Defence

Delhi, 28th July 2022: Indian Navy has created maritime history by taking delivery of the prestigious Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) ‘Vikrant from her builder Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi. Designed by Indian Navy’s inhouse Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and built by CSL, a Public Sector Shipyard under Ministry of Shipping (MoS), the carrier is christened after her illustrious predecessor, India’s first Aircraft Carrier which played a vital role in the 1971 war. Coinciding with the celebrations to commemorate 75th anniversary of India’s independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the reincarnation of Vikrant is a true testimony to the country’s zeal and fervor in pursuing capability build up towards enhanced maritime security. The 262 mtr long carrier has a full displacement of close to 45,000 tonnes which is much larger and advanced than her predecessor. The ship is powered by four Gas Turbines totaling 88 MW power and has a maximum speed of 28 Knots. Built at an overall cost of close to Rs. 20,000 Crs, the project has been progressed in three Phases of contract between MoD and CSL, concluded in May 2007, Dec 2014 and Oct 2019 respectively. The ship’s keel was laid in Feb 2009, followed by launching in Aug 2013. With an overall indigenous content of 76%, IAC is a perfect example of the nation’s quest for “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat” and provides thrust to Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. With the delivery of Vikrant, India has joined a select group of nations having the niche capability to indigenously design and build an Aircraft Carrier. Vikrant has been built with high degree of automation for machinery operation, ship navigation and survivability, and has been designed to accommodate an assortment of fixed wing and rotary aircraft. The ship would be capable of operating air wing consisting of 30 aircraft comprising of MIG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multi-role helicopters, in addition to indigenously manufactured Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy). Using a novel aircraft-operation mode known as STOBAR (Short Take- Off but Arrested Landing), the IAC is equipped with a ski- jump for launching aircraft, and a set of ‘arrester wires’ for their recovery onboard. The ship has large number of indigenous equipment and machinery, involving major industrial houses in the country viz. BEL, BHEL, GRSE, Keltron, Kirloskar, Larsen & Toubro, Wartsila India etc. as well as over 100 MSMEs. The indigenisation efforts has also led to development of ancillary industries, besides generation of employment opportunities and bolstering plough back effect on economy, both locally as well as pan-India. A major spin-off of this is the development and production of indigenous warship grade steel for the ship through a partnership between Navy, DRDO and Steel Authority of India (SAIL), which has enabled the country to become self-sufficient with respect to warship steel. Today all the warships being built in the country are being manufactured using indigenous steel. Several design iterations, including use of 3D Virtual Reality models and advanced engineering software were used by the Directorate of Naval Design in shaping the design of the carrier. CSL had also upgraded their shipbuilding infrastructure as well as enhanced productivity skills during the building of the ship. Delivery of Vikrant was marked by signing of acceptance documents on behalf of Indian Navy by the Commanding Officer Designate of Vikrant, representatives of Naval Headquarters and Warship Overseeing Team (Kochi) and by the Chairman and Managing Director on behalf of Cochin Shipyard Ltd., in the presence of Senior officers of Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard. Vikrant has been delivered to the Indian Navy by CSL following extensive user acceptance trials conducted between Aug 2021 and Jul 2022, during which ship’s performance, including hull, main propulsion, PGD, auxiliary equipment, aviation facilities, weapon & sensors as well as sea keeping & manoeuvring capabilities were proved satisfactory in accordance with trial protocols and system parameters. The delivery of Vikrant today is the culmination of a long design, build and trials phase, during which both Indian Navy and CSL had to overcome multitude of unprecedented technical and logistic challenges including COVID-19 pandemic and changed geo-political scenario. The successful delivery of the indigenous carrier, a major milestone activity and historical event, is testimony to the dedicated efforts of large number of stakeholders within Indian Navy, shipyard, industry, OEMs & MSMEs for over two decades. The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier would soon be commissioned into the Indian Navy as Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant which would bolster India’s position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a blue water Navy. News : PIB

