Important Defence News Of 2017 in Current Affairs For WBCS Exam

Here we are providing the List of Important Defence News Of 2017 in Current Affairs For WBCS Exam ,List of Current Heads of Important Organizations in the world, Persons in News  or Key People- Latest Appointments, Famous Persons in India which will be asked in Competitive Exams for 1 Mark in WBCS Examination and in all competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, RRB, IBPS, SBI Bank Exams, Intelligence Bureau, Postal Assistant, Group Services, Public Service Commission Govt Jobs like TSPSC, APPSC etc.Continue Reading  Important Defence News Of 2017 in Current Affairs For WBCS Exam

Defence News – January

 Israeli Air Force Receives First Anti-Missile Interceptors for Arrow 3 System

1. The first anti-missile interceptors for the Arrow 3 Missile Defense System was inducted into the Israel Defense Forces on January 18, 2017 by both Israel’s Defense Ministry and the US Missile Defense Agency during a ceremony held on the Palmachim Air
2. Each Arrow 3 Missile is estimated to cost about $2.2 million. They have been designed to enable interception of ballistic missiles beyond the earth’s atmosphere. Interception at that altitude enables missiles carrying nuclear warheads to be blocked farther from Israel and stops the enemy missile to harm the

• The Arrow-3 interceptor is a part of Israel’s Arrow weapon system (AWS) and has been jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), U.S. Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency and

 

BSF launches operation ‘SardHawa’ at Rajasthan border

1. Border Security Force (BSF) has launched its 14 day operation SardHawa at the western international border of Rajasthan on January 15, 2017 to check the instances of infilteration due to the dense fog in the
2. Aim: To keep a hawks eye on the international border, where vigil has been beefed-up and officers have also been asked to be part of operation to motivate

• The operation will end on January 28,

Pakistan Navy Receives Two Ships From China to Ensure Security along Gwadar Port

1. China has handed over two ships to Pakistan Navy on January 15, 2017 in order to ensure joint security along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Gwadar
2. The two ships were received by the Pakistan Navy Vice Admiral ArifullahHussaini at a ceremony held at Gwadar port.

• The ships named Hingol and Basol gets its name from nearby rivers in Pakistan. China will provide two more ships to Pakistan Navy named Dasht and Zhob after two districts in Balochistan.

INS Khanderi, Second Scorpene Class Submarine Launched in Mumbai

1. INS Khanderi, India’s second French-designed Scorpene-class diesel-electric attack submarine was launched in Mumbai on January 12, 2017 at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).

 

1. The Submarine was launched by Bina Bhamre, wife of the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Defence, Subhash Bhamre in the presence of Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil

Chinese Navy Commissions Sophisticated Ship CNS Kaiyangxing into its Fleet

2017. The China’s Navy commissioned a sophisticated electronic reconnaissance ship CNS Kaiyangxing or Mizar to North Sea Fleet in Qingdao, Shandong province on January 10,
2018. The new ship with hull code 856 is capable of conducting all-weather, round-the-clock observation on multiple targets. The ship is so sophisticated that only a few countries, such as the US and Russia, are capable of developing

• The Kaiyangxing is a Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship, with displacement of 6,000 metric tons and a maximum speed of 20 knots or 37 kilometers per

Guided Pinaka Rocket Successfully Test-Fired by India

1. India successfully test-fired the Guided Pinaka Rocket from Launch Complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad at Chandipur off coast
2. With the test-firing all the mission objectives were successfully met. All the radars, electro optical and telemetry systems at Chandipur tracked and monitored the weapon all through the flight

• The Guided Pinaka is a modified version of the Pinaka rocket mark-II which has evolved from Pinaka Mark-I. Pinaka rocket mark-II is equipped with a navigation, guidance and control kit. The modified version has considerably enhanced the strike range and accuracy of

1. The Guided Pinaka is developed jointly by Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).

 

Indian Navy’s Theatre Level Exercise, TROPEX 17 Begins

2015. The Theatre Readiness Operational Exercise (TROPEX), an annual Indian Navy exercise kicked started on January 24, 2017 off the Western Seaboard. The last edition of the exercise was conducted in January 2015.
2016. The exercise will be conducted in phased manner both in harbour and at sea to undertake tasks of war-fighting and combat operations. The exercise will strengthen the inter-operability and joint operations of the Indian Navy in a complex

• The month long exercise will see the participation of ships and aircraft of both the Western and Eastern Naval Commands and assets from the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Coast Guard exercising

INS Vikramaditya Becomes India’s First Warship to Have ATM Onboard

1. INS Vikramaditya, India’s biggest aircraft carrier ship has become the country’s first warship

 

 

to have an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) onboard the vessel.

2017. The ATM has been installed by the State Bank of India (SBI) and will become operational from January 21, 2017. It will be operated through satellite

 

China Commissions its 31st Stealth Warship

2017. In a move to rapidly expand its naval fleet, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy commissioned its 31st stealth warship on January 22,
2018. With the commissioning of the 31st Type—056 class corvette warship, CNS Ezhou, China has become the world’s largest fleet of modern

• The CNS Ezhou with a hull number of 513 was delivered to the East Sea Fleet in a naval base in East China’s Fujian province on January 18, 2017. It is 89 meters long and 11 m wide and has a full displacement of 1,254 metric

 

Guided Pinaka test fired successfully again

1. The Guided Pinaka was successfully test fired from the Launch Complex-III, ITR, Chandipur for a further enhanced
2. The Pinaka Rocket Mark-II, equipped with Navigation, guidance and control kit, was transformed into a guided

• The conversion has facilitated to enhance the range and improve the accuracy of

Pakistan Successfully Conducts First Flight Test of N- Capable Ababeel Missile

2017. Pakistan successfully conducted the first test flight of the surface-to-surface ballistic missile (SSM), ‘Ababeel’ on January 24,
2018. The radar-evading Ababeel has the capablility of carrying a nuclear warhead up to 2,200 kms and deliver multiple warheads using Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV)

Whatsapp helpline Luanched by Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat launches to Address grievances of Army personnel

1. The Chief of Army staff Gen Bipin Rawat launched a Whatsapp helpline number on January 27, 2017 to receive grievances of army
2. Several soldiers posted their grievances on social media about the food that was being served to them and the conditions that they were put in as a result the army chief took the decision of launching the watsapp

• The Whatsapp number where soldiers can post their complaints is +91 9643300008. The number will be shared with all soldiers and the number will remain at Rawat’s

Indian Navy Issues RFI to procure 57 Carrier-Borne Fighter Jets

1. According to IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly, the Indian Navy has officially issued a Request for Information (RFI) on January 17, 2017 to procure new carrier-based multirole warplane.
2. The Navy intends to procure 57 naval fighter aircraft from a foreign supplier for its rapidly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

growing fleet of aircraft carriers. The government also wants to manufacture these planes in India under Indian Prime Minister’s Modi’s Make in India initiative and tender has asked the original equipment manufacturers to respond to it.

• Responses are due by May 24, 2017. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected to begin three years following the inking of a contract and completed within three additional

India Successfully Test Fires Agni IV Ballistic Missile off Odisha Coast

India successfully conducted the test firing of the nuclear-capable strategic ballistic missile, Agni IV from the Abdul Kalam Island, Balasore, off the Odisha coast on January 2, 2017 at about

11.50 a.m.

1. Agni IV is a two-stage solid-propelled, surface-to-surface ballistic missile which is designed to carry a payload of 1-tonne up to a distance of 4,000
2. Designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) the missile is 20 meters in length and weighs 17

 

Pakistan Successfully Test-Fires Submarine-Launched Nuclear-Capable Missile’

1. Pakistan successfully test-fired its first Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM), Babur-3, on January 9, 2017 from Indian
2. The missile Babur-3 which was fired from an underwater, mobile platform, hit the target with precise accuracy. It is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead up to 450km

• Babur-3 is a sea-based variant of Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) Babur-2, which was successfully tested earlier in December

Indian Army conducted trials of Indigenous Artillery Gun System Dhanush in the Himalayas

1. The Indian Army is successfully conducted the user-validation trials of indigenous artillery gun Dhanush in the Himalayas so that they are ready to be inducted into the
2. The exercise is being conducted under the aegis of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps and

the Leh-based 14 Corps. The 15 Corps is tasked to face Pakistan while the 14 Corps is tasked to face Pakistan as well as China.

Ministry of Defence to Set up Rs 1500 cr Defence Unit in Madhya Pradesh

1. The Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, Narendra Singh Tomar announced on January 31, 2017 that the Ministry of Defence is set to open its Defence Unit in Morena district of Madhya

 

969. The unit would be set up in Kailaras and Sabalgarh tehsil areas and span over 735 hectare of land at a cost of Rs. 1500 crore.

 

Reliance Defence Signs Contract with Ministry of Defence to Construct 14 Fast patrol Vessels for Indian Coast Guard

1. Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd (RDEL), a wholly owned arm of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra), has signed a contract worth 916 crore with the Ministry of Defence on January 30, 2017 to design and construct 14 Fast Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard.
2. The medium range, high speed vessels would be deployed for patrolling within the exclusive economic zone, costal surveillance, anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, search and rescue operations. It will also provide support as front-line warships during

• RDEL is the first private sector shipyard which has been awarded a contract of designing and building such ships for Indian Armed Force

Defence News – February

 

China tests missile DF-5C with 10 nuclear warheads

1. China has tested successfully a new version of a missile Dongfeng-5C missile which can carry up to 10 nuclear warheads from the Taiyuan Space Launch Centre in Shanxi province, and flew to a desert in western China
2. The flight test of the DF-5C missile was carried out in January 2017 using 10 multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, or MIRVs.Earlier versions of the DF-5 have either a single warhead or from six to eight

• It is an intercontinental ballistic missile that first went into service in the early 1980’s.

Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence & Surveillance System Launched in Mumbai

1. Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding- in-Chief, Western Naval Command inaugurated the Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) on February 3, 2017 in
2. The system has been developed to strengthen Harbour Defence and Security at Mumbai. It will enhance the security of the valuable assets against surface and underwater

• UUHDSS has been designed and developed by Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) ELTA. It consists of integrated radars, electro-optic cameras and

Multinational Naval Drill Aman-17 Begins in Karachi

1. The five days multinational Aman-17 naval exercise kicked off in Karachi on February 10, 2017 where 37 countries took part.
2. The aim of this multi-national exercise is to display united resolve of the countries

 

 

against terrorism and crimes in maritime domain. The exercise will also help in enhancing Pakistan Navy’s interoperability with regional and extra-regional navies.

• Aman-17 was inaugurated by Commander of the Pakistani naval fleet Vice Admiral Arifullah Hussaini.

iv .Out of 37 countries participating in ‘Aman 17’, 9 countries are participating with naval assets including Australia, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, UK, USA, Japan and Russia.

