Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Indian Air Force's (IAF) new airbase at Deesa in Banaskantha district of Gujarat and described it as an effective centre of India's security. He said that the Deesa airbase, mere 130 km from the Indo-Pak border, will be able to give a better response to any threat coming from the western side.
Although the land for Deesa airbase was allotted an in-principle approval given to Indian Air Force (IAF) by the Vajpayee government way back in 2000, the project was put on a back burner by the UPA government for the next 14 years. Although the project was revived when Narendra Modi took over as PM, it was the 2017 massive floods in Banaskantha that really kick-started the project.
When PM Modi and then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked IAF to provide flood relief, the Air Headquarters then headed by Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa found it very difficult to provide a relief air bridge to the affected area due to bad weather and no nearby airfield as Deesa was still lying-in files. It was then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who got the airbase approved by the government along with the ₹1,000 crore funding.
India-Russia Joint Venture Hopes for $5 bn in Supersonic Missile Exports by 2025
An India-Russia joint venture that makes nuclear capable supersonic cruise missiles hopes to bag orders worth $5 billion by 2025, its chairman said, having signed its first export deal of $375 million this year with the Philippines.
BrahMos Aerospace is in discussions with Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam for new orders.
The joint venture, with a 50.5% Indian and 49.5% Russian partnership, fits into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship make-in-India programme.
India has made Russian MiG fighter planes and Su-30 jets under licence and the two have collaborated to make BrahMos missiles in India. Russia has also traditionally been India's main arms supplier.
In April 2021, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had said that the two countries were discussing "additional" production of Russian military equipment in India.
Oct 19, 2022
Armenia to Get Pinaka Rockets, Nigeria, Indonesia too Shown Interest
Indian defence firm Solar Group bagged orders from Armenia for the Pinaka rockets manufactured indigenously.
The life and range of upgraded Pinaka rocket launchers are more than their previous version despite the price being almost the same.
Solar Group chairman Satyanarayan Nuwal, speaking at the Defexpo-2022, said that Nigeria and Indonesia have too expressed interest in the Mukti barrel rocket launcher system developed indigenously by the firm in partnership with DRDO.
India had earlier tasted success in the export sector in Armenia when it transferred the indigenously developed Swathi weapon locating radar to that country.
Pinaka has also received a boost from its own orders from the Indian Army which is looking at inducting a large number of regiments of these rockets under the artillery.
12th Edition of Defence Expo to Begin in Gujarat's Gandhinagar
With an aim to give impetus to the defence sector, India's "biggest ever" defence exhibition - DefExpo 2022 began in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
This is the 12th edition of the event that has been organised on the theme 'Path to Pride'.
Addressing the curtain raiser press conference in Gandhinagar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, that the DefExpo 2022 will showcase the growing prowess of the domestic defence industry, calling it one of the major drivers of the nation's resolve to achieve 'Make in India, Make for the World'.
The biennial exhibition has been organised to support, showcase and forge partnerships for the Indian aerospace and defence manufacturing sectors with Indian as well as global customers to achieve the overall objective of catering to domestic requirements while fulfilling the needs of friendly foreign countries.
The Defence Minister described 'Path to Pride' as not just a theme of DefExpo 2022, but a 'Make in India, Make for the World' vision of a 'New India'.
DefExpo 2022 is the first-ever edition exclusively for Indian companies. Indian companies, Indian subsidiaries of Foreign OEMs, Division of a company registered in India, and Exhibitor having a Joint Venture with an Indian company will be considered as Indian participants. The DefExpo 2022 also marked the celebration of one year of the formation of the seven new defence companies, carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board.
Oct 18, 2022
Production of AK-203 Rifles to Begin in India by Year-end
An Indo-Russian joint venture would begin manufacturing AK-203 assault rifles at a facility in Uttar Pradesh by the end of this year.
The Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited was set up in 2019 to produce the Russian-origin Kalashnikov assault rifles in Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi district.
Rosoboronexport is Russia's state-run defence entity that oversees various key military projects, including those in foreign countries.
Rosoboronexport said that the AK-203 rifles are fitted with integral Picatinny rails for a convenient and easy mounting of sights and tactical accessories, enabling the effective use of weapons in various conditions.
Oct 17, 2022
Nuclear Submarine INS Arihant Test Fires Ballistic Missile
India successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from INS Arihant.
The missile was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy.
All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system were validated.
The successful user training launch of the SLBM by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN programme, a key element of India's nuclear deterrence capability.
INS Arihant (SSBN 80) is a designated S2 Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine. It is the lead ship of India's Arihant Class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.
A two-day offshore security exercise, 'Prasthan' with the aim to integrate the efforts of all maritime stakeholders involved in offshore defence was conducted in the Krishna Godavari Basin Offshore Development Area. This exercise was under the aegis of Eastern Naval Command.
The exercise resulted in refining the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and response actions to several contingencies in the Offshore Defence Area, off Kakinada.
This exercise is conducted every six months and is an important element of ensuring offshore security as per the Defence Ministry statement.
Led by the Navy, the exercise saw participation from the various oil operators, like ONGC, RIL, Vedanta and other stakeholders in the domain of maritime security including AP Marine Police, AP fisheries department and the Coast Guard.
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