Amir Peretz IAI Chairman: In a major reshuffle at Israel’s state owned defence and aerospace giant – Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the board of directors of the company cleared the name of the country’s former defence minister Amir Peretz as the new chairman of the IAI Board.
In a late night tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government last year announced a highly ambitious Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan (a self-reliant India) to cut down the country’s dependence on imports in crucial sectors, including defence, reiterated that the defence modernization will continue with full vigour.
Rafael-KMW-GDELS JV EuroTrophy: German defence giant Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), Israeli defence company Rafael and GDELS, the European subsidiary of the US defence company General Dynamics, Thursday announced signing of an agreement to setup a new defene company EuroTrophy in Germany which will manufacture Rafael’s famous Trophy Active Protection System in Europe.
Russia’s Ka-226T Helicopter: Russia’s state owned helicopter manufacturer Russian Helicopters Tuesday said that its deeply modernized Ka-226T light helicopter has started flight tests and completed the maiden flight testing complex of the National Helicopter Center Mil and Kamov.
German Leopard MBT Trophy APS: Last week, the government procurement office of Germany, in cooperation with Israel Ministry of Defense, and supported by Rafael and KMW completed a series of challenging live firing tests of the TROPHY on the LEOPARD 2 tank, which was integrated into the German services after a government-to-government agreement was reached in February.
Tiger Attack Helicopter: German defence giant Rheinmetall and French high-technology defence company Thales have won the order to maintain Tiger helicopter simulators in France and Germany through December 2025. Rheinmetall said a contract to this effect was awarded through OCCAR, the European procurement organization in summer this year.
India Agni-5 Missile: Indian authorities Wednesday successfully testified Agni-5 long range surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of over 5,000 kilometers, saying that the missile has high level of accuracy which is in line with the country’s stated policy of maintaining a credible minimum nuclear deterrence against its adversaries.
US Army High Energy Laser Weapon System: US electromagnetic and electric power system company General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has partnered with another US defence and aerospace giant Boeing to develop a 300kW-class solid state Distributed Gain High Energy Laser Weapon System for the US Army, GA-EMS announced on Monday.
Clarke began the trip honoring India’s fallen service members by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial. The visit comes at a time when Antony Blinken, United States’ Secretary of State is on an official visit to the country. After the ceremony, Clarke met with Indian defense officials and discussed the ways in which India and the United States can continue working together to improve defense partnerships and grow interoperability.
Defence Exhibition Athens (DEFEA-2021): Greek Minister of National Defence Nicos Panagiotopoulos Tuesday inaugurated the Defence Exhibition Athens (DEFEA) as scores of senior defence leaders, defence industry executives, diplomats attended the three-day prestigious defence exhibition in a Covid-free environment.
ASEAN Defence Ministers Meet: India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday called for an open and inclusive order in Indo-Pacific that is based upon the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, saying that sea lanes of communication in the region are critical for peace and prosperity of the region. Singh told the leaders that Code of Conduction negotiations, that are currently under discussion at the multi-nation forum, will not prejudice the legitimate rights of those nations that are not party to the discussions.
DEFEA 2021: Greece will hold its prestigious defence exhibition DEFEA in July this year. The Defence Exhibition Athens (DEFEA) was scheduled to be held in June last year but the event was postponed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 global pandemic.
Taranto steel plant Italy: Fincantieri, ArcelorMittal Italia (AMI) and Paul Wurth Italia (PWIT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to chalk out a reconversion plan for the existing integrated cycle of the AMI steel-making plant in Taranto, using eco-friendly technologies, the Italian shipbuilder said on Tuesday.
PM Modi Bangladesh Visit: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh,…
Lloyd Austin India Visit: The strong relationship between the world’s two largest democracies, India and the US, is a stronghold of a free and open Indo-Pacific region at a time when the world is facing a global pandemic and growing challenges to an open and stable international system, said US defence secretary Lloyd J Austin.
China-Japan Senkaku Island Face Off: Amid escalating tensions in the disputed East China Sea, Japan is considering to send its self-defence forces to deal with the surge in Chinese activity at the Senkaku Islands, according to a report in the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post (SCMP). China claims sovereignty over the islands, known as Diaoyu in the country.
Italian Navy NFS Submarine Contract: The Trieste based Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri has won €1.35 billion contract to design and build two new generation submarines for the Italian Navy as a prime contractor of the programme, the company said on Friday.