2007. The Aman-17 is the fifth such exercise hosted by Pakistan every alternate year since 2007.

2017 Cobra Gold Exercise Begins in Thailand

2017. The 2017 Cobra Gold Military Exercise kicked off at the Sattahip Royal Thai Marine Corps Base in Chonburi Province, Thailand on February 14, 2017.

• .Cobra Gold 2017 is the 36th edition of the multinational drill and is co-organized by United States and Thailand. It will expand regional cooperation and collaboration for disaster
• .The ten day exercise would continue till February 24, 2017 and the closing ceremony of the event will take place in Phu Lamyai Training area in Nakhon Ratchasima

1. As many as 30 nations are participating in the drill including China, India, Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia, who are either involved in or are observing the exercises.

India Successfully Test-Fires Home Grown Interceptor Missile in Odisha coast

1. India successfully test-fired its Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile from launching complex-IV of Dhamara Abdul Kalam defence base off Odisha coast on February 11, 2017 under its Ballistic Missile Defence Programme
2. The successful testing leads India towards achieving a robust two layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system. It will strengthen India’s position in the exclusive club of US, Russia and

• The Advanced Air Defence interceptor named as Ashwin has the capability to destroy the incoming enemy missile in the endo-atmospheric region at a low altitude of less than 30 kilometres.

7. The AAD interceptor is a 5-metre-long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system and a high tech computer and electro-mechanical activator totally under command by the data uplinked from the ground-based radar.

INS Sarvekshak Becomes India’s First Ship to be Installed with Solar Power System

1. Indian Navy’s survey class vessel INS Sarvekshak has become the first ship in India to be fitted with solar power system on board.

• .The ship has been equipped with 18 sheets of solar panel of 300 Watt which is capable of generating 4 kW power.
• .As per the Navy, if the system is used even for 25 days in one year, it can repay its costs in

 

 

less than 10 years. The estimated profit generated by the system during the ship service life of 25 years is Rs. 2.7 crore.

Sailboat INSV Tarini Inducted into Indian Navy on 18 February 2017

The second ocean going sailboat of Indian Navy “Tarini” was successfully inducted by the Navy on February 18, 2017 at a ceremony held at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool in presence of Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff.

• It is the second sailboat after INS Mhadei of Indian Navy. INSV Tarini had been conceptualized to promote ocean sailing activities and to encourage women empowerment.
• Tarini provides a platform for the first Indian circumnavigation of the globe by all women team of the Indian
• INSV Tarini has been built by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd at Divar, Goa.The trials of the newly built INSV Tarini were successfully completed on 30 January
• The Defence Minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar laid the keel of the vessel on 27 March 2016 at the Aquarius

Fast Patrol Vessel of Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH Commissioned at Kochi

1. Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS AYUSH built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) was commissioned at the Naval Base in Kochi on February 18, 2017 by the AVSM Flag Officer Commanding-in- Chief of Southern Naval Command, Vice-Admiral A R
2. The ICGS AYUSH is intended to help in anti-smuggling and search and rescue

operations to secure the Indian waters by patrolling within the Exclusive Economic Zone and also help in fisheries protection.

• With this, the CSL Shipyard has completed construction of 20 Fast Patrol Vessel series for the Coast

 

Pakistan Army Launches Military Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad to Eliminate Terrorism

1. A nationwide military operation ‘Radd-ul-Fasaad’ was launched by Pakistan Army on February 22, 2017 to eliminate terrorists and ensure security of Pakistan’s
2. As per the Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) wing of the Pakistan Army, the operation aims to eliminate threat of terrorism, consolidate gains of operations made so far and ensure strengthened security of Pakistan’s

• To eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country, the Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces as well as other security and law enforcement agencies will work actively to support the efforts of the Pakistan
• .Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad will include Broad Spectrum Security and counter-terrorism operations by Rangers in Punjab, continuation of ongoing operations across the country and focus

 

 

on more effective border security management.

• .The operation will also include a countrywide de-weaponisation and explosive control programme.

 

Defence News – March

 

India Successfully Test-Fires Indigenously Developed Supersonic Interceptor Missile

1. India successfully conducted the test-fire of its indigenously developed supersonic interceptor Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile, capable of destroying any incoming enemy ballistic missile at low
2. The missile was test-fired for the second time by DRDO in less than a month and is part of an effort to put in place a multi-layer missile defence system. On February 11, 2017 also DRDO successfully test-fired the

iii .The testing of ADA missile was done against a target which was a Prithvi missile launched from launch complex 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore in Odisha. The target played the role of a hostile missile.

1. Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile was stationed at Abdul Kalam Island in the Bay of Bengal. It received signals from radars about the incoming target missile. The interceptor was launched and managed to destroy the incoming hostile missile in mid-air.

Navy successfully test-fires anti-ship missile from Kalvari submarine

1. The Indian navy successfully test- fired indigenously built Kalvari class submarine an anti- ship missile for the first time, which reflects further bolstering India’s naval
2. The weapon was fired from the first vessel in the series of six Scorpene-class submarines and it successfully hit a surface target during the trial in the Arabian

• The Mazagon Dock Limited built under Project 75 , Kalvari which is the first in a series of Scorpene class submarines being built in

1. Besides Indian Navy is among a select few nations in the world to have anti-ship missile firing capability from submarines.

DRDO Hands Over 3 of its Developed Products to Indian Army

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over three defence products for induction into the Indian Army in a formal ceremony on March 2, 2017 in New Delhi.

 

 

 

The products developed in DRDO’s laboratory include

1. Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) SWATHI
2. NBC Recce Vehicle
3. NBC Drugs

About WLR SWATHI

Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) “SWATHI” has been developed by Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) of DRDO.

• The weapon includes 81mm or higher calibre mortars, 105mm or higher calibre shells and 120mm or higher calibre free flying

About NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I

The NBC Recce Vehicle “Mk-I” is developed by Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) in association with Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur.

• NBC RV Mk-I has been developed for carrying out post event recce of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Contaminated

NBC Drugs

The DRDO’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS) have developed the NBC drugs which are antidotes for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies.

Indian Navy’s Oldest Warship INS Viraat, Decommissions on March 6 After 30-Year Service

Indian Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, INS Viraat was decommissioned on March 6, 2017 at a solemn ceremony in Mumbai after nearly 30 years of service for Indian Navy.

About INS Viraat

6. The ship which is famously known as the ‘Grand Old Lady’, was with the British Royal Navy since 1959 before the Indian government bought it for Rs 6.5 crore in
7. The aircraft carrier which is listed in Guinness Record for the oldest carrier in service was inducted into the Indian Navy on May 12,

Vice Admiral Girish Luthra Commissions INS Tillanchang at Karwar

INS Tillanchang, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, at Karwar, Karnataka on March 9, 2017.

♦ INS Tillanchang is the third ship of four follow-on WJFAC built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata.

 

 

South Korea and United States Begin Annual Military Drill Foal Eagle

2017. United States and South Korean troops started their large-scale annual military drill named Foal Eagle on March 1,
2018. The aim of the military exercise is to test their defense readiness against the threat from North Korea.

• North Korea conducted its first ballistic missile test of 2017 in February and views the Foal Eagle Exercise 2017 as preparation for war against

India to train Myanmar Navy

1. Indian Navy will set up meteorological facilities and impart training for the Myanmar Navy, which will help offset increasing Chinese presence in its
2. This development comes days after a recent visit of a Myanmar delegation to Kochi. This fits into India’s overall effort to boost strategic cooperation under the ‘Act East’ policy.

Indo-Nepal joint Military exercise ‘Surya Kiran-Xi’ begins in Uttarakhand

1. The two-week long India-Nepal joint military exercise ‘Surya Kiran-Xi‘ begins in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand on March 7, 2017
2. Aim: To train both the troops in the area of various counter insurgency operations over a prolonged

Joint Military Exercise AL NAGAH-II Begins Between India-Oman in Himachal Pradesh

1. A 14 days long joint military training exercise AL NAGAH-II, of the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman kicked off on March 6, 2017 at Bakloh, Himachal
2. This is the second edition of the joint military exercise between the two countries. The first edition was held at Muscat, Oman in January

India Successfully Conducts Maiden Tests of Extended Version of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

2017. India successfully test-fired an extended range version of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos from a test range off the Odisha coast on March 11,
2018. The land attack version of the cruise missile was test fired from a mobile launcher from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

• The strike range of the missile has been enhanced from 290 km to 450 km and is capable of carrying a warhead of 300

 

Pakistan successfully test-fires land based anti-ship missile

1. Pakistan Navy has successfully test-fired ground-to-sea missile from the coastal region on

 

 

March 16, 2017.

1. The trial was witnessed by Vice Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Khan Hisham Bin

• The missile is equipped with modern technology avionics, secured a hit on a target placed at sea with a high degree of accuracy .

Three New Naval System To Indian Navy By DRDO

Recently DRDO (DEFECNCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENTAL ORGANISATION), has provided

the INDIAN NAVY with three new naval systems to enhance its operation.This was handed over by our Defence minister in-charge Mr. Arun Jaitely and accepted by our Chief of Naval staff Mr. Sunil Lanba

• About Rs 2.56 lakh crore has been allotted for these system and Rs 1 lakh crore has been used in past two
• In addition to that, IP based secured phone and gallium nitride technology has also been released

These naval system include

1. USHUS –II SUBMARINE SONOR
2. DIRECTING GEAR FOR HULL-MOUNTED SONAR ARRAY
3. INTERNAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR SHIP APPLICATION

Indian Navy Conducts Successful Test-Firing of Surface-to-Air Missile from INS Vikramaditya

1. The Indian Navy successfully conducted the maiden trial firing of newly installed surface-to- air Barak missile system from its aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya from 21 to 23 March in the Arabian
2. During the testing, the missile was fires against a live low flying high speed target, which was successfully destroyed by the Barak missile.

INLCU L51 commissioned into Indian Navy at Port Blair

On 28^th March 2017, INLCU L51, first of the eight ships of the LCU MK IV Class was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma, AVSM, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command at Port Blair.

