General Awareness

DEFENCE - January 2022

Jan 2022

Mar 31, 2022

Second P-81 Aircraft Squadron Commissioned into Indian Navy

The Indian Navy commissioned its second long-range maritime reconnaissance air squadron comprising a fleet of P-8I aircraft to add muscle to its surveillance power in the Indian Ocean Region. The air squadron 316 was commissioned at the INS Hansa, a naval air station near Dabolim in Goa, in the presence of Chief of Naval Staff R Hari Kumar. The Indian Navy Air Squadron (INAS) 316 will operate the Boeing P-8I multi-role long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.
The new squadron is being raised amid growing concerns over China's increasing forays into the Indian Ocean Region, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy. The P-8I aircraft is powered by twin jet engines and can be equipped with air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes. The Indian Navy had acquired the first batch of eight P-8I aircraft in 2013 that are stationed at INS Rajali in Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu.

Mar 30, 2022

US, Philippines Kick Off 'Balikatan 2022' Largest-ever Military Drills

The Philippines and the United States launched the largest-ever joint military drills in the archipelago nation, signalling deepening defence ties as fresh tensions surface in the disputed South China Sea. The exercises cover maritime security, amphibious operation, live-fire training, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
'Balikatan', a Tagalog word meaning "shoulder to shoulder," has been held annually since 1991, the year that the U.S. committed to closing its two giant military bases at Subic Bay and Clark. But the exercise was cancelled in 2020 and held in scaled-down form in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

IAF Unveils New Initiative for Refuelling its Convoys

The Indian Air Force unveiled a new initiative with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd under which its convoys will be to refuel at fuel stations of the state-run energy major. The defence ministry said a 'Fleet Card - Fuel on Move' has been rolled out to facilitate the refuelling of convoys belonging to the IAF. Under the existing system, the IAF procures fuel from various agencies and distributes it within the Air Force establishments. The IAF convoys have to go to Air Force stations for refuelling. With the advent of the Fleet Cards, the IAF will be able to utilise the vast network of retail fuel distributors across the country to refuel its vehicles on the move. The availability of Fleet Card will permit the convoy to refuel at any IOCL fuel station, thus increasing the pace of movement and reducing the lead time for readiness at operational locations across the nation.
The new initiative was launched by Air Chief Marshal V. R. Chaudhari.

Mar 29, 2022

India Successfully Test-fires Two MRSAMs off Odisha Coast

India successfully test-fired two Indian Army-version Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles (MRSAMs) from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha. The flight tests were carried out as part of live-firing trials against high-speed aerial targets. The first missile hit a medium-altitude long-range target and the second a low-altitude short-range one.
This MRSAM version is a Surface-to-Air Missile developed jointly by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for use by the Indian Army. The MRSAM Army weapon system comprises multi-function radar, mobile launcher system and other vehicles.
The flight tests were carried out with the weapon system in deliverable configuration. The performance of the weapon system was validated through the flight data captured by range instruments like radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry deployed by ITR, Chandipur.

President Kovind Presents President's Colour to INS Valsura

President Ram Nath Kovind awarded the prestigious President's Colour to Indian Naval Ship (INS) Valsura. The President's Colour is bestowed on a military unit in recognition of exceptional service rendered to the nation, both in peace and in war.
Established in 1942, INS Valsura is a premier training establishment of the Indian Navy. It is entrusted with the responsibility of imparting training to officers and sailors of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and friendly foreign countries in electrical, electronics, weapon systems and information technology.

Mar 28, 2022

Lt. Gen. Vinod G. Khandare Appointed Adviser in Defence Ministry

Khandare (retd.) was appointed as Adviser in the Ministry of Defence. He will work closely with the Defence Secretary. The mandate of the role would be to give strategic inputs and advice on affairs relating to defence policy, preparedness and related activities, including international defence corporation and maritime security and defence spaceLt. Gen. Khandare superannuated from the Army end-January 2018. From then till October 2021, he served as the Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) under the Prime Minister's Office.

India Successfully Tests Extended Range Version of BrahMos Cruise Missile from Andaman and Nicoba...

India successfully tested a surface-to-surface BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in Andaman and Nicobar. BrahMos was recently in a controversy after a missile was misfired due to a technical malfunction from an Indian Air Force unit during a Command Air Staff Inspection (CASI).The range of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles had recently been extended to 500 km by simply upgrading the software. No changes were made to the missile.
The BrahMos missile has been developed in collaboration with Russia. These missiles fly at three times the speed of sound i.e. 2.8 Mach (Mach number is the ratio of an object's speed in a given medium to the speed of sound in that medium).
The extended range missile test firing was witnessed by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and other defence officials who congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on the successful test-firing of BrahMos missile.

Mar 27, 2022

Colombo Expands Defence Ties with India

The Sri Lanka Navy entered into an agreement with Goa Shipyard Ltd, India for the construction of a Floating Dock with Colombo eyeing to expand its defence ties with New Delhi.
According to Sri Lanka Navy, the Floating Dock is a much-needed requirement for the navy, and it will be delivered to Sri Lanka as a grant from India.
The the Floating Dock will be established at the Trincomalee Naval DockYard within the next 30 months.

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