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Navy chief voices concerns over power play in Indo-Pacific

The Navy chief pointed out that the rivalry has led to jostling for space in the region, where many external powers want to come in…reports Asian Lite News

Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Monday raised concerns over growing geo-political power play in the Indo-Pacific, noting that the US-China rivalry in the region is likely to be a “marathon.”

In an address at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) at “Vimarsh on National Security Challenges in the Maritime Domain,” he said, “US-China rivalry is here to stay and it isn’t short spin but it will be a long marathon they are engaged in. It has led inevitably to a naval arms race between the West and China similar to the World War-1 era between the allied and the central powers.” The Navy chief said the US-China rivalry in the region has led to an arms race. “For instance, China has inducted 148 warships in the last 10 years which I would say is perhaps the entire Indian navy size and the process still continues,” he said.

“So this arms race has made our resource-rich region an arena for jostling for influence, markets, resources and energy among others,” added Kumar.

The Navy chief pointed out that the rivalry has led to jostling for space in the region, where many external powers want to come in.

“A large number of countries have come out with their Indo-Pacific strategy and many of them do not belong to the region as well. The Indo-Pacific as a geostrategic reality is also accompanied by the return of great power competition,” he said.

“The simultaneous competition and cooperation accentuate the complexities of security. While much has been said about the ongoing conflict in Europe, the fact is that despite extensive sanctions by the West on Russia most of Europe continues to receive Russian energy which underscores that even during conflicts, it is unlikely that states can be completely devoid of mutual dependencies,” added Kumar.

He also highlighted the significant achievement made by the country in the construction of the ‘Made in India’ INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, saying it had a very high percentage of indigenous equipment including steel which the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and local steel companies have developed.

“I feel the maritime character of our nation is now shaping our overall outlook and is probably gaining the recognition that it deserves. The interplay between maritime security and India’s prosperity is becoming probably more clear to the polity, policymakers and the people of India. Thus maritime India is on the rise and the tides of time demand that we grab this opportunity to sail out in these high waters,” added the Navy Chief.

He also pointed out that out of the 43 warships and submarines being constructed by the Navy, 41 are being made in India only. (ANI)

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23 out of 55 defence research body projects missed deadlines

The minister, however, did not provide the details about the deadlines and period of implementation of the projects…reports Asian Lite News

Twenty-three of the 55 high-priority projects being implemented by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) could not meet the deadlines, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

The high-priority projects included developing anti-air field weapons, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range radars, combat vehicles, combat suits for submarines and submarine periscopes.

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt provided the details in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

“Currently, there are 55 numbers of ongoing MM (Mission Mode) projects such as anti-air field weapons, solid fuel ducted ramjet technology, surface to air missiles, anti-ship missiles, long range radars, combat vehicles, high endurance autonomous underwater vehicles, combat suits for submarines, submarine periscopes etc.,” he said.

“Of these 55 numbers of ongoing MM projects, 23 numbers did not meet deadlines. Of the 23 numbers of ongoing MM projects which did not meet the deadlines, nine have undergone cost overruns. However, not all cost overruns were necessitated due to time overruns,” Bhatt said.

The minister, however, did not provide the details about the deadlines and period of implementation of the projects.

A total of 1,35,743 posts, including 8,070 at the level of officers, were lying vacant in the Indian Army as on March 10, according to data provided by Bhatt.

According to the details, a total of 19,678 vacancies were filled up between January 1 and March 10.

Bhatt said the number of vacancies of junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and other ranks as on March 10 was 1,27,673 and the number of vacancies at the level of officers was 8,070.

The minister said 19,065 vacancies of JCOs and other ranks were filled up between January 1 and March 10.

The number of vacancies filled up in the category of officers during the period was 613.

To a separate question, Mr Bhatt said the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) concluded a contract with Mauritius in January last year for the export of an advanced light helicopter (ALH) Mk III and associated deliverables. The total contract value was USD 17.67 million (around ₹ 141.52 crore).

According to the contract, the delivery was to be completed in 18 months, whereas the HAL completed it ahead of the schedule.

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IAF airfield sold off to private persons in shocking fraud

Presently physical control of the ‘Jahaz Ground’ is with the Army, while operational and administrative control remains with the IAF’s Halwara air base authorities in Ludhiana district….reports Asian Lite News

In a shocking fraud committed in connivance with revenue officials, the Indian Air Force’s emergency airfield (Jahaz Ground) in Ferozepur Cantonment has been sold off to private persons.

Spread over 15 acres and worth several crores of rupees, the airfield is a part of the 982 acres of prime land acquired by the British government in 1939 for use by the Royal Air Force during World War II. Later, the Indian Air Force used the same airfield in the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars. The vast Airfield grounds were used for camouflaging weaponry.

Presently physical control of the ‘Jahaz Ground’ is with the Army, while operational and administrative control remains with the IAF’s Halwara air base authorities in Ludhiana district.