• INLCU L51 has been built by Kolkata-based M/s Garden Reach Ship Builders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) Commissioning of this ship holds special significance as it has been designed and constructed
• It is the latest testimony to Modi Govt.’s commitment to ‘Make in India’

 

 

 

• Dignitaries who attended commissioning ceremony included Vice Admiral Dilip Deshpande, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, Rear Admiral VK Saxena (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of GRSE along with other senior Indian naval

Specifications of LCU 51:

1. Displacement (Weight): 900 tons
2. Length:8 m
3. Breadth: 11 m
4. Engines: 02 MTU diesel engines of 1840 Kw rating which can sustain speeds up to 15 knots
5. Armament: Two 30 mm CRN -91 guns in addition to 12.7 mm Heavy Machine Guns along with 7.62 mm Medium Machine Guns
6. Other Hi-tech Specification: State-of-the art Electronic Warfare suite for early spotting of adversaries. Integrated Platform Management System and Integrated Bridge

De-Induction Of Indian Navy’s TU142M Aircraft and Induction of Boeing P8I Into INAS 312

After 29 illustrious years of service, TU142M aircraft has been de-inducted from the Indian Navy. A special farewell ceremony was organised on 29^th March 2017, at INS Rajali, the premiere Naval Air Station located in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu.

• Dignitaries who attended the farewell ceremony included Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, senior Navy officials, Bureaucrats as well as serving and retired men who have been associated with the operations of

About TU142M:

TU142M (Tupolev – 142M) is a Russian made aircraft.In the year 1988, it was inducted in Indian Navy at INS Hansa based in Goa.

• In the year 1988, it was inducted into INAS 312 at INS Hansa based in Goa. It is to be noted that INAS 312, which was commissioned in year 1976 at INS Hansa, initially had five Lockheed L1049G Super Constellation Aircraft. These L1049G Aircraft

were eventually de-inducted from the squadron in the year 1983.

• TU142M has been one of the most feared LRMR platforms and is often dubbed as the ‘Flying Destroyer’.

Boeing P-8I, the successor of TU142M:

TU142M is being replaced by a fleet of P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft.P-8I has been developed by Boeing Company and is popularly referred to as Boeing P-8 Poseidon by the United States Navy.

 

 

Defence News – April

 

India Mongolia Military Exercise kicks off in Mizoram

India- Mongolia military exercise training has started at Vairengte in Mizoram. Mangolian Army is represented by 9 officers and 36 soldiers of the elite 084 Special Forces Task Battalion while Indian contingent comprises 3 officers 4 Junior Commissioned officers and 39 soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.

1. It is a 14 day exercise which continues till 18^th of April
2. Christened “Exercise Nomadic Elephant- XII”aimed at training troops in operations like counter-terrorism and counter

US conducts successful field test of new B61-12 nuclear bomb

The National Nuclear security Administration (NNSA) and US Air force have conducted a test of a modification of the B61 atomic bomb.

B61-12 bomb was tested without a nuclear warhead.

The Bomb was dropped from the F-16 fighter bomber on the Nellis test site, Nevada.

1. It was conducted to extend the B61’s operational life by upgrading its nuclear and non- nuclear components and to improve the reliability of its security

• It was the first test of the B61-12 with the usage of the F-16.

Coast Guard decommissions ICGS Varad after 27 years

On April 28, 2017, Indian Coast Guard ship, ICGS Varad, the eight in the Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel, was decommissioned at Chennai Port. ICGS Varad was in service for 27 years.

1989. ICGS Varad was built by Goa Shipyard Ltd. Its Construction work was launched on September 2,
1990. It was formally commissioned on July 19, 1990 by the then Governor of Goa, Khurshid Alam

 

Nepal and China to Conduct Sagarmatha Friendship

First ever Joint military exercise begin between Nepal and China named Sagarmatha Frienship 2017 in Kathmandu

2017. It will be conducted from 17^th April to 23^rd The exercise will be taking place at the Maharajgunj based training school.

ii.    It’s mainly focus on combining terror activities and disaster management.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joint Indian-French naval exercise ‘Varuna’ begins

The Indian Navy began a joint maritime exercise Varuna with the French Navy at the Mediterranean Sea.

2017. The exercise was begun on 24^th April 2017 and will be ended on 30^th April

ii.    It aims at deepening combat coordination between the two navies.

• The ships are part of the Indian Navy’s overseas deployment to the Mediterranean Seaand West Coast of

1. Guided missile destroyer INS Mumbai, stealth frigate INS Trishul and fleet tanker INS Aditya are taking part in the Varuna

INS Chennai dedicated, Chennai to become hub of Naval activities

INS Chennai a P 15A Guided Missile Destroyer of Indian Navy was dedicated to the city of Chennai on April 17, 2017.The ship has a complement of about 45 officers and 395 personnel.

1. The ship is under the command of Captain CR Praveen
2. Ceremony includes Shri Edappadi K Palaniswami, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr D Karthikeyan IAS, Commissioner of Chennai and Vice Admiral HCS

Navy successfully tests land-attack BrahMos supersonic missile

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has successfully test fired. It is a land-attack version with an extended range increased from 290 km to 450 km.

1. The missile was test fired from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at
2. It is two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid

• capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilogram, both conventional and
• Has top supersonic speed of Mach 2.

INS Darshak conducting joint survey of Sri Lankan bay

INS Darshak, the Indian Navy’s hydrographic survey ship is on a two-month deployment in the Sri Lankan waters since March 3, 2017.

1901. Along with Sri Lankan Navy, it is jointly undertaking a hydrographic survey of Weligama Bay which was last studied in 1901. Weligama Bay is located in Southern Province of Sri Lanka, about 130 km south-east of the capital city
1902. INS Darshak was commissioned on April 28, 2001 at Visakhapatnam under Eastern Naval Command of Indian

 

IAF Inducts Su-30 MKI into Frontline 221 Squadron

Indian Air Force introduced its frontline Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft into the 221 Squadron, ‘Valiants’, at its base in Punjab to enhancing the IAF’s capabilities.

1. The induction of Sukhoi fighter jets at a frontline base close to the India-Pakistan border will act as a force-multiplier for the defence
2. Su-30 MKI is a state-of-the-art all-weather multi-role fighter

• Itis capable of undertaking varied air combat and ground attack

Joint operational doctrine for army, navy, air force unveiled

A “joint doctrine” envisaging deeper operational synergies among the army, navy and air force was unveiled on April 25, 2017. The three defence services will now follow a unified approach to deal with all possible security challenges including conventional and proxy wars.

• Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) released the document in presence of Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief B S Dhanoa. This document is the second edition. First edition was released eight years

Key Aspects of ‘Joint Doctrine”:

• Transnational threats, “proxy war” in Jammu and Kashmir and left-wing extremism in various parts of the countryhave been listed as primary security threats for
• “Surgical Strikes” has been considered as an important option to counter
• Joint training of personnel, unified command and control structure and tri-service approach for modernisation of the three forces has been
• A broad framework of concepts and principles will be established for joint planning and conduct of operations across all the domains viz. land, air, sea, space and cyber-space.
• Deterrent capabilities will be enhanced to safeguard India’s strategic interests along the Northern, Western and Eastern borders including the Line of Control (LoC) and Line

of Actual Control (LAC).

• Steps initiated for establishment of the ‘Defence Cyber Agency’, ‘Defence Space Agency’ and ‘Special Operations Division’ have also been mentioned in the
• During war, doctrine has directed land, air and naval commandersto jointly formulate orchestrate and implement war

India successfully test-fires Agni-III ballistic missile

India has successfully test-fired 3000 kilometre range Agni-III ballistic missile on 27 April 2017. It has launched from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.

1. The test was carried by the Strategic Forces Command with logistics support from Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO).
2. The test was aimed at re-establishing the operational effectiveness of the weapon .

 

 

1. This Surface-to-Surface nuclear capable intermediate-range ballistic missile can hit targets in the range of around 3000
2. It can carry a warhead of 1.5 tonne which is protected by carbon all composite heat

Defence News – May

 

INS Ganga placed in non-operational category

Indian Navy frigate INS Ganga is placed in non-operational category from 28th May 2017, followed by decommissioning, after 32 years of service.

1985. INS Ganga is a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy and was built in Mumbai by Mazagon Dock Limited.INS Ganga was commissioned on December 30, 1985.
1986. Presently in her 24th Commission, is commanded by Captain NP Pradeep.

THAAD missile defense system now operational in South Korea

Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system is now operational  in South Korea. The system has attained initial intercept capability which will be augmented by end of 2017 on arrival of new components.

About THAAD Missile Defense System in South Korea:

1. THAAD is United States Army anti-ballistic missile system designed to shoot down incoming ballistic
2. South Korean military has sought US army’s help in deploying THAAD to counter missile threats from North Korea.

Indian Army successfully test-fires advanced Block-III version of Brahmos cruise missile

On May 2, 2017, Indian Army successfully test-fired Block III version (an advanced version) of the Brahmos land-attack cruise missile in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

1. In the test, Block-III version successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision in a “top attack configuration”. This test fire has matched all the parameter of the

canonical textbook, involving high level and complex manoeuvring by the missile.

1. Earlier, in April 2017, the Indian Navy had successfully conducted its first test-firing of the sea-to-land attack version of its advanced supersonic cruise missile

India test-fires Agni-II ballistic Missile from Wheeler Island, off Odisha coast

India’s nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface Agni-II ballistic missile was test-fired from the Wheeler Island Odisha coast on May 4, 2017

1. Agni-II ballistic missile has a strike range of 2000 kilometers.The test was aimed at re-

 

establishing the operational effectiveness of the weapon system.

1. Agni missile series being developed by DRDO as a deterrent against nuclear armed

CASO reintroduced as part of counter-terror ops in Kashmir

The Army has decided to re-introduce Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) as a “permanent feature” of its campaign against militants.

1. CASO will be carried out in a major way in militancy-hit areas of Kulgam, Pulwama, Tral, Budgam and Shopian in south Kashmir.
2. After a gap of 15 years CASO will be a permanent feature as a part of counter-terror operations.

• The armed forces had carried out a major operation involving 4,000 troops in south Kashmir last week to flush out militants, indicating a change in

Indian Navy Decommissions Minesweepers – INS Karwar and INS Kakinada

On May 9, 2017, two minesweepers of Indian Navy – INS Karwar and INS Kakinada, were decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai in presence of Indian Navy Chief Sunil Lanba.

Bilateral exercise between Indian Republic of Singapore Navy Simbex 17 commences The 24th bilateral exercise between Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy has commenced in South China Sea.

Key Highlights:

1. SIMBEX means “Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises“.
2. The exercise will be held from May 18, 2017 to May 24,

• The exercise would be conducted into two phases-the Harbour Phase and the Sea

29th India- Indonesia Co-Ordinated Patrol (Corpat) Commences

The 29th series of India–Indonesia CORPAT is scheduled from 9^th to 25^thMay 17.

1. The opening ceremony being conducted from 09 -12 May 17 at Port Blair.It will be conducted under the aegis of Andaman and Nicobar
2. The Coordinated Patrol serves to enhance mutual understanding and inter–operability between the two
3. The closing ceremony of the CORPAT is scheduled at Belawan, Indonesia from 22 – 25 May 17.

