In a rare announcement, the United States said its ballistic missile submarine, USS West Virginia, visited its Indian Ocean military base at Diego Garcia.

Before it visited the base at Diego Garcia, the submarine had surfaced in the Arabian Sea and participated in a joint, US Strategic Command-directed communications exercise to validate emerging and innovative tactics in the Indian Ocean.

 

About The Submarine :One of the 14 Ohio-class SSBNs in service with the US Navy, the boat is capable of carrying up to 20 Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles with multiple, independently targeted warheads. The submarine also conducted a complete crew exchange in Diego Garcia and a subsequent replenishment at sea, highlighting the SSBN force’s readiness and flexibility to remain on patrol for an extended period of time.

 

About Diego Garcia : Diego Garcia is a part of the Chagos Archipelago, which the UK identifies as British Indian Ocean Territory or BIOT. In 1965, the archipelago was separated from Mauritius, then a British colony, and made part of the UK’s overseas territory. Later, the UK evicted the entire population of the archipelago and leased Diego Garcia to the United States for its Indian Ocean military base.

 

 

Mauritius has argued that the Chagos Islands has been a part of its territory since at least the 18th century, till the United Kingdom broke the archipelago away from Mauritius in 1965 and the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches from Seychelles in the region to form British Indian Ocean Territory. 

In June 1976, after Seychelles gained independence from the United Kingdom, the islands of Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches were returned by the UK.

The UK declared these islands as an overseas territory in November 1965.

After Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968, the United Kingdom refused to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius claiming in petitions submitted to the Permanent Court of Arbitration that the island was required to “accommodate the United States’ desire to use certain islands in the Indian Ocean for defence purposes”. 

The largest island on the Chagos Islands archipelago, Diego Garcia, is where the US and the UK operate a large military base and was also used as a US military base for the US-led attacks against Afghanistan and Iraq in the 2000s.

For decades there was no litigation concerning the violation of human rights and sovereignty in the Chagos Islands.  

However, in 2015, Mauritius initiated legal proceedings in these matters against the United Kingdom in the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in the Netherlands.

The UK made several attempts to resist Mauritius’ attempts to take the matter to international court by claiming that the issue was a bilateral matter.

 

India was among nations to vote in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that demanded the UK withdraw its “colonial administration” from the Chagos Archipelago unconditionally, supporting Mauritius in its quest for the restoration of sovereignty over the island chain in the Indian Ocean.

However, given the increasing Chinese footprint in the Indian Ocean, India also wants the US to retain its presence in Diego Garcia. New Delhi is believed to have nudged Mauritius to offer to renew the lease of Diego Garcia to the US if it is able to wrest back sovereignty from the UK....

DRDO, India successfully carried out a test launch of tactical ballistic missile Prithvi-II from a test range off the Odisha coast on Tuesday (10th Jan 2023).

 

The defence ministry said the missile struck its target with "high accuracy".

 

"A successful training launch of a short-range ballistic missile, Prithvi-II, was carried out on January 10 from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha."

 

"A well-established system, Prithvi-II missile has been an integral part of India's nuclear deterrence. The missile struck its target with high accuracy," the ministry said in a statement.

 

It said the "user training launch" successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile.

 

The Prithvi-II missile has a range of around 350 kilometres..

Source : Business Standard

Avani Chaturvedi is first female fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to fly a Sukhoi (Su-30MKI) fighter jet.

Squadron leader Avani Chaturvedi, the first female fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), is scheduled to participate in the inaugural air exercise Veer Guardian 2023.

The exercise is intended to strengthen bilateral air defence cooperation between India-Japan.

 

This would mark the first occasion that women officers would be representing the nation abroad. The women officers have been taking part in wargames with foreign contingents coming to India, including the French Air Force, where two of the female fighter pilots participated.

 

Veer Guardian 2023 will be held in Japan from January 16 to January 26, 2023 at the Hyakuri Air Base and its surrounding airspace in Omitama, as well as the Iruma Air Base in Sayama.

 

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi's coursemate and one of the first three female fighter pilots and a flier of Su-30MKI fighter jets, stated, “Su-30MKIs operated by the Indian Air Force are one of the best and most lethal platforms armed with indigenous weapon systems.”.

Source : Business Today

The 75th Army Day celebration will be held in Bengaluru on January 15, 2023. This is for the first time that the event is being conducted out of the National capital.