New Delhi, 26th July 2022: Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) as the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Capital Acquisition Proposals of the Armed Forces amounting to Rs 28,732 crore were accorded by the DAC in this meeting under Buy (Indian IDDM) and Buy (Indian) categories giving a further boost to ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in Defence. Among the proposals approved by DAC in the meeting are three proposals of the Indian Army, viz. Guided Extended Range Rocket Ammunition, Area Denial Munition Type I and Infantry Combat Vehicle – Command have been designed and developed by DRDO. The total value of these three proposals is Rs 8,599 crore. Guided Extended Range Rocket Ammunition has the range of 75 kms with accuracy of 40 meters. The Aerial Denial Munition Type I Rocket Ammunition contains dual purpose sub munitions capable of neutralizing both tanks and armoured personnel carriers as well as B vehicle entrenched troops. The Infantry Combat Vehicle – Command is equipped with technology to collect, disseminate, share and present real time information to commanders to facilitate quick decision making for execution of tasks. Considering the demand of enhanced protection against the threat of enemy snipers to our troops deployed along the Line of Control and in close combat operations in counter terrorism scenario, DAC accorded AoN for Bullet Proof Jackets with Indian Standard BIS VI level of protection. To combat the current complex paradigm of conventional and hybrid warfare and counter terrorism at the borders, AoN for induction of approx. four lakh of Close Quarter Battle Carbines for the Services has also been accorded by the DAC. This is set to provide major impetus to the small arms manufacturing industry in India and enhancing ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in small arms. In the recent conflicts across the world, drone technology proved to be a force multiplier in military operations. Accordingly, to augment Indian Army’s capability in modern warfare, AoN for procurement of Autonomous Surveillance and Armed Drone Swarms has been accorded by the DAC under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. The DAC also approved Navy’s proposal to procure upgraded 1250KW capacity Marine Gas Turbine Generator for power generation application onboard Kolkata class of ships through Indian Industry. This will give a major boost to indigenous manufacturing of gas turbine generators. In order to enhance the security in the coastal region of the country, the DAC also approved the proposal of procurement of 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for Indian Coast Guard under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) with 60% IC. News: PIB

New Delhi, 11th July 2022: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh launched 75 newly-developed Artificial Intelligence (AI) products/technologies during the first-ever ‘AI in Defence’ (AIDef) symposium and exhibition, organised by Ministry of Defence in New Delhi on July 11, 2022. The products, launched as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations, fall under various domains. These include AI Platform Automation; Autonomous/Unmanned/Robotics systems; Block Chain-based Automation; Command, Control, Communication, Computer & Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance; Cyber Security; Human Behavioural Analysis; Intelligent Monitoring Systems; Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems; Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Operational Data Analytics; Manufacturing and Maintenance; Simulators/Test Equipment and speech/voice analysis using Natural Language Processing. Three AI products developed by the DPSUs having dual use applications and good market potential, namely AI-enabled Voice Transcription/Analysis software developed by Bharat Electronics Limited; Driver Fatigue Monitoring System developed by Bharat Earth Movers Limited and AI-enabled evaluation of Welding defects in X-rays of Non-destructive Testing developed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers were screened during the event. These products are expected to open up new business avenues for the Defence PSUs. The Raksha Mantri released the physical as well as e-version of the book comprising the details of these 75 products, showcasing the collective efforts put on by the Services, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), iDEX start-ups and the private industry in last four years in the field of AI. Appreciating the efforts, Shri Rajnath Singh, in his address, described AI as a revolutionary step in the development of humanity; a proof that a human being is the most evolved creature in the universe. He was amazed that a human mind has not only created/reproduced knowledge, but is developing intelligence that creates knowledge. RM pointed out that AI has built inroads in almost every sector, including defence, health & medicine, agriculture, trade & commerce and transport. He called upon all the defence stakeholders to enhance the jointness of human consciousness and the ability of AI to bring a radical change in the sector. “When there has been full human participation in wars, new autonomous weapons/systems have been developed with the help of AI applications. They can destroy enemy establishments without human control. AI-enabled military devices are capable of handling large amounts of data efficiently. It is also proving to be very helpful in training the soldiers. In the coming times, Augmented and Virtual Reality technologies will also be used effectively,” he said. The RM appreciated the fact that MoD, Armed Forces, DRDO, DPSUs and the Industry are making meaningful efforts to provide innovative & indigenous AI solutions for defence and are developing futuristic technologies. He echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of developing AI-enabled and AI-led applications to ensure social welfare & national security and making India a ‘Global Hub for AI’. He hoped that India will soon be among the leading countries in the field of AI. Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that weapons/systems are being developed, keeping in mind the crucial role AIcan play in future warfare. “We have started incorporation of AI applications in remote piloted, unmanned aerial vehicles etc. There is a need to move further in this direction so that we can develop autonomous weapon systems. Timely infusion of technologies like AI & Big Data in the defence sector is of utmost importance, so that we are not left behind the technological curve and are able to take maximum advantage of technology for our services,” he said. Raksha Mantri added that several MoUs have been signed with the industry for faster promotion of AI applications in the Services. Many AI-related challenges under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiatives have also been given. The challenges are under various domains, including Radio Frequency Spectrum Management, Underwater Domain Awareness, Satellite Image Analysis and Friend or Foe Identification System. He urged the industry and start-ups to explore newer avenues and work hand-in-hand with the Government to ensure complete self-reliance in the field of AI technology. “Russia is a technologically advanced country and is continuously progressing in the field of Science & Technology. On AI, Russian President Vladimir Putin had said ‘Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world’. Although India believes in the principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the whole world is one family) and has no intention to rule the world, we must develop the capability of our AI technology so that no country can even think of ruling us,” said Rajnath Singh. Impressing upon the important role academia can play in strengthening the defence sector, the Raksha Mantri stated that MoD research platforms, DRDO and DPSUs are providing support to various institutes in pursuing cutting edge AI research. He added that efforts are being made by DRDO to make strides in the field of AI through Technological Development Fund projects and ‘Dare to dream’ contests. Several Defence-Industry-Academia Centres of Excellence have been established across the country and AI finds prominence in the charters of many of them, he said. “Our country is full of scientific & technologically trained youth who have innovative minds and the desire to contribute to Nation Building. In such a situation, we will move towards fulfilling the technological needs of our nation as well as the world in the times to come. Although the mandate of the organisations of MoD is to develop futuristic technologies for the Armed Forces, its spin-off benefits will also be available to the civilians,” said Rajnath Singh. The RM emphasised on the need to think about humanity and world peace along with one’s own defence & security. “There is a need to think about the ethics of AI and its potential dangers at an early stage. Whenever a new technology is introduced, it takes time for the society to adapt to it. In this transition period, a challenging situation sometimes arises. Since AI is a technology that brings about a massive change, we have to be prepared in advance for any legal, ethical, political and economic challenges. We should look at