Philippines, US begin smaller-scale joint military exercises

Philippine and U.S. troops begin smaller scale joint military exercise. It major focus will be on disaster response, humanitarian assistance and counter terrorism.

 

 

 

 

1. “Balikatan” or “Shoulder-to-Shoulder” 12 day military exercises were led by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim.
2. This year’s exercises will be based on a scenario of troops responding to a super typhoon hitting the

“Jordan, US launch major military exercises “ Eager Lion”

The 7,400 troops from 20 nations are taking part in Eager Lion military drills. It is the largest and most complex until now.

1. Jordan and the United States will be going to start the Eager Lion, an annual military
2. Eager Lion exercise is the seventh exercise and the largest and most

• The exercise would include border security, cyber-defence, and “command and control” exercises to strengthen coordination in response to threats including “terrorism”.

India’s INS Tarkash marks ‘UK India Year of Culture’

Tarkash had arrived at its final docking point in Britain on the river Thames at West India Docks in Londons Canary Wharf to mark UK India Year of Culture.

1. It helps in promoting cooperation and shared exchanges on naval operations, including disaster management, anti-terrorism and anti-piracy.
2. Tarkash arrived on UK shores at Plymouth harbour on 2^nd May to participate in the annual bilateral maritime exercise Konkan-17.

Joint Hadr Exercise commences at Naval Station Karwar

Joint HADR Exercise commences at Naval Station Karwar.The Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise began on 18 May 2017.

1. The exercise is being conducted by Indian Navy’s Western Naval
2. It is named as ‘Karavali Karunya’.

• It involves both professional exchange and actual disaster response mechanisms which is set on a Tsunami disaster

Indian Army gets its first modern artillery gun almost 30 years after Bofors

Indian army has received two M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzer artillery guns from BAE Systems, US. These two guns have been procured under Indian Government’s deal with US Government for total 145 M777 guns.

 

2010. The deal for M777 guns was initiated US Govt. in 2010.Indian Govt. announced the deal to buy 145 M777 guns in June 2016

Defence News – June

 

Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired from Odisha

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on June 2^nd successfully test-fired the indigenously-developed nuclear-capable ballistic Prithvi-II missile in Odisha.

1. The trial of the surface-to-surface missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore in
2. In salvo mode, two Prithvi-II missiles were successfully test fired on November 21, 2016. The nine-metre-tall, single-stage liquid-fuelled Prithvi-II is the first missile to have been developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development

India successfully test-fires 1st all weather tracked-chassis QR-SAM

India has successfully test-fired its first all-weather tracked-chassis Quick Reaction Surface-to- Air Missile (QR-SAM) on 4^th of June.

1. The test was carried out for validating various parameters of the sophisticated weapon system to strengthen its air defence
2. The missile was launched from a mobile launcher in the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast at Chandipur at around 12:39 p.m. local

• The missile system has the potential to engage multiple targets within a range of approximately 30 km, with the configuration of two vehicles for area air

Indian Warships reach Australia to take part in Bilateral Maritime Exercise AUSINDEX- 17

Three Indian warships reached to Australia to participate in a week-long naval exercise off the Western Australian coast.

1. Exercise Australia India (AUSINDEX) is a regular bilateral maritime exercise which aimed at developing a deeper understanding and cooperation between the two
2. AUSINDEX 17 was a concrete example of India and Australia working more closely together to increase maritime

DRDO successfully test fires anti-tank guided missile ‘Nag’ in desert ranges of Rajasthan

The Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) has successfully test fired anti- tank missile ‘Nag’ in a desert in the western sector of Rajasthan.

 

 

 

1. According to the defence sources the missile successfully has destroyed the target in today’s mission.
2. The tests, which were witnessed by scientists from the DRDO, Defence Lab, Jodhpur, senior officials from armed forces among others has concluded on 14^th of

• The “fire and forget” third generation anti-tank guided missile ‘Nag’ is equipped with the highly advanced Imaging Infrared Radar (IRR) seeker with integrated avionics, technology which is possessed by very few nations

Defence News – July

 

Indo-Thai joint military exercise begins in Himachal Pradesh

There is a 15-day long joint military training exercise between the Indian and Thai army has begun from 3^rd July in Himachal Pradesh.

i.    The main aim is to build and promote bilateral Army-to-Army relations and enhance inter-operability between the two armies.

1. The armies of India and Thailand are conducting the yearly joint training exercise named Ex Maitree 2017 from July 3 to July 17 at Bakloh in Himachal

Trilateral Malabar exercise begins in chennai

The Trilateral Malabar exercise begins in Chennai on 7th July 2017. The U.S., Indian and Japanese maritime forces will be participating in the Malabar Naval Exercise 2017

2017. Naval ships, aircraft and personnel from India, Japan and the United States will participate in exercise Malabar
2018. Malabar naval exercise 2017 will continue till 17th July and will address the variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia

• The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea

 

NATO military drills in Eastern Europe begin in Bulgaria

NATO military exercises in Eastern Europe have begun in Bulgaria. It involves 25,000 military personnel from more than 20 allied and partner countries.

i .The drills aim to increase the interoperability of participating countries and display resolve and readiness to act in support of security and stability in the Black Sea region.

1. The opening ceremony was held 12th July at the Novo Selo military camp in southern Bulgaria.

 

 

• The Saber Guardian 17 exercises are being led by U.S. Army Europe and run until 20th July.

China-Russia naval exercise begins in Baltic Sea

China and Russia have started their large-scale naval exercise “Joint Sea 2017” in the Baltic Sea. It has been announced on 23^rd of July 2017.

1. The exercises will involve jets, helicopters and
2. The Chinese Navy is represented by one of its most advanced missile destroyers, the Hefei, as well as missile frigate Yuncheng and the Luomahu supply

Australia and US test-fires multimillion hypersonic missile – HIFiRE

The US and Australia have jointly test-fired a hypersonic missile capable of moving at a speed eight times faster than sound as part of a $54-million research project. The test was part of a project called the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation Program (HIFiRE) involving the US and Australian militaries, Queensland University, Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group and private companies, including Boeing and BAE Systems.

1. The hypersonic missile is capable of travelling at Mach 8 – eight times faster than the speed of sound, from between 3,836mph (6,200kmh) to almost 8,000mph (13,000kmh).
2. The very first launch of a HIFiRE flight vehicle, which simply validated the basic design, occurred in May

 

US Navy tests world’s first Laser Weapons System LaWS

• Navy recently tested the world’s first-ever active Laser Weapons System (LaWS). It is $40 million system which is currently deployed on board the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship in the Persian

About Laser Weapons System LaWS:

The system has special materials that release photons at the speed of light that silently hits a target, burning it to a temperature of thousands of degrees.

·         Each strike travels 50,000 times the speed of an incoming intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM).

• LaWS has high accuracy rate. The system can target a single component of an enemy target, such as a boat’s engine, and make it catch fire so that the entire vessel does not have to be destroyed and the Navy can avoid collateral
• Its cost per use is approximately $1 per shot. The system requires electrical power and a three-man team to

GRSE hands over 2nd LCU Mark IV vessel to Indian Navy

The second of the eight Mark IV LCU vessels was formally handed over to the Indian Navy

 

 

at a ceremony in Kolkata on 19th of July 2017. It is built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata.

1. The LCU Mark IV ship is designed for multipurpose amphibious
2. It jointly carried out the Navy and Army to ensure maritime security of the Andamans and Lakshadweep. The ship has 90% indigenous content.

• The L52 ship was handed over by Rear Admiral V K Saxena, IN (Retd) CMD, GRSE, to the Commanding Officer of the ship Cdr Kaushik

World’s largest supercarrier USS Gerald R Ford commissioned in USA

On July 22, 2017, US Navy commissioned world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford into the fleet. The commissioning ceremony was held at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia in presence of US President Donald Trump.

1. The ship is named after the 38th President of the United States Gerald Ford and has been built by Newport News Ship Building
2. The keel for the US$12.8 billion USS Gerald R Ford was laid down in

Reliance Defence launches first two naval patrol vessels Shachi and Shruti

On July 25, 2017, Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure) announced the launch of its first two Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels (NOPVs) – ‘Shachi’ and ‘Shruti’ – at their shipyard in Pipavav, Gujarat.

1. The two NOPVs — ‘Shachi’ and ‘Shruti’ — are the first warships to be launched by a private sector shipyard in
2. The five NOPVs are patrol ships armed with a 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) system along with two 30 mm AK-630 guns, which provide medium range and short range offensive and defensive

Muntra – country’s first unmanned tank, rolls out from the Chennai lab

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an unmanned, remotely operated tank named ‘Muntra’ which has three variants – surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance in areas with nuclear and bio threats.

More Information pertaining to Muntra:

Muntra has been developed and tested for the Army by Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) in Avadi, Chennai.

• Indian paramilitary force has also expressed interest to use these unmanned tanks in Naxal-hit areas. However it will require a few
• Variants: Muntra-S is India’s first tracked unmanned ground vehicle developed for unmanned surveillance missions while Muntra-M is for detecting mines and Muntra- N is for operation in areas where there is a nuclear radiation or bio weapon
• Specifications: The vehicle has surveillance radar, an integrated camera along

 

with laser range finder which can be used to spy on ground target 15km away – may be a crawling men or heavy vehicles.

• The vehicle has been tested and validated at Mahajan field firing range in Rajasthan under dusty desert condition.

Defence News – August

 

Sri Lankan Navy commissions India-built AOPV

Sri Lankan Navy has commissioned an India-built state-of-the-art Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) announced on 5^th of August 2017.

Key Points:

1. It is the first-ever purchase from a foreign ship builder, to boost its search and rescue capabilities.

ii.  It is the largest vessel built by an Indian ship builder for a foreign navy.

• Sri Lankan President and Armed Forces commander-in-chief Maithripala Sirisena commissioned the new patrol vessel “SLNS Sayurala” at a ceremony at the Eastern Container Terminal of the Port of

1. SLNS Sayurala is the first-ever brand new platform purchased from a foreign ship builder and tailored for the specific requirements of the SriLanka Navy (SLN). It is built at the Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) in India.

Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya’ commissioned in Goa

On August 12, 2017, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan commissioned Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Shaurya’ in Goa.

Features of Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Shaurya’:

• It has been designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd and is fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment, sensors and
• ICGS ‘Shaurya’ will be based at Chennaiand will be placed under the operational and administrative control of Commander Coast Guard Region (East).

