THE S-400 DEAL WITH RUSSIA ::
India and Russia signed Rs 39,000 crore deal for acquiring five regiments of the Russian S-400 air defence missile during the two-day visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Oct. It gave the defence force a much needed force multiplier against enemy aircraft and missiles.
The missile system can take down enemy missiles and aircraft over a range of 380 km maximum, and can also shoot down planes at smaller distances up to 100 km. China acquired the S-400 system but its striking range is lower.
INDIAN ARMY VERY SATISFIED WITH AKASH-S1 MISSILE ::
After the successful launch of BrahMos, the Akash-S1 surface-to air missile was developed to counter-attack missiles and drones released to hit India. The Akash-S1 is made-in-India equipment which gives it the capability to strike down enemy fighter jets and drones very effectively and accurately.
The surface-to-air missile was designed to intercept enemy aircraft and missiles from a distance of 18 to 30 km. The air force and the Army will deploy the Akash-S1 on both China and Pakistan front, making the enemy forces to rethink their strategy on the borders already.
The missile system has helped India to replace foreign systems in the service after a Rs 17,000 crore deal with foreign countries was scrapped.
MISSILE DEFENCE A SUCCESS IN 2018 ::
India successfully testified ballistic missile shield in Odisha, and the interceptor missile hitting ‘enemy’ missiles at 40 km altitude was a major success for air defence missile programme. The Defence Research and Development Organisation said that the shield will be ready by 2022.
The operation was monitored and executed by the mission computer with human intervention. The BMD and the S-400 are likely to create a missile shield over the entire country against any threat from missiles fired by enemy nations.
THE ARMY VS TERRORISTS ::
The killing of own people working in the Army and the J&K Police by terrorists alienated the civilians even as the Army broke their backbone by eliminating 9 of the top 12 terrorist commanders in 2018.
Army and security forces also killed 250 terrorists this year. “Top nine terrorists were killed by the security forces while remaining three top terrorists are high on our hit list and will be eliminated.”
Sources in the security forces said that by killing local boys in the police and Army, the terrorists are leading to their destruction. They targeted people such as Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz and other BSF personnel in the J&K Police led to the alienation of locals from their activities.
Sources said that the influence-zone of terrorists is now only 100-sq-km across Srinagar.
SUBMARINE INS ARIHANT LAUNCH STRENGTHENED NUCLEAR TRIAD ::
India joined “the elite group of nations” by achieving nuclear triad after the completion of its first deterrence patrol by made-in-India INS Arihant nuclear submarine. PM Modi broke the news on Dhanteras by announcing that INS Arihant completed its first deterrence patrol.
With the induction of the INS Arihant, India can now respond to any nuclear attack on it from land using its Agni series missiles; through air via fighter planes; and through underwater via the INS Arihant.
India has decided to have a “no first use” policy regarding nuclear weapons and said that it will use nuclear weapons only if it is “attacked first” by any.
THE STUNNING EXERCISE GAGAN SHAKTI 2018 ::
The Exercise Gaganshakti-2018, largest ever exercise held by the force, aimed to showcase its plans to fight major wars along the China and Pakistan front. During the two-phased exercise, assets of the force were moved to both fronts in no time to showcase its agility. The assets were deployed along the northern region and eastern region.
Over 10,000 sorties were carried out by the Air Force in both the sectors. During the operations, under the umbrella of net centricity, supported by combat enablers AWACS, FRA and ISR assets, the operators got a near-real time experience of conducting sustained and challenging operations in a simulated short and intense war scenario.
PLAN TO MODERNISE WEAPONS FINALISED ::
Modi-govt approved procurement of essential quantity of light machine guns for the three services through the “Fast Track Procedure” at a cost of Rs 1,819 crore. This procurement aims to meet the operational requirement of the troops deployed on the borders. A concurrent proposal has been processed for the balance quantity to be procured under the ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ categorisation.
The Digital-to-analog converter accorded approval for procurement of 7.4 lakh assault rifles for the personnel. These rifles will be ‘Made in India’ under the categorisation of ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’, via Ordnance Factory Board and Private Industry for Rs 12,280 crore.
AGUSTAWESTLAND: ITALIAN FIRM’S PARTICIPATION IN ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ ::
AMID the cloud of Agusta Westland controversy, Prime Minister of Italy Giuseppe Conte has pitched for the firm Leonardo Defence (formerly Finmeccanica), to be integrated with PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ programme. This year both the countries also agreed on an “institutional framework” for a sustained dialogue to enhance the environment for “ease of doing business” in their respective nations and further facilitate and promote bilateral economic cooperation.
ALL-WOMEN NAVY CREW CIRCUMNAVIGATES GLOBE ::
After defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged off the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Tarini with the all-women crew from Goa in 2017, the crew returned India after going around the globe in 6 months. This was the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew.
Expedition was covered in 5 legs, with stopovers at 4 ports viz Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa). INSV Tarini is a 55-foot-long sailing vessel, which has been built indigenously, and was inducted in the Indian Navy in 2018, with the ‘Make in India’ initiative on the world forum
Source:- India Today
