Brexit will oust 73 members, many of them anti-CAA, from Euro parliament

When the European parliament meets again at the end of March to vote on India’s CAA legislation, the 73 British MEPs, many of whom are believed to be behind the numerous resolutions against India, won’t be present. With Brexit kicking in on Friday, all 73 British MEPs would have left. To that extent, the deferment of the vote in the European parliament was a last hurrah that was aborted.

Gaitri Kumar, India’s envoy to Brussels, has met all the groups who have sponsored the drafts in the past couple of days to explain the Indian perspective. Some of the groups have already been convinced of the Indian argument. The resolutions, sources here believe, have been sponsored by Pakistan via some of the British Labour and Liberal Democrat MEPs who belong to groups like S&D and Renew Europe which have sponsored these resolutions.

Foreign minister S Jaishankar will be visiting Brussels in mid-February in preparation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit there for the India-EU summit on March 13. Some of the European lawmakers said they would wait to get answers from him before voting on the resolution. In addition, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also wrote to the president of the European Parliament, David Maria Sassoli: "As members of Inter Parliamentary Union, we should respect sovereign processes of fellow legislatures, especially in democracies."

However, the issue has not died, merely been kicked down the road. For Pakistan, this exercise keeps the issues in play, particularly because they have been portrayed as being infringement on human rights and Islamophobia.

The Indian defence centered around the argument that the CAA process is internal to India. In addition, it is being debated hotly on the streets, in the states and in the courts. There are 60 petitions pending in Supreme Court against this amendment.

The government’s view has been that the entire process would be allowed to run the course of popular and judicial scrutiny. For the European parliament to be passing resolutions on something that is undergoing scrutiny in India, would be disingenuous.

But within the Indian government, certain quarters say the commission and member states should do their bit with their own MEPs, given the extensive briefings etc. that their diplomats have been accorded by the Indian government. Sources said, “As fellow democracies, the EU Parliament should not take actions that call into question the rights and authority of democratically elected legislatures in other regions of the world.” In addition, India said the European countries themselves have set up their own conditions for naturalisation that is dependent on their own context, with their own criteria. India’s context is unique, given the circumstances of its partition and the politico-religious context that exists in this subcontinent. “Every society that fashions a pathway to naturalisation, contemplates both a context and criteria. This is not discrimination. In fact, European societies have followed the same approach.

 timesofindia

India Set to Buy Thousands of ‘Night Sights’ for Infantry Assault Rifles in Bid to Reduce Casualties

India has lost 82 security personnel in terror attacks and cross-border firing since it conducted the Balakot air strike on 26 February, 2019. The Indian Army is now seeking night vision devices for its infantry to minimise similar losses in the future.

The Indian Army is seeking to buy 22,000 long-range night sights for infantry assault rifles.

The purchase has been authorised to minimise the casualties in cross-border fire or during counter-terror operations in Kashmir. The sights will be manufactured in India and used by troops deployed on the frontline.

“Thermal Imaging Night Sights would enable troops to undertake long range accurate engagements in dark and all weather conditions thereby enhancing the night fighting capabilities,” the Indian Defence Ministry said.
The search was launched after the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the design, development and manufacturing of 'Thermal Imaging Night Sights' for assault rifles in November 2019.

The army said the uncooled thermal imagine sight desired by the Indian Army should be lightweight and able to accurately engage targets in the hours of darkness.

The Indian Army has already initiated the process to eliminate the night blindness of tanks and light machine guns, which have been used by infantry deployed along the Pakistan border.
 Having a range of around 1,000-meters is crucial in the mountainous Himalayan border regions where visual range remains important.

The army has been seeking long range night vision devices because it recently lost a large number of soldiers on the border with Pakistan following the air strike conducted by the Indian Air Force inside Pakistan in February 2019.

 sputniknews

IndoIsraeli JV To Manufacture Loitering Munition

Israeli UVision Air announced a joint venture with Indian Aditya Precitech to manufacture loitering munitions under the brand PALM (Precision Attack Loitering Munition) Hero Systems.

The JV, called AVision will explore various opportunities in India for Loitering Munitions Systems including the design, manufacture, sales, maintenance, support, upgrading, and lifecycle management. The partners will also maintain a supply of spare parts for the warranty and post-warranty periods for current and future versions of the smart munitions systems.

Commenting on the Joint Venture, Shane Cohen, VP Sales & Marketing at UVision and AVision Board Member, said, “We are very pleased to have partnered with Aditya, a highly respected company with extensive experience as development partner for many of India’s Defense Research and Development Organization’s (DRDO) most important projects”

Regarding this partnership, Aditya’s representative and Avision’s CEO, Col. (ret.) Anil Yadav, remarked, “We look forward to producing the full range of loitering munitions, which will be offered to India’s military, paramilitary forces as an effective response to multiple threats with minimal collateral damage.”

 defenceaviationpost

Northeast on China’s radar? PLA troop strength growing near Line of Actual Control

China has gradually increased pressure in the Northeast, by strengthening its military units close to the Line of Actual Control. Additional forces joined the camps in late 2019.

Intelligence reports speak of an increase in Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) force-levels about 25-30 km from the border in the Phari Dzong area. This area, opposite the Sikkim-Bhutan sector, is about 50-60 km north of the strategic 'tri-junction', was strongly reinforced during the Doklam crisis two years ago. The Indian government worries about the tri-junction as only a narrow stretch of land links the Northeast from the rest of the Indian mainland.

The Chinese forces are in groups, north or north-west of the Phari Dzong area, with one deployment -- one of the two newer ones -- just to the south. They comprise vehicles, tents, shelters and some artillery pieces. High-level Army sources said this was not a threatening development.
 The new Army groupings are just to the south and slightly to the north of Phari Dzong and were first noticed sometime during the middle of last year. They consist of sheds, vehicles and armaments.

The PLA had placed its soldiers in two camps, both to the north-west of Phari Dzong in September-October 2018. There were vehicles and a large number of objects covered by tarpaulins.

The other camp, nearly 10 km from Phari Dzong, came up even earlier in early 2018 and is further to the north-west. This camp, probably the largest, has grown in phases with additional vehicles coming in end 2018 and in the middle of last year. Even three-four months ago, there were additions to the camp's strength in terms of buildings and vehicles. There is some construction work going on now.

Altogether, it adds up to about a hundred vehicles and 70-80 tents, 20 artillery pieces and shelters, apart from camouflaged objects. The PLA camps, are in fact, closer to North Bhutan.

