Indian Defense
Situation Along LoC In J&K Under Control Since Last Year Due To Indomitable Valour of Armed Forces: Rajnath Singh
New Delhi: The situation along Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir remained under control in the last one year due to the vigilance and indomitable valour of Indian Armed Forces, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday.
In his radio address to Armed Forces on Independence Day eve, the Defence Minister said, “The situation along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir remained under control in the last one year due to our vigilance and indomitable valour. Ceasefire violations have also come down since Feb 2021. In Eastern Ladakh, efforts are being made to resolve the differences on the LAC through dialogue with China. The process of disengagement has been completed at some places.”
Mr Singh said continuous efforts being made to increase the participation of women in all branches of the Indian Army. The first batch of Women Military Police has been inducted into the Indian Army.
Emphasising on the augmentation of the budget allocation to Defence sector, he said, “In the Union Budget for the financial year 2021-22, in a historic effort for modernisation of defence sector capital outlay has been increased from ₹ 1.13 lakh crore to ₹ 1.35 lakh crore which is 18.75 per cent higher than the previous financial year.”
“You may recall that in order to maintain the Operational Edge of the Air Force, the Government of India had signed Government to Government agreement with France for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft. So far, 26 aircraft have arrived in India. On July 28, the Rafale was formally inducted into 101 squadron at Hashimara Air Force Station of Eastern Air Command. So far, only 101 squadrons have got the distinction of being equipped with Rafale after Air Force Station Ambala, 17 Squadron ”the Golden Arrow”. Soon the remaining Rafale aircraft will also arrive in India which will bring qualitative enhancement in the defence capability of our Air Force,” stated the Defence Minister.
Mr Singh informed that the Union Cabinet decided to procure indigenous fighter aircraft 83 LCA Tejas MK-1A for the Air Force at the cost of about ₹ 46,000 crore. Light combat Aircraft MK-1A is a fourth-generation state-of-the-art fighter aircraft designed and developed in our own country. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will manufacture these aircraft in India itself.
“Indigenous Aircraft Carrier IAC Vikrant completed its four days maiden sea voyage on August 8, 2021. Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) ”Vikrant” designed by Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND) is being built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). Built with more than seventy-six per cent indigenous material, the vessel is a major achievement of ”Atmanirbhar Bharat” and provides thrust to Indian Navy’s ”Make in India” initiatives,” he added.
Mr Singh said Armed Forces Medical Service was first to set up quarantine centres for Indians returning from COVID-19 affected countries. “At the time when Galwan Valley was in news, Forces extended a helping hand to civilians and showed solidarity in the government’s fight against COVID-19,” he said.
The Defence Minister further hailed Olympian Neeraj Chopra who is also a Subedar in Indian Army for bagging a gold medal for the country.
“Our Army Subedar Neeraj Chopra has made this year’s Independence Day even sweeter by winning first Gold Medal in the Javelin Throw event of track and field events for the country at the Tokyo Olympics. Subedar Neeraj as well as other Olympic medallists of Indian athletes have been especially invited to the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort tomorrow. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for this,” said Mr Singh.
Indian Defense
INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’
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.
Indian Defense
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.
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.
Indian Defense
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).
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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