Defence

NEW DELHI, 23rd Jan 2021 BAE Systems has announced the appointment of Ravi Nirgudkar as Managing Director for India, effective immediately. Mr Nirgudkar will spearhead BAE Systems’ operations in the market and build on the Company’s proud track-record of partnering with the Indian defence industry. He succeeds Nik Khanna who concludes his tenure in India and takes up a new role with BAE Systems’ Air Sector in the United Kingdom. Mr Nirgudkar joins BAE Systems from Raytheon where, as Country President he led business development, marketing and strategy for India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He has more than 25 years of experience in international business development and programme management, including 21 years with Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services and Space and Airborne Systems businesses. Dave Armstrong, Group Business Development Director, BAE Systems Plc said: “India is a key strategic market for BAE Systems and we are delighted that Ravi will lead the Company in the market. Ravi’s wealth of experience, strong business acumen and in-country relationships will be instrumental for us to grow BAE Systems’ business in India and support the expansion of the country’s indigenous defence capability.” He further added, “I would like to thank Nik Khanna for his tremendous efforts in strengthening the local footprint of BAE Systems which is anchored in the Company’s focus on Make in India.” Ravi Nirgudkar said: “I am thrilled to join BAE Systems which has been at the heart of India’s defence industry for more than 65 years and been a founding partner of defence manufacturing. I look forward to working with my colleagues in India, and around the world, and leading BAE Systems’ endeavours to develop further a world class defence and security capability in India.”

Dec 16th, 20 New DelhiAero India 2021, the biennial air show and defence exhibition organized by the Ministry of Defence is scheduled to be held during 03rd – 07th Feb 2021 at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru. Aero India is the largest air show in Asia and attracts a large number of exhibitors from the world’s leading industries in the field of Military and Civil Aviation, Aerospace, Airport Infrastructure and Defence Engineering. The show includes both air displays and static exhibitions of a large array of military platforms from the Aerospace sector.In the run up to the Aero India, a series of webinars will be conducted beginning from 17th December, 2020 onwards. The webinars will be conducted by the leading luminaries and themed on contemporary defence and aerospace topics. The webinars will be streamed worldwide.The topics of the Webinars would be of academic interest and relevance to the Defence, Aerospace and Security Industry and also to the academia and student fraternity. The details of the webinars, schedule, link for participation etc for each session will be made available on Aero India 2021 website (https://aeroindia.gov.in/). The webinars will also be streamed live on Twitter, YouTube Channel etc. The recordings of the Webinars will also be made available on Aero India – 2021 website.Tentative Webinar Schedule Aero India 21: 17th Dec’20 (0930hrs – 1245hrs IST) DDP / FICCI Joint Indo Maldives High Level Defence Engagement 18th Dec’20 (0900 hrs – 1130 hrs IST) Indian Army & CENJOWS Changing Dynamics of the India Ocean Region 6th Jan’21 SIDM: Sh JD Patil, L&T & President SIDM India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing and Export Hub. 7th Jan’21 MoCA Making India Self Reliant (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) in Aircraft Manufacturing 13th Jan’21 Bharat Shakti,Moderator:Sh Nitin Gokhale Consolidating Defence Capabilities of IOR Countries for Security of Global Commons’ 18th Jan’21 DDP Highlights of Aero India 21 :Recent Policy Initiatives 21st Jan’21 Chairman DRDO ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’ Dec’20 / Jan’21 DDP with SIDM & FICCI Country Webinars Series of Country webinars are scheduled in Dec’20 / Jan’21. News Shared by PIB online

The fourth of December is celebrated every year as the Navy Day. The day has great significance in the history of the Nation and Indian Navy as it marks a decisive victory for India when the Missile boats of the Indian Navy during Operation Trident, in the 1971 India-Pak War, successfully fired their missiles onto ships, oil installation and shore defence installations of Pakistan at Karachi. During the 1971 operations, the Indian Navy sunk many Pakistani ships carrying war sustenance efforts and critical stores. The fighter aircraft from the deck of INS Vikrant, struck at the enemy harbours and airfield at Chittagong and Khulna, destroying ships, Defence facilities and installations. Both the Missile strikes at Karachi and air attacks from Vikrant led to the defeat Pakistani Forces in East Pakistan. In the year gone by, ships and aircraft of the Indian Navy have relentlessly patrolled the oceans. Ships of Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) maintained uninterrupted vigil at the Straits of Malacca, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, which is just 80 Km South of the A & N Islands. Despite the COVID 19 pandemic our ships had operated and exercised with navies of friendly neighbouring countries towards reaffirming better understanding, synergy and cooperation in the region. Ships of the Command participated in ‘Mission Sagar’ and ‘Samudra Setu’ providing support and transporting a large number of personnel from abroad and within the country to tackle the unprecedented humanitarian crisis due to the pandemic. INS Kesari from ANC distinguished itself during the deployment ‘Mission Sagar’, ferrying over 500 tons of emergency rations and medical aid along with specialist medical personnel to many island countries of the Indian Ocean Region. Naval assets provided assistance to the    A & N Administration to support the Islands in numerous ways. To commemorate this significant day and to enhance general awareness about the Indian Navy, a host of community outreach activities, fanfare and elaborated ceremonials are conducted by the Indian Navy every year. However, due to the prevalent COVID-19 pandemic situation and associated restrictions, the events planned for the Navy Day this year have been curtailed. This year’s planned activities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands include the traditional Wreath Laying Ceremony at the war memorial to pay tribute to the brave soldiers who were martyred in the 1971 war and all brave hearts who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of this great nation. Various community outreach activities were/ have been organised to provide assistance to underprivileged and needy children and a webinar for school and college students to apprise aspirants on prospects of joining the Indian Armed Forces. Illumination by Naval ships near Marina Park, display of posters & banners and screening of a Navy telefilm at prominent locations such as the Veer Savarkar International Airport as well as on mobile platforms are also planned. The ‘Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive’ Indian Navy is unflinchingly committed towards safeguarding the maritime interests of India and re-dedicates itself to the service of the nation and its people on the occasion of the Navy Day 2020. (News /Image Courtesy: Indian Navy/PIB)