First tri-service “Indra” exercise to be conducted by India and Russia in Oct 2017 India and Russia will hold a major bilateral military exercise in October 2017 involving

their armies, navies and the air forces for the first time to further ramp up defense ties. The exercise ‘Indra’, which will be held in Russia

Background Information:

• During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia in June 2017, both countries had decided to upgrade and intensify defence cooperation through joint manufacture, co-production and co-development of key military hardware and

 

 

• A vision document issued at the time of PM Modi’s visit to Russia stated that both the countries have decided to work towards a qualitatively higher level of military- to-military cooperation

 

IMMSAREX: India, China to join Indian Ocean exercise in November

Despite growing tensions with China, the Indian Navy would join the Chinese Navy in the maiden International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) to be chaired by Bangladesh at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in November 2017. i.International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) will be held in Bay of Bengal. ii.In addition, Bangladesh is also scheduling an “extraordinary conclave of Chiefs,” a meeting of chiefs of Navy before it hands over the Chair to Iran next year.

Army to Get 6 Apache Attack Helicopters in Deal worth Rs 4,168 Crore

On August 17, 2017, India’s Defence acquisition council (DAC) gave the green light to a proposal to buy six Apache AH64E attack helicopters for the army from the United States. The approval was given at a meeting of Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.

i.The six Apache AH64E attack helicopters along with weapons systems from American

giant Boeing at a cost of Rs 4,168 crore will be Indian Army’s first fleet of attack choppers. ii.It will be a follow on order to the deal India had signed with Boeing and the US government for 22 Apache helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers in September 2015.

 

Central govt approves nearly Rs.32k crore plan for boosting Coast Guard capabilities Central Government has approved a nearly Rs 32,000 crore “definitive five-year action programme” for the Indian Coast Guard to enhance its capability in maintaining vigil on coastal waters.

Salient Features of Action Plan for Indian Coast Guard:

1. The action plan to give a boost to the Coast Guard in terms of infrastructure and equipment like offshore patrol vessels, interceptor boats, helicopters, aircraft and critical

operational infrastructure was cleared at a meeting chaired by Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra earlier this month.

1. Coast Guard currently has 130 “surface units” in the shape of 60 ships (offshore patrol vessels, fast patrol vessels and pollution-control vessels), 18 hovercrafts, and 52 smaller interceptor boats/crafts. The “air units”, in turn, are limited to 39 Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft, 19 Chetak choppers and four Dhruv advanced light

 

Ministry of Defence approves delegation of Powers to Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

On August 20 2017,The Ministry of Defence has decided to delegate administrative and financial

 

 

 

powers to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to overcome delays in the construction of strategic roads along the India-China border..

Reason for transformational change :-

i.A Chief Engineer in the BRO has improved the limit from Rs. 10 crore to Rs. 50 crore` for administrative approval and departmental work

ii.The Additional Director General Border Roads (ADGBR) had enhanced the powers from Rs. 20 crore to Rs. 75 crore for departmental works.

Dr. Jagdish Mukhi commissioned IN LCU L52, Second Ship of Landing Craft Utility into the Indian Navy at Port Blair

On August 21, 2017 Dr. Jagdish Mukhi, Lieutenant Governor, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, commissioned IN LCU L52 into the Indian Navy at Port Blair. IN LCU L52 is the second Landing Craft Utility (LCU) Mk-IV class .

1. This ship has been designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers,

Kolkata. LCU MK-IV ship is used to transport and deploy Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Vehicles, troops and equipment from ship to shore.

1. Commander Kaushik Chatterjee, will be commanded with 05 officers, 46 sailors and is capable of carrying 160 troops

iii .The ship is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced systems like Integrated Bridge System (IBS) and Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).

The remaining of six ships with the same class at M/S GRSE, Kolkata are expected to be inducted in the next two years. The induction of these ships will contribute to the nation’s maritime security needs and is in consonance with ‘Make in India’.

 

US-South Korea begin annual “The Ulchi Freedom Guardian “military drills

The Ulchi-Freedom Guardian is a military drill which sees the US and South Korea join forces in a string of exercises.

1. The annual drill involves huge land, air and sea exercises, with tens of thousands of troops involved from both
2. The exercises, designed to improve South Korea’s defence, are carried out to recognise the treaty between the Republic of Korea and the United States signed in

• They are named after a famous Korean general, Munduk Ulchi, who lived in the early seventh century and was a successful army

Indian student develops Nano Missile for Indian Army

A student of Chennai’s SRM University, Dacharla Panduranga Rohith developed a Nano 

Missile on 21 August 2017 recognised by World Records of India.

Key Points:

1. The basic prototype of the missile was tested in the presence of Assistant Commissioner of Police Ramapuram in
2. The video was submitted to World Records of India for recognition in July

• He developed the missile for the Indian Army and local police in fighting

iv.  This 1 cm nano missile can fly by burning the red phosphorus, and hit the target of three metres distance.

 

Arun Jaitley hands over LRSAM to Indian Navy

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley handed over the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) jointly developed by India and Israel, to the Indian Navy at Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) at Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad. The first batch of LRSAM, being inducted into the Navy,

was symbolically handed over to Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, the vice-chief of naval staff.

1. The Rocket Motor Static Test Facility was dedicated to the nation by Arun Jaitley at BDL’s Ibrahimpatnam Complex located near Hyderabad. An amount of 48 Crores spent on this
2. The Union Minister inaugurated ASTRA Manufacturing Facility. Astra weapon system is an indigenously developed Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile developed by DRDO. It comprises of Astra Launcher and Astra Missile. It is designed as a BVR missile with a range of 110 Km in head-on mode and 20 Km in tail-chase mode. BVR missiles are the latest in air to air

Coast Guard ship ‘Varuna’ decommissioned

‘Varuna’ Indian Coast Guard Ship which was part of the First Training Squadron of the Navy was decommissioned.

After honourable service spanning about 30 years, in a traditional military ceremony the ship was decommissioned with full armed forces at a ceremony held at the south jetty of the Southern Naval Command On August 23 2017.

Highlights of the ceremony

1. ICGS Varuna was fourth of its series, known as Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) and built by Mazagaon Dock,
2. ICGS Varuna has now been replaced by ICGS Sarathi in the First Training Squadron of the Indian

 

American Ship USS Pearl Harbor arrived India as part of Defense cooperation American Navy’s amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor arrived in Goa on 24^th Aug 2017 as part of defense cooperation between the two countries. It is the American Ship USS Pearl Harbor first visit to India.

 

 

Key Points:

1. USS Pearl Harbor is a Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship with a crew of over 700 sailors and marines.
2. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), which is one of seven marine expeditionary units of the US Marine Corps, has also come to Goa as part of the

• The sailors and marines of Pearl Harbor were looking to strengthen the US Navy’s long- standing partnership with the Indian

1. As per the US embassy in Goa, the ship’s sailors and marines will conduct exchanges with the Indian Navy’s marine commandos relating to amphibious

Government approves first phase of Army reforms

On 30^th august ,2017, The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved implementation of the first phase of recommendations of Shekatkar Committee. This committee was formed to recommend measures to enhance combat capability and rebalancing Defence Expenditure of the Armed Forces with an aim to increase “teeth to tail ratio”,

Highlights:

• Redeployment and restructuring of approximately 57,000 posts of
• The government will do away 39 military farms and several Army postal departments in peace locations.
• There will be optimisation of signal establishments to include Radio Monitoring Companies, Corps Air Support Signal Regiments, Air Formation Signal Regiments, Composite Signal Regiments and merger of Corps Operating and Engineering Signal
• Restructuring of repair echelons in the Army to include base workshops, advance base workshops and station workshops in the field
• Redeployment of ordnance echelons to include vehicle depots, ordnance depots and central ordnance depots apart from streamlining inventory control

The first phase of these reforms will be completed in all respects by December 31, 2019

Defence News – September

India hands over off-shore patrol vessel Varuna to Sri Lanka

On 5^th September 2017, India handed over an off-shore patrol vessel, Varuna, to Sri Lanka as a part of stepping up co-operation between the two coast guards.

Handing over of the off-shore patrol vessel:

1. The ship (Varuna) was decommissionedwith traditional honours on August 23 to facilitate the handing over at Kochi.
2. The ship has been allocated pennant number SLCG-60 by Sri Lanka Coast Guard an will be commanded by Captain Neville Amara Ubayasiri.

 

 

3. Rear Admiral SS Ranasinghe, Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Navy was also present during the

India and Sri Lanka begin Joint Naval Exercise SLINEX 2017 at Visakhapatnam

On 7^th September 2017, the seventh edition of India-Sri Lanka joint maritime naval exercise SLINEX 2017 started near Vishakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh in India on the Bay of Bengal. It will last till 14th September 2017.

SLINEX 2017:

1. SLINEX 2017 focuses on fleet work, seamanship, communication, replenishment at sea, Visit Board Search and Seize (VBSS) operations and helicopter
2. Sri Lanka Navy’s offshore patrol vessels,SLNS Sayura and Sagara participate in this edition of biennial exercise.
3. The ships left home shores from Trincomalee in Srilanka after a formal farewell in the presence of senior Naval officers including Commander Eastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Nimal Sarathsena and Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Fleet, Rear Admiral Kapila

 

Joint India-Nepal army exercise begins in Saljhandi, Nepal

Nepal India Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran has launched and it is to be held from September 3 to 16. This is the 12th edition of the exercise.

Key Points

1. Joint military exercise, Surya Kiran Nepal Army Battle School at
2. It will have around 350 troops from each side, focusing on counterinsurgency and counter- terror

• Surya Kiran series of exercises are held alternately in India and

1. The aim of this exercise is to conduct battalion level joint training with emphasis on Counter Terrorism in mountainous

 

Ashok Leyland, ELCOM ink defence pact with Russian firm

Ashok Leyland Defence Systems (ALDS), Russia’s Rosoboronexport and ELCOM

Group have signed a cooperation agreement in defence business announced on 6^th of Sept. 2017.

1. The MoU has signed on the sidelines of the International Military Technical Forum Army, held at Kubinka, near

Rosoboronexport

1. Rosoboronexport is the only state organisation in Russia for export of the entire range of military products and technologies.

 

 

Swedish defence giant Saab, Adani join hands for defence manufacturing  Swedish defence giant Saab and Indian conglomerate Adani group has announced a collaboration in defence manufacturing announced on 1^st sept 2017.

Key Points:

1. The project would encompass design, development and production of Gripen jets for India in line with the Make in India
2. The collaboration would include projects, programmes and sharing of technologies of national importance with India.iii.The collaboration will combine the technical and product excellence of Saab, along with the industrial engineering, system integration and mega project execution capabilities of Adani with the intention to manufacture defence systems locally in

DRDO successfully flight tested Anti Tank Guided Missile – NAG

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight tested India’s indigenously developed third generation Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ‘Nag. Key Points:

i.The missile was tested in a desert in the western sector of Rajasthan on 9^th Sept. 2017. ii.According to the reports, ATGM Nag successfully hit both targets under different ranges and conditions with very high accuracy as desired by the armed forces.

