains to and from Europe would have serious consequences for the prosperity and supply of our population, the strategy pointed out.

India and Russia Finalise AK-47 203 Rifles Deal

India and Russia have finalised a major deal for manufacturing AK-47 203 rifles in India during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's ongoing visit.
The AK-47 203 is the latest and most advanced version of the AK-47 rifle, which will replace the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56x45 mm assault rifle.
The Indian Army has a requirement for around 770,000 AK-47 203 rifles, of which 100,000 will be imported and the rest will be manufactured in India.
The rifles will be manufactured in India as part of the joint venture Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), established between the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), the Kalashnikov Concern and Rosoboronexport—the Russian state agency for military exports.
The OFB would own a majority stake of 50.5 per cent in IRRPL while the Kalashnikov Group would have a 42 per cent share. Russia's state-owned export agency, Rosoboronexport, would own the remaining 7.5 per cent.
The 7.62×39 mm Russian weapon will be produced at the Korwa Ordnance Factory in Uttar Pradesh, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.

Sep 02, 2020

Tata Group and L&T to build six Pinaka Rocket Regiments for Army

The Defence Ministry signed contracts with the Tata Power Company Limited (TPCL) and the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for supply of six Pinaka rocket regiments for the Army at approximately Rs. 2,580 crore. This will be the first instance of the private industry manufacturing the complete Pinaka system.
These six Pinaka regiments comprise 114 launchers with automated gun aiming and positioning system (AGAPS) and 45 command posts to be procured from TPCL and L&T and 330 vehicles to be procured from Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML). The regiments will be operationalised along the northern and the eastern borders and the induction is planned to be completed by 2024.
This project is being processed under the Buy (Indian) categorisation with 70% indigenous content, the Ministry said. The Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Sep 01, 2020

IPS Charu Sinha to Become First Woman Head of CRPF's Srinagar Sector

For the first time, a female IPS officer has been appointed as Inspector General (IG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Srinagar sector, one of the terrorist-affected areas in Jammu and Kashmir.
Charu Sinha, IPS officer of the 1996-batch Telangana cadre, will now be heading the Srinagar sector for CRPF as the Inspector General. This is not the first time when she has been assigned such a tough task, earlier also, she had worked as IG, the Bihar sector in CRPF and has dealt with Naxals.
Under her leadership, various anti-Naxals operations were carried out. Later, she was transferred to IG Jammu in CRPF where she spent a long and successful tenure. On Monday, a fresh order came appointing her as the IG Srinagar sector.
Current Director-General CRPF AP Maheshwari headed the Srinagar sector as IG in 2005.
The sector, which started functioning in 2005 never had a female officer at the IG level. This sector involved in anti-terror operations and closely work with the Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir police.
Srinagar sector is located at Brein Nishat, Srinagar (J-K). It started functioning in 2005. Srinagar Sector has operational jurisdiction over three districts of J-K- Budgam, Ganderbal, and Srinagar and Union Territory of Ladakh.

US Seeks Formal Alliance Similar to NATO with India, Japan and Australia

As per reports, Washington aims to formalise its closer Indo-Pacific defence relations with India, Japan and Australia – also known as "the quad" – into something more closely resembling the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
The US government's goal is to get the grouping of four countries and others in the region to work together as a bulwark against a potential challenge from China and to create a critical mass around the shared values and interests of those parties in a manner that attracts more countries in the Indo-Pacific and even from around the world.

Aug 31, 2020

Navy Inducts Indigenously Developed Torpedo Decoy System

Anti-Submarine Warfare capability of the Indian Navy received a major boost with the conclusion of a contract for Advanced Torpedo Decoy System (ATDS) 'Maareech' capable of launch from all frontline warships of Indian Navy. The decoy system has been designed and developed indigenously by DRDO's Naval Systems and Materials (NS&M) cluster lab Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi.
Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), the other naval laboratory in the NS&M cluster, has developed the expendable decoy counter measure system, which is integrated with the Maareech system. Maareech ATDS is capable of providing reliable defence mechanism against a possible torpedo attack by vintage as well as modern torpedoes.
The system has both torpedo detection and countermeasure capability. Its functions include automatic detection, tracking and sounding alert of incoming torpedoes, and decoying of acoustic homing torpedoes. Bharat Electronics Limited, a Defence PSU, would undertake the production of this decoy system.
Maareech features are at par with the global torpedo defence systems; Maareech system possesses detection and decoying capabilities superior to that of global systems.
Also, being totally indigenous, continuous support of DRDO and Indian industry is available for up gradation of capabilities based on new requirements arising out of tactical missions. This induction not only stands testimony to the joint resolve of the Indian Navy and DRDO towards indigenous development of Defence technology, but is also a major fillip to the Government's 'Make in India' initiative and the country's resolve to become 'Atmanirbhar' in niche technology.

Aug 30, 2020

India Not to Attend War Games in Russia

India pulled out of a multi-nation military exercise hosted by Russia in which Chinese and Pakistani troops too were expected to participate. With tensions brewing, India did not want its military seen alongside that of China and Pakistan.
This decision was taken at a high-level meeting where External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat were present. It was decided that with India locked in a military conflict with China in eastern Ladakh, it could not be business as usual. China has stalled all efforts to disengage along the Line of Actual Control.
Jaishankar and General Rawat also took into account the worsening global Covid-19 situation. India and China clashed in the Galwan valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian troops lost their lives while the Chinese suffered an undeclared number of casualties.

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