Defence - General Knowledge Questions

The 16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI” between India and Nepal starting (16th Dec 2022) at Nepal Army Battle School, Saljhandi. Exercise SURYA KIRAN is conducted annually between India and Nepal.

* Our correspondent reports, this exercise aims to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare and counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief under UN mandate.

 

* Nepal and Indian army soldiers, through Surya Kiran joint military exercise in Saljhandi located in Lumbini Province in southern Nepal, shall develop interoperability.

* During the exercise, participants training together shall be sharing the experiences gained during the conduct of various counter-insurgency operations in their respective countries.

* The joint exercise would focus on the evolution of combined drills for planning and conduct of tactical operations at the unit level in counter-terrorism operations.

* it would also assist in realizing the role of armed forces in management of disasters. The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence cooperation which will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations. The joint exercise first started in 2011.

 

* Last year, the 15th India-Nepal combined battalion-level military training exercise ‘Surya Kiran’ took place in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand..

Source : AIR

India has successfully carried out the night trials of nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Agni-V from Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha on 15th December, 2022.

* The test was conducted to check the new technologies and equipment on the missile which is now lighter than before.

* The missile has a capacity to hit targets beyond 5,000 kilometres.

* The Agni series I to IV missiles have ranges from 700 km to 3,500 km.

Source : Mint

The armies of India and Kazakhstan are jointly conducting the training exercise KAZIND-2022 at Umroi in Meghalaya.

* The 6th edition of the joint exercise is being carried out from 15 December to 28 December 2022.

 

* Exercise KAZIND 22 is witnessing the participation of Indian Army soldiers of the 11 Gorkha Rifles. The Kazakhstan Army is being represented by troops of the Regional Command, South.

* Through this joint exercise, the two armies aim to enhance their ability to operate together while undertaking counter-terrorist operations in semi-urban/jungle scenarios, under a UN peace enforcement mandate.

 

* The annual military exercise includes a Command Post Exercise (CPX) at the Battalion level and Company level Field Training Exercise (FTX) on sub-conventional operations.

* During the training exercise, troops from both armies will engage in a variety of missions ranging from joint planning, joint tactical drills, basics of special arms skills, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and raiding hostile targets.

 

* The joint training exercise between India and Kazakhstan army began in 2016 as Exercise Prabal Dostyk. In 2018, the exercise was upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed as KAZIND.

* With the help of this joint exercise, the two armies will be able to prepare for and carry out a number of tactical drills that will be used to counter potential threats that may arise during UN peacekeeping operations.

 

* Exercise KAZIND will improve the level of defence cooperation between the Kazakhstani and Indian armies, further strengthening the two countries’ bilateral ties..

Source : News On Air

Indian Army's Airawat Division conducted Ex Sanchaar Bodh in extensive obstacle ridden terrain of Punjab. 

 

 

* Tactical communication capabilities were validated in the exercise.

 

* The determination to win at any cost in the face of adversity was confirmed in practice.

 

 

* The Indian 1 Armoured Division, under II Corps, is headquartered at Patiala.

 

* The 1 Armoured Division, nicknamed the "Black Elephant" or "Airawat" Division, is considered to be the pride of the Indian Army.

 

* Elephants have been regarded as precious and majestic since the "puranic" era.

 

* The supremacy of Elephant is also well illustrated in the Hindu Mythology.

 

* The 1 Armoured Division played a major role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. 

 

* At that time the Division consisted of 2 Royal Lancers, 4 Hodson's Horse, 7 Light Cavalry, 16 'Black Elephant' Cavalry, 17 Cavalry (Poona Horse), 18 Cavalry and 62 Cavalry.

The 39th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy is being conducted from 8th December 2022 to 19th December 2022.

* The CORPAT will be executed along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) from December 15 to 16 and will end at Port Blair.

 

* According to the press release, the Indian Navy is engaging with various countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to enhance regional maritime security, as part of India's vision SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region).

 

* India and Indonesia have been carrying out CORPATs twice a year since 2002, with an aim of keeping this vital part of the IOR safe and secure for commercial shipping, international trade and conduct of legitimate maritime activities.

 

* CORPATs help build understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitate the institution of measures to prevent and suppress Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy. It further helps enhance the operational synergy by exchange of information for the prevention of smuggling, and illegal immigration and for the conduct of Search and Rescue (SAR) operations at sea.

 

* India and Indonesia have traditionally enjoyed a close and friendly relationship covering a wide spectrum of activities and interactions.

* The 39th edition of IND-INDO CORPAT seeks to bolster the maritime cooperation between the two navies and forge strong bonds of friendship between India and Indonesia, the statement reads.

 

* The 38th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol took place between June 13-24 this year(2022). The 28th edition of IND-INDO CORPAT commenced with the arrival of KRI Cut Nyak Dien at Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands..

Source : Business Standard

Indian Navy ships Kochi, Kavaratti and Sumedha arrived in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh to participate in the maiden International Fleet Review (IFR) being conducted by the Bangladesh Navy (BN).