In 1997, Usha Ansal, now a resident of Delhi sold off the 15-acre airfield to five private persons using a general power of attorney (GPA) executed by her brother-in-law Madan Mohan Lal who earlier resided in Ferozepur. But Lal died in 1991. Hence, the GPA became infructuous the same year and could not be used for any transaction.

In 1964 during Lal Bahadur Shastris’ government, a scheme was launched to appoint crop managers on all vacant lands in the Cantonment areas in the country to increase foodgrain production when India faced a food crisis in the 60s. The crop managers were required to cultivate the land and pass over foodgrain to the central government.

Madan Mohan Lal and his brother Tek Chand were appointed crop managers for 15 acres in Ferozepur Cantt. But the scheme was discontinued after the green revolution, and all crop managers of 982 acres handed over the land to the Army.

Though the revenue records, including the ‘Jamabandi’ clearly mention the Army owned the land, the then sub-registrar ignored the crucial document while registering the sale deeds executed in 1997.

The new “owners,” Dara Singh, Mukhtiar Singh, Jagir Singh, Surjit Kaur and Manjit Kaur, also managed to get ‘girdauris’ (A revenue official’s field visit report showing the status of any land) done in their names, implying that they were the cultivators and their crops were standing on the otherwise “concrete airfield.”

Armed with registries and girdauris, the new owners moved the office of the then SDM D.P.S Kharbanda to get the 15-acre prime land mutated (Intkal) in their names in the revenue records. Despite the ‘tehsildar’s’ advice that the sale deeds do not seem to be above board, the SDM allowed the recording of mutations in the name of 5 private persons in 2001.

The matter came to light when the five purchasers moved the civil court in 2008 by filing a suit for possession seeking directions to the Army to vacate their land. The fraudsters alleged they had peaceful possession of the land since 1997, but in 2006 the Army forcibly dispossessed them.

The area in pink shows 982 acres of total land acquired by the Brtish for the air field while the area in blue indicates the 15 acres’ emergency landing air strip.

The Air Force wrote to the Financial Commissioner of Revenue (FCR) and Deputy Commissioner (DC) complaining about the fraud and demanded legal action against revenue department officers. But nothing has been done to date.

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Navy test fires BrahMos with indigenous seeker and booster

The multi-role and multi-platform BrahMos supersonic missile system has proved its worth on land and sea as well as air..reports Asian Lite News

India’s efforts for self-reliance in defence systems received a further boost on Sunday with the successful precision strike by an Indian Navy ship-launched BrahMos missile equipped with an indigenous seeker and booster.

According to information provided by the Indian Navy, the seeker and booster for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which was launched in the Arabian Sea, was designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“#IndianNavy’s successful precision strike in the #ArabianSea by ship launched #BrahMos missile with @DRDO_India designed #Indigenous Seeker & Booster reinforces its commitment towards #AatmaNirbharta. #AatmaNirbharBharat,” the Indian Navy’s Spokesperson tweeted.

The multi-role and multi-platform BrahMos supersonic missile system has proved its worth on land and sea as well as air. Different versions of the missile system have been deployed in all three services – Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.

In January, 2022, an advanced sea-to-sea variant of the BrahMos Supersonic Cruise missile was tested from INS Visakhapatnam. The test was successful with the missile hitting the designated target ship precisely.

The same month, another BrahMos Missile was successfully test fired from the Interim Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha to validate several new indigenous systems successfully demonstrating enhanced capabilities.

Earlier, in December 2021, the DRDO had announced the successful testing of an air version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. It was test fired from a Sukhoi 30 MK-I aircraft at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

BrahMos, which derives it name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers in India and Russia respectively, is a joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPOM to develop next-generation supersonic missiles for the Indian Armed Forces. (India News Network)

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Indian Navy Chief underscores need for maritime cooperation

Highlighting the ever-changing technology in the field of modern warfare, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Saturday underscored the importance of cooperation and working together in the maritime domain.

Speaking at a panel discussion on ‘The future of conflict: Lessons from the Third Decade’ at Delhi: Raisina Dialogue 2023, the Navy said, “In the maritime domain, challenges are not traditional or non-traditional. It is a problem for all of us. We always look to cooperate and work together in the maritime domain.” Modern warfare has changed from large-scale clashes of armies to suppression of civilian populations via chemical weapons, drones (used extensively in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war), etc.

“Whenever technology is developed, we find that there is always a counter to it. As we are seeing in the ongoing Ukraine war, when technology is brought into the battlefield it is immediately countered,” the Navy chief said.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar with General Koji Yamazaki, Admiral John C Aquilino, Admiral Sir Ben Key, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee and Bec Shrimpton at the Raisina Dialogue 2023, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

Underlining the importance of small groupings for an agile coalition and partnership, he said, “When we work in smaller groups then it serves the purpose and generates trust in partner countries. India as a country looks at everybody in the region to prosper together.”

