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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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-Top News Australia Defence

Australia to overhaul cyber laws

Australian govt to overhaul cyber laws.(Photo : twitter.com/ClareONeilMP)

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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-Top News Defence UAE News

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.

ALSO READ: IDEX, NAVDEX kick off in Abu Dhabi

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Defence India News

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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China Defence India News

Cabinet greenlights 7 new ITBP battalions

The decisions were taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which met earlier in the day…reports Asian Lite News

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a proposal to raise seven new battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which guards the strategic Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

With the aim of providing all weather connectivity between Ladakh and the rest of the country, it also gave the nod for the construction of a 4-km-long Shinkun La tunnel along with an approach road.

Both the decisions were taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which met earlier in the day.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur informed media persons after the meeting, that as per the proposal, a sector headquarter would also be set up, for which a fresh strength of 9,400 posts would be created. The sector headquarter would be set up by 2025-26 and will entail a recurring expense of Rs 1,808 crore, while for meeting the ration and food requirements of the troops, a recurring expenditure of Rs 963 crore would be required.

In 2020, the CCS had sanctioned 47 new border outposts along with setting up of 12 staging camps. These are currently being set up, Thakur said, informing that for manning these outposts and staging camps, it was decided by the CCS on Wednesday, to raise seven new battalions.

Apart from this, the Shinkun La tunnel along with an approach road would be constructed.

The CCS approved this proposal and the tunnel is expected to be completed by December 2025, Thakur told reporters. It will entail a cost of Rs 1,681 crore and its construction will lead to Ladakh’s connectivity with Zanskar valley through an all weather road.

This will lead to investments in health, tourism and education sectors and will also help in improving supply chain during winters and enable smoother troops movement, the minister said.

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-Top News Defence World News

NATO chief bats for bigger defence budgets

Pic credits Twitter

NATO allies agreed in 2014 to move toward spending 2 per cent of their GDP on defence by 2024….reports Asian Lite News

The member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) should commit to spending at least 2 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by next year, the alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

He was addressing journalists following a NATO defence ministers’ meeting here to address key issues for their security, Xinhua news agency reported.

“More countries are now spending at least two per cent of their GDP on defence. And 2022 was the eighth consecutive year of increased defence spending by European allies and Canada. With an additional investment of $350 billion, this trend is expected to continue this year. But more needs to be done,” he said.

NATO allies agreed in 2014 to move toward spending 2 per cent of their GDP on defence by 2024.

He said the allies had agreed on the need to work hand-in-hand with the defence industry to ramp up industrial capacity because Ukraine, to which they were providing unprecedented support, was “consuming an enormous quantity of allied ammunition and depleting our stockpiles”.

He said the ministers had also discussed the security of critical undersea infrastructure following the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines.

He announced the establishment of a Critical Undersea Infrastructure Coordination Cell within the NATO headquarters.

The US Navy has been accused in press reports of involvement in last September’s attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Swedish and Danish exclusive economic zones under the Baltic Sea, which were built to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany.

US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh alleged in recent days that US Navy divers detonated explosives under the pipelines during the Baltic Operations 2022 NATO maritime exercise.

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-Top News Defence India News

India to fully Indigenise Tejas aircraft soon, says Rajnath

Singh concluded his address by urging the media to provide extensive visibility to the event and present the rise of a ‘New India’ to the world…reports Asian Lite News

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that efforts are on to make Light Combat Aircraft Tejas 100 per cent indigenous and it will be done soon.

While addressing the curtain raiser of ‘Aero India’ 2023, which will begin from Monday, the Defence Minister said, “We are putting in all efforts to see that Tejas becomes 100 per cent indigenised. That is our ultimate aim.” Singh added that investments in Tejas will increase in the coming years.

“The government has positioned it at the centre of the Aero India show while also planning to promote its exports,” he said.

The Minister highlighted that defence exports from India have increased ever since the government adopted the ‘Atmanirbhar Scheme’, or self-reliance programme, for the defence sector.

“Ever since we have accepted the commitment of self-reliant India since then the export of defence items in India has increased. We want to make India self-reliant, this is our resolution and we want to increase India’s defence exports.”

Singh said that over 75 friendly countries and more than 700 exhibitors will be part of the biggest-ever Aero-India Show in the country.