03 Dec 2020 A webinar between India and Australia was held with the theme “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”. It was organized under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through SIDM. This webinar is the part of the series of webinars which are being organized with friendly foreign countries in order to boost defence exports and achieve defence export target of $5 billion in the next five years. High Commissioner of India to Australia, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia to India and Senior MoD officials from both side participated in the webinar and spoke about bolstering the relationship between the defence production and manufacturing ecosystems of the two countries. Shri Sanjay Jaju, Additional Secretary (DP) stated that Australia-India defence relationship encompasses almost all major areas of military partnerships which indicate a greater degree of interoperability in defence and technological cooperation between two countries. Further he mentioned that besides self-reliance being a motto for defence manufacturing in our country, we have also liberalised our Defence Acquisition Procedure as well as FDI protocols. Indian companies BEL, HAL and private companies made company and product presentations on major platforms. From Australian industries Quintessence Labs, Memko, Mil-Spec Manufacturing, Prism Defence and Sentient Vision made company presentations. The webinar was attended by more than 140 delegates and more than 100 virtual exhibition stalls from Indian companies and 12 virtual stalls were setup by Australian companies in the Expo. ( News Source: PIB)

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister of National Defence of Socialist Republic of Vietnam H.E. General Ngo Xuan Lich held bilateral talks via video-conferencing. During the talks, both Ministers reaffirmed the strong India-Vietnam Defence cooperation which is a key pillar of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. They discussed various ongoing projects and the future trajectory of bilateral Defence engagements. The Defence Ministers expressed satisfaction that despite the COVID-19 situation Defence exchanges between both Armed Forces have maintained a positive momentum. Both the Ministers discussed collaboration in Defence Industry capability building, training and cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Operations. In a further step towards deeper bilateral cooperation, both sides signed an Implementing Arrangement for cooperation in the field of Hydrography between National Hydrographic Office, India and Vietnam Hydrographic Office in the presence of the two Ministers. The Arrangement will enable sharing of Hydrographic data and assist in production of navigational charts by both sides. Raksha Mantri underlined Prime Minister’s vision of “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” for enhancing self-reliance including Defence industries. He outlined that a strong and self-reliant India shall positively contribute to capacity building of friendly partner countries like Vietnam. He urged for closer Defence industry cooperation between India and Vietnam by concluding an institutionalized framework Agreement in the near future. Raksha Mantri appreciated Vietnam’s innovative and successful leadership of Defence related events in ASEAN during its presidency of ASEAN despite the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Vietnamese Defence Minister thanked the Raksha Mantri for the assistance by Indian Armed Forces in capacity building of Vietnamese Defence Forces especially in the field of Human Resource development. Raksha Mantri conveyed India’s willingness to enhance the scope and level of training for all three services of Vietnam Defence forces in Indian Defence Institutes. Vietnamese Defence Minister also invited the Raksha Mantri for ADMM Plus meeting being hosted by Vietnam on 10 Dec 2020, through virtual mode. ( Source: PIB)

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) was named “Elite Supplier” by Lockheed Martin for the third consecutive year. Lockheed Martin’s recognition of IAI excellence dates back to 2002 when IAI developed a unique solution in response to a challenge posed by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky division: 20% weight reduction and lowering the price of the horizontal folding stabilizers of the Black Hawk helicopter in UH/HH-60M configuration. IAI remains the sole supplier of this product to Lockheed Martin. The horizontal folding stabilizer is a proprietary IAI development made of composite materials. It controls the ascending and descent of the helicopter. To date, IAI has manufactured over 4,000 stabilizers which are mounted in all the helicopters of the US military. The composite materials consist of graphite fibers that have been saturated with resin to enable molding an assembly that maintains the same physical properties and strength of the product. From a maintenance perspective, this is a highly durable product that withstands corrosion and erosion while being as strong as metal. Moti Elmalech, General Manager IAI/ELTA Beer Shevasite, commented, “Being recognized with the award out of many vendors with a global reputation, especially during these challenging times, makes us even more gratified and proud. The ability to maintain perfect performance over time increases our motivation to keep up the good work for this strategic customer. We thank Lockheed Martin for its decision and for trusting us as their partners for so many years.” IAI was recognized for its impressive compliance with the high standards Lockheed Martin demands of its suppliers, including quality, timeliness, response to special requirements, and attractive pricing. IAI/ELTA Beer Sheva, specializes in re-designing metal aircraft parts, antennas, and radar domes and their manufacturing from composites to drive down the costs and achieve significant weight reductions is part if the new innovative division which is being established in the site.