SpaceX launches US Air Force’s super-secret mini-shuttle

SpaceX has launched the US Air Force’s super-secret space shuttle announced on 7^th Sept. 2017 & a technology tester capable of spending years in orbit.

Key Points:

1. According to a SpaceX launch controller The Falcon has safely
2. An unmanned Falcon rocket blasted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space

• It’s the fifth flight for one of these crewless mini shuttles, known as the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle.

 

Elon Musk shows off SpaceX first full body spacesuit

On 8^th September 2017, CEO of SpaceX Billionaire Elon Musk shared a picture of his space exploration startup SpaceX’s first full-body spacesuit on Instagram.

The SpaceX first full body spacesuit:

1. The spacesuit is designed to protect astronauts when they are in the space capsule and while moving over to other vehicles like the International Space Station (ISS) under pressurised
2. It is a pressure suit, to be worn by astronauts while riding inside the ‘Crew Dragon’ spacecraft.

 

 

Reliance Energy launched digital assistance robot-ELEKTRA

Reliance Energy has launched a digital assistance robot named ELEKTRA. This system provides automated responses to customers for their queries and requests.

Key Points:

1. It is powered by Artificial Intelligence.This robot comes into action whenever a customer logs in to Reliance Energy’s Facebook page or
2. This digital assistance robot takes help of SCADA and GIS systems to provide real-time responses to the

• The introduction of this digital assistance robot has made bill payments, registering complaints and requests for new connections quick and hassle

FSSAI launches online platform “FoSCoRIS” for food inspection & sampling

On 11^th September 2017, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched an online platform named ‘FoSCoRIS’, in New Delhi.

FoSCoRIS:

1. FoSCoRIS is an online web-based platform where data related to inspection, sampling and test result data would be shared by all the

2.      The purpose of this project is to be bring transparency in food safety inspection and sampling.

 

PayU partners with IRCTC, provides online payment services to IRCTC users

On 11^th September 2017, Payment gateway provider PayU announced its collaboration with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), in New Delhi.

Partnership between PayU and IRCTC:

1. PayU and IRCTC have joined hands to provide users a safe and secure option to make payment for rail tickets booked on the IRCTC
2. Now PayU is available as a payment option under the Multiple Payment Services or MPS
3. ‘option on the IRCTC website at the payment

Eastern Fleet Ships departed for Overseas Deployment to East and South-East Asia In accordance with the India’s ‘Act East Policy’, two Indian Naval Ships departed for deployment to East and South-East Asia.

Key Points:

1. INS Satpura and INS Kadmatt departed from Visakhapatnam on 8th of Sept. 2017 to visit 12 ports.

ii.  The deployment aims to strengthen existing bonds between India and the regional countries.

 

 

 

• The ships will visit Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia and Brunei to celebrate the 25th anniversary of India-ASEAN

1. The two ships will be deployed for more than 3 months away from home

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharam flags off INSV Tarini at INS Mandovi

The Indian Navy’s woman team has embarked on a circumnavigation of the globe, with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 10^th of Sept. 2017.

Key Points:

1. The Indian Navy calls it a “historic” day for the
2. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba were also present on the

• The minister flagged off the first such expedition by the Indian Navy, ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’, at a ceremony at the INS Mandovi naval training base, Panaji

1. The six-member women crew will circumnavigate the globe on an India-built sail boat, INSV Tarini, which is being captained by Lt Commander Vartika
2. The circumnavigation is to be covered in about 165 days at sea. The first stop would be in Free-Mantle in Australia, New Zealand and then to Falklands before reaching their last stop in Cape Town in South

“Sweden hosts huge war games exercise “Aurora” with NATO

Sweden hosts huge war games exercise with NATO. It is biggest military exercise in more than 20 years with support from NATO countries.

Key Points:

1. Sweden is not a member of NATO but the exercise, called “Aurora”, involves 19,000

troops and will replicate an attack from the east on the Baltic island of Gotland, near the Swedish mainland.

1. Around 1,500 of the military personnel are from the United States, France, Norway and other NATO

China, Pakistan air forces launch joint exercise

The air forces of China and Pakistan has begun a joint training exercise and deployed their latest fighter jets and AWACS aircraft.

Key Points:

1. The exercise will run until September 27 in

 

 

1. China has dispatched J-11 fighters, JH-7 fighter-bombers, KJ-200 AWACS aircraft and ground forces including surface-to-air missile and radar

• AWACS is Airborne Warning and Control System, a mobile, long-range radar surveillance and control centre for air

1. The Chinese navy’s aviation troops are also participating in the

v.  Pakistan has sent JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and early warning aircraft to join the exercise, named “Shaheen VI”.

 

IAF completes development trials of Astra air-to-air missile

On September 15,2017 the final Development Flight Trials of Astra – Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) were successfully conducted over the Bay of Bengal, Off the Coast of Chandipur, Odisha .A total of seven trials were conducted against Pilotless Target Aircrafts (PTA) successfully.

About Astra:-

1. The Astra (throwing weapon)is an active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and IAF (Indian air force)
2. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has played a role in modifying the aircraft for weapon integration.

Indigenous artillery gun ATAGS sets new record in range – 48KM

On September 15,2017, An indigenous artillery gun Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the private sector has set a new world record in range by hitting targets at a distance of 48 km. About ATAGS :-

1. ATAGS is a 155mm, 52 calibre towed artillery gun being developed in mission mode by DRDO as a part of the Army’s artillery modernisation
2. The development is being done through a consortium based model, similar to that adopted for the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launch

• It was designed by DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune. In addition, Bharat Forge Limited of Kalyani Group, Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division and Mahindra Defence Naval System from the private sector are involved in a big way along with the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).

Indian Naval units of Western Naval Command on Long Range Deployment

On September 20 2017, two Navy ships, a submarine and two Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft of the Western Naval Command (WNC) are presently on deployment to the Western Arabian Sea and the southern Indian Ocean.

1. After conducting a series of exercises en-route Indian Naval Ship Mumbai and submarine Shishumar entered Duqm, Oman as part of this
2. The Naval units are on a month long deployment for surveillance and cooperation with the Arabian Sea rim nations. Another ship, INS Kochi which is also a part of this deployment, is proceeding to the southern Indian

IDF, US Army inaugurates first American military base in Israel

The US Army and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inaugurated a permanent base In Israel.

1. This is the first time that a permanent American base has been opened in the Middle Eastern country.
2. The base represents the long-standing partnership, the strategic commitment between the armies and the militaries of the United States of America and

• Several dozen American soldiers will be stationed at the base in Israel’s

India & US armies begin ‘Yudh Abhyas 2017’ military exercise in Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington

On 14th September 2017, The Indian and U.S. armies started the 13th edition of their ‘Yudh Abhyas’ series of joint military exercises.

Yudh Abhyas 2017:

1. The exercise began on 14th September 2017, at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington, United
2. The exercise will be continued till 27th September 2017.

 

Iron Union 5: Joint military exercise of US and UAE started in Abu Dhabi

On 16th September 2017, The US and UAE’s joint military exercise began in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Iron Union 5:

5. The joint military exercise is named as Iron Union
6. It is carried out in order to maintain bilateral relations and exchange training and military expertise between the two

• The focus of the exercise is to upgrade and boost the readiness of the UAE’s armed forces and to improve both the armies’ international co-operation.

Joint Sea-2017: China, Russia joint naval drills in Russian port city, Vladivostok

On 18th September 2017, China and Russia started the second stage of their “Joint Sea-2017” naval exercises in Vladivostok, Russia.

Joint Sea-2017:

1. The exercises took place in Sea of Japan and the Okhotsk

 

ii.    For the first time Naval forces from both countries conducted joint submarine rescue exercises and joint anti-submarine exercises.

• The Chinese fleet has missile destroyer “Shijiazhuang”, missile frigate “Daqing”, comprehensive supply ship “Dongpinghu”, submarine rescue ship “Changdao”, a deep submersible rescue vehicle, two ship-borne helicopters and

Exercise Panda-Kangaroo 2017: Chinese, Australian conducted 1st joint drills in China As per the defence ministry the small training maneuvers “Exercise Panda-Kangaroo 2017” were the first joint drills between China and Australia held in China.

Key Points:

1. Chinese and Australian soldiers have ended a series of military exercises in the mountainous terrain of southwestern
2. According to the official Xinhua news agency ten soldiers from each country’s army participated in the exercise, which lasted 10

• The training in Yunnan province included mountainous marches, moving through natural obstacles and field

Turkey hosts NATO naval exercise” Dynamic Monarch”

Turkey was holding naval exercises with NATO members at a time of crisis in relations with several alliance states and controversy over Ankara’s plan to purchase weapons from Russia.

Key Points:

1. The NATO exercises, focused on submarine rescue operations and called “Dynamic Monarch”.
2. It will take place in Turkish waters in the Mediterranean Sea off the resort city of Marmaris. iii.The naval exercises involved 1,000 personnel and nine countries including France, Britain and the United

 

Indian Navy commissions INS Tarasa, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft at Mumbai

On 26^th September 2017, INS Tarasa, a Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (FAC) was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command at the Naval Dockyard, in Mumbai.

1. INS Tarasa is 50 m long.It is powered by three water jets, with speed more than 35 knots (65 km/hr).It is equipped with a 30 mm main gun and several light, medium and heavy machine guns.
2. INS Tarasa was built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.This is the last Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (FAC) built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).

 

 

• The first voyage of INS Tarasa was from Kolkata to Mumbai.In spite of rough weather, the ship performed well.The commissioning Commanding Officer of INS Tarasa is Lieutenant Commander Praveen

vi.INS Tarasa was built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.This is the last Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (FAC) built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).

New interceptor boat V-409 launched

A new interceptor boat (V-409) which is built by Bharathi Defence and Infrastructure Limited (BDIL) waslaunched at a function held at the Mangaluru Coast Guard yard on 24^th Sept. 2017.

Key Points:

1. Pavitran Alokkan, President and Head, BDIL, Mangaluru, said that by launching the new interceptor boat the company had a live order book of various defence
2. It includes interceptor boats for Indian Coast Guard and auxiliary vessels for the Indian Navy. iii.The 28-metre long, V-409 interceptor boat has aluminium hull and fitted with new generation of Arneson Surface Drive (ASD) which is drive by two powerful diesel engines of 1650 KW

iv.Coast Guard has released that Rs 18 crore vessel would be inducted into Coast Guard service by mid-October 2017 and join four other vessels delivered by the shipyard earlier.

DRUZBA 2017: Pak, Russia holds joint military drill in Minralney Vody, Russia

Pakistan and Russia will hold a two-week long military exercise which mainly focuses on counter-terrorism operations. It enhances defence ties between the two countries.

