Defence

20th April 2023, Moscow: Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec State Corporation) has started providing fully import-substituted Typhoon K-53949 mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles in foreign markets.”Rosoboronexport presents to its partners an armored vehicle of the Typhoon-K family assembled exclusively from Russian-made components. This vehicle has proven to be a reliable and highly protected personnel carrier. The Typhoon-K is in service with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and has substantiated its performance under actual operating and combat conditions. Moreover, many of Rosoboronexport’s partners are operating armored vehicles based on this family of vehicles and give them positive feedback,” said Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev. “This MRAP vehicle is of great interest for Middle Eastern, African, Latin American, Asia-Pacific and former USSR countries. Independence from foreign components in the production of the Typhoon-K gives us and our partners confidence in timely and complete after-sale service of the vehicles supplied, their modernization and development.” The Typhoon-K vehicles feature high reliability, maneuverability, cross-country ability and innovative approaches to their protection, ergonomics, layout and equipment. They can ford up to 1.5 meters without preparation and climb 30-degree slopes. With a new generation 350hp diesel engine, the Typhoon K-53949 can reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h. All models of the Typhoon-K family are equipped with an onboard information management system, a central tire inflation system, bullet-proof tires, an all-round video surveillance system, an automatic fire-extinguishing system, and a diesel auxiliary power unit (APU). In addition, remotely controlled weapon stations with stabilized armament can be mounted on them. The armament suite varies depending on customer needs. The 4×4 vehicles are equipped with a hinged ramp in the rear to allow troops to board and disembark from them quickly and easily. Vast experience in the development and operation of army vehicles has been complemented by new approaches to design and state-of-the-art technologies of protection against the most dangerous threats. Typhoon K-53949 armored vehicles are distinguished by enhanced mine and ballistic protection corresponding to NATO STANAG 4569 Level 3 with the possibility of strengthening it to Level 4. A high level of protection is provided by composite armor, including an armored hull and add-on armor plates with ceramic elements, as well as a streamlined hull design and removable anti-mine plates. Troop seats have a suspended system of attachment to the roof, are equipped with blast energy absorbing elements, safety belts and head restraints for fixing the head. In addition, the designers have provided for the possibility of installing additional protection – internal spall liners, as well as special hinged mats to increase the level of protection against anti-tank grenade launchers. Vehicles for various purposes are being developed from the Typhoon-K chassis by installing weapons, process, engineer and other special equipment.”Rosoboronexport sees great interest from foreign customers and is ready to cooperate in the format of industrial partnership in the production of various versions of Typhoon-K vehicles, including localization of their production. Today, we have a significant portfolio of completed projects on licensed production, cooperation within joint ventures, as well as building an infrastructure for the maintenance and modernization of Russian military equipment on the territory of partners,” Alexander Mikheev added.

14th April 2023: An Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent had departed for France, to participate in Exercise Orion at Mont-de-Marsan, an Air Force base of the French Air and Space Force (FASF). The exercise will be conducted from 17 April to 05 May 2023, with the IAF Contingent comprising four Rafale, two C-17, two ll-78 aircraft and 165 air warriors. This would be the first overseas exercise for the IAF’s Rafale aircraft. Besides the IAF and the FASF, Air Forces from Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain and United States of America would also be flying in this multilateral exercise. Participation in this exercise would further enrich the employment philosophy of the India Air Force, by imbibing the best practices from other Air Forces.

