Defence Ministry

Take up new initiatives to compete in Defence market: Aramane to HAL

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane on Friday urged leading Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to take up new initiatives to aggressively compete in the defence market and focus on new areas like unmanned vehicles, as the country is in need of these advanced systems. Aramane today inaugurated the third LCA production line and also handed over 100th Sukhoi-30 MKI (Repairs and Overhaul) aircraft to Air Vice Marshal Sarin, VSM, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Eng A), Indian Air Force in a programme at HAL's Nashik Division. According to HAL, the Defence Secretary lauded its efforts in taking up the challenge of setting up an facility for Su-30 MKI and also establishing a new production line for LCA manufacturing. The Government has come out with several Aatmanirbhar Bharat' policies, and that puts HAL in a very important position. HAL will be producing more in the coming years. Build more systems, come out with new concepts, new platforms for future growth, the release quoted

First lot of women officers to join Army's artillery regiments this month

The Centre has approved the Indian Army's decision to induct women officers in the artillery regiments, Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt informed the Lok Sabha on March 31

India to carry out maiden firing of its Russian-origin air defence system

Having already operationalised the first two squadrons of the long-range air defence system, the Indian Air Force is going to carry out the maiden firing of the S-400 missiles soon

India's defence equipment exports reach Rs 16,000 crore this year

This amounts to a ten-fold increase since 2016-17, when exports were Rs 1,521 crore

Def ministry signs Rs 470 cr pact for modernisation of Naval Aircraft Yards

The Ministry of Defence on Monday signed a contract with a firm for modernisation of Naval Aircraft Yards (NAYs) at Goa and Kochi at a cost of nearly Rs 470 crore, officials said. The NAYs undertake servicing and repairs of naval aircraft, aero engines, rotables and test equipment at Goa and Kochi, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry signed a contract with Ultra Dimensions Pvt. Ltd. (UDPL), Vishakhapatnam for "modernisation of Naval Aircraft Yards (NAYs) at Goa and Kochi, at a cost of approximately Rs 470 crore", it said. Induction of the latest state-of-the-art aircraft into the Indian Navy inventory requires modernisation of existing maintenance and repair facilities at NAYs to bridge the technological and capability gap to meet the present and future aviation maintenance challenges, officials said. The modernisation includes repair facilities with state-of-the-art automated machineries and composite repair bays. This project will generate an employment of more than 1.

Guns vs Butter-III: Much of Army's war-fighting equipment remains vintage

The third of a five-part series looks at the state of the Army's weaponry and the need for greater funding to transition to a more state-of-the-art arsenal

India's borders secure, surgical strikes broke terrorists' back: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India's borders are "fully secure" and asserted that surgical strikes conducted by India have broken the back of terrorists. Addressing a conclave here, he also said that whether it was the "standoff with China or any ill intentions from Pakistan", Indian armed forces have been giving a "befitting reply". Singh further said that India has led the world on issues like terrorism and has been successful in garnering support to eliminate the menace. "Our borders are fully secure. Whether it was the standoff with China or ill intentions from Pakistan, our armed forces have been giving a befitting reply, whenever required. "The surgical strikes against terrorism have broken the back of terrorists. A strong and clear message has gone to the world that India has the strength and it can strike (against terrorism) on its own soil, and if need be, on their (foreign) soil as well," he said. This is the result of strong will of the government, th

Defence Ministry inks contracts with BEL, NSIL to bolster capabilities

In line with its vision for self-reliance, the Defence Ministry on Wednesday signed signed three contracts -- two with Bharat Electronics Limited and one with NewSpace India Limited -- worth nearly Rs 5,400 crore to bolster the defence capabilities of the country. The first contract with BEL pertains to procurement of Automated Air Defence Control and Reporting System, 'Project Akashteer', worth Rs 1,982 crore for the Indian Army, the ministry said in a statement. The second contract with BEL relates to acquisition of Sarang Electronic Support Measure (ESM) systems along with associated engineering support package from BEL, Hyderabad, at an cost of Rs 412 crore for the Indian Navy, it said. "The contract with NSIL, a central Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Space, Bengaluru, pertains to procurement of an advanced communication satellite, GSAT 7B, which will provide high throughput services to the Indian Army at an overall cost of Rs 2,963 crore.

Def ministry signs contract worth Rs 3700 cr with BEL for radars, receivers

The defence ministry on Thursday signed two contracts worth over Rs 3,700 crore with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for radars and receivers, which will enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force. The first contract worth over Rs 2,800 crore pertains to the supply of Medium Power Radars (MPR) 'Arudhra' for the IAF, and the second, at an overall cost of around Rs 950 crore, relates to 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR). Both projects are under 'Buy IndianIDMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured)' category. The projects are aimed at enhancing surveillance, detection, tracking and electronic warfare capabilities of the air force. "These essentially embody the spirit of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and will help facilitate the realisation of the country's journey to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing," the Indian Air Force (IAF) said in a statement. MPR (Arudhra) radar has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and

Defence budget readies US for possible China confrontation: Pentagon

The US military must be ready for possible confrontation with China, the Pentagon's leaders said Thursday, pushing Congress to approve the Defence Department's proposed USD 842 billion budget that would modernize the force in Asia and around the world. "This is a strategy-driven budget and one driven by the seriousness of our strategic competition with the People's Republic of China," Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in testimony before the House Appropriations subcommittee on defence. Pointing to increases in new technology, such as hypersonics, Austin said the budget proposes to spend more than USD 9 billion, a 40 per cent increase over last year, to build up military capabilities in the Pacific and defend allies. The testimony comes on the heels of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, amid concerns China will step up its support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine and increasingly threaten the West. China's actions, said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman o

Barring married individuals from applying for JAG in army reasonable: Govt

The Centre on Wednesday defended before the Delhi High Court the policy barring married individuals from applying for Judge Advocate General (JAG), the legal officer in the army, and said considering the "effects of marriage", the bar is a "reasonable restriction placed in public interest and the interest of national security". In an additional affidavit filed in response to a petition challenging the embargo, the Central government said the condition of being unmarried for grant of commission to cadets aged 21-27 years is "restricted only for the period of recruitment and pre-commissioned training" which involves a high amount of stress and rigours of military training and the restriction on marriage before successful commission is in the interest of the candidates as well as organisation. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Datta granted time to petitioner Kush Kalra to file his response to the Centre's stand. Last year, the high court had asked the .

Finance, railways, defence ministries among top 5 litigants in government

Union ministries of finance, railways, defence, labour and employment and home are the "top five litigants" amongst the government, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. In a written reply, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said seeking to reduce litigation, ministries and departments such as the railways and the Department of Revenue, involved in a high number of litigations, have been taking several measures for reducing the number of court cases. Citing data available on the Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS) portal, he said the finance ministry has 1.73 lakh pending cases, including 9,062 in the Supreme Court. The railways ministry has 1.08 lakh pending cases, including 554 in the top court, while the defence ministry has over 85,000 pending cases, which include 1,235 in the apex court. The labour and employment ministry is party to over 78,000 pending cases, including 320 in the top court. The home ministry has over 23,000 pending cases in various courts and tribunal

Rs 70,500-crore indigenous arms buy gets defence ministry's approval

These largely include indigenous BrahMos missiles, Shakti Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, and Maritime Utility Helicopters

Govt approves capital acquisition of military hardware worth Rs 70,584 cr

India on Thursday approved the capital acquisition of indigenously-developed military hardware worth Rs 70,584 crore as part of a mega procurement plan that is expected to significantly boost domestic defence manufacturing. The approval to the procurement proposals was accorded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, officials said. The go-ahead to the fresh procurement proposals came amid the nearly three-year-long standoff along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh with China. The DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition amounting to Rs 70,584 crore and all the procurement will be made under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category. The total approval granted for capital acquisition in the financial year 2022-23 now stands at Rs 2,71,538 crore, of which 98.9 per cent will be sourced from Indian industries, the officials said. "Such quantum of indigenous procurement wi

Defence min cannot take law in its own hands on OROP arrears, says SC

The Supreme Court on Monday said the Ministry of Defence cannot take law in its own hands by issuing a communication "unilaterally" that One Rank-One Pension (OROP) arrears to pensioners of the armed forces will be paid in four installments and sought a payment plan by March 20. Noting that over four lakh pensioners have died since the OROP litigation started in 2016, the court also asked the defence ministry to immediately withdraw its communication and told Attorney General R Venkataramani to prepare a note giving details of the quantum of payment to be paid, the modalities to be adopted and what's the priority segment. The January 20, 2023 communication had said the OROP arrears will be paid in four equal installments to ex-servicemen. The court observed that the defence ministry's January 20 communication was "directly contrary" to its verdict on March 16, 2022 that had directed payment of complete arrears within three months and it cannot unilaterally say it will pay OROP arrear

Defence min signs Rs 934 crore contract for refit of Sindhukirti submarine

The defence ministry signed a contract on Monday for refit of the Sindhukirti submarine at the Hindustan Shipyard Limited at an overall cost of Rs 934 crore. Sindhukirti is a Kilo-class diesel electric submarine of the Indian Navy. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Sindhukirti will be combat worthy and will join the active submarine fleet of the Navy after the completion of the refit. "In another boost to achieve 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', Ministry of Defence, on March 13 signed a contract for normal refit of Sindhukirti submarine at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam at an overall cost of Rs 934 crore," it said in a brief statement.

Defence Ministry inks contract with HAL to procure 6 Dornier aircraft

The defence ministry on Friday sealed a deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to procure six Dornier aircraft at a cost of Rs 667 crore for the Indian Air Force. The addition of the six aircraft will further bolster the operational capability of the IAF in remote areas, the defence ministry said announcing the contract. The Dornier-228 aircraft is a highly versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft. It has been developed specifically to meet the manifold requirements of utility and commuter transport as well as for maritime surveillance. The aircraft will have an upgraded fuel-efficient