The defence minister said that owing to India’s resolve to promote self-reliance, the export of defence items has increased.

“Karnataka has got the good fortune of organizing this. Karnataka is the foremost among the states contributing to the economic growth of our country. This state is known for its skilled human resource and robust defence manufacturing ecosystem,” he said.

India Pavilion with the theme of ‘Wings of the Future’ will be the centre of attraction for this event. This pavilion will introduce the potential, opportunities and possibilities of New India to the world.

CEOs Round Table is also an important event of Aero-India. This event will provide us with an opportunity to explore the strength and capabilities of our defence industry in association with the world’s top business leaders.

“Through this platform, our youth will be able to showcase their capabilities in Defence Sector in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, e-Management, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Autonomous Systems and other innovations for future forces, and empower the Defence Sector,” the Defence Minister said.

“Promotion of the opportunities available in Karnataka will be beneficial because most of the investments coming from outside will be likely to come to Karnataka. This will create new jobs in the state,” he added.

Singh said that it is a matter of pleasure for all of us that in the inauguration ceremony of this event, all of us will get the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself.

“His presence will add more glory to this event,” he added.

He also highlighted the benefits of Aero India for the youth of Karnataka, saying that their pavilion will showcase the state’s opportunities and possibilities and likely investments will create new jobs. He reiterated that the Government’s focus is on the future of the youth.

Singh concluded his address by urging the media to provide extensive visibility to the event and present the rise of a ‘New India’ to the world.

He stated that media can play the role of a medium in connecting people with the phenomenal progress in the defence sector.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai,MoS defence Ajay Bhatt, Minister of Large and Medium Industries of Karnataka Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka Vandita Sharma and other senior officials of the state government and Ministry of Defence were present on the occasion.

The ‘India Pavilion’, based on the ‘Fixed Wing Platform’ theme, will showcase India’s growth in the area, including the future prospects.

There will be a total of 115 companies, displaying 227 products. It will further showcase the growth of India in developing an ecosystem for the ‘Fixed Wing Platform’ which includes the demonstration of various structural modules, simulators, systems (LRUs) etc. of LCA-Tejas aircraft being produced by Private Partners.

There will also be a section for Defence space, New Technologies and a UAV section which will give an insight into the growth of India in each sector.

A number of seminars will be held during the five-day event. The themes include ‘Harnessing Potential of Ex-servicemen for Indian Defence Industry; India’s Defence Space Initiative: Opportunities for shaping Indian private space ecosystem; Indigenous development of futuristic aerospace technologies, including aero engines; Destination Karnataka: US-India defence cooperation innovation and Make in India; Advancement in maritime surveillance equipment and assets; sustenance in MRO and Obsolescence Mitigation and achieving excellence in defence grade drones and Aatmanirbharta in Aero Armament Sustenance. (ANI)

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Defence India News Politics

Tight security in place as Lucknow prepares for GIS, G20 meetings

G20 .

About 1,000 policemen in civvies, who are proficient in spoken English, will be deployed at the venue for the convenience of the guests…reports Asian Lite News

With top politicians, industrialists and eminent persons arriving in Lucknow for the Global Investors’ Summit-23 and the G20 meetings this month, unprecedented security arrangements are being made in the state capital.

More than 6,000 personnel from the central paramilitary forces and UP Police have been engaged to ensure law and order during the GIS and G-20 events in Lucknow.

According to the government spokesman, night vision drones and ATS commandos coupled with specialized squads from the STF, and cyber cops have been engaged for security at venues where events will be held.

Prashant Kumar, Additional DG, law and order, said that a four layer security ring will be in place at the venue, comprising central forces.

He said that separate security measures have been taken for keeping vigilance at the airport, venue and the spots where the guests will stay.

“Units of ATS and STF have been prepared which will coordinate with the district police and central forces at the event,” said the ADG.

Kumar added that a hi-tech operational command and control centre will be established for controlling and keeping an eye on the entire event.

Senior police officers said that night vision enabled drone cameras will be placed at strategic spots of the location.

About 1,000 policemen in civvies, who are proficient in spoken English, will be deployed at the venue for the convenience of the guests. The police have identified some hotspots during the event where additional force will be deployed.

A gazetted rank officer will be deployed for VVIP guests.

A helipad for the Prime Minister’s visit is being prepared for February 10.

