General Awareness

DEFENCE - July 2020

Jul 2020

Aug 04, 2020

Russia Offers India Sprut Lightweight Tanks

Russia has offered India its 18-tonne Sprut SDM1 lightweight tanks for possible procurement amid the ongoing stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh, ThePrint has learnt. Sources in the defence and security establishment said the offer for Spruts, capable of being airlifted, was made during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Russia in June.
The move came as India has deployed heavy T-90 tanks, weighing about 46 tonnes, in Ladakh, besides T-72 tanks, which weigh around 45 tonnes and were deployed earlier. China, meanwhile, has deployed its new lightweight tanks, Type 15, which weigh around 33 tonnes. Lightweight tanks allow faster mobility in mountainous terrain than regular battle tanks that weigh over 40 tonnes.
During Rajnath Singh's visit, New Delhi and Moscow prepared a list of items that could be bought and sold in wake of the tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The lightweight tank did not feature in India's demands but was part of the Russian offer.
As per reports, the technical discussions are ongoing between the Indian embassy in Moscow and Russian authorities. Under technical discussions, both sides talked about the technical aspects of the weapons system to understand its capabilities and limitations.
But defence sources maintained that no emergency procurement is planned for these lightweight tanks currently.

Aug 02, 2020

Air Marshal V. R. Chaudhari Takes over as Chief of IAF's Western Air Command

Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari took charge as commander-in-chief of the Indian Air Force's Western Air Command (WAC) which looks after the security of the country's air space in the sensitive Ladakh sector as well as various other parts of north India.
He succeeded Air Marshal B Suresh who retired from service.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Air Marshal Chaudhari was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF on December 29, 1982.
In a distinguished career spanning nearly 38 years, the officer has flown a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft in the inventory of IAF. He has a flying experience of more than 3,800 hours, including operational flying on MiG-21, MiG-23 MF, MiG 29 and Su-30 MKI fighter jets.

Jul 31, 2020

India Set to Ban Import of Weapons that can be Produced Indigenously

In keeping with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Defence Ministry proposes to ban the import of weapons that can be made in the country. This suggestion has been made in the second draft of the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) 2020, in line with the announcements made during the Aatmanirbhar Bharat presentations in March.
According to a draft put out by the Ministry, the DPP 2020 will now be called Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.
The Defence Ministry will notify a list of weapons/platforms banned for import, which will be updated from time to time based on the requirements of the various services. The preparation of this negative list is on.
Besides, a budget head has been created by the Defence Ministry for 'Make in India' projects and a provision is being made for domestic capital procurement.
An industry body representative welcomed the move.

Jul 30, 2020

The US and Australia See Key Role for India in Indo-Pacific Security

India will have a key role in defence cooperation and post-Covid-19 recovery efforts in the Indo-Pacific by the US and Australia, which plan to strengthen partnerships in the region to ensure it remains secure, inclusive and rules-based.
The matter figured in a meeting between US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and defence secretary Mark Esper and their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Linda Reynolds in Washington, with a joint statement issued by the two sides making several references to India's role in the Indo-Pacific.
The US and Australia also expressed serious concerns about China's "recent coercive and destabilising actions across the Indo-Pacific", and the two countries said the Covid-19 pandemic has "created incentives for some actors to pursue strategic gains in ways that undermine the rules-based international order and regional stability".
The development comes at a time when India is set to include Australia in the Malabar naval exercise that it conducts with the US and Japan, and against the backdrop of the months-old border standoff with China.
The US-Australia joint statement said the Indo-Pacific remains the focus of their alliance and that two countries are "working side-by-side, including with Asean, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Five Eyes partners, to strengthen our networked structure of alliances and partnerships to maintain a region that is secure, prosperous, inclusive, and rules-based".

First Batch of Rafale Jets Lands at Ambala

The first lot of Rafale fighter jets touched down at the Indian Air Force base, Ambala, marking an incremental increase in the arc of operations and capability to strike.
The five jets, part of the 36 ordered from Dassault Aviation of France, arrived to a rousing welcome. They are the first step to building up the IAF strength to 42 fighter jet squadrons (16-18 jets in each). The IAF currently has 31 squadrons, including five with MiG-21s, which should have been ideally decommissioned by now.
The Indian forces assess a need for 42 squadrons (some 18 planes in each) to tackle a two-front war with Pakistan and China simultaneously. The remaining 31 Rafales will be delivered progressively till May 2023 or over the next 34 months. Also, 20 LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) Tejas will be inducted over the next two years, which will be added to the existing fleet of 20 Tejas fighters.

Jul 29, 2020

Pakistan Gets First Indigenously Developed 'Al Khalid' Main Battle Tank

Pakistan has handed over an improved version of its indigenously developed main battle tank – 'Al Khalid' to its army.
Islamabad's joint venture with China and Ukraine was given to the Armored Corps Regiment of Pakistan Army at a ceremony at Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT)-a state-run defence manufacturer.
Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, top military officials attended the ceremony. The Al Khalid-I will replace its predecessor, the Al Khalid, jointly developed by Pakistan and China during the 1990s.

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