For long periods, China has strengthened its infrastructure, including roads and railway lines, in some cases quite close to the Indian border, the LAC. The PLA Air Force has increased its deployment in Tibetan airfields like Lhasa-Gongka, Hotan and Hoping. Even in winter months, the PLA Air Force has chosen to be deployed in Tibet, another example of its growing sophistication. The number of sorties recorded has increased over the years.

 timesnownews

Zee News exposes how Islamic outfit PFI is spreading 'jihad' in India

Zee News also rejected often repeated claims that the anti-CAA protests going on across the country are actually ''people's movement'' and that there is no direct or indirect involvement of any political party in it. The ''ground reporting'' dóne by Zee News shows that the PFI has been funding the violence and the protests against the Centre in the guise of opposition to the citizenship law to spread jihad and strengthen the roots of radical Islam in India.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its probe report, found that the recent violent protests in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) had an alleged "financial link" with the Kerala-based PFI. The central probe agency also found several bank accounts in the name of PFI and how over crores of Rupees were deposited in 73 accounts to dodge the investigations.

Details of a bank account in Kerala's Kozhikode probed by Zee News revealed that the radical Islamic outfit paid a hefty amount to several top-notch people, including noted lawyers Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaising, for defending it's alleged activist in Hadiya 'love jihad' case. According to it, Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and Dushyant Dave were among the major beneficiaries of PFI’s funding. According to it, nearly Rs 92 lakh was transferred into the bank account of these noted lawyers from the said outfit.

The senior Congress leader later issued a clarification claiming that the payments made by PFI were the lawyer fees owed to him in the Hadiya case and questioned the conduct of the media in the entire controversy. However, here we are referring to the role of PFI in Hadiya 'love jihad' case and for that you need to understand the complexities of the case.

The NIA investigations had revealed that Akhila Ashokan, the daughter of Ashokan KM, was a target of PFI activists and the Sathya Sarini Educational and Charitable Trust. She was converted to Islam and became Hadiya. She married her husband Shafin Jahan. (Markazul Hidaya) Sathya Sarani Educational and Charitable Trust, Manjeri, Kerala, a PFI center for religious learning which imparts religious lessons to Islam converts, was raided several times by several agencies.

The Sathya Sarani trust has been suspected of involvement in religious conversions and has even been linked to the ISIS. The Hadiya matter went up to the Supreme Court in the case "Shafin Jahan Vs Ashokan KM & Ors." Now, a basic question which one may ask is – how does PFI get into a legal dispute between a woman and her husband? And, if it was a simple case related to 'nikah', why such a hefty amount was paid to top laywers to pursue the case in Supreme Court, who funded it and from where the money came.

After a detailed investigation by the NIA, it came to light that Hadiya's husband was a PFI activist and, in order to save him, the radical Islamic outfit hired lawyers by paying them such a huge amount to fight his case. Interestingly, the NIA had also claimed in a 2016 probe that ''Sathya Sarini'' was involved in the conversion of women in Kerala, including Akhila Asokan,

Zee News team also spoke to Hadiya's father Ashokan KM, a retired Army personnel, who said that he didn't have enough money or documents to contest the case ''financed'' by PFI and eventually lost the legal battle. In 2017, Hadiya’s father had filed a petition with the Kerala High Court, alleging that she had been ‘forcibly’ converted to Islam and that his daughter could be taken away to Syria.

The Supreme Court, however, ruled in Hadiya's favour and said that she was free to choose her life partner and no one can force her. Zee News has accessed the Home Ministry's report, which alleges that the PFI has been carrying out forced conversions, radicalisation of Muslim youth and maintaining links with banned groups.

The NIA has even termed it as a threat to national security. The Kerala-based radical outfit has been named in at least four cases by the NIA: chopping off the palm of a professor in Kerala’s Idukki district (July 2010), murder of RSS activist Rudresh in Bengaluru (October 2016), association with the Islamic State Omar Al-Hindi module in Kochi (October 2016) and organising a training camp in Kannur from where bombs, improvised explosive devices and swords were recovered (April 2013).

The demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in December 1992 provided an impetus to Muslim organizations in Kerala to form resistance groups to meet the challenges from the Sangh Parivar, the NIA mentioned in its dossier on PFI. It says most of the founding members of the PFI are ex-Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) members who wanted an effective platform for their radical ideology. Since its formation in Kerala, the PFI has now spread to Manipur, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and West Bengal. It has a strong presence in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Its leadership claims it has a presence in 23 states. The PFI also has a political group – Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) - which took part in panchayat elections in Kerala.

According to the NIA dossier, PFI has over 50,000 regular members and 100,000 to 150,000 sympathizers in Kerala. On its funding, the agency says PFI receives funds through the India Fraternity Forum (IFF), which started almost as a counterpart of the PFI in Gulf countries. The agency claims prominent PFI leaders often visit Gulf countries with the aim of discreet fund collection.

The Muslim Relief Network (MRN), a Kerala-based NGO launched by PFI, mobilizes funds, especially from the Gulf countries, by receiving donations from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in Jeddah, and has established links with the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) and the National Confederations of Human Rights Organisations. Besides PFI collects funds for purposes such as membership fee and Ramadan collection, according to the NIA.

The central anti-terror probe agency has also linked PFI with several left-wing extremist and Dalit organisations that campaign on issues like police atrocities, fake encounters and Operation Green Hunt (an all-out operation against Naxals by government and paramilitary forces post-2009). The NIA report mentions that PFI is working on the lines of Pakistan-based terrorist outfits and carrying out jihad with the ole aim of establishing the rule of Islam in India.

 zeenews

We Are Open To Supporting India’s AMCA And Tejas Mk 2 Programmes: Vivek Lall, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

Indian American Vivek Lall, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, who is also part of the US Federal Aviation Advisory Committee, shares with BW Businessworld his ideas on building an aerospace ecosystem in India, the role that Lockheed Martin can play in bringing the scale of innovation, technology and capability of the next generation, among other things. Excerpts:


The idea that India will have robust aerospace clusters in a decade seems far-fetched. What is missing here?

India absolutely has the potential to become a major aerospace and defence player. We see tremendous strength and opportunity in India’s defense industry both private and public. We are actively looking for strategic Indian industry partners across the country Indian companies of all sizes, including micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) and suppliers throughout India to collaborate and explore security solutions unique to India.

Our proposed partnerships with Indian industry on the F-21, Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) and other programs for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy will put India at the epicentre of the world’s largest defence ecosystem and deliver unmatched defence-industrial opportunities.

Just recently, the DRDO and Indian Navy achieved a major milestone with the successful arrested landing of the indigenously-developed LCA Navy Tejas Mk 1 aboard India’s INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier. We heartily congratulate India on this major achievement.