Delhi, 29th March 2023: The first batch of Agniveers under the Govt. of India’s much focused initiative of inducting youths (both male and female aspirants) into ‘below the officer’s rank’ cadre of the three services for a period of four years as Agniveers has successfully completed their training. The Passing Out Parade (POP) of the First batch of Agniveers is scheduled at INS Chilka on 28 Mar 23. The POP marks the successful completion of training of close to 2600 Agniveers including 273 women Agniveers undergoing training at Chilka. Adm R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff will be the Chief Guest and the Reviewing Officer of the Passing out Parade. VAdm MA Hampiholi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command would also be present on the occasion along with other Senior Naval Officers and dignitaries. The successful trainees would be deployed on frontline warships for their Sea training. About the Indian Navy Agniveers On 14 Jun 2022, Raksha Mantri and the three Service Chiefs launched the Agnipath Scheme. In consonance with the GoI initiative of a pan-India merit-based Agnipath recruitment scheme, Indian Navy oriented its selection, training and deployment methodology to lay the foundation of a contemporary, dynamic, younger and technically equipped future-ready. The Navy further leveraged this opportunity to commence the entry of Women Agniveers; consequently, close to 2600 Agniveers including 273 women Agniveers were inducted in the Indian Navy and commenced their training at INS Chilka, in November 2022. As part of their transformation to Sea Warriors, the Agniveers underwent 16 weeks of ab-initio training at INS Chilka, the premier sailors’ training establishment of the Indian Navy. The training at INS Chilka encompassed academic, service and outdoor training, based on the core Naval values of Duty, Honour and Courage. This first batch of Agniveers also includes those women and men Agniveer who were part of the Indian Navy RD Parade Contingent at the Kartavya Path on 26 January this year. Major Highlights of the Passing Out Parade The Passing Out Parade is a momentous occasion for the trainees and a proud moment for their families. This is the first-ever passing out of the Agniveers from any training institution of the country post successful completion of ab-initio training – a significant landmark towards a new beginning for the Armed Forces and the Nation. Traditionally, POPs have been conducted in the morning hours, however, this Historic POP is scheduled to be conducted post-sunset, a first of its kind in the Indian Armed Forces. During the POP deserving Agniveers would be presented awards by the Chief Guest in various categories. This year onwards, acknowledging the contribution of the first Chief of Defence Staff, the Late General Bipin Rawat towards the transformational Agnipath scheme; the Indian Navy has instituted the General Bipin Rawat Rolling Trophy for the ‘Woman Agniveer Trainee Standing First in Overall Order of Merit’. This trophy would be presented to the deserving woman Agniveer by the daughters of the Late General Rawat. To commemorate this landmark event and motivate the Agniveers, for the first time, the Passing Out Parade is being attended by eminent Veteran sailors who have excelled in their Service as well as post-retirement careers and eminent sportswomen have been invited to the POP as Guests of Honour. Ms PT Usha, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), who is popularly known as the ‘Queen of Indian Track and Field’ and Payyoli Express is a proud recipient of the Padma Shri award and President of the Indian Olympics Association. Ms Mithali Raj, former captain of the Indian women’s Cricket team and one of the greatest women cricketers of all time. She is the recipient of Padma Shri, Arjuna Award and Maj Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awards. Both PT Usha and Mithali Raj have kindly consented to grace this occasion with their presence. The eminent Veterans who would be present to motivate the Passing Out Agniveers include Chiman Singh, ex-PO CDI, MVC, a war hero of the 1971 Indo-Pak War who was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. Gajanan Jagannath Mane, who participated in the 1971 India –Pak War and was awarded the Padma Shri for his vast societal contributions post-release. Harjinder Singh Cheema, ex-POME, who contributed immensely to the nation by establishing a 500-crore industry of ‘Cheema Boilers Ltd’ In Punjab. Shankar Singh Shishodia, ex-POCDI, who founded the ‘Shri Prem Singh Badgujar Charitable Trust’ undertaking free treatment of poor patients and established the ‘Mahadev Marmo Private Ltd’ a firm involved in the exploration, mining and processing of Natural stones. Darshan Singh Ahluwalia, ex-CHELA, who has been functioning as Administrator of reputed Schools and was accredited with the ‘Best Administrator’ from the ‘Indus Group of Institutions’ in 2016. Avtar Singh, ex-MCELR II, who has been an International Hockey player, an inspirational coach of the Indian Women Team (Junior) and a recipient of CNS felicitation. Harishankar Yadav, ex-POEL(P), who holds the ‘Guinness World Record’ for most step-ups in 24 hours, ‘Limca National record’ for covering a distance of 4,249 km on cycle in 2005 and a National Record for cycling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari thrice in the year 2007. Manoj Kumar Sharma, ex-POEL(R), who is accredited with the establishment of a diversified company with a turnover of over 15 crores dealing in supplying construction material to reputed builders and construction companies like Tata, L&T etc. These veteran sailors, with their illustrious Service careers and their contribution to the nation post-retirement, will serve as inspirational models for the Agniveers. About INS Chilka INS Chilka is the premier training establishment of the Indian Navy for sailors’ ab-initio training upon induction. Commissioned in 1980, the institute undertakes various facets of Service training like Physical Training, Swimming, Small Arms, Cyber Security, Naval Orientation etc. The curriculum has been designed to develop mental and physical faculties essential for a career at sea. This historic POP would mark the culmination of 16 weeks of training of first batch of Agniveers. Conduct of the maiden Night POP in the presence of eminent veteran sailors, sportswomen of international

