Defence 360

The government is set to press for passage of the enemy property bill in the Rajya Sabha when Parliament reconvenes on March 9. The bill seeks to provide ownership of properties worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore.  The law, which has become part of the heated poll rhetoric in Uttar Pradesh, has seen BJP accuse the opposition of shying away from passing a bill intended to ensure that enemy property vests with the government.  Enemy properties are land and assets such as jewellery, shares and bank deposits left behind by persons or firms that chose to go to Pakistan after the Partition and subsequent wars. It includes persons who went to China too.  Opposition parties such as Congress, JD(U), Left and SP have argued that the bill goes against the principle of “natural justice” and discriminates against Indian citizens. The government has said the bill clarifies that the legal heirs of persons who left for Pakistan are not entitled to receive properties that must vest w...

Used to a lenient and patronising attitude on their work achievements by the governments of the day, state-owned ordnance factories (OFs) — employing nearly a lakh workers in its 41 factories across the country — have been asked by none other than the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to furnish a report on their achievement from 2013 onwards. Confirming the development, a top source in the defence ministry told this newspaper: “The PMO has written the letter to the secretary, defence production, who controls the OFs. The February 16 letter seeks of OFs to give a report on all the items and products they have produced in the last three financial years along with details of the costs involved, besides photographic evidence.” The source added that the reports have to be furnished by Tuesday (February 28) and the order includes not just the factories producing ammunition and weapons but also those producing and supplying clothing and other equipment to the troops. Performance of OFBs ha...

The PLA Navy is likely to secure significant new funding in China's upcoming defence budget as Beijing seeks to check US dominance of the high seas and step up its own projection of power around the globe.  China's navy has been taking an increasingly prominent role in recent months, with a rising star admiral taking command, its first aircraft carrier sailing around self-ruled Taiwan and new Chinese warships popping up in far-flung places.  Now, with President Donald Trump promising a US shipbuilding spree and unnerving Beijing with his unpredictable approach on hot button issues including Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, China is pushing to narrow the gap with the US Navy.  "It's opportunity in crisis," said a Beijing-based Asian diplomat, of China's recent naval moves. "China fears Trump will turn on them eventually as he's so unpredictable and it's getting ready."  Beijing does not give a breakdown for how much it spend...

Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan Jitendra Singh Yadav who fought terrorists at the Indian consulate in northern Afghanistan last year was awarded with DG Insignia and Commendation on Saturday at the ITBP centre here, though many believe he should have got the President Police Medal Gallantry. The 33-year-old jawan was guarding the main gate of the consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, when a fidayeen attack took place on January 3, 2016. He engaged the three terrorists and injured two of them. Other recipients of awards at Saturday’s function said he should have got the President’s medal and his case needed to be pursued properly. Terrorists had launched the attack at 8:25pm, 25 minutes after the shift changed. Yadav, who hails from Jharkhand, was equipped with two grenades, a light machine gun and INSAS rifle. The terrorists attacked with rocket launchers, while Yadav relied on his INSAS rifle. “Two of the three terrorists were injured and the third one came to thei...

Vikas Swarup, currently serving as the spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs, was today appointed as the next High Commissioner of lndia to Canada. He will replace acting High Commissioner Arun Kumar Sahu and is expected to take up his assignment shortly. His new assignment comes along with his promotion to the rank of Additional Secretary. The spokesperson’s post is for the rank of Joint Secretary. Gopal Baglay, who is Joint Secretary in the Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan division in MEA, will succeed Swarup. Swarup took up the job of MEA spokesperson in April 2015 after the then spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin was promoted. Akbaruddin is now India's Permanent Representative at the United Nations. Before assuming charge as spokesperson, Swarup held charge as Joint Secretary (United Nations- Political) in the MEA. A 1986-batch IFS officer, Swarup, whose debut novel "Q&A" was made into the Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire", had helmed the high...

A Chinese state-run newspaper in an editorial Thursday said India's record of sending 104 satellites into space was "a limited achievement", with India's space programme still lagging behind China's successes in its manned space programme. India on Wednesday launched a record 104 satellites on a single rocket, which followed the Mars orbiter mission, which also garnered attention in China. The Chinese government described the Mars orbiter mission as "the pride of Asia" and said it would be keen to work more closely with India on space projects. The state media, however, struck a different note on Thursday. "The Indians have reason to be proud," said a Thursday editorial in the Party-run Global Times, a widely read tabloid. "However, the space technology race is not mainly about the number of satellites at one go," it added. "It's fair to say the significance of this achievement is limited. In this regard, Indian scientis...