1. The joint exercise DRUZBA 2017 between special forces of Pakistan and Russia Armies started in Minralney Vody,
2. The joint exercise will focus on counter-terrorism operations, hostage and rescue, cordon and search

 

Pakistani Navy successfully tests anti-ship missile

On 23rd September 2017, Pakistan Navy successfully test-fired an anti-ship missile from a helicopter in the northern Arabian Sea.

Anti-ship missile test:

1. The anti-ship missile was fired from Pakistan Navy helicopter Sea King into the open sea.
2. The missile hit its target placed in the sea

• Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah monitored the missile firing demonstration.

 

 

Coast Guard commissions 2 high speed interceptor boats

On 20th September 2017, The Indian Coast Guard commissioned two high-speed interceptor boats fitted with 12.7 mm machine gun at the Dighi Port, in Mumbai.

High Speed Interceptor boats:

1. The high speed interceptor boats C-433 and C-434 boats were built by L&T Shipbuilding in
2. The length of the ships is 27.42

Defence News –October

Bangladesh, US begin disaster response exercise

On October 8, 2017, Bangladesh Armed Forces Division and U.S. Army began their participation in the Pacific Resilience Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange (DREE).More Information about Pacific Resilience Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange (DREE):

1. It is a civil-military disaster preparedness and response initiative between the governments of Bangladesh and US.
2. The exercise will be conducted from 8^th – 12^th October 2017, in Dhaka and Mymensingh in Bangladesh.

 

INS Satpura, Kadmatt to participate in PASSEX with Japan

Indian Naval Ships Satpura and Kadmatt are visiting Sasebo, Japan from 12th to 15th October 2017. The visit of these ships is in line with India’s Act East Policy and reiterating of India’s commitment to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.

PASSEX with Japan:

During this visit, INS Satpura and INS Kadmatt will engage with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in formal calls, as well as social and sporting interactions.

• The two Indian naval ships will also take part in Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with the Murusame Class destroyer, JS

 

Mitra Shakti 2017: India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise held in Pune

On 13^th – 25^th October 2017, Mitra Shakti 2017, a joint exercise between India and Sri Lanka for military co-operation and interoperability, is conducted at the Aundh Military Camp, in Pune.

Mitra Shakthi 2017:

1. The Mitra Shakthi training exercises started in India’s response to China’s growing influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

Other recent joint-military exercises of India:

SLINEX 2017 – India – Sri Lanka joint naval exercise

 

 

• Nomadic Elephant 2017 – India – Mongolia joint military exercise
• Varuna 2017 – India – France joint naval exercise

Indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warship INS Kiltan commissioned into Navy

On October 16, 2017, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commissioned India’s third indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) corvette INS Kiltan into the Indian Navy. The commissioning ceremony was held at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and was attended by Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba.

INS Kiltan is 109 meters long and 14 meters at the beam. Its displacement tonnage (ship’s weight) is 3500 tonnes.

• It is Indian Navy’s first major warship which has superstructure made of carbon fibre composite material imported from Sweden. This not only improves the stealth features but has also resulted in lower weight (100 tonnes lighter than the previous corvettes) and maintenance

·         It is named after a coral island in Aminidivi group of the strategically located Lakshadweep and Minicoy group of Islands.

About Project 28:

Project-28 is Indian Government’s 7800 crore project to build and induct four Kamorta-class Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) corvettes in Indian Navy.

• It was approved in year
• Besides INS Kiltan, other two ships that have been commissioned under this project are INS Kamorta (commissioned in 2014) and INS Kadmatt (commissioned in 2016).
• Construction work on the fourth ship, INS Kavaratti is in progress and is expected to be completed by end of

INDRA – 2017: Indo-Russia’s first-ever tri-service joint exercise begins in Vladivostok,Russia

Exercise INDRA-2017, the first ever Tri Services Joint Exercise between Indian and Russian Armed Forces begun in Vladivostok, Russia on October 19, 2017. INDRA -2107 will continue till October 29, 2017.

About INDRA-2017

1. The previous editions of INDRA Exercise between India and Russia were single service bilateral exercise. ‘INDRA-2017’ marks the first bilateral exercise in which all the three Services of the Armed Forces viz. Army, Navy & Air Force of India and Russia will participate.

 

Sri Lanka Navy commissioned Coast Guard Ship Suraksha provided by India

On October 21, 2017, Sri Lankan Navy commissioned Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCGS) Ship Suraksha.

 

 

About SLCGS Suraksha:

1. SLCGS Suraksha is an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) provided by the Indian Coast Guard to the Sri Lanka
2. During its tenure with Indian Coast Guard, this OPV was named ‘Varuna’. It was formally handed over to Sri Lankan Navy in September

30th edition of India – Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) begins in Indonesia

On 24^th October – 5^th November 2017, the 30th edition of CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) and

3^rd Bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy is conducted in Belawan, Indonesia.

India – Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT):

1. Indian Naval Ship Sukanya under the command of Commander SA Deodhar, arrived at Belawan, Indonesia, to participate in the 30th edition of CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) and 3rd Bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy.

L&T hands over India’s first private OPV ‘Vikram’ for Indian Coast Guard

On October 27, 2017, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) handed over offshore patrol vessel (OPV) ‘Vikram’ to Indian Coast Guard. V S R Murthy, Additional Director General, Coast Guard, launched OPV ‘VIkram’ at a function at Kattupalli shipyard (in Tamil Nadu), in presence of J D Patil, Larsen and Toubro Board Member and Whole Time Director (Defence Business) and B Kannan, Larsen and Toubro Ship Building Managing Director.

1. In March 2017, Union Ministry of Defense had awarded Rs 1,432-crore contract to L&T to build seven offshore vessel patrol vessels for the Indian Coast
2. As per the delivery schedule mentioned in the contract, the first vessel was to be handed over in March 2018

 

IAF planes carry out emergency landing drill on Lucknow-Agra Expressway

The Indian Air Force (IAF) aircrafts on 24th oct 2017 took off as part of a special drill on a Four kilometre stretch of the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district.

1. The exercise by the IAF, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government, saw aC-130 J Super Hercules transport aircraft make a short landing on the highway, around 65 km from Lucknow.

India, Japan begins three-day anti-submarine drill

In a bid to deepen operational coordination in the strategically important sea lanes, Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) began a three-day anti-

submarine warfare exercise in the Indian Ocean region on October 29, 2017.

 

 

India-Japan anti-submarine drill:

1. On October 29, 2017, Japan’s two P-3C Orion jets, which are anti-submarine warfare aircraft, landed at naval air station Hansa in Goa to take part in the

ii.    In this exercise, Indian Navy is represented by two P-8 I long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare aircrafts.

 

Army finalises mega Rs 40,000 crore procurement plan to replace ageing weapons Indian Army has finalised one of its biggest procurement plans for infantry modernisation at a cost of nearly Rs 40,000 crore to replace its ageing and obsolete weapons.

i.    Under this plan, around 7 lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines will be procured.

1. Indian Army has been insisting to fast-track the procurement in back drop of evolving security threats along India’s borders with Pakistan and China

 

 

 

 

 

Defence News –November

 

Indian Air force contingent leaves for Israel to Participate in ‘Ex Blue Flag-17’

On October 31, 2017, a 45 member contingent of the Indian Air Force left for Israel to participate in exercise ‘Blue Flag-17’.

About Exercise ‘Blue Flag-17’:

1. Blue Flag is a bi-annual multilateral exercise held by Israeli Air Force with air forces of other
2. Objective of this exercise is to strengthen military cooperation amongst participating

• The Indian contingent for exercise ‘Blue Flag – 17’ is led by Gp Capt Maluk Singh

iv.    Indian Air Force is participating in ‘Blue Flag -17’ with C-130J special operations aircraft along with ‘Garud’ commandos.

 

China, ASEAN hold joint naval drills

China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have held their largest- ever joint maritime rescue exercise, signalling a calm in South China Sea tensions.

1. The exercise, which took place on 31^stof oct 2017, in the waters off the southern coast of China’s Guangdong Province, was “the largest of its kind for China and ASEAN
2. It involved about 1,000 participants aboard 20 ships and three helicopters from China,

 

 

 

 

Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar Laos, Philippines and Brunei, rival claimants in the South China Sea with Vietnam notably absent.

Army launches joint training node in Meghalaya

The Indian Army today launched an independent and fully-integrated Joint Training Node (JTN) at Umroi cantonment, Meghalaya.

1. The JTN is the first of its kind in eastern command and is different from other joint training centres in Belgaum, Varangte and
2. The Indian Army has other joint training centres in Belgaum, Varangte and Baklohbut Umroi is Eastern Command’s first of its kind independent & fully integrated Joint Training Node for Foreign

Centre clears mega project to acquire 111 helicopters for Navy

On October 31, 2017, Union Defense Ministry approved a major project to acquire 111 utility helicopters for the Indian Navy at a cost of Rs.21738 crore.

1. The proposal to acquire these helicopters was cleared at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Union Defence Minister, Nirmala
2. Out of the 111 helicopters, 16 will be procured at a fly away condition while 95 will be manufactured in

Odisha, West Bengal to hold joint coastal security exercise

In a bid to tighten the existing coastal security mechanism, Odisha and its neighbouring

state West Bengal will soon organize a joint security exercise named as ‘Sagar Kavach’along the 630 km long coastline.

More Information about ‘Sagar Kavach’:

i.’ Sagar Kavach’ will be a real-time security exercise, conducted with an aim to check the efficacy of the security parameters and preparedness of various security forces viz. Indian Navy, Marine police force, Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Forest Department, Fisheries and district administration.

 

India, Bangladesh joint military combat exercise “Sampriti” begins in Meghalaya

On November 6, 2017, ‘SAMPRITI 2017’, the seventh edition of Indo-Bangladesh joint military training exercise begun in Meghalaya.

More Information about ‘SAMPRITI 2017’:

2017. ’SAMPRITI 2017’ will be held from 6^th – 18^th November, 2017. Firstly, Command Post Exercise (CPX) will be conducted from 6^th – 11^th November, 2017 in Umroi, Meghalaya followed by Field Training Exercise (FTX) at India’s Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte in

ii.       Exercise ‘SAMPRITI’ is held alternately in India and Bangladesh every year.

 

India, Kazakhstan joint exercise “Prabal Dostyk- 2017” begins in Himachal Pradesh On 2^nd November 2017, Indian and Kazakhstan armies began a 14-day joint

exercise “Prabal Dostyk- 2017” in Himachal Pradesh, to strengthen bilateral relations and exchange skills and experience.

Prabal Dostyk- 2017:

2016. This is the second joint military exercise between India and Kazakhstan. The first edition of “Prabal Dostyk” was held in Kazakhstan in
2017. The joint exercise aims to acquaint the forces with each other’s operating procedures with focus on counter- insurgency and counter-terrorism operationsunder the UN’s

Two-day Sagar Kavach exercise starts on November 8 in Goa

The two-day Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ is to be held on 8th and 9th November, 2017.