The police have also identified some hotspots during the event where additional force will be deployed.

Monuments being revamped

Historical and heritage buildings and monuments located on the heritage zone from Kaiserbagh to Hussainabad in Lucknow, are being revamped and renovated on a war footing to welcome delegates for the G20 and GIS events.

The Hussainabad Trust is working on the Bada Imambara and Naubat Khana, while the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is giving a facelift to Residency and Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) is illuminating all the monuments with facade lighting.

The benches installed in these monuments are also being painted and flowering plants have been planted in vacant areas.

Apart from this, PWD and LMC are painting dividers, installing flower pots and getting walls painted under flyovers and boundary walls. The roads are also being renovated by the PWD.

Officials said the area was chosen because most of the monuments are located on the stretch where delegates will visit and learn about the city’s Nawabi culture and history.

Municipal commissioner Inderjit Singh said: “The beautification drive is not only event-oriented, but will continue after that and the area will be developed as a major tourism hub.”

LDA executive engineer Manoj Kumar said: “As of now, facade lighting is being done in three monuments — Bada Imambara, Naubatkhana and Residency. Five more monuments — Clock Tower, Rumi Darwaza, Sadat Ali Khan Tomb, Kothi Darshwan Vilas and Kotshi Gulistan-e-Iram — will be illuminated in the second phase to promote night tourism in the area.”

He said that a mechanism would be created to sustain and maintain the beautification of the heritage area being developed for night tourism.

Such a mechanism should also have public participation to imbibe a sense of belongingness among people, thus motivating them in conservation of the monuments.

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-Top News Defence USA

Brazil sinks warship, ignores pollution threat

Environmentalists criticised the move, claiming the aircraft carrier had tonnes of harmful elements that could leach into the Atlantic

Brazilian Navy sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean despite carrying toxic materials, Al Jazeera reported on Saturday.

The warship, “Sao Paulo” that Brazil sank in a planned and controlled manner on the Brazilian coast was reportedly six-decade-old. The “planned and controlled sinking occurred late in the afternoon” on Friday, some 350 km (220 miles) off the Brazilian coast in the Atlantic Ocean, in an area with an “approximate depth of 5,000 meters [16,000 feet]”, Al Jazeera quoted Brazil’s Navy as saying.

Environmentalists criticised the move, claiming the cruiser had tonnes of asbestos, heavy metals, and other harmful elements that could leach into the ocean and pollute the marine food chain, despite the fact that defence authorities claimed they would destroy the ship in the “safest place,” according to Al Jazeera.

Notably, the Sao Paulo took part in France’s first nuclear tests in the Pacific in the 1960s, and from the 1970s to the 1990s, it was stationed in Africa, the Middle East, and the former Yugoslavia.

The 873-foot (266-meter) aircraft carrier was purchased by Brazil in 2000 for USD 12 million. The ship’s downfall was hastened in 2005 when a fire broke out on board. (ANI)

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-Top News Defence India News

One dead as Sukhoi, Mirage fighter jets crash in Madhya Pradesh

Two fighter jets crash in MP's Morena . (photo:Twitter)

The aircraft- a Sukhoi-30 was carrying two pilots and the Mirage 2000 was carrying one pilot during the time of the crash, reports Asian Lite News

Sukhoi and Mirage fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed on Saturday in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district after reportedly colliding during a routine bombing exercise, resulting in the death of one pilot.

According to the sources, the Sukhoi-30 MKI had two pilots, while the Mirage had one during the crash that occurred in the bordering area of Morena and Bharatpur (Rajasthan).

One fighter jet fell in Bharatpur and the other one in Morena.

The sources said that the two pilots were safe and taken to a hospital in Gwalior, while an IAF chopper has been dispatched to the location of the third pilot.

The jets took off from the the Gwalior Air Force Station for the routine bombing exercise.

The sources also said that Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed by the Chief of Air Staff on the incident.

The Defence Minister enquired about the well-being of the pilots and is monitoring the developments closely, they added.

In a statement, the IAF said that it has established a “Court of Inquiry which will establish whether there was a mid-air collision or not” between the two fighter jets.

Locals who witnessed the crash informed the local police after which the Gwalior Air Force Station was notified about the incident.

Videos from the scene shot by residents of the area showed aircraft debris on the ground.

More details are awaited.

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