By Guardians of INDIA The Indian Amy has completed user trials of #Nag, which is a modern, all-weather, anti-tank guided missile that can defeat the toughest armours. The 4-km range, third generation, ‘ #fire  and #forget ’ missile has been tested on both stationary and moving targets during day and night, according to defence scientists. The Hyderabad-based defence public sector unit Bharat Dynamics Ltd ( #BDL ) will manufacture the Nag missile. The development also opens up opportunities to several PSUs and the private industry, which can participate in the fabricating and assembly of key components, said Dr V.K. Saraswat, Chief Controller R&D (Strategic Defence and Missiles) of the DRDO (Defence Research Development Organisation). Nag has 80 per cent  #indigenisation . France, the US, Russia and Israel are the only other countries to have such a missile system. But Nag stands out both on its longer range and also all weather hit capability, Dr Saraswat told Business...

India will soon conduct a second test of its new K-4 nuclear capable intermediate-range, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) as it seeks to develop a nuclear second strike capability against both China and Pakistan. The first test of this SLBM designed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) was successfully conducted in 2014. K-4 was designed to deploy on the new Arihant class (the Sanskrit word for "Killer of Enemies") nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). The lead ship of this class, INS Arihant, was commissioned into the Indian Navy (IN) in August 2016. It now only needs the K-4 to fulfill its main role as a nuclear deterrent to China and Pakistan. India plans to build five Arihant-class subs. Each of these SSBNs can carry four K-4 SLBMs or 15 K-15 Sagarika nuclear SLBMs with a range of 750 km. With a reported range of 3,500 km, a K-4 launched from the Bay of Bengal can send its 2.5 kiloton nuclear warhead to targets as far away as Isl...

Amid buzzword of ‘Cold start Doctrine’ and delay in obtaining dedicated frequency band for military satellite, India has stepped up effort to provide sufficient number of satellites to Indian military with the help of Russia. Indian scientists have expressed satisfaction over progress in recent agreement signed between India and Russia which allowed Russia to deploy its GLONASS system ground stations in India. “GLONASS will be of help to India because it will be integrated into military equipment that comes from Russia and apart from that it will also serve civilian purpose as it is compatible with Indian satellite system NavIC. Because it is compatible with NavIC it will have increased area coverage and accuracy,” says Group Captain Ajey Lele, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. Indian Air Force is waiting for years to obtain specific frequency band for its GSAT-7A satellite from International Telecommunication Union which is absol...

The state-run Chinese media today said that India was playing with fire by challenging Beijing over the sensitive Taiwan issue. Warning India against playing the 'Taiwan card', an op-ed article in Global Times said that New Delhi will suffer losses by challenging “one China” policy.  The editorial titled  'New Delhi will suffer losses if it plays Taiwan card' reminded India that even the new US President Donald Trump has made a U-turn on challenging the ”one China” policy. "By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire.  At a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the "one China" policy, India stands out as a provocateur," the article said . “High-level visits between India and Taiwan are not very frequent, so why did India invite the Taiwan delegation to visit at this time?" the article asked refe...

France is in discussions to assist India with its next generation Advanced Multirole Combat Aircraft (AMCA) as part of the offset obligations of the Rafale fighter jet deal, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier has said. However, a larger order of close to 200 Rafale jets would be ideal to transfer high end technology and manufacturing capabilities to India at a 'competitive level' the senior executive has said. Answering a query by ET, Trappier said that Dassault is ready to assist India with its fighter jet programs. "We have already discussed with Indian agencies and have proposed that our capabilities be integrated. We have started the discussions as part of the offset framework," Trappier said, adding that the company is keen to partner with India for the project. France is in discussions to assist India with its next generation Advanced Multirole Combat Aircraft (AMCA) as part of the offset obligations of the Rafale fighter jet deal, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier has said...

According to reports, the BSF on Wednesday seized 100 fake Rs 2,000 notes along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. Officials said that BSF a search party laid a trap at about 2 am in a mango orchard in the Churiantpur area and found a packet containing 100 Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) of the face value of Rs 2,000, which were minted by the government post the scrapping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes last year. The BSF personnel challenged a suspected smuggler on the Indian side, who was set to receive the bundle from the Bangladeshi side, but he managed to escape taking advantage of the darkness and thick growth in the orchard. "The packet, flung from across the border, landed in the orchard and it was recovered by the BSF team. The notes were neatly packed in a polythene bag. This is the biggest seizure of fake new currency post demonetisation at this frontier," officials said. There have been seizures of one or two fake Rs 2,000 notes post the c...

 Defence and security company Saab has offered a fighter sensor package for the homegrown Tejas LCA Mk1A fighter aircraft. The package consists of a state-of-the-art Saab Airborne Electronically Scanned Array fighter radar closely integrated with a compact electronic warfare suite using Gallium Nitride based AESA technology, the company said. Saab, in partnership with Indian industry, offers a solution that will bring the required AESA Fighter radar and Electronic warfare capability to India and the Indian Air Force, it said. The AESA fighter radar is developed by Saab with antenna technology based on the latest technologies using Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicone Carbide (SiC) substrates in combination with the latest generation of exciter/receiver and processor technology, giving optimum installed performance in a dense signal environment, it said. The radar has a complete mode suite which includes air-to-air, air-to-ground and air to-sea capabilities, a Saab rel...

Bell has brought a navalised version of its 429 helicopter to Aero India in Bangalore to demonstrate its qualities to the Indian Navy (IN).The IN has released a series of RfIs to gather information about replacement options for its current and elderly fleet of Sea Kings and Chetaks. A formal RfP has not yet appeared, but Bell anticipates one could appear ‘in the not-too-distant future’.  Chad Sparks, Bell Helicopter’s director of strategic campaigns and business development, informed Shephard of the benefits the 429 would bring the IN for search-and-rescue, anti-surface warfare and utility missions from both shipborne and land-based locations. With around 100 naval helicopters needing replacement, this future requirement is extensive. Of course, Bell will face stiff competition from competitors such as Airbus.  India does not currently fly any Bell military rotorcraft. In the demonstrator shown in Bangalore, a multi-mission system is installed in the left side of the ...

The glitches in indigenous subsonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ have been identified and the missile is likely to be test-fired again in May or June after incorporating changes suggested by a committee that probed the earlier test-failures, the DRDO said on Wednesday. The missile, with a range of 750-1,000 km, has been successfully test-fired only once in the past, out of the total four tests.  “Only one of the four test-firings of the missile were successful. It does not mean the missile got ditched on its own, but it changed its course,” Defence Research and Development Organisation’s chief S. Christopher said at a press conference at the ongoing ‘Aero India 2017’ here. “One of the tests was successful, while three were unsuccessful… we had to abort the mission as it went beyond the safe zone,” Christopher said. He said the suggestions of a committee that investigated the defect in the missile system have since been incorporated.  “In May or June, we will have another ...

India is in talks to sell short range surface-to-air missiles to Vietnam, the head of India’s defence research agency said on Wednesday, in what would be its first transfer of such weapons to the Southeast Asian country.  India has been helping the Vietnamese military with training and patrol vessels, but a further deepening of ties with missile sales could draw criticism from China that has been locked in a territorial dispute with Hanoi in the South China Sea.  New Delhi is currently talking to a number of countries for sales of its surface-to-air Akash missiles, said S Christopher, chairman of state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to establish India as an arms exporter. “We are talking to countries, one of them is none other than Vietnam,” he told a news conference on the sidelines of an air show where the DRDO is showcasing its missile programmes and other key projects, including...

China has lodged a strong complaint with India over a rare visit by a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation, warning New Delhi to follow the “One-China” policy and not have any official contact with Taipei.  Sharply criticising the visit, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shung said Beijing had lodged a “solemn representation” with New Delhi to not have any official contact with Taiwan.  Beijing was always opposed any kind of official contact between Taiwan and countries that have diplomatic ties with China, he said. Geng spoke against any proposal to upgrade India-Taiwan ties, and warned India to be strict about following the “One-China” policy and be “prudent” about its ties with Taiwan. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which could be reunited by force if necessary. India doesn’t maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, an island off the southeastern coast of China that has a democratic government and a free press.  The de facto Indian embass...

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to “burn down” the United Nations headquarters in New York, in response to mounting international criticism over his bloody crackdown on suspected drug dealers. “You go and file a complaint in the United Nations, I will burn down the United Nations if you want,” Duterte said, as quoted by the New York Times. “I will burn it down if I go to America,” he added, while speaking at an army base in the country's southern city of Zamboanga. On Thursday, the Philippines leader called Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, a top UN official, an “idiot” and “son of a bitch” after the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights suggested launching an investigation into Duterte's own accounts of killings when he was mayor of Davao City, and the “shocking” number of deaths during the ongoing anti-drug war. “This guy [Zeid] is ever the joker or crazy,” Duterte said during a televised speech, repeatedly calling him “stupid.” “You UN officials, sittin...

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has expelled almost 40,000 Pakistani migrant workers in the last four months, local media has reported. Over 39,000 people have been deported since October 2016 over visa violations and security concerns, the Saudi Gazette reported, citing unnamed interior ministry officials. As well as crimes including drug trafficking, forgery and theft, an unknown number of those removed from the country were suspected to have links to Isis and other extremist groups, the paper said. The alleged mass deportations come after a year of strikes and other unrest in the kingdom due to unpaid wages following the oil market’s decline and subsequent blow to the Saudi economy. Authorities in Saudi Arabia have used a viral party video to identify and arrest partygoers in the country. Official Saudi statistics say that 243,000 Pakistanis were deported between 2012 - 2015. Mass deportations of migrant workers - which Human Rights Watch and other rights organisations say...