Sagar Kavach:

1. The Sagar Kavach exercise is conducted to provide smooth seaward cover along the Goa Coast jointly by all security agencies from coastal belt area line to the limit of territorial water (12 nautical miles).
2. The Sagar Kavach exercise is being conducted and coordinated by Indian Coast Guard, District Headquarter at

 

Five-ship Indian naval training flotilla on visit to Colombo

A five-ship Indian naval training flotilla (a small fleet of ships or boats), is on a visit

to Colombo, Sri Lanka to to expose the trainees to the conduct of warship in foreign waters and strengthen the bridges of friendship between India and Sri Lanka.

1. The five ships in this flotilla includes INS Tir, INS Sujata, INS Sudarshini, INS Shardul and Coast Guard vessel ICGS
2. All these ships belong to the First Training Squadron of the Indian Navy and are functioning under the Southern Naval Command (SNC) headquartered in Kochi,

Indo-Bangla defense cooperation: Army training capsule in Patna

As a part of the ongoing Indo-Bangladesh defense cooperation, an army training capsule on counter-insurgency operations will be conducted in Patna’s Danapur Cantonment from November 13, 2017 to December 10, 2017.

1. This training capsule will be first of its kind being organised for the Bangladesh Army at Danapur
2. Five officers and 25 other ranks of the Bangladesh Army will attend this training. Experienced

 

Indian Army training team will provide them skill based training on handling counter-insurgency / counter-terrorism operations in hostile environment.

• Colonel D.D. Swain will be heading the Indian Army training

Navy chief launches document on joint training of 3 services

On November 14, 2017, Indian armed forces released ‘Joint Training Doctrine Indian Armed Forces – 2017’, aimed at ensuring integration amongst the three defence services and optimum utilisation of resources.

i.    This document was released by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba in presence of Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat, IAF Chief, Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), Lt Gen Satish Dua.

2017. This training document flows from ‘Joint Doctrine Indian Armed Forces -2017’ which was released in April

• ‘Joint Training Doctrine Indian Armed Forces – 2017’ brings out Indian Armed Forces’ approach to Joint training at macro-level, Fundamentals, Objectives, Joint Structures, Planning and

India successfully test-fires Brahmos from Sukhoi fighter jet

On November 22, 2017, Brahmos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test fired for the first time from the Indian Air Force’s frontline Sukhoi-30 MKI combat jet.

1. This test has not only increased the strike power of Indian Air Force, but has also accomplished the triad (capability to launch from air, sea and land) for Brahmos
2. During this latest test, Brahmos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) hit a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal from the combat

• With strike range of 290 km and weighing 2.5 ton, Brahmos ALCM is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India’s Sukhoi-30 MKI combat

India-Myanmar joint Army exercise “IMBAX-2017” begins in Meghalaya

First India-Myanmar bilateral military exercise 2017(IMBAX – 2017) begun on November 20, 2017 in Umroi in Meghalaya. IMBAX-2017 will continue till November 25, 2017.

More Information about IMBAX-2017:

i.This exercise is being held to train Myanmar’s army delegation for participation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO).

 

India conducts major exercise in strategically-located Andaman & Nicobar Islands India has conducted a major military exercise in the strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar Island archipelago.

 

 

Military exercise in Andaman & Nicobar Islands:

1. This is expected to help to counter China’s strategic moves in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and ensure security of sea lanes converging towards the Malacca
2. The “Defence of A&N Islands Exercise” (DANX), with fighters, heavy-lift transport aircraft, warships, infantry combat vehicles, special forces and regular troops, was conducted

from November 20 to 24, 2017 to fine-tune operational drills and synergy among the Army, Navy and Air Force in the region.

IMMSAREX-17 begins in Cox’s Bazar

Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Multilateral Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise-2017 (IMMSAREX-17) started in Bay of Bengal on November 27, 2017.

More Information about IMMSAREX-17:

1. The exercise was inaugurated by Bangladesh President Md Abdul Hamid near Inani Beach at Cox’s Bazar.

MHA conducts Multi State Mega Mock Tsunami Exercise 2017

On November 24, 2017, Ministry of Home Affairs conducted a multi-State mega mock exercise on tsunami preparedness along the East Coast of India.

More Information about Multi State Mega Mock Tsunami Exercise 2017:

1. This exercise was conducted through National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)in 31 coastal districts across four States – West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu – and Union Territory Puducherry.

 

Defence Ministry approves procurement of 260 naval communication sets

On 29^th November 2017, the Defence Ministry approved procurement of 260 naval communication sets at a cost of Rs 490 crore to improvise surveillance on the high seas. Procurement of 260 naval communication sets:

1. The decision of procuring these 260 naval communication sets was taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

U.S., South Korea to hold joint air force drill “Vigilant Ace”

The air forces of South Korea and the United States will hold ‘Vigilant Ace’ a joint drill from 4^th – 8^th December, 2017.

More Information about ‘Vigilant Ace’:

1. ‘Vigilant Ace’ between air forces of United States and South Korea is held at periodic intervals to simulate wartime

 

 

 

 

1. Nearly 12000 U.S. personnel, including U.S. Marine Corps and Navy troops will participate in the upcoming edition of ‘Vigilant Ace’ along with South Korean

Defence News – December

Indian Coast Guard conducts Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise “Clean Sea-2017” On November 29, 2017, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted regional level Marine Oil Pollution Response Exercise titled ‘Clean Sea – 2017’ at sea off Port Blair, Andaman Nicobar Islands.

1. Objective of this exercise was to ascertain preparedness of the ICG in responding to a major oil spill in accordance with provisions of NOS-DCP (National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan).
2. The exercise was conducted under observation of Coast Guard Regional Commander, KR Suresh.

 

Indo – UK Joint Army Exercise Ajeya Warrior 2017 begins in Bikaner

Joint Indo-United Kingdom (UK) army training exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior 2017’ begun at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Bikaner, Rajasthan on December 1, 2017.

1. Ajeya Warrior 2017′ will be the third joint military exercise between India and UK. First exercise was conducted in 2013 in Belgaum, Karnataka and second exercise was conducted in 2015 in UK.

 

8th Indo-Maldives military exercise “EKUVERIN” begins in Belagavi

On December 15, 2017, India and Maldives commenced their 8th joint military exercise “EKUVERIN” in Belagavi, Karnataka.

1. In Maldivian language, ‘EKUVERIN’ means
2. Objective of this exercise is to familiarise both armies with each other’s operating methodology in context of counter-terrorist operations in an urban or semi-urban

Southern Command Conducts “Hamesha Vijayee” Exercise in Rajasthan

Indian Army’s Southern Command is conducting an exercise called ‘Hamesha Vijayee’ in Jaisalmer-Barmer deserts of Rajasthan from 16^th – 22^nd December, 2017.

1. This exercise is being conducted with an objective to evaluate the capability and preparedness of Indian armed forces to carry out strikes deep into enemy territory in an integrated air-land battle.

 

UAE, UK, US and French armies hold joint exercise “Flag4” in Abu Dhabi

On 5^th December 2017, the two-week United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and France joint army training exercise “Flag4”, started in Abu Dhabi.

1. “Flag4” is a part of the effort to consolidate multilateral relations, and to increase coordination between the UAE Armed Forces and participating nations.

US, S Korea, Japan start missile-tracking drill

On December 11, 2017, United States (US), South Korea and Japan started a joint drill to track missiles from North Korea.

1. This drill is being conducted in waters near the Korean peninsula and Japan.

Indian Navy conducts ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ naval exercise with Oman Navy

On 17^th December 2017, the 11th edition of ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ or ‘Sea Breeze’ exercise was conducted off the coast of Oman.

1993. Naseem Al Bahr is a biennial This was started in 1993. Indian ships reached Muscat on 16^th December 2017.

PM Modi commissions INS Kalvari submarine into the Indian Navy in Mumbai

On December 14, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned INS Kalvari submarine into the Indian Navy. The commissioning ceremony was held in Mumbai. Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba was also present at the commissioning ceremony.

• INS Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).
• Kalvari (in Malayalam), is tiger shark, a deadly predator found in tropical and temperate
• The Scorpenes are diesel-electric attack submarines, being built by Mazagaon Dock Ltd under Project 75 with transfer of technology from a French naval defence and energy
• Weighing 1565-tonne, INS Kalvari has an overall length of 67.5 metre and a height of about 12.3
• It was first put to sea on May 1, 2016. Since then, it has undergone comprehensive trials to validate its capability to float, move and

Indian Navy commissions Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ICGS Sujay

On December 21, 2017, Director General of Indian Coast Guard, Rajendra Singh commissioned Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Sujay’ in Goa.

1. In Hindi, ‘Sujay’ mean ‘Great Victory’.
2. ICGS ‘Sujay’ is an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) that has been designed and built

 

 

 

indigenously by Goa Shipyard Ltd.

• 105-meter long ICGS ‘Sujay’ is equipped with 30mm CRN 91 Naval Gun. Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS), Integrated Bridge System (IBS) and state-of-the-art Power Management System (PMS).

Made-In-India Surface-to-Air Missile QRSAM successfully test fired from Odisha coast.  On 22^nd December 2017, Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) was successfully test fired by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) . From Chandipur, in Odisha.

1. Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) is a canister-based high-speed weapon system. It can destroy aerial targets, tanks, bunkers and short range
2. QRSAM was fired from a canister mounted on a rotatable truck-based launch platform. At the Launching Complex-I (LC-I) of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in

• This is the third test of

India successfully test fires indigenous AAD Interceptor Missile off Odisha Coast

On 28^th December 2017, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired an Advanced Area Defence (AAD) interceptor missile from defence test facility on Kalam Island, Odisha.

1. The target missile of the interceptor missile was a modified version of Prithvi-II. The target missile was launched from a Launching Complex of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at
2. The interceptor missile destroyed the target missile in mid-air, in an endo-atmospheric altitude less than 30

IAF bids farewell to MiG-27 ML Bahadur

On December 28, 2017, Indian Air Force (IAF) bade farewell to MiG-27 ML, Bahadur fleet at Hasimara Air Force base in Bengal.

1. Russian origin MiG-27 ML, codenamed ‘Bahadur’ in India, was inducted into the IAF fleet

Our own publications are available at our webstore (click here).

For Guidance of WBCS (Exe.) Etc. Preliminary , Main Exam and Interview, Study Mat, Mock Test, Guided by WBCS Gr A Officers , Online and Classroom, Call 9674493673, or mail us at – mailus@wbcsmadeeasy.in

Please subscribe here to get all future updates on this post/page/category/website