23rd March 2023, Delhi: Ministry of Defence has signed two separate contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), at a total cost of over Rs 3,700 crore, to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force. The first contract, worth over Rs 2,800 crore, pertains to the supply of Medium Power Radars (MPR) ‘Arudhra’ for the Indian Air Force. The second contract, at an overall cost of approx. Rs 950 crore, relates to 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR). Both projects are under Buy {Indian – IDMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured)} category. These essentially embody the spirit of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and will help facilitate the realisation of the country’s journey to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing. MPR (Arudhra) The radar has been indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will be manufactured by BEL. Its successful trials have already been conducted by the Indian Air Force. It is a 4D multi-function phased array radar with electronic steering in both azimuth and elevation for surveillance, detection and tracking of aerial targets. The system will have target identification based on interrogations from co-located Identification Friend or Foe system. The project will act as a catalyst for development of manufacturing capability in the industrial ecosystem. DR-118 RWR The DR-118 Radar Warning Receiver will considerably enhance the Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities of Su-30 MKI aircraft. Majority of sub-assemblies and parts will be sourced from indigenous manufacturers. The project will boost and encourage active participation of Indian Electronics and associated industries, including MSMEs. It will generate employment of approx. two lakh man-days over a period of three and half years. The DR-118 RWR is a significant leap forward in developing indigenous EW capabilities and making the country ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence.

Bengaluru,14th March 2023: Maiden successful flight-test of Power Take off (PTO) Shaft was conducted on Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Tejas) Limited Series Production (LSP) – 3 aircraft in Bengaluru. The PTO shaft is indigenously designed and developed by Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), Chennai of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).The PTO shaft, which is a critical component in the aircraft, will support the requirements of future fighter aircraft & their variants and offers competitive cost & reduced time of availability. With this successful test, the DRDO has achieved a greater technological feat by realisation of complex high-speed rotor technology which only few countries have achieved.The PTO shaft was designed with unique innovative patented ‘Frequency Spanning Technique’ which enables it to negotiate different operating engine speeds. The light weight high speed, lubrication free PTO shaft transmits higher power between aircraft engine gear box and Aircraft Mounted Accessory Gear Box while accommodating misalignments that arise in the drive line. Aeronautical Development Agency, Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited teamed along with CVRDE to achieve this feat. The PTO shaft technology has already been transferred to Godrej & Boyce, Mumbai and Lakshmi Technology and Engineering, Coimbatore. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has complimented the DRDO, PSUs and the Industry, saying that the successful realisation of PTO shaft is another major milestone towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat stated that the success showcased the country’s research capability and will actively support the test aircraft programmes.

New Delhi,11th March 2023: The Australian Prime Minister, Hon’ble Anthony Albanese, visited INS Vikrant in Mumbai on 09 Mar 23 as part of his visit to India from 08 to 11 Mar 23. This is his first bilateral visit to India after he assumed charge in May 22. The Australian PM was received onboard by Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff. Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command was also present. The Hon’ble PM was accorded a guard of honour onboard and briefed about the roles and capabilities of INS Vikrant. He was also introduced to the Light Combat Aircraft. He then interacted with a cross-section of personnel of the Indian Navy. While addressing the media, he underscored the strong diplomatic and military ties between the two countries and announced that Australia, for the first time, will host the 27th edition of the annual multilateral naval wargaming exercise, MALABAR, that is scheduled later this year among the navies of the USA, India, Japan and Australia. The MALABAR Exercise is an annual multilateral naval wargaming exercise that began in 1992 between the navies of India and the United States. Japan joined the exercise in 2015, while Australia became part of it in 2020. Australia and India upgraded their bilateral relationship from a Strategic Partnership in 2009 to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2020. Over the years, they have put in place several institutional mechanisms to promote their bilateral cooperation, including high-level visits, annual meetings of Prime Ministers, the Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue, 2+2 Defence and Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue, Joint Trade and Commerce Ministerial Commission, Defence Policy Talks, Australia-India Education Council interactions, Defence Services Staff Talks, Energy Dialogue, and consultations of Joint Working Groups on different issues. In Jun 20, the two sides signed the pact that enables reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support, the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) that allows the militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides scaling up overall defence cooperation.

10th March 2023, Delhi: Ministry of Defence, on March 10, 2023, signed a contract for procurement of six Dornier-228 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of Rs 667 crore. The aircraft was used by IAF for Route Transport Role and communication duties. Subsequently, it has also been used for training of transport pilots of the IAF. The present lot of six aircraft will be procured with an upgraded fuel-efficient engine coupled with a five bladed composite propeller. The aircraft is ideally suited for short haul operations from semi-prepared/short runways of the North East and island chains of India. The addition of the six aircraft will further bolster the operational capability of the IAF in the remote areas.