EDGE Loitering Munitions: UAE based leading defence manufacturer EDGE Group Sunday unveiled its family of multi-rotor loitering munitions, the QX range at IDEX Dubai. The company also launched Shadow 50 and Shadow 25, Rash 2 gliding munition kit, new variants of the RW24 range at the prestigious defence expo.
In his statement in the Rajya Sabha, India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh said as part of the disengagement process in the Ladakh region, China has agreed to move its forces back to Finger 8, and Indian Army will move back its troops to its permanent post, Dhan Singh Thapa Post, near Finger 3 on the north bank of Pangong Tso lake in Eastern Ladakh.
India-US Yudh Abhyas military exercise: Indian and US Armies have started their regular joint training exercise Yudh Abhyas (Practice of Warfare) in desert state of Rajasthan in western India, Indian Army said on Monday. Yudh Abhyas military exercise is being conducted in Mahajan Field Firing Range in the state.
The crude bomb, which appeared to have been packed in a soft-drink can, went off near the Embassy of Israel on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road in New Delhi on Friday evening at around 5 pm local time, shattering the windscreens of three cars on the road, Delhi Police said.
India France Desert Knight Military Exercise: Indo-French military exercise Desert Knight has clearly demonstrated Indian Air Force’s capability to induct a new combat jets like Rafale fighters, and quickly adapt them, said India’s top military officer Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat.
The French side has fielded its own Rafale fighter combat jets, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft and nearly 175 air warriors of French Air Force. The Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft participating in the exercise include newly inducted Rafale which the force inducted last year, Mirage 2000 which is also of French origin, Russian origin Sukhoi-30MKI air superiority fighters.
India’s top army officer General Manoj Mukund Naravane Tuesday said Pakistan and China together form a “potent” threat, and the “threat of collusivity” cannot be wished away.
According to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Royal Thailand Army selected the SPIKE MR (Medium Range) variant after a process of evaluation and procured its first lot of missiles and launchers designated for its 6th infantry division.
The Passage Exercise between Indian Navy and Russian Navy is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices between both the friendly navies, and would involve advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, weapon firings, seamanship exercises and helicopter operations.
In a boost to India’s defence industry, Russia’s top defence export body Rosoboronexport has expressed its readiness to give India technology for production of defence equipment. Joint production of Kalashnikov AK203 assault rifles by the specially established Indo Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) rifle manufacturing facility in Korwa, Amethi is the next key focus of both sides.
The India-US Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) includes sharing of high-end satellite images, telephone intercepts, and data exchange on Chinese troops and weapons deployment along the 3,488-km India-China LAC.
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen, Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal , the founders of homegrown terror outfit Indian Mujahideen and Chota Shakeel, an aide of India’s absconding gangster Dawood Ibrahim are among the 18 people who have been declared terrorists by India.
The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) will enable both the countries to share satellite data with each other, which will be particularly useful for India in any future military conflict.
With this test, the Nag missile, Cobra in English, has completed 10 successful user trials by the Indian Army and will now enter the production phase. Nag, a third generation anti-tank guided missile with a four kilometer range, has already completed its winter and summer trials last year.
“High-end military exercises like MALABAR are key to enhancing Australia’s maritime capabilities, building interoperability with our close partners, and demonstrating our collective resolve to support an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Australia’s defence minister Linda Reynolds said.
US Defence Secretary Mark T Esper said that the partnership between India and the US would be most consequential partnership between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region in this century. Mark Esper, along with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, would travel to New Delhi next week to participate in the India-US 2+2 ministerial between the two countries.
We are strong and we are completely self-reliant in the areas of missiles, radars, electronic warfare systems, torpedoes, guns, and communication systems and can produce any type of missiles in the country that armed forces want, says DRDO Chief G Satheesh Reddy.
He replaces Lt General Harinder Singh, who completed his one-year tenure as the Corps commander, and will take over as the Commandant of the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun.
Rudram missile or new generation anti radiation missile (NGARM) is being developed by the DRDO for suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD). The Rudram missile can be launched from a range of altitudes with large standoff distance for destroying enemy surveillance radars, tracking and communication systems.
India-China border clash: In a major development, Indian Army and PLA soldiers once again clashed at the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake on late Saturday night when Indian Army foiled the provocative movement by the Chinese PLA troops to change the status quo, Indian Army said in statement issued on Monday morning.
The decision to push ahead with the development of critical road network comes at a time when Indian and Chinese armies are facing each other at several places in Ladakh region. In the past, China has objected to the development of border infrastructure by India in Ladakh to match Chinese built up.