Lockheed Martin’s unmanned technologies seem to be taking a giant leap. Will AI, quantum computing and advance machine’s autonomous capability redefine the sixth-gen smart fighter jets completely?

Lockheed Martin continues to leverage cutting-edge technologies across its portfolio, including investing in and expanding our AI and autonomy capabilities. AI adds value to almost all our products and systems, supporting both military and commercial customers. Lockheed Martin’s unmatched experience designing, developing, producing and sustaining the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft platforms positions us to play a key part in defining the future of fighter aircraft.

The internal mechanism for such technology adoption in the country is not yet in place. What must GoI do to harness IoBT?

India is indeed a large IT power and it is poised to take the lead as the world’s leading technology innovator. One programme that has been preparing India for this leap is the India Innovation and Growth Program (IIGP), co-sponsored by Lockheed Martin in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology and Tata Trusts. Becoming a global leader in technological advancement does not happen overnight but India has made incredible progress in recent years.

For example, the first ten years of the IIGP focused on building an innovation pipeline and best practices in India. Since then, the ecosystem has matured, which led to Version 2.0 of IIGP launching in 2017 to ensure the continued success of these innovative startups. At Aero India 2019, the Ministry of Defence announced a list of 25 promising aerospace and defense startups. Nine of these were IIGP startups. Several of these startups have partnered with global industry leaders, demonstrating their value not only to those companies but to the world.


Can ADA and DRDO leverage the exponential reach and expertise of Lockheed Martin to fast-track India’s quest for fifth-gen AMCA and Tejas Mk 2?

We are certainly open to supporting India’s AMCA and Tejas Mk 2 programmes should the Indian government ask us to do so. Our F-21 proposal for the Indian Air Force would be a key enabler of close collaboration on advanced fighter aircraft. The F-21, in concert with India’s Rafale and Tejas, will fill an operational gap and be a game-changer for the Indian Air Force, Indian industry, and India-US strategic ties.


What is the update on Lockheed Martin’s proposal for MMRCA 2 and the technical evaluation for F 21?

The F-21 will meet all of India’s performance, capability and advanced technology requirements, and provide unmatched opportunities for Indian companies of all sizes and suppliers throughout India. The F-21 delivers an advanced single-engine, multi-role fighter at the most optimal life cycle cost for the Indian Air Force, with the longest service life of any competitor – 12,000 flight hours. An F-21 partnership integrates India into the world’s largest and most successful fighter aircraft ecosystem – a $165 billion market.

We designed, developed and produced the world’s first operational stealth aircraft and the world’s only two current operational fifth-gen fighters.


The offset policy which is global standard for technology assimilation has failed to contribute any significant capability, especially in aerospace in India. What is the way out?

This is ultimately a question for Indian policymakers to decide, based on their unique requirements. Otherwise, Lockheed Martin has been diligently discharging its offset obligations in India since 2009. This has delivered extensive economic benefits through investment, skills training, transfer of technology and exports. Our successful joint ventures in India have been a key part of helping India achieve its goal of developing an aerospace and defence supplier ecosystem.


What can we expect from LM in 2020 for Indian aerospace?

We are committed to strategic, long-term international defence partnerships with India. We hope to strengthen and grow our relationship with India as part of an unprecedented F-21 fighter aircraft partnership “For India, From India.”

businessworld

PM Modi warns Pak, says forces don’t need more than 12 days to defeat neighbour

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 28 said the Indian armed forces do not need more than 10-12 days to defeat 'our neighbouring country' that has 'lost three wars against us'.

Alluding to Pakistan, PM Modi said, “They have been fighting proxy wars against India since decades" which has “claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, jawans.”

Speaking at a National Cadet Corps rally in New Delhi, PM Modi said: "For over 30 years not a single next generation fighter plane was added to IAF (Indian Air Force). Old aircraft used to meet with accidents, fighter pilots used to die...Work stalled for three decades was cleared by us. The country today has a next generation fighter plane Rafale."

The prime minister said, “Several speeches were given, but when our armed forces used to ask to take action, they used to be refused. Today, there is 'yuva soch', country is progressing with youthful thinking. So, it does surgical strike, airstrike and teaches terrorists a lesson by entering their house.”

“Earlier, what was done for solving problems in Kashmir? Three-to-four families worked not towards solving the issues, but towards nurturing them. The result was that thousands of innocents died due to terrorism. People were forced to even migrate from there,” PM Modi said.

Highlighting the construction of the National War Memorial and the National Police Memorial in New Delhi, PM Modi told the cadets that the government did “whatever your young ideas, your young mind wanted.”

He said those fear-mongering over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) “refuse to see the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan.”

 moneycontrol

Pak Army has reactivated terror camps and launchpads in PoK: Lt Gen Saini

Army Vice Chief Lt Gen SK Saini on Tuesday said terrorist launchpads are being reoccupied and their camps are being reactivated across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"The situation in Jammu and Kashmir on both LoC and the hinterland are under control. The launchpads have been reoccupied and terrorist camps are active. Saini said that ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army have gone up last year but the Army was "fully geared up to meet challenges that come across".

In the last few weeks, there have been reports about the heightened activity of terrorists in PoK backed by the Pakistan Army. Asked about his priorities as Vice Chief, he said, "Removing hollowness in terms of critical deficiencies of equipment, ammunition etc, capability development along the Northern borders."

Hollowness in Army preparedness was first highlighted as few years ago when it was brought by the then Army Chief Gen VK Singh that the force was facing critical shortage of ammunition and weapon systems required for fighting wars.

Saini also stressed that he would work for aligning the Army Headquarters with the newly created Department of Military Affairs under Chief of Defence Staff. He said he would work towards bringing in more jointness into the working of the Army with the newly created structures.

 indiatoday

European Parliament Has No Business Telling India What to and What Not to Do on CAA, Kashmir

India is gearing up for the European Parliament based in Strasbourg to take up, debate and possibly vote on as many as six resolutions moved by various Members of the European Parliament (MEPS) that are critical of India’s recent moves on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir.

India does not have a reason to worry on the count that these resolutions are non-binding and legally don’t count for anything. But what should worry India is that this further damages India’s image abroad as a secular, liberal and egalitarian society that does not discriminate on the basis of religion. What should also worry India is these resolutions have been moved from varied lawmakers, ranging from the left to right ideological spectrum.

The main resolution is sponsored by the centre-right European People’s party which is the largest bloc in the EP. The second biggest one is backed by the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists. Both these resolutions say “an effective national asylum and refugee policy should be just and holistic in nature and is not discriminatory”.

