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Satellite Imagery Shows India Is Expanding Runway At INS Baaz, Southernmost Air Station Located In Nicobar Close To Malacca Strait

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Satellite Imagery Shows India Is Expanding Runway At INS Baaz, Southernmost Air Station Located In Nicobar Close To Malacca Strait

Satellite imagery shows that India could have extended the runway at its southernmost Naval Air Station by around 900 feet

India could be extending the 3,000-feet strip at INS Baaz, the Naval Air Station located at Campbell Bay on the Great Nicobar Island, satellite images show.

Commissioned in 2012 by the then Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma, INS Baaz is the southernmost air station of the Indian armed forces.

The base, overlooking the six-degree channel, one of the busiest shipping lanes of the world, is only around 130 nautical miles (240 km) away from the mouth of the Malacca Straits, the maritime chokepoint that links the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Almost 80 percent of China’s oil imports pass through the South China Sea via the Strait of Malacca.

The base is located at a distance of about 300 nautical miles (556 km) from Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Posted on Twitter by open-source intelligence handle @detrasfa_, satellite imagery shows that India could have extended the runway at the Naval Air Station by around 900 feet, taking the total length to around 4,300 feet.

Suspected runway expansion activity. (@detresfa_/Twitter)

When it was opened in 2012 with a runway of 3,500 feet (1,060 metres), the Indian Navy said that the runway will be “progressively lengthened to enable unrestricted operation of all categories of aircraft including heavy aircraft”.

“The base [INS Baaz] will also be bolstered with modern airfield instruments and navigation aids,” the Indian Navy said back then.

The plan was to extend the runway to 6,000 feet over the next year, and then to 10,000 feet. However, in the years after the base was commissioned, the runway was not extended. As a result, the Naval Air Station was only equipped to operate light aircraft capable of short field operations.

The expansion of the runway was reportedly delayed due to issues related to land acquisition issues and environmental clearances. In 2019, over six years after it was commissioned, reports said work was on to extend the length of the runway at the Naval Air Station by around 1,000-feet, and that another 6,000-feet were to be added to the runway at a later stage.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh visited INS Baaz in October 2019 and again in November 2020. The Indian Navy did not mention any plan to extend the runway at the Naval Air Station in statements released after these visits.

Once the runway at INS Baaz is expanded to 6,000 feet, the Indian Navy will be able to operate its P-8I maritime surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft from the Naval Air Station. Flying from INS Baaz, these submarine-hunting aircraft of the Indian Navy can keep an eye over the multiple maritime chokepoints in the region that Chinese submarines could use to enter the Indian Ocean.

“The Navy plans to locate at least some of its P-8I surveillance planes at the Campbell Bay once the runway extension work is over,” a report said in 2017.

Indian fighters, if deployed at the base, can reach the Malacca Strait in minutes.

The expansion of the runway at INS Baaz comes at a time when the Narendra Modi government is working on a plan to develop the Greater Nicobar Island as a regional hub with a transhipment terminal, a greenfield international airport, township and area development and a 450 megavolt amperes gas and solar based power plant.

The plan for a transhipment terminal and other infrastructure projects on the island cleared the first major hurdle in its way earlier this year as the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change “recommended” it “for grant of terms of reference”.

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

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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.





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

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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.





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Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace

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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.





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