American nuclear energy equipment manufacturer General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) Monday said it has been awarded a contract from Dominion Energy to deliver Radiation Monitoring Systems for the Millstone Power Station, Unit 3 in Waterford CT. GA-EMS will manufacture and deliver a full complement of radiation monitoring systems throughout the Millstone plant.
Israel’s leading defence technology company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. and Abu Dhabi based technology company Group 42 (G42), Friday joined hands to explore collaborations in the research and development of effective solutions to combat SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.
In a major decision, India Monday imposed a ban on 59 Chinese mobile applications including short video makers Tiktok and Helo, file sharing app Shareit, web browsers like UC Browser and CM Mobile Browser and CS Cam Scanner saying that these Chinese mobile apps posed threat to safety and security of India.
A senior Indian Army officer of the rank of Colonel, and two soldiers Monday night lost their lives in a violent face off with the soldiers of Chinese Army (PLA) in the Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh while the number of casualties on Chinese side has not been confirmed by Chinese authorities.
Bhogapuram Airport Andhra Pradesh: India’s leading airport developer and operator GMR Group has won a long-term contract for the development and operational management of a Greenfield airport near Vishakhapatnam in southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have moved back their troops at several locations in Eastern Ladakh as a confidence building measures to facilitate further talks on Wednesday.
OFB Strike: More than 82,000 employees of state owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) have threatened an indefinite strike against the Modi government’s decision to corporatize 41 units of the OFB. The three defence employee unions alleged that the present decision of Modi government to corporatize OFB was against the past agreement between them and the defence ministry.
Dr Vivek Lall, a prominent defence industry veteran of Indian origin, has been appointed as Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation. Dr Lall earlier worked with US defence majors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing and was instrumental in clinching the bilateral defence deals worth $18 billion with India.
Indian Air Force Wednesday operationalised second squadron of indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft Tejas at Sulur airbase in Southern state of Tamil Nadu. Air Force Chief RKS Bhadaria inducted LCA Tejas in Flying Bullets squadron.
On Thursday (May 21, 2020) the government notified 26 of these 127 items under clause 3(a) of the public procurement order of 2017, which makes it mandatory for the procuring entities to source them only from Indian suppliers, whereas in the earlier scheme of things it was not mandatory and only preference was to be given to Indian suppliers.
In order to allay the apprehensions that Covid-19 pandemic might delay the delivery of F-35, US defence major Lockheed Martin has taken several steps, including reaching an agreement with the machine worker’s body IAM, to implement an alternate week work schedule.
Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhaduaria Monday issued a stern warning to Pakistan, saying that the IAF was ready to strike terror camps inside Pakistan if a terror attack on India was linked to Pakistan.
FDI in India: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday announced the government’s decision to increase FDI in Defence sector from present 49% to 74%.
US Department of Defense has awarded a $905 million contract to US defence giant Lockheed Martin Sikorsky to supply 24 MH-60 Romeo Seahawk helicopters to Indian Navy under a foreign military sale (FMS) route.
Boeing Defense and Space has bagged a $3.1 billion contract from the US Navy for supplying Harpoon missiles and Stand-off Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) to support the US Government’s foreign military sales (FMS) programme. The supply of these weapons will continue through 2028.
In order to conduct the first hand assessment of Indian Army’s preparedness along Pakistan border, India’s Army Chief General M M Naravane visited forward areas of the Sapta Shakti Command in the states of Rajasthan and Punjab for two days.
India has set an ambitious target of becoming a net exporter of defence technology on the occasion of 21st Pokhran anniversary that is celebrated in the country National Technology Day.
DRDO supported Defence Institute of Advanced Technology Pune announced the development of Atulya microwave steriliser that kills the Sars-CoV-2 virus by differential heating in the range of 560 to 600 Celsius temperatures.
Indian Army Wednesday received 277 more people rescued from corona-hit Iran and housed them at its Jodhpur quarantine facility. These included 273 pilgrims, of them149 are women and 6 children.
COVID-19: Indian Army has decided to drastically reduce staff at its headquarters at South Block in New Delhi to contain the outbreak of novel coronavirus. Now it will work only with 15% of the staff deployed at the headquarters.
To reduce the high cost of acquisition, Defence Procurement Policy 2020 adds a new category for leasing of equipment not used in the actual warfare.