New Delhi,10th July, 2022: The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant successfully completes its fourth phase of Sea Trials on 10 Jul 22. During the process,integrated trials of majority of equipment and systems onboard including some of the Aviation Facilities Complex equipment were undertaken. The ship’s delivery is being targeted by end of July 2022 and commissioning by August 22022 on the occasion of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The Indigenous design and construction of Aircraft Carrier by Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard Ltd is a shining example in the Nation’s quest for ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India Initiative’ with more than 76% indigenous content. This has led to growth in indigenous design and construction capabilities, besides development of large number of ancillary industries, with employment opportunities for over 2000 CSL personnel and about 12000 employees in ancillary industries. Maiden Sea Trials of IAC were successfully completed in Aug 21. This was followed by second and third phases of Sea Trials in Oct 21 and Jan 22 respectively. During these three phases of Sea Trials, endurance testing of propulsion machinery, electrical & electronic suites, deck machinery, lifesaving appliances, ship’s Navigation and Communication systems was undertaken. Source: PIB

Bengaluru/Mumbai,8th July,2022: Dinesh Kumar Batra, Director (Finance) & CFO of Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), has received the “Public Sector CFO of the Year” (Individual Category) award at the 8th edition of the “National Awards For Leadership & Excellence in CFO”, held on July 7, 2022, at Mumbai. Dinesh Kumar Batra has been a change agent for BEL, facilitating sustainable growth by following best practices of corporate governance with financial transparency. His most noteworthy contributions to the Company include an increase in the wealth of shareholders, steering BEL to become the first Defence PSU to cross the landmark market capitalisation figure of Rs.60,000 Crores (from Rs.24,000 Crores at the time of his taking over as CFO) and declaring the highest ever dividend of 450%. Under his leadership, BEL achieved its highest ever turnover of Rs.15,044 Crores in FY 2022, a growth of 9% over the previous year, despite challenges posed by the pandemic, global semiconductor shortage and stiff competition. This has instilled confidence among stakeholders, resulting in the highest PE ratio of 23 of BEL’s share price among all manufacturing PSUs. He has guided BEL to the 79th position in the Top 100 Listed Companies of the country, based on market capitalisation. He has managed working capital requirement and new capital infrastructure investment requirement from internal accruals and kept BEL debt-free. He has brought structural reforms to manage debtors to achieve the highest ever cash flow from operations. He was instrumental in BEL taking revolutionary initiatives to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. As CFO, Batra’s focus has been to ensure growth of 15 to 17% in topline. He has supported BEL’s diversification into several non-defence areas ensuring funds are available to invest in infrastructure, manpower and technology.

Bengaluru/New Delhi, June 24, 2022: Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) today signed an MoU with Defense Initiatives (DI), Belarus, and Defense Initiatives Aero Pvt Ltd, India (a subsidiary of DI Belarus), in the august presence of Joint Secretary (DIP) and senior Indian Air Force officials. The MoU is aimed at co-operation between the three companies for supply of Airborne Defense Suite (ADS) for the helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF). BEL will be the prime contractor and will be supported by DI with ToT (Manufacturing and Maintenance) for supply of advanced EW suite for helicopters under ‘Make in India’ category. The MoU also aims at exploring various business opportunities for India and global markets for ADS. The partnership has evolved under the guidance of Mr Sanjay Jaju, Addl. Secretary, Department of Defence Production, and Indo Belarusian Joint Commission (IBJC) on Military Cooperation.

