Connect with us

Indian Defense

Race Hots Up For The Post of Air Force, Navy Chief. Here Are The Main Contenders

Published

on

Race Hots Up For The Post of Air Force, Navy Chief. Here Are The Main Contenders

(From left to right) Air Marshal Amit Dev, Air Marshal Manavendra Singh, Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, and Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

The corridors of South Block are abuzz with names of contenders

The race has begun. With the government initiating the process of selecting the next Air Force and Navy chief, the corridors of South Block in the national capital are abuzz with names of contenders.

As the Chief of Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria is set to retire by the end of next month, the ministry of defence has shortlisted names of four senior-most air marshals for the top post.

Traditionally, the government declares the name of the succeeding chief two to three months before the superannuation of the current chief. The idea is to give sufficient time to the new person to understand and coordinate with the present chief for the continuation of the work. Soon, the ministry of defence will send these four names to the appointment committee of the cabinet.

Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, Air Marshal Amit Dev, Air Marshal Manavendra Singh and Air Marshal Sandeep Singh are in the race to succeed Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Bhadauria.

Interestingly, the announcement of appointment of ACM Bhadauria came ten days before his retirement—he was due to retire on September 30, 2019, along with the then Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa. The elevation to the post of gave ACM Bhadauria two more years in service.

Air Marshal Chaudhari, presently the vice chief of IAF, is the senior-most officer in the race. Commissioned in the fighter stream of the IAF on December 29, 1982, Air Marshal Chaudhari has a flying experience of more than 3,800 hours on a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft, including missions flown during Operation Meghdoot and Operation Safed Sagar. Operation Meghdoot was the code name for the Indian Armed Forces’ operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir in 1984, and Operation Safed Sagar was for IAF’s role in the 1999 Kargil conflict.

Next in line is Air Marshal Amit Dev, who is the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Shillong- based Eastern Air Command. As a fighter pilot, he has flying experience of over 2,500 hours on a variety of fighter aircraft including MiG-21 and MiG-27. Over the course of a vast career of 38 years, he has commanded a fighter aircraft squadron, air defense direction centre and an operational fighter base. Recently, he has taken a sortie in the Rafale fighter jet while the induction of the fighter jet at its second squadron at Hasimara airbase in West Bengal.

The Chief of Thiruvananthapuram-based Southern Air Command, Air Marshal Manavendra Singh is a helicopter pilot, with over 6,600 hours of flying experience in various sectors like the Siachen, the Northeast, Uttarakhand, and the western desert.

Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, who is heading the Jodhpur-based South Western Air Command can also be considered for the top post. In his long career of 37 years, he has commanded a fighter aircraft squadron and was a project test pilot for the Su-30MKI. Due to his proficient knowledge of the Su-30MKI platform, Air Marshal Sandeep Singh has been the mainstay liaison for the implementation of various weapons and systems by DRDO. He served as the deputy chief of the air force as well.

The government will also have to decide on the next chief of the Indian Navy. Incumbent Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh is completing his tenure in November. Admiral Karambir Singh took over the reins of the Indian Navy as the 24th chief in May 2019, becoming the first helicopter pilot to helm the force.

Navy has an interesting race, as the senior-most naval officer after chief of naval staff is retiring on the same date. Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, who is heading the Southern Naval Command, is due to retire on November 30, the same day when Admiral Karambir Singh is completing his tenure. A navigation and direction specialist, Vice Admiral Chawla commanded Coast Guard Ship C-01, Vidyut class missile boat INS Vinash, Kora-class guided missile corvette INS Kora, Stealth frigate Tabar and the aircraft carrier Viraat in his service of close to four decades. Since IAF has a ‘precedence’ of an officer being appointed as the chief on the day of his retirement, the Navy may also be expecting the same. But commanding the Southern Naval Command, which is not an operational command, takes away the advantage. Instead, his juniors have been allocated operational command. Traditionally, Naval officers who commanded the operational command like Eastern or Western Commands are the preferred lot.

Then comes Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar, who heads the Mumbai-based Western Naval Command. He is specialised in gunnery and has commanded five ships, including a Destroyer and the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. He has held important staff appointments both ashore and afloat and has also been Naval Advisor to the Government of Seychelles.

Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, chief of the Vizag-based Eastern Naval Command, is the third senior-most officer to be in the race for the top post.

Naval officers believe that the actual race is between Vice Admiral Chawla and Vice Admiral Hari Kumar.

The ‘seniority principle’, which is used to be the convention for selection of chiefs in the three services, is no longer the sole criterion followed by the Centre, especially after the selection of General Bipin Rawat as the Army chief, ignoring two seniors over him, and Admiral Karambir Singh as Navy Chief over Vice Admiral Bimal Verma.

Many military personnel believe that the ‘seniority principle’ is the best guarantee against the politicisation of top appointments. Moreover, in the military, the line of succession has always been clear, as the prospective candidate is groomed to become the chief. However, many countries in the world do not follow the seniority principle. Military powers the United States, France, Germany, and China and even Pakistan do not follow it. However, the UK still follows the practice.

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Indian Defense

INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’

Published

on

By

INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’


NEW DELHI: India tested its nuclear capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), designed to have a strike range of 3,500 km, for the second time in six days on Friday. The missile test, as the one conducted on January 19, was undertaken from an undersea platform in the shape of a submersible pontoon off the coast of Andhra Pradesh according to a report by Rajat Pandit of TOI.

The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.

“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.

India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.

Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.

The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.





Source link

Continue Reading

Indian Defense

After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%

Published

on

By

After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%


India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade

In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.

The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the upgrade. The upgrade is part of India’s efforts to improve the capabilities of its primary fighter aircraft, it refers to as the “Super Sukhoi”.

This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.

In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.





Source link

Continue Reading

Indian Defense

Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace

Published

on

By

Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace


According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

While there is no official confirmation because of the sensitivities involved, documents suggest that the order for the same has already been placed the report further added.
There are nine countries, in turn, which have shown interest in the indigenously-developed Akash missile systems, which can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles at a range of 25-km. They are Kenya, Philippines, Indonesia, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam and Algeria reported TOI.

The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.

Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System

BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.

Akash Weapon System

The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.

The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.

The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2017 Zox News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by WordPress.