 

* The GOC Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area Major General Ravi Murugan informed media persons in Bengaluru 10th Jan 2023 that it will be an opportunity for them to display and showcase the Indian military capabilities to the people down south.

 

* He emphasised that Field Marshal K M Cariappa who took command of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Roy Bucher in 1949 hails from Karnataka and celebrating the Army Day at the native state of India’s first Commander in Chief post Independence is a matter of pride.

* The Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande will lay a wreath at the Madras Engineering Group War memorial on that day and review the Army Day parade by eight marching contingents including a horse mounted contingent.

 

* Five regimental brass bands will be part of the parade.

* The Chief of the Army Staff will present gallantry awards for individual acts of bravery and sacrifice. There will also be a fly past by Dhruv and Rudra helicopters.

* Various weapon systems including K9 Vajra Self Propelled guns, Pinaka rockets, T-90 tanks, BMP-2 Infantry fighting vehicles, Tunguska Air Defence system, 155mm Bofors guns, Swathi radar and different assault bridges will be on static display.

* In the evening of January 15th, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be the Chief Guest at an event where the military tattoo will be on display..

Source : News on Air

With an aim to carry out logistic operations in the Himalayan frontier, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an untethered multi-copter payload, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), capable of flying with 5 kg payload and even dropping bombs in enemy territories.

 

* The multi-copter was displayed by the DRDO at the 108th Indian Science Congress in Maharashtra's Nagpur.

 

* Successful trials of the multi-copter were conducted at Sikkim at an altitude of 14,000 ft. The product will be ready for induction in the Armed Forces after two remaining trials, DRDO official Mahesh Sahu said.

 

* The DRDO has developed the multi-copter with payload capacity of 5 kg to 25 kg and is working on increasing the capacity up to 30 kg.

 

* The multi-copter can carry out autonomous missions with waypoint navigation up to 5 km radius. It can travel to a designated location in auto mode and release payload and return to home location.

* It can also be used to drop a bomb at an enemy site without any risk of human loss..

 

* Similarly, the payload UAV can be helpful to drop medicines for soldiers deployed at high altitude or war zones.

 

* Beacon-based landing accuracy of 100 mm, ground vehicle follow mode and modular design for ease of operation are some of the other features of the multi-copter payload..

Source : Times of India

The Defence Ministry has started the process for the procurement of 100 more K9-Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzers which are built in India by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) using technology transferred from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defense. 

 

“The Defence Ministry issued the Request For Proposal to L&T in November. Once they respond to it, the contract negotiations will begin,” a defence official confirmed. 

 

* At the height of tensions in eastern Ladakh in 2020, the Army deployed one regiment of K-9 Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzers there to augment its long-range fire power in the backdrop of a massive build-up of forces by China across the Line of Actual Control.

Buoyed by their performance, the Army is looking at eventually procuring 200 additional guns. The induction of Dhanush, K-9 Vajra and M777 Ultra Light Howitzers has enhanced the reach of artillery firepower on the northern borders.

Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at DRDO Headquarters in New Delhi to mark the 65th Foundation Day of the Organisation, which is celebrated on 1st January every year.

* Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat along with Director Generals and senior officials of DRDO paid floral tributes at the bust of Missile Man of India.

 

* The event, organised to mark the day, also included release of two books comprising articles on defence technologies, a dictionary on scientific and technical terminology, Stores Manual and guidelines (SMG-2023), third anniversary issue of bimonthly bulletin InSight and DRDO Technology Foresight.

* DRDO Technology Foresight will be shared on DRDO website so that industry and academia may plan their R&D activities accordingly.

 

* A DRDO monograph ‘Infrared Signatures, Sensors and Technologies’ authored by Dr Kamal Nain Chopra, a former DRDO Scientist, was also released by the Chairman DRDO.

* DRDO calendar 2023 was also released. In addition, Secretary DD R&D and Chairman DRDO felicitated all the employees who have completed 25 years of their service in DRDO.

 

* In his address to the DRDO fraternity on the occasion, Dr Samir V Kamat congratulated them for achieving a number of milestones in 2022, urging them to focus on developing the defence R&D ecosystem in the country and strive to realise Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’..

Source : PIB

India and Pakistan exchanged the lists of nuclear installations and facilities simultaneously through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad

 

India and Pakistan on Sunday (1s Jan 2023) exchanged lists of nuclear installations that cannot be attacked in the event of hostilities, maintaining a tradition dating back to 1992 despite bilateral ties being at an all-time low.