Apart from Kumar, the other participants at the panel discussion comprised Bec Shrimpton, Director of the Sydney Dialogue, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and former Defence, DFAT, Austrade and senior adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, General Koji Yamazaki, Chief of Staff of Japan Self-Defense Forces, Admiral John C Aquilino, Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief Of Naval Staff, VADM/VAM Angus Topshee, 38th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy,

New Delhi, Mar 04 (ANI): Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee at the Raisina Dialogue 2023, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

Adm Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, UK supported the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

“We support ‘Make in India’. India is reaching out for partnerships, but it is also making sure that it is resilient to external threats,” he said. (ANI)

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Defence India News

HAL to supply 70 HTT-40 trainer aircraft to IAF

The aircraft will meet the shortage of basic trainer aircraft of IAF for training of newly- inducted pilots…reports Asian Lite News

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved procurement of 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force at a cost of Rs 6,828.36 crore.

The aircraft will be supplied over a period of six years and the decision is expected to provide fillip to the Indian aerospace defence ecosystem and boost efforts towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. The HTT-40 is a turbo prop aircraft and is designed to have good low speed handling qualities and provide better training effectiveness.

The fully aerobatic tandem seat turbo trainer has air-conditioned cockpit, modern avionics, hot re-fueling, running change over and zero-zero ejection seats, a Defence Ministry release said.

The aircraft will meet the shortage of basic trainer aircraft of IAF for training of newly- inducted pilots.

The procurement will include associated equipment and training aids including simulators.

Being an indigenous solution, the aircraft is configurable for upgrades to incorporate the futuristic requirements of the Indian armed forces.

The HTT-40 has about 56 per cent indigenous content which will progressively increase to over 60 per cent through indigenisation of major components and subsystems.

The HAL would engage Indian private industry, including MSMEs, in its supply chain, the release said.

The procurement has the potential to provide direct employment to about 1,500 personnel and indirect employment for up to 3,000 people spread over more than 100 MSMEs.

DGCA approval for modified variant

The modified variant of HAL aircraft ‘Hindustan 228-201 LW’ has been approved by the civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

This modification in the aircraft would make it fall in the sub-5,700 kg aircraft category. This variant of HAL aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 5,695 kg with 19-passenger capability.

“This variant provides several operational benefits for operators such as reduced pilot qualification requirement enabling pilots with Commercial Pilot License to fly the aircraft, enhanced availability of pilot pool for the aircraft and reduced operational cost,” the HAL said in a release on Monday.

In addition, the release said the new variant would reduce training requirements for flying and ground crew, including aircraft maintenance engineers.

Besides, HAL also has approval for 6,200-kg AUW aircraft with a seating capacity of 19 passengers. (ANI)

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Army to buy 307 indigenous howitzers for border deployment

The proposal worth over USD 1 billion has been received from the Indian Army and is under discussion. …writes Ajit K Dubey

In a major stride towards the ‘Make-in-India’ in the defence sector, the Ministry of Defence has received a proposal from Indian Army to buy 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) for deployment along the borders with China and Pakistan.

The proposal worth over USD 1 billion has been received from the Indian Army and is under discussion. It is expected to be cleared soon and sent for clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Security, defence officials told ANI. This would be the first order for the indigenous howitzer which can strike targets at around 50 kms and is believed to be the best gun in its class, they said.

The forces have been conducting trials of the gun in different altitudes and terrain. They have been upgraded as per the suggestions made by the users, the officials said.

The technology and know-how of raw howitzer have been shared with two private firms Tata Advanced Systems and Bharat Forge group by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and they would be supplying the system to the forces including over 320 high mobility vehicles.

The trials of the 155mm/52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) were completed at the Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR) between April 26 and May 2.

The ATAGS is an indigenous towed artillery gun system project undertaken in mission mode by the DRDO as a part of the artillery modernisation programme of the Indian Army, the statement added.

Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) Pune is the nodal laboratory of the DRDO for the design & development of ATAGS, along with other DRDO laboratories.

The development has been done with two industry partners, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Bharat Forge Ltd, along with the active participation of other industries.

The reliability of both guns has been proven by firing multiple rounds in various zones, including burst, intense & sustained modes. High accuracy and consistency in range and line with maximum range have been established, the DRDO had said recently. (ANI)

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Australia to overhaul cyber laws

A new national coordinator for cyber security will be appointed to lead the implementation of the new strategy…reports Asian Lite News

The Australian government on Monday announced an overhaul of its cyber security strategy following a string of major data breaches.

Clare O’Neil, the Minister for Home Affairs, revealed the renewed strategy, saying the 2022 Optus and Medibank hacks exposed flaws in cyber laws, reports Xinhua news agency.