India has rescued 195 more citizens from coronavirus-hit Iran and these people have been kept at Indian army’s quarantine facility in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Total FDI inflows in the defence sector in the last five years remains at a low of just $2.48 million and total FDI inflows in the last two decades (April 2000 to December 2019) too remain at abysmally low level of just $8.82 million (Rs 52 crore)
The contract includes dismounted launchers, signifying that the SPIKE LR2 will now be used by both the infantry and cavalry of Slovak Army.
The RaiDer-X is also capable of detecting explosives in pure form and it can also detect explosives when they are mixed with other contaminants to conceal them.
India Defence News: In a strong message to Pakistan based terror groups, Indian defence minister…
During Parrikar’s tenure, the army launched a surgical strike across the Line of Control to destroy terror camps to avenge the killing of 19 soliders in Uri.
Permission for exporting defence equipment worth Rs 5,883 crore ($822 million) in the first 9 months of the current financial year has already been granted.
This is for the first time that the country has deployed its frontline fighters in peninsular India to assert its influence in Indo-Pacific region.
In response to a question whether the task will be fulfilled during his tenure, General MM Narawane quipped: “If this is the mandate then so be it.”
Indian Navy warships & aircraft were deployed to establish presence, provide a sense of reassurance to the merrchant ships & monitor the ongoing situation.
The India-US 2+2 dialogue provides for a review of the security, defence and strategic partnership between India and the United States.
The second edition of India-Bangladesh coordinated patrol (CORPAT) will be followed by the maiden naval exercise at Vishakhapatnam.
Defence News India: Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces have been conducting Exercise Ekuverin meaning ‘Friends’ in the Dhivehi language since 2009.
Indian & US Air Forces have started a joint exercise Cope India 2018 in India.. For the first time this exercise is being conducted at two Indian airbases.
Govt has cleared defence purchase worth Rs. 3,000 crore, it will involve fitting of 2 navy ships with Brahmos missiles & Armored Recovery Vehicles for Army.
Indian and Russian armies have completed the tenth edition of Indo-Russian joint military exercise INDRA-2018 in Babina military station in central India.
Director General of Border Road Organisation Lt Gen Harpal Singh reviewed the progress of critical roads at China border on Tuesday and Wednesday.
India and Singapore Tuesday renewed the ageement to conduct joint army training in India and also agreed to hold naval exercise with Thailand at Andman Sea.
ISRO Chairman K Sivan said India has achieved significant milestone with our heaviest launcher lifting off the heaviest satellite from the Indian soil.
Indian Navy said the exercises at sea this year are unprecedented and largest of kind in terms of the complexity and weapon firings.
Nirmala Sitharaman reiterated the need for the country to be strong at seas and urged Indian Navy to be ready and vigilant to counter any challenge to defend India’s interests.
The soldiers of Indian and Japanese armies Thursday started two week long military exercise Dharma Guardian 2018 (Protector of Righteousness) in Mizoram in India.
Indian government Saturday approved the mid life upgrade of 17 long range surveillance aircraft Dornier of Indian Coast Guard at a cost of Rs. 950 crore.
Defence Minister said the details of foreign companies fulfilling the requirement to invest back a part of deal value in India will be known when procurement begins.
Car Nicobar is located at some 1,500 kilometers south-east to Chennai and provides good vantage point for protecting Indiann interests in Malacca Strait and beyond.
Israel Aerospace Industries has signed $777 million deal for supply of Barak 8 long range surface-to-air missiles for seven ships of Indian Navy.
India said that interplay of terror groups and the states that patronize them in its neighbourhood as a tool has worsened the menace of terrorism.
A missile corvette and a naval maritime patrol aircraft have reached Indonesia on Thursday to participate in more than two weeks long coordinated patrol exercise.
Francois Hollande has blamed Indian government for selecting Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence as Dassault’s offset partner in multi-billion dollar deal.
Prahar is a contemporary weapon system capable of carrying multiple types of warheads and neutralizing a wide variety of targets.
Indian Air Force said that the aim of the exercise is focused towards anti-terrorist operations in a bi-lateral scenario.
Admiral Sunil Lamba will also interact with the chiefs of navies of Japan, France, Australia, UK, Malaysia and Sweden.
Sitharaman said that public sector aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was excluded from the Rafale deal by the UPA government itself.
Armies of seven member countries of Bay of Bengal region have concluded their first ever joint military exercise in Pune in Western India on Sunday.
Indian and US armies started a two week long battalion level exercise Yudh Abhyas (Practice of War) in state of Uttarakhand in Northern India on Sunday.
Former French President Francois Hollande’s partner Julie Gayet has been accused of receiving funds from Anil Ambani.