New Delhi; 22nd June 2022: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Defence Mr Richard Marles held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on June 22, 2022. The two Ministers reviewed the existing defence cooperation activities which have been increasing despite challenges of COVID-19 pandemic and discussed ways to enhance further cooperation. The Ministers reviewed the defence and security pillars of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They reaffirmed their commitment towards implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values, of democracy and rule of law. They welcomed the growing diversity and frequency of defence exercises and exchanges between the two countries and undertook to build upon operational engagements through the India-Australia Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement. Both Ministers committed to give fillip to the India-Australia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Research and Materiel Cooperation, which will meet in Australia later this year. This JWG is a crucial mechanism for boosting ties between defence industries. The Ministers discussed further opportunities for industrial cooperation between India and Australia to increase the resilience of supply chains and deliver capabilities to their respective defence forces. Both sides agreed to explore means to grow connections and opportunities between Indian and Australian defence industrial bases. Both Ministers welcomed the plan to commence the landmark General Rawat Young Officer Exchange Programme in the latter half of 2022, which was announced during the virtual summit meeting between the Prime Ministers of the two countries on March 21, 2022. The Ministers reviewed strategic challenges and the regional security situation and reaffirmed their shared objective of an open, free, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo Pacific region. They looked forward to India’s participation in Australia’s Indo Pacific Endeavour exercise in October 2022. Earlier in the day, the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Australia visited the National War Memorial and paid homage to the war heroes by laying a wreath at the monument. The Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Australia was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour before the bilateral meeting with Shri Rajnath Singh. Mr Richard Marles is on a visit to India from June 20-23, 2022. On June 21, 2022, he visited Goa which included a tour of Goa Shipyard Limited and a display of India’s growing prowess in indigenous drone development and autonomous vehicle technology.

3rd June 2022; Chandigarh: Banwarilal Purohit, Hon’ble Governor of Punjab and Administrator of UT of Chandigarh and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff witnessed the ceremony for signing of MoU between UT of Chandigarh and IAF for setting up the IAF Heritage Centre at Chandigarh, today. This Heritage Centre will have artefacts, simulator and interactive boards to highlight various facets of IAF. It will also showcase the vital role played by the Service in various wars and assistance rendered for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. This joint project of Administration of UT Chandigarh and IAF is planned to be completed by October 2022. It will attract and encourage the local youth to join the armed forces. Smt Kirron Kher (Member of Parliament, Chandigarh) also witnessed the MoU signing ceremony.

New Delhi, 22nd April 2022: Continuing with the strategy of connecting regularly with the start-ups and the multifarious stakeholders, Innovations for Defence Excellence, Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO), under the aegis of Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence has organised DefConnect 2.0 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi . The event was inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. The event attracted a large number of innovators and investors from India’s leading industries in the defence sector. It ncluded sessions with stalwarts of the industry, various announcements and static exhibitions of an array of start-ups supported by iDEX-DIO. The event had presence of start-ups, corporates and military representatives to ascertain the indigenous innovations leading us into a bright future. The DefConnect provides a unique opportunity for innovators associated with iDEX-DIO to showcase their capabilities, products and state-of-the-art-technologies to the target audience of the industry leaders. The start-ups get to leverage this opportunity to generate investments and leads for future operations. This will be a unique opportunity to meet iDEX start-ups and understand their innovative technologies being developed with requisite support from iDEX and the associated partners. Platforms like the iDEX enable the military to find disruptive solutions to complex challenges through its flagship programmes like Defence India Startup Challenges (DISC) and Open Challenges (OC) which shall be the key components for the future of military technology. Till date, iDEX has launched five rounds of DISC and three rounds of OC, receiving more than 2,000 applications from individual innovators and start-ups. Furthermore, iDEX has been able to fund projects in numerous technological areas through its Grant-in-Aid framework, Support for Prototype and Research Kickstart (SPARK), which entail provisioning of grant up to Rs 1.50 crore to budding entrepreneurs. Innovation has become the key driver of the pace of societal evolution and it redefines social parameters with unique outputs. iDEX has always been at the forefront of innovation in defence and internal security and most of its projects also have tremendous civilian applications: Quantum Computation, Artificial Intelligence/Predictive Maintenance/Logistics/Data Analytics, Security/Encryption, Communication etc. To take this further, iDEX will be launching the sixth edition of DISC with numerous diverse problem statements from various stakeholders. iDEX is able to utilise India’s strong science, technology and research talent base to develop new capabilities in defence innovation. The understanding of the budding entrepreneurs for sensitising the audience towards defence innovation is being further complemented by the support provided through this scheme. The iDEX, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, essentially provides a unified platform for various stakeholders in the defence and aerospace sectors. It acts like an umbrella organisation to oversee technology development and potential collaborations in this specific field.