5th March 2023, Delhi: The first edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2023 commenced on 06 Mar 23. The conference serves as a platform for Naval Commanders to discuss important security issues at the military-strategic level as well as interact with Senior Government functionaries through an institutionalised forum. The novelty of this year’s conference lied in the fact that the first phase of the Commanders’ Conference is being held at sea, and for the first-time, onboard India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh addressed the Naval Commanders onboard INS Vikrant on the conference’s opening day. The Chief of Defence Staff and the Chiefs of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force also interacted with the Naval Commanders on subsequent days to address the convergence of the three Services vis-à-vis common operational environment, and avenues of augmenting Tri-Service synergy and readiness towards the defence of the nation and India’s national interests. An operational demonstration at sea is also planned as part of the activities on Day 1. The Chief of the Naval Staff, along with other Naval Commanders reviewed major Operational, Materiel, Logistics, Human Resource Development, Training and Administrative activities undertaken by the Indian Navy in the last six months and further deliberate upon future plans for important activities and initiatives. During the conference, Naval Commanders would also be provided with an update on ‘Agnipath Scheme’ executed in the Indian Navy in Nov 22. The first batch of Agniveers, which also includes the first batch of women Agniveers of the Indian Armed Forces is scheduled to pass out from INS Chilka in end Mar 23. Due to the prevailing geostrategic situation in the region, the Conference has its own significance and relevance. The Navy has witnessed significant growth in its operational tasking over the years in consonance with India’s growing maritime interests. The Commanders would also deliberate the Navy’s readiness to address the challenges to our Maritime interests. The Indian Navy remains focused on being a combat-ready, credible, cohesive and future-proof force and continues to assiduously execute its mandate as the maritime security guarantor of the country.

OBERPFAFFENHOFEN, 3rd March, 2023: Dornier 228 manufacturer General Atomics AeroTec Systems (GA-ATS) has carried out extensive modernization and maintenance work on two Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Dornier 228s in Oberpfaffenhofen. Now the first aircraft has been transferred back to Thailand, where it will be used for special mission flights. Upgrade to Dornier 228NG standard and new mission equipment The GA-ATS technicians carried out a comprehensive upgrade and modernization program of the aircraft, after it was transported to Oberpfaffenhofen in an Antonov AN-124. The Dornier 228 received new avionics systems for navigation and communication, new modern cockpit displays (glass cockpit) and extensive new mission equipment including a 360° mission radar, an electro-optical/infrared camera, a mission management system and a data-link system that enables the crew to transmit data to both ships and ground stations. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems supported the program as manufacturer of the mission system console. The interior and cabin of the aircraft were also modernized and the Do228 was repainted at the GA-ATS Paint Shop. With the modernization program, the aircraft received an upgrade to Dornier 228NG standard and will be operational for another 15 to 20 years. Modern training capabilities with new flight simulator For flight training, GA-ATS introduced a new, state-of-the-art, Dornier 228NG flight simulator in 2022. The EASA-compliant simulator enables pilots to train in more realistic conditions. The Royal Thai Navy crew were the first international pilots to have the opportunity to experience the handling of the aircraft in the new Do228NG simulator in Oberpfaffenhofen. Royal Thai Navy uses Dornier 228 for special mission flights The Royal Thai Navy has been operating a fleet of seven Dornier 228s for several decades. In July 2020, GA-ATS was awarded a contract to perform a comprehensive maintenance and modernization program on two of the RTN’s Dornier 228s, as a cooperative undertaking between the Royal Thai Navy and the United States Department of Defense, which committed a budget under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative DoD Grant Assistance program. The Dornier 228 aircraft perform versatile special missions for the Royal Thai Navy, which can now be carried out more effectively and efficiently. The South-East Asian country monitors its exclusive economic zone (200-mile zone) with the Dornier 228s and conducts extensive ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) missions in the Gulf of Thailand. Reliable aircraft in service worldwide The Dornier 228 is a versatile and reliable aircraft that is used all over the world for special and research missions, reconnaissance and patrol flights as well as cargo transport. The Dornier 228 also enjoys great popularity in passenger transport to this day. The Dornier 228 combines modern technology and efficiency and is one of the most reliable aircraft in its class thanks to the German manufacturer’s continuous improvement process.

New Delhi, 1st March 2023: The Union Cabinet has 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. The HTT-40 is a turbo prop aircraft and is designed to have good low speed handling qualities and provide better training effectiveness. This fully aerobatic tandem seat turbo trainer has air-conditioned cockpit, modern avionics, hot re-fueling, running change over and zero-zero ejection seats. 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 contains approx. 56% indigenous content which will progressively increase to over 60% through indigenisation of major components and subsystems. The HAL would engage Indian private industry, including MSMEs, in its supply chain. The procurement has the potential to provide direct employment to approx. 1,500 personnel and indirect employment for up to 3,000 people spread over more than 100 MSMEs. The acquisition of the HTT-40 provides fillip to the Indian Aerospace Defence ecosystem and boosts efforts towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.