NAVY OPERATIONALIZES FIRST BATCH OF WOMEN PILOTS The first batch of women pilots of Indian Navy have been operationalized on Dornier Aircraft by the Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi. The three women pilots were part of the six pilots of the 27th Dornier Operational Flying Training  (DOFT) Course, who graduated as ‘Fully operational Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) Pilots’ at a passing out ceremony held at INS Garuda, Kochi on 22 Oct 20. Rear Admiral Antony George, VSM, NM, Chief Staff Officer (Training) of SNC was the chief guest of the event and presented awards to the pilots who are now fully qualified on Dornier aircraft for all operational missions. The three women pilots of first batch are Lieutenant Divya Sharma (from Malviya Nagar, New Delhi), Lieutenant Shubhangi Swaroop (from Tilhar, Uttar Pradesh) and Lieutenant Shivangi (from Muzaffarpur, Bihar). These officers had initially undergone basic flying training partly with Indian Air Force and partly with the Navy prior to DOFT course. Amongst the three women pilots operationalized for MR flying, Lt Shivangi was the first to qualify as a naval pilot on 02 Dec 2019. The course comprised of one month of ground training phase, which was conducted at various professional schools of SNC and eight months of flying training at the Dornier Squadron of SNC, INAS 550.Lt Divya Sharma & Lt Shivam Pandey were adjudged ‘First in Flying’ and ‘First in Ground’ subjects, respectively. The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (South) rolling trophy in memory of late Lt Simon George Pynomootil for the ‘Most spirited trainee’ was presented to Lt Kumar Vikram. This trophy was instituted on18 Jun 2019during the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of INAS 550 to immortalize the spirit of the officer who was a qualified Islander pilot and lost his life in a fatal air crash whilst serving the squadron on 17 May 1985.  

The Indian Air Force Day was celebrated on 8th October 2020 with the IAF  marking its 88th anniversary proudly. The hallmark of the Air Force Day Parade at Air Force Station Hindon (Ghaziabad) was the  scintillating air show of different aircraft in presence of IAF chief and senior officials of the three armed forces. These celebrations include an air display where the most crucial and vintage aircraft put up a magnificent show. Indian Air Force Day Theme The Indian Armed Forces are mainly responsible for protecting Indian airspace and carrying out aerial warfare during armed conflicts. In the nation, it ranks as the fourth largest air force. Operation Poomalai, Operation Cactus, Operation Meghdoot and Operation Vijay are among the main operations of the Indian Air Force. History of Indian Air Force Day Indian Air Force Day was first observed in the year 1932. It is commended with incredible energy and intensity at different Air Stations everywhere throughout the nation. The enactment of the IAF Act 1932 marked the auxiliary status and enforced the adoption of the Royal Air Force uniforms, badges, and brevets. On April 1st, 1933, the IAF commissioned IAF’s first squadron, No.1 Squadron, with four Westland Wapiti biplanes and five Indian pilots. The Indian pilots were led by British RAF Commanding officer Flight Lieutenant.   About Indian Air Force (IAF) Founded on: 8 October 1932 Headquarters: New Delhi Part of: Indian Armed Force Motto: Touch the Sky with Glory Indian Air Force is also known as “Bhartiya Vayu Sena”. It is the air wing of the Indian Armed Forces. IAF was officially established on 8 October 1932. It was set up as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which brought honour to India’s aviation service during the Second World War (WWII) with the prefix Royal. After India gained its independence in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force served in the name of Dominion of India. In 1950, with the government’s transition to a Republic, the prefix Royal was removed. IAF was involved in a war with Pakistan and China since 1950. The air force is divided into five operational and two functional commands. Each command is supervised by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief with the rank of Air Marshal. The purpose of an operational command is to conduct military operations using aircraft within its area of responsibility, and functional command’s responsibility is to maintain combat readiness.

Dr. Mark T. Esper, Hon’ble Secretary of Defence of the United States of America is visiting India for the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting.  Today Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri had a bilateral meeting with him in South Block, New Delhi. The two ministers reviewed bilateral defence cooperation spanning military to military cooperation, secure communication systems and information sharing, defence trade and industrial issues and also discussed ways to take bilateral cooperation forward. Both the Ministers expressed satisfaction at the close engagements between the respective Armed Forces. They discussed potential new areas of cooperation, both at Service to Service level and at the joint level. They called for continuation of existing defence dialogue mechanisms during the pandemic, at all levels, particularly the Military Cooperation Group (MCG). They also discussed requirements of expanding deployments of liaison officers.