The resolutions sponsored by the more left-wing parties like the Greens and Social Democrats rubbishes the CAA for creating the ‘largest statelessness crisis in the world’.

The move by the European parliament is a direct infringement into the internal affairs of India. Which is why the Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla wrote to his European counterpart urging him that it is “inappropriate for one legislature to pass judgement on another. A practice that can be surely misused by vested interests.” It would also set a bad precedent, he wrote.

What’s to stop India from passing resolutions on the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe in our Lok Sabha? It would lead to a needless cycle of trying to play holier than thou.

The European Parliament is also a largely toothless body whose opinion may or may not have a bearing on the actual decision making bodies of the European Union, which are the European Council and the European Commission.

Which is perhaps why the European Union spokesperson Virginie Battu-Henriksso distanced the Union from the resolutions brought forth in Parliament. She said “the opinions expressed by the European Parliament do not represent the official position of the European Union”.

Both of these bodies realise the importance that India brings with it as a trading partner and as one of the biggest markets in the world for European goods and services. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to visit Brussels in mid-March for the 15th annual India-EU summit. He could expect his European interlocutors to wink and nudge him on both CAA and Article 370. It would make for ‘bad optics’ at worst.

But one thing India can’t fault the Europeans for is this. It is India that went courting Members of the European Parliament by taking them on a ‘sponsored trip’ to Kashmir. Why should India care about the opinion of such inconsequential MEPs that it had to roll the red carpet out for them? One of those MPs who was part of the delegation that visited Kashmir is also one of the co-sponsors of one of the six resolutions.

 news18

India may invite Australia for Malabar naval exercise with US & Japan

India is considering inviting Australia to take part in its trilateral Malabar naval exercise with the US and Japan this year, which if it happens will mark the first time the “Quad” countries will come together for the high-voltage combat manoeuvers on the high seas after a gap of 13 years.

There is “a move by India to include Australia” in the 24th Malabar exercise, which will be held in the Bay of Bengal in July-August after the monsoons, but “the final decision is yet be taken”, said sources on Tuesday.

Australian diplomatic sources, on being contacted by TOI, said, “We have a very strong bilateral defence relationship with India. We would be glad to consider all opportunities to engage with the Indian military”. An Australian warship, Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba, incidentally, is also currently in Mumbai on a four-day visit.

The move to include Australia in Malabar, if it actually translates into reality, will come after India also agreed last year to upgrade the “Quad” dialogue to the foreign minister-level from the earlier joint secretary-level meetings. On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last September, the four ministers had discussed shared interests in building a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific, with an eye firmly on an aggressive and expansionist China.

India, of course, will have to keep the “China factor” in mind. China had strongly objected to the India-US Malabar exercise in the Bay of Bengal in 2007 when it was expanded to include Japan, Australia and Singapore as well, firm in its belief that a multilateral naval construct was emerging to “counter and contain” it in the region.
 This had led India to restrict Malabar to a bilateral one with the US for several years -- Japan was included only when the exercise was held in the north-western Pacific in 2009 and 2014 -- before finally agreeing to make Japan a regular participant from 2015 onwards.

India has traditionally been against any militarization of the Quad to avoid needlessly antagonizing a prickly China. Similarly, New Delhi has also made it clear the US should not “conflate” the Indo-Pacific with the Quad, stressing the centrality of Asean in the former.

If Australia is indeed called for the Malabar, it will be a breakaway from the self-imposed restraint. India, of course, is bilaterally expanding its military ties with Australia. India, for instance, had for the first time in mid-2018 dispatched four Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, a C-17 Globemaster-III and C-130J “Super Hercules” aircraft, along with 145 personnel, to take part in the multilateral “Pitch Black” exercise in Australia.

In April last year, India and Australia also conducted their biggest-ever naval exercise called “AusIndEx” to “build inter-operability” off the Visakhapatnam coast, which was followed by the “2-plus-2 dialogue among the defence and foreign secretaries of the two countries in December.

 timesofindia

Hindu girl abducted from wedding venue, converted, married off in Pakistan Yudhvir Rana |

A teenaged Hindu bride from Pakistan's Sindh province was allegedly kidnapped from the venue of her wedding a few days ago, converted and married off to a Muslim man by the time police responded to her parents' complaint and traced her to Karachi.

Ravi Dawani, general secretary of the All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat, told TOI on Monday that it was the third instance in less than two weeks of Hindu girls being targeted, including a 15-year-old from Sindh who was kidnapped on January 15 and converted to Islam.

“The bride from Hala in Matiari district of Sindh was converted to Islam at Banoria in Karachi and married off to one Shahrukh Memon,” Dawani said.
 He said the Hindu panchayat helped the girl’s family approach the police, who sent a team to Karachi to bring her back to Sindh. She was produced in a Hala court on Monday, but it wasn't immediately known whether action had been ordered against those accused of kidnapping her.

In the case of the 15-year-old, a resident of Jacobabad district, a court has directed the police to get an ossification test done to confirm her age.

Dawani said a 25-year-old woman from Kot Gulam Mohammad town of Mirpur Khas district had also been whisked away from her home four days ago and converted to Islam. She is now married to a Muslim man identified as Ghulam Mustafa.

“We are still to verify whether the woman got married to Mustafa against her wishes," Dawani said.

National assembly member Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is from PM Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council, didn’t respond to queries from TOI about the spike in allegedly forced conversion and marriage of Hindu girls. Kheal Das Kohistani of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) condemned the incidents, saying forcible conversion and attacks on Hindu shrines had left the minority community scared.

Dawani claimed that unidentified people recently vandalised the Mata Rani temple at Chachro in Tharparkar district of Sindh.

On January 4, a mob had attacked Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev. This followed the kidnapping, conversion and forced marriage of a Sikh preacher’s daughter.

 timesofindia

EU parliamentarians should also speak against atrocities on minorities in Pakistan: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday questioned the objectivity of members of European Union (EU) Parliament who have backed resolutions against the CAA, asking if they ever raised their voices over "victimisation" of minority Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan.

His assertion came after close to 600 lawmakers in the 751-member parliament moved six resolutions against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), saying the enactment of the law marked a dangerous shift in India's citizenship regime.

"The government of India has already explained that it (the CAA) is our internal matter. We believe in engagement. Lots of Left Parties there have sought this resolution and our External Affairs Minister will engage with them and explain our position," Prasad told a press conference at the Delhi BJP office.The powerful 28-nation bloc is set to debate and vote on the motion tabled by a large chunk of its members against the CAA.

Asked about the upcoming EU Parliament's debate, Prasad asked a counter-question, "Have my esteemed friends of EU Parliament sought to raise a voice over victimisation of Hindu girls or a Sikh Granthi's daughter in Pakistan? It is high time they also need to be objective."