* The ships are taking part in a variety of activities being conducted as a part of BN IFR-22 from 06 to 09 December 2022.

 

* IFR-22 is being conducted by BN this year, to commemorate the Birth Centenary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Independence of Bangladesh.

* The Chief Guest for the Fleet Review scheduled was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Mrs Sheikh Hasina. 

 

* The visiting Indian Navy ships Kochi, Kavaratti and Sumedha are the latest indigenously designed and developed guided missile stealth Destroyer, anti submarine Corvette and Off-shore Patrol Vessel respectively.

* INS Kochi is a part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet based at Mumbai, whilst INS Kavaratti and INS Sumedha form part of the Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam. 

 

* All three ships are equipped with a versatile array of weapons and sensors, carry multi-role helicopters and symbolise India’s warship building capabilities, keeping in line with the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’..

Source : AIR

The United States on Friday(2nd Dec 2022) unveiled the B-21 Raider, a high-tech stealth bomber that can carry nuclear and conventional weapons and is designed to be able to fly without a crew on board.

 

* The slickly choreographed ceremony at B-21 manufacturer Northrop Grumman’s facility in Palmdale, California opened with the US national anthem as older bombers roared over a crowd that included top US officials.

 

* Dramatic music played and lights flashed as the doors of a hanger holding the new aircraft slowly opened, and the crowd applauded as the cloth covering it was pulled away to reveal a sleek grey bomber that is on track to cost nearly $700 million per plane.

 

* “The B-21 Raider is the first strategic bomber in more than three decades. It is a testament to America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in remarks at the ceremony.

 

* Many specifics of the aircraft are being kept under wraps, but the plane will offer significant advances over existing bombers in the US fleet, which Austin highlighted in his remarks.

 

* He hailed its range — “no other long-range bomber can match its efficiency” — and its durability, saying it is “designed to be the most maintainable bomber ever built.”

 

* Like the F-22 and F-35 warplanes, the B-21 features stealth technology, which minimizes an aircraft’s signature through both its shape and the materials it is constructed from, making it harder for adversaries to detect.

 

* “Fifty years of advances in low-observable technology have gone into this aircraft,” Austin said. “Even the most sophisticated air defense systems will struggle to detect the B-21 in the sky.”

 

* The plane is also built with an “open system architecture,” which allows for the incorporation of “new weapons that haven’t even been invented yet,” he said.

 

* Amy Nelson, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank, told AFP ahead of the unveiling that the B-21 is “designed to evolve.”

Source : The Defense Post

The 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian Navy MARCOs and US Navy SEALs commenced in Goa on 1st December 2022.

 

* Exercise Sangam was first conducted in 1994 and is an important military and diplomatic initiative between the two nations, reflective of the trust and friendship between them.

 

* According to the Defence Ministry statement, the present edition which will see personnel from SEAL Team Five based at San Diego, US and Indian Navy MARCOs from INS Abhimanyu together aims at exchange of ideas and experiences on various aspects of maritime special operations.

 

* Whilst a joint exercise among US SEALs, MARCOs and other participating nations' Naval Special Forces is held annually as part of Exercise Malabar, the Sangam series is a bi-lateral exercise purely between the US and Indian Special Forces.

 

* The exercise is planned for a duration of three weeks wherein personnel will exercise and hone their skills in maritime interdiction operations, direct action missions, combat free fall jumps, special heliborne operations and various other evolutions.

 

* Notably, the 18th edition of the Indo-US joint training exercise "YUDH ABHYAS 22" started in Uttarakhand last month.

* Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and USA with the aim of exchanging best practices, tactics, techniques and procedures between the Armies of the two nations. The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.

Source : NDTV

The 12th Edition of a bilateral exercise between the Singapore & Indian Army, 'Agni Warrior' has been concluded on 30 November 2022.

Location : Field Firing Ranges, Devlali, Maharashtra

During the exercise, both armies have showcased the joint firepower planning, execution and use of New Generation Equipment by the Artillery arm of both armies.

Aim : The exercise achieved its aim of enhancing mutual understanding of drills & procedures and improving interoperability between the two armies. The closing event was witnessed by Mr Wong Wie Kuen, High Commissioner of Singapore to India & Lieutenant General S Harimohan Iyer, Commandant, School of Artillery along with other dignitaries from Singapore & serving officers from both armies..

Source : PIB

Indian Army’s Sudarshan Chakra Corps carried out Exercise Sudarshan Prahar in the deserts of Rajasthan Tuesday(29th Nov 2022).

The exercise focussed on the synergised application of combat power through the integration of force multipliers & practising new battle techniques in an integrated all arms environment showcasing high level of professionalism and offensive spirit.

 

Lieutenant General AK Singh, Goc-in-C, Southern Command witnessed Exercise SUDARSHAN PARHAR and complimented the troops for the high standard of training and operational preparedness..

Source : AIR