A new national coordinator for cyber security will be appointed by the government within the Department of Home Affairs to lead the implementation of the strategy, with the government given more powers to intervene following breaches.

Telecommunications giant Optus revealed in September last year that the data of up to 9.8 million customers could have been compromised in one of the largest data breaches in Australian history.

A month later, health insurance provider Medibank disclosed that hackers had accessed the personal information of 9.7 million current and former customers.

In the wake of the incidents the Labor government, which came to power in May 2022, expressed frustration at the lack of an emergency response function.

O’Neil said on Monday that having the national coordinator in place at the time would have made a significant difference.

“What we will have now is an individual in the public service who is going to coordinate the response across government and make sure that not only are we deterring and preventing cyber-attacks, but Australians can get up off that quickly,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“The other really important part of this person’s job will be to help manage cyber incidents in a proper, seamless strategic way across the Australian government.”

The government hopes to appoint someone to the new role within a month to develop a response plan.

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IDEX-NAVDEX: Dh4.5bn deals signed on Day 1

Organised by ADNEC Group, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, the IDEX and NAVDEX 2023 will continue until 24th February….reports Asian Lite News

Tawazun Council, the independent government entity that works closely with the Ministry of Defence and security agencies to maximise value through acquisition systems, announced signing of 11 deals with local and international companies on day one of the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) and the Naval Defence Exhibition (NAVDEX) 2023, cumulatively worth AED4.5 billion.

Zayed Saeed Al Meraikhi, the official Spokesman of Tawazun Council, said the number of contracts signed by Tawazun Council on behalf of the Ministry of Defence with local companies has reached six contracts, totaling AED2.3 billion, while the number of contracts signed with international companies has reached five contracts, totaling AED2.2 billion.

Al Meraikhi said that Tawazun Council signed a contract worth AED2.14 billion with Halcon, a subsidiary of Edge Group, to procure Thunder P3 system and an AED78 million contract with Maplin Marine Systems & Services to provide vessels’ technical support services.

Also signed were an AED45 million contract with Mohamed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar LLC to provide technical support services on caterpillar vehicles, a contract worth AED26 million with Atlas Telecom to procure SR Hawk radars and portable radars and a contract with Romco International to procure mine clearance system for AED4 million.

The sixth local contract was signed with Al Hamra Trades to procure and to provide maintenance services on inspection devices and explosives detectors. The contract value is AED 8 million.

Majed Ahmed Al Jaberi, Official Spokesman of Tawazun Council, announced the contracts Tawazun Council has signed with international companies. They include an AED1.5 billion contract with the Indonesian company PT Pal for the procurement of multi-mission vessel. Another contract worth AED421 million was signed with Thales LAS of France for the procurement of GM403 radars.

Al Jaberi said the deals signed on Day 1 of the exhibition included an AED202 million contract with the US company Allant Techsystems to procure ammunition, an AED92 million contract with French company MBDA to provide missiles’ technical support services and an AED3 million contract with Germany’s Rhode & Schwartz to provide communication systems’ technical support.

“Thanks to our leadership’s vision, the announcement made by Tawazun Council, in partnership with the Ministry of Defense, represents a continuation of IDEX past successes,” Al Jaberi said.

Saeed Al Mansoori, CEO of Capital Events, a subsidiary of ADNEC Group, said this edition of IDEX and NAVDEX 2023 is the biggest since the launch of the event three decades ago.

Organised by ADNEC Group, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, the IDEX and NAVDEX 2023 will continue until 24th February.

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Navy to deploy fire fighting bots on INS Vikrant, Vikramaditya

Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral SN Ghormade said the IDex programme to promote indigenous defence technologies has been a great success for the Indian Navy…reports Asian Lite News

In a major success for ‘Make in India’ in defence, the Indian Navy is soon going to deploy indigenous firefighting bots on its largest warships including the aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.

Speaking with ANI, Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral SN Ghormade discussed about the initiatives taken in the maritime force under the ‘Make in India’ project and said, “I was confident that the Navy would be able to fulfil a promise made to the Prime Minister on indigenous projects.” “Two contracts have already materialised including a fire fighting bot which has been used in INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya aircraft carriers,” Ghormade said on the sidelines of Aero India 2023.

He said the Indian Navy was also working on inducting game-changing technologies like the blue-green laser which can help the force detect underwater vessels and objects.

He said the IDex programme to promote indigenous defence technologies has been a great success for the Indian Navy.

“The Honourable Prime Minister launched 75 challenges. We have really expedited and done this job. We had thought that if we have to achieve success, we have to do things differently. We have made our procedures simple so that we can take these cases ahead. We are sure that by August 15, we would achieve our target as promised to Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

He said the Indian Navy is focusing on getting ‘Made in India’ technologies which will help in achieving the goal of a combat-ready navy equipped with game-changing technologies. (ANI)

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