 

The two sides further exchanged lists of prisoners held in each other’s jails, and the Indian side sought the early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing defence personnel and fishermen, along with their boats, from Pakistan’s custody.

 

The lists of nuclear installations and facilities were simultaneously exchanged through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad according to provisions of the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities. Both sides do not disclose details of such facilities.

 

The agreement, which was signed on December 31, 1988 and entered into force on January 27, 1991, provides that “India and Pakistan inform each other of the nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the Agreement on the first of January of every calendar year”, the external affairs ministry said.

 

This was the 32nd consecutive exchange of such lists between the two countries, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.

 

Under the provisions of the 2008 Agreement on Consular Access, the two sides also exchange lists of prisoners in each other’s custody twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, through diplomatic channels in New Delhi and Islamabad..

Source : Hindustan Times

The Indian Air Force 29th Dec 2022 successfully tested the extended range version of the BrahMos Air Launched missile against a ship target from Su-30 MKI fighter jet.

* The extended range of the BrahMos missile is believed to have the ability to take out targets in sea 400 km away 

 

* The supersonic cruise missile "achieved the desired mission objectives in the Bay of Bengal region and with the successful test, the Indian Air Force achieved a capability boost to carry out precision strikes from Su-30 fighter aircraft against land/ sea targets over long ranges," the defence ministry said in a statement.

 

* "The extended range capability of the missile coupled with the high performance of the SU-30MKI aircraft gives the Indian Air Force a strategic reach and allows it to dominate the future battle fields," the statement added.

 

* The successful test firing was a joint effort by the Air Force, Indian Navy, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and the BrahMos Aerospace (BAPL).

 

* In May 2022, the extended-range version of the supersonic missile was successfully tested from the Sukhoi fighter. The extended range was reported to have increased to 350 km from 290 km. 

 

* The successful test conducted in May was the first instance in which the missile was test fired from the Su-30MKI fighter jet..

Source : NDTV

The decision by the Defence Ministry to procure indigenous short-range ballistic surface-to-surface (SRBM) missile Pralay, a conventional weapon that has become ready for induction in just seven years, gives Indian military the heft to its war-fighting capabilities.

A high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry cleared the acquisition of around 120 pralay missiles for the armed forces and their deployment along the borders.

India now permits the use of ballistic missiles in tactical roles, therefore the acquisition of these ballistic missiles is considered a significant development for the nation.

 

Significance Of This ballistic missile : The missile will be India’s first tactical quasi-ballistic missile and will give the armed forces the capability to hit enemy positions and key installations in actual battlefield areas. Pralay, along with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, will form the crux of India’s planned Rocket Force — a concept that was envisaged by former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the late General Bipin Rawat. Sources in the defence establishment made it clear that only conventional missiles would come under the planned Rocket Force as and when it’s ready, while nuclear weapons would continue to be under the ambit of the Strategic Forces Command.

 

* The Pralay missile project was sanctioned in 2015 and is a derivative of the Prahaar missile programme, which was first tested in 2011.

* Sources said Pralay was formed through elements from multiple missile programmes that include the K-series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles and the ballistic defence shield programme.

* The canisterised Pralay missile, with a range of 150-500 kilometres, has been developed according to the specifications and requirement of the Army, which was looking to arm itself with a tactical conventional missile that could be used on the battlefield.

* Incidentally, both China and Pakistan have tactical ballistic missiles.

* Pralay is powered with a solid propellant rocket motor and multiple new technologies and, according to sources, accuracy is a highlight of this missile.

* It is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of about 350 kg to 700 kg, which gives it a deadly punitive capability.

* It can carry a high explosive preformed fragmentation warhead, penetration-cum-blast (PCB) and runaway denial penetration submunition (RDPS).

While BrahMos has high agility, stealth and even loitering capability, Pralay has the advantage of speed and countering it is a difficult task, even for modern air defence systems.

* The Indian missile can be compared to China’s Dong Feng 12 and the Russian Iskander missile that has been used in the ongoing war with Ukraine.

* The US Army is in the process of increasing the range of a similar short-range ballistic missile called the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). What makes Pralay deadly is that it is a quasi-ballistic weapon, which means that while it has a low trajectory and is largely ballistic, it can manoeuvre in flight. It has been designed to evade interceptor missiles..

Source : The Print