The European Union (EU) Parliament should not take any action questioning the rights and authority of democratically elected legislatures, government sources had said on Sunday.

India hopes that the "sponsors and supporters" of the resolutions will engage with the government to get a full and accurate assessment of facts before they proceed further, the sources had said.

 newindianexpress

If any talks are held with Pakistan in future, they will be on PoK: Rajnath Singh

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asserted that if any talks with Pakistan are held in future, they will be on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) only. He also talked about the importance of National Register of Citizens (NRC) saying every country has the right to know the number of legal citizens and illegal immigrants living in it, and that that there is no harm in implementing the NRC across the country. Talking about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, Rajnath Singh said that the law will not hurt sentiments of any religion but if anyone tries to bother the government, they will not be spared.

While speaking in Karnataka's Mangaluru, Rajnath Singh iterated that the CAA is not a law to hurt sentiments of any religion but to provide relief to victims of religious persecution. However, he went on to assert that the government will not touch anyone but if someone bothers the government, they won't be able to live in peace.

The Union Defence Minister said, "Mahatma Gandhi told Jawaharlal Nehru to give citizenship to minorities like Hindus, Sikh if they come to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi fulfilled the vision." He then slammed the Congress party for "forgetting duty towards the nation just because it is in opposition".
 Reacting on some states passing resolutions against the implementation of the CAA, Rajnath Singh stressed that the Act is a central law and everyone is bound to follow it.

Talking about the contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC), he said every country has the right to know about the number of legal citizens and illegal immigrants living in it. He then asked what is the problem in implementing the NRC exercise across the country.

"People ask what will happen to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir? Parliament of India has already passed a resolution that it's a part of India. I have said it earlier too, Jammu and Kashmir's work is done. If talks are held with Pakistan now, they will be on PoK only," he added.

Pakistan can no longer dare to raise Kashmir issue at any international forum after the abrogation of Article 370 and no power can now stop Kashmiri Pandits from going back to Kashmir Valley, said the Defence Minister.

 timesnownews

India plans 5,000-km range submarine-launched ballistic missile

With the K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile completing the development stage and ready for induction, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has gone back to the drawing board to develop a 5,000km-range submarine-launched platform that matches the surface-to-surface Agni-V missile, according to senior officials.

The 5,000km-range submarine-launched ballistic missile will carry the same K-series label and will cover all of Asia, parts of Africa, Europe and Indo-Pacific including South China Sea, the officials added.

While the details remain classified and the DRDO tight-lipped, the officials said that after testing the 3,500km-range K-4 missile twice in one week, the weapon is now fully developed with fixed parameters and is ready to be inducted on INS Arihant class of nuclear submarines. The solid fuelled K-4 is a three-metre tall missile with accuracy within 100 metres of its over one tonne nuclear warhead. Both the tests were conducted using underwater pontoon off the coast of Vizag on India’s eastern seaboard. At present, INS Arihant carries B-05 nuclear missile with a range of 750km, with the K-15 nomenclature being made redundant.

However, the DRDO focus is now on a 5,000km-range ballistic missile to join the elite club of US, Russia and Chinese nuclear submarines. According to officials, this missile will match Agni-V in range with a potent destruction capacity. India currently has no plans to develop any other longer-range missile as the 5,000km range will act as a deterrent to all its adversaries in Asia and beyond. “While we have the capacity to build a longer range nuclear missile of intercontinental range, the final decision lies with the government. And no such sanction has been either sought or approved,” said a senior official.

 hindustantimes

Indian Navy to soon get first batch of indigenous ship based antisubmarine variety torpedo Varunastra

Indian Navy will soon get the first batch of indigenously-built heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo Varunastra, giving it crucial firepower to the naval forces. The first batch will be delivered to the Navy soon and will be fitted onto Sindhu class submarines and other navy ships. This will make India one of the eight countries to have such indigenously-designed and built system.

Varunastra is capable to destroy any target, including ships and submarines, up to the range of 40 kilometres in waters. The torpedo was successfully inducted in the navy in July 2018, following which an order of 63 such systems for Rs 1187 crore was placed.

Features :

Varunastra, weighing around 1.5 tonnes, carries about 250 kg of high explosives. It carries the explosives at a speed of around 40 nautical miles an hour (74 km/hour).

The first batch of torpedoes will include those that can be fitted onto submarines and combat ships. It has been designed and developed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a premier laboratory of DRDO. The system has not been developed not only for use by the Indian Navy but will also be exported to other countries.

A torpedo is the best and most accurate ammunition to target enemy ship or submarine. The transducer of Varunastra gives it capability for a wide angle of manoeuvres, making it capable of targeting submarines from both top and bottom. The GPS locator on the device helps it accurately target the enemy vessel.

It will be carried by Kolkata class, Rajput class and Delhi class destroyers. It will also be fitted on to Kamorta class corvettes and Talwar class frigates. Indian Navy’s biggest fleet of Sindhughosh Class submarines will also carry Varunastra. The fleet currently has 9 operating vessels.

Indian Navy currently has 9 Sindhughosh Class submarines, two Kalvari Class submarines, one Chakra Class submarine (on lease from Russia) and four Shishumar Class submarines.

Indian Navy’s fleet of 16 submarines s much smaller that of China which operates 70 submarines. In that case, having the capability to indigenously develop torpedoes gives it a much-needed firepower.

 dnaindia

Army stocking up munitions for 40-day war

The 13-lakh strong Army is now slowly but steadily building its ammunition stocks ranging from rockets and missiles to high-caliber tank and artillery shells to ensure it can comfortably fight a full-blown war for over 10 days, with the eventual aim to have adequate stockpiles in place to last 40 days.

Defence ministry sources say all the different types of ammunition for the Army will be built up to “10(I) levels”, which mean adequate stocks to undertake 10 days of “intensive” full-spectrum fighting, by 2022-2023, as per the latest assessment.

This, of course, does not mean the Army is not operationally ready for war as of now. “It is, especially on the western front. But ammunition reserves have to be built keeping both Pakistan and China in mind,” said a source.

The “earlier huge deficiencies” in several types of “critical” ammunition have already been “substantially plugged”, with more supplies in the pipeline under the 24 contracts (19 with foreign arms companies) worth Rs 12,890 crore inked for the Army.

“The next target will be to gradually achieve 40(I) levels after some major rationalisation because not all types of ammunition are needed in such large numbers. Holding large reserves is neither economically nor logistically feasible,” said the source.

The MoD is also in the process of contracting the domestic private sector to manufacture with foreign collaboration eight different types of tank, artillery and infantry ammunition worth around Rs 1,700 crore per year for a decade from 2022-2023 onwards.

Over the last several years, at least since 2012, TOI has repeatedly reported the Army was fast running out of ammunition, with tanks and air defence units, artillery batteries and infantry soldiers all facing the crunch under the hugely depleted war wastage reserves (WWR). Successive parliamentary and CAG reports have also underscored the critical operational deficiency.

But it took the Uri terror attack in September 2016 for the government to swing into action and delegate financial powers to the Army, Navy and IAF for “emergency and critical 10(I) contracts” after finding that the armed forces simply did not have enough ammunition stocks for a prolonged full-fledged war.

Since then, contracts worth over Rs 24,000 crore for ammunition, spares, engines and other reserves have been inked for the three Services. The Army, for instance, is getting Smerch rockets, Konkurs anti-tank guided missiles, 125mm APFSDS (armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot) ammunition for its T-90S and T-72 tanks and other ammunition under the 19 contracts inked mainly with Russian and some other foreign companies.

The defence ministry is also working to improve the functioning and quality control of the 41 factories under the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), which supplies around 90 of the total 163 types of ammunition used by the Army.

This came after the Army sounded the alarm about the unacceptably high number of accidents taking place due to the defective quality of ammunition being supplied for tanks, artillery, air defence and other guns by the OFB as well as the huge slippages in supply, as was reported by TOI in May last year.

Just last month, the CAG had again slammed the OFB for compromising operational military readiness by failing to meet “a significant quantity” of the Army’s requirements as well as supplying defective fuses leading to multiple accidents.

The Army, on its part, wants accountability to be fixed on those responsible for faulty quality checks and defective ammunition, which are leading to frequent accidents during firings of 105mm Indian field guns, 105mm light field guns, 130mm MA1 medium guns, 40mm L-70 air defence guns as well as the main guns of the T-72, T-90 and Arjun main-battle tanks.

 timesofindia

India successfully test-fires K-4 submarine-launched nuclear capable missile

India on Friday successfully test-fired the K-4 nuclear capable submarine-launched ballistic missile off the coast of Visakhapatnam for the second time in the past five days, in a major milestone to augment its strategic arsenal and delivery systems.

The missile, developed by the DRDO, has a range of 3,500 km and it will be able to bring almost all parts of Pakistan and several areas of China within its reach, officials said.

The missile is being developed for integration with India's Arihant class nuclear submarines.The missile was test-fired successfully for the second consecutive time in the last five days off the coast of Visakhapatnam, the officials said.

It was test-fired from an underwater platform, they added.

India has been steadily enhancing its strategic weapons which included successful test-firing of nuclear-capable inter-continental ballistic missile Agni 5 with a range of over 5,000 km.

In November, India conducted successful night trial of 'Agni-II' surface-to-surface medium range nuclear capable missile with a strike range of 2000 km.

 economictimes

India inches towards naval dominance

In Operation
India has finally taken the plunge to go ahead with its Rs 45,000 crore procurement plan for submarines. The Indian Navy wants the six submarines to be ‘Made in India’, as it will help a domestic shipyard to develop its skills for any future production. India will be needing all its naval assets in order to keep check on growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
9 Sindhughosh (Kilo) class of Russian origin
4 Shishumar (HDW 209) class of German origin
2 Kalvari (Scorpene) class of French origin
1 Arihant class nuclear-armed: Indigenous
1 Chakra class nuclear-powered from Russia
Conventional vs Nuclear
India has traditionally relied on conventional ones for defence and attack. These diesel-electric submarines are quiet and ideal for coastal warfare but have a fatal flaw — they need to surface regularly to collect oxygen for the crew and to burn fuel.
The nuclearpowered one like ‘Chakra’ can remain underwater for weeks as they generate their own oxygen.
Middle path
India is looking for submarines that can stay underwater for weeks and can be stealthy too. This is possible with the new air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology that can generate oxygen from on-board fuel.
India needs 6 such submarines, categorised as Project 75I (I is for India).
AIP ADVANTAGE: Technology on offer from Russia, France and Germany.
The nextgen submarines will be able to travel undetected virtually across the Arabian Sea and deep into the Indian Ocean. This will give them the ability to surprise enemy ships far from shore, enforce trade blockade at vital ports and strike both land and sea targets.
Make in India
The Navy, which has been at the forefront of promoting indigenous equipment, has mandated that the six submarines, to be acquired at an estimated cost of Rs 45,000 crore, be made in India by a domestic shipyard. This would ensure that all future submarines after P 75I are designed, built in India.

 defenceaviationpost

Indian Army`s firepower to get a big boost, Sarang gun successfully test-fired, can hit targets 39 kms away

Indigenously upgraded Sharang 155 mm gun system was successfully test-fired at the Long Proof Range (LPR) firing range of Khamaria in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday. The firepower of this high calibre gun, which is also the country’s largest indigenous gun, has been increased to 39 km.

As part of the Narendra Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, the indigenously-designed towed 155 mm/45 calibre artillery gun Sharang will soon be supplied to the Indian Army from Gun Carriage Factory and Ordnance Factory, Kanpur.

The induction of Sharang will bolster the Army’s combat abilities along the lines of the ‘Soltam-155’ guns manufactured by Russia. The weapon has been upgraded successfully from its previous specification of 130 mm to 155 mm.

Its commercial production is likely to begin soon.

The Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) has been assigned for assembling 12 of 30 Sharang gun systems while rest will be assembled at Gun Carriage Factory.

Indigenous upgradation of Russian 130 mm gun named Soltam has been carried out at Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur, and its other components are being produced at Ordnance Equipment Centre, Kanpur and Ordnance Factory Kanpur.

Vehicle Factory Jabalpur started a diversified project of assembling upgraded 130 mm Russian Gun System with assembling of 155 mm barrel. VFJ has already started assembling of Sarang Gun system in technical collaboration with Gun Carriage Factory.
Upgradation of 130 mm Russian gun is a part of research and development being carried out at the Gun Carriage Factory.

 clicknow

Made in India Tejas NLCA– first step towards self-sufficiency in having fighters off an aircraft carrier

India’s indigenously developed single-engine, delta wing; multirole light fighter called Tejas is a light combat aircraft (LCA) that uses fourth-generation technology. This aircraft was in making for few decades (a project of the 1980s) and the entire project did face a phase of major criticism for the delays and lack of technological capabilities in comparison with other fourth general flying platforms available in the global market. However, now the project looks to be much on track and this aircraft has already been inducted in the Indian Air Force (IAF) during January 2015. IAF has inducted these aircraft in their inventory and they are performing various designed roles satisfactorily. This state-of-art aircraft has been designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. This aircraft programme began with a vision to replace India’s ageing MiG-21 fighters.

Tejas has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) with associated advanced flight control laws. The entire project is expected to produce various categories (versions/makes) of this flying platform. These aircraft would be used for ‘air combat’ and for ‘offensive air support’ roles and in addition with ‘reconnaissance’ and ‘anti-ship’ as its secondary roles. The Tejas project has made a very good beginning for the year 2020, when recently the fighter variant of the naval prototype (NP-2) of Light Combat Aircraft (NLCA) undertook its maiden carrier landing on the deck of INS Vikramaditya, successfully. On January 12, 2020, the NLCA undertook its first take-off from the ship deck. This take-off happened after the aircraft for the first-time had stayed on the ship overnight. The first ski-jump from the carrier was a major event and the aircraft had to undergo extensive checking before that. All this has allowed the technical and flying staff to gain valuable ‘on-sight’ experience.

The officials have informed that “After completing trials on the SBTF (Shore Based Test Facility) successfully, NLCA did numerous approaches and touch and go on INS Vikramaditya. The first arrested landing and ski-jump take-off were successfully executed as per the plans.” During the last quarter of 2019, NLCA Mk1 prototypes had carried out several arrested landings at the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) located in INS Hansa. These arrested landings were of immense use towards testing various parameters and also helped to understate about the capabilities both of flying platforms and other ground infrastructure. More than 20 of such landings are known to have taken place since mid-October 2019. The very first ‘night’ landing was performed on November 13, 2019.


In general, India’s military doctrine aircraft carrier has an important role. INS Vikramaditya is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier and the flagship of the Indian Navy. This carrier entered into service in 2013. This is actually a second-hand carrier and is purchased from Russia. It was earlier known as Baku and was commissioned with the Soviet Navy in 1987. Later with the Russian Navy, it was known as Admiral Gorshkov which got decommissioned in 1996. For India, with a very large maritime boundary to protect (both during wartime and peaceful) the presence of such warship that serves as a seagoing airbase is extremely important.

Indian Navy is a part of the LCA programme and has much at the stake since actually they are the end-users of this project. NLCA is a modified version of the LCA produced for the IAF. It is important to note that there is a significant amount of difference between the fighter aircraft which operates from the runways on the ground and the one that files from the deck. NLCA Mk1 design is known to have some limitations in that context. Hence, the instead of opting for any improvisation of NLCA Mk1 and develop Mk 2 as a next step, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is now proposing to develop a Twin-Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) for the Indian Navy. This project is still in the process of conceptualisation. It is expected that the final product could enter service during 2030-35 period.

At present, the successful landing/take-off of NLCA on and from the deck of INS Vikramaditya should be considered as a first step towards India’s achieving self-sufficiency in the field of fighter aircraft operations from a sea-based platform.

 financialexpress

No space for dissent in Pakistan! Detention centres spotted in Balochistan-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region

In what could possibly be a massive blow to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s duplicity on the human rights situation in Pakistan, exclusive pictures have come up that show proof of detention camps in the country which has time and again been called out in globally for its excesses against ethnic and religious minorities.

Pakistan has been building these detention camps which many believe are where the Baloch are punished for expressing dissent. The Balochistan-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region has for a long time been protesting against the country’s establishment citing atrocities at the hands of the local militia and the administration, government after government.

Satellite images have shown that detention camps have been constructed for people in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region to house anyone who speaks against the establishment.


Fort Salop, Shahkas Fort, Hayatabad, Peshawar, Bara Fort, Alhaj, Charsiano, Jhansi Fort, Sipah, Shalober, Akka Khel are some of the places that have cropped up in the map showing the detention centres.

The Pakistan government has called the centres ‘deradicalisation camps’, where people who express dissent against the government will be brought in and deradicalised to move into a more ‘government-friendly’ life.

There are several organisations in the world that have raised and addressed the plight of the Baloch citizens and footages of cruelty against the people in the region have time and again come to the fore. However, the governments have continued to deny any case of human rights violations in the region.

As per the map, the proposed set up includes a living and training block for students, a sports complex, a mosque, among others. In addition to that, there are many more proposed camps as well in the region.

 timesnownews

Defence Acquisition Council approves procurement of equipment worth Rs 5,100 crore

In its first major decision in 2020, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Ministry Rajnath Singh, gave approval for procurement of equipment worth over Rs 5,100 crore from indigenous sources. These include sophisticated electronic warfare systems for the Army designed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured locally by the Indian industry.

"These systems will be used in deserts and plains and will provide comprehensive electronic support and counter measure capabilities to the field formations in both communication and other aspects of electronic warfare," ministry of defence said in a statement after a meeting of the DAC chaired by Rajnath Singh and attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat and several top officials.

The defence acquisition body also shortlisted Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and five foreign companies for the mammoth Rs 50,000 crore Project-75-India under which six diesel electric stealth submarines will be built for the Navy. Last week, the Congress party had alleged that the government was promoting 'crony capitalists' by violating laid down rules and regulations after media reports of Adani group making attempts to enter into the submarine project race.


Calling it a significant step, the ministry stated, "The DAC approved shortlisting of Indian strategic partners (SP) and the potential original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that would collaborate with SPs to construct six conventional submarines in India." It also added," This programme is being progressed under the 'Strategic Partnership Model', promulgated in 2017 to give a major boost to 'Make in India' in Defence Sector."

The ministry maintained that the strategic partner is expected to play a transformational role in building an eco-system in the country, comprising development entities, specialised vendors and suppliers, especially those from the MSME sector. "SP model also aims at promoting India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment, in addition to establishing an industrial and R&D eco-system, capable of meeting the future requirements of the armed forces besides giving boost to exports," said ministry in its statement.

The DAC also approved prototype testing of trawl assemblies designed by DRDO for T-72 and T-90 tanks, providing an important indigenous de-mining capability to the Army. Another proposal for inclusion of innovations for defence excellence (iDEX) in defence procurement procedure was also approved by the ministry. According to the ministry, the move would provide avenues in capital procurement for the armed forces to startups and innovators working for iDEX and provide huge fillip to their budding efforts.

"Today's decisions are in keeping with the mandate given to the CDS and the newly-constituted department of military affairs to promote use of indigenous hardware by the services," ministry of defence statement stated.

 theweek

Centre rejects bid by Adani for ₹45,000 crore submarine project

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, has shortlisted state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd and Larsen and Toubro Ltd for the Indian Navy’s ₹45,000 crore submarine project.

A joint bid from Adani Defence and state-run Hindustan Shipyard Ltd was rejected, a defence ministry official said on Tuesday.

“The empowered committee had found that all the clearances were not in place (for the Adani bid) for the formation of the joint venture that put in the bid for the submarine project. The Defence Acquisition Council, which met today, (Tuesday) endorsed this decision," added the official.

Adani Defence declined to comment, while Hindustan Shipyard could not be reached.

The defence ministry did not identify the companies vying for the order. However, it said in a statement: “DAC approved shortlisting of Indian Strategic Partners (SPs) and the potential original equipment manufacturers that would collaborate with SPs to construct six conventional submarines in India."

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and L&T will now tie up with individual foreign partners to submit their final bids for manufacturing the six submarines.

Five foreign companies have expressed interest in the submarine project, of which Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and L&T will choose one each as their partner. The companies are South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. Ltd, France’s Naval Group, Spain’s Navantia, Russia’s Rosoboronexport and TKMS from Germany.

The contract is being processed under the “strategic partnership model", which combines an Indian manufacturer with a foreign company for technology know-how.

“The strategic partnership model also aims at promoting India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment, in addition to establishing an industrial and R&D ecosystem capable of meeting the future requirements of the armed forces, besides giving boost to exports," the defence ministry statement added.

A second official said the submarines will have air-independent propulsion technology allowing them to stay underwater for weeks.

The Economic Times said last week that a tussle had broken out over the biggest Make in India project for the defence sector, after the Navy refrained from going ahead with the joint public-private bid, while defence production officials emphasized that such combinations should be considered.

The Narendra Modi government has sought to promote indigenous production of defence hardware to cut costly imports and develop the local industry.

DAC also approved the indigenous purchase of equipment worth over ₹5,100 crore. These include sophisticated electronic warfare systems for the Army designed by Defence Research and Development Organisation and made by Indian companies.

 livemint

Air Force’s LCA to get Astra firepower, not Rafale’s meteor

The Air Force is keen to make the indigenous Astra missile its standard long-range weapon for fighter aircraft and is promoting its integration on board the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) as well as other platforms, top officials have told ET.

The LCA will not bear Meteor — beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) — that is standard on the Rafale fighter jets, with the French side expressing its reluctance to integrate the weapon with an aircraft equipped with an Israeli-origin radar and the Air Force determined to bring down the heavy imports bill by selecting a home-grown option.

“We are not even looking at the French option. We want to promote the indigenous system and have it equipped across all our platforms. The Astra development programme has been satisfactory,” a top official said.

Sources said after the missile is inducted into the Su30MKI fighter jets from which it has been tested, the system would be integrated on other foreign-origin combat aircraft. The performance of the Astra, sources said, is regarded to be better than similar Russian systems currently in service.

User trials for Astra have been completed and the next stage, DRDO officials say, is for the first production order for the missile system. On board the LCA, integration tests are being carried out and the missile is likely to be part of the weapons package for 83 of the Mk1A version that is set to be ordered shortly.

Currently, the missile has a range of over 100 km and has been successfully test-fired against Banshee target aircraft simulating all possible threat scenarios. In the most recent user trials last September, the missile was launched with a warhead against manoeuvring targets that were neutralised, including a direct hit of the target at maximum range.

As reported by ET, DRDO is looking to nearly doubling the range of the missile to make it the most lethal weapon in India’s air-to-air arsenal. “Astra initially had some technological challenges, which have been overcome successfully. With our persistent effort and with active IAF support, all the user evaluation has been completed and Astra is now ready for induction,” DRDO chief G Sateesh Reddy had told ET.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has played a significant role in modifying the aircraft for weapon integration and over 50 public and private industries are involved in building the Astra weapon system.

 economictimes

IAF to increase squadron strength; 3 more to be inducted in 2020

There is finally light at the end of the tunnel for the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is at its lowest point since the 1970s, with just 28 fighter squadrons operational against its authorized 42 squadrons. A senior IAF planner has told Business Standard that the squadron strength will not fall any lower. Starting from 2020, numbers will gradually rise. Three squadrons will be inducted this year, while only two squadrons would be withdrawn from operational service.

One new squadron, which will be raised in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu in the coming months, will be equipped with new Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Nashik. These fighters will mount the air-launched version of the BrahMos cruise missile, and will be earmarked to carry out maritime strikes against enemy warships in the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.

The squadron will be Number 222 Squadron (called Tigersharks), which was initially equipped with the Sukhoi-7 fighter in the 1960s. It then converted to MiG-27 and was retired (or “numberplated”) in 2011, when the MiG-27 fleet was being retired.


In addition, the second squadron of Tejas Mark 1 light combat aircraft (LCA) will be raised in April. The first squadron of Tejas Mark 1 – Number 45 Squadron, called the Flying Daggers – is already operational in Sulur, Tamil Nadu. Now the second will begin receiving its fighters from HAL.

The third squadron to be raised this year will be equipped with the Rafale. Slated to be based in Ambala, Number 17 squadron (called Golden Arrows) will received its first batch of fighters in India by May and is likely to achieve full strength by March 2021.

Meanwhile, on the negative side, the IAF’s last MiG-27 squadron was phased out of service in December; and another MiG-21 squadron is currently being retired.

With HAL Nashik likely to complete delivery in the coming year of all 222 Sukhoi-30MKI contracted by the IAF, the IAF is processing an additional order for 12 more fighters, to replace the fighters lost over the years in accidents. In addition, a significant number of Sukhoi-30MKIs have begun coming up for overhaul each year, in HAL Nashik. The additional fighters now being ordered will function as “replacement fighters” for the ones being overhauled.

Also in the pipeline is a squadron of MiG-29 fighters that Russia has offered India. The IAF is going ahead with the procurement, but officials say the fighters would first have to be fitted out with new avionics and weaponry. This is likely to take 2-3 years.

There is also a global procurement under way for 114 medium fighters. However, this is at a preliminary stage and, given the budgetary constraints, the IAF is not banking on these aircraft joining the fleet any time soon.

In the medium term, the IAF is looking to the Tejas Mark 1A to stabilise, and then raise its squadron numbers. A contract for 83 Tejas Mark 1A will be signed by April, which will add up to four squadrons. The senior official says the IAF has stressed to HAL that it must reach its planned production level of 16 fighters per year. An investment of Rs 1,200 crore has been made to expand HAL’s production capacity.

At present, the IAF’s fleet includes 12 Sukhoi-30MKI squadrons, three MiG-29UPG squadrons, six Jaguar squadrons, three Mirage 2000 squadrons, one Tejas squadron and the last three MiG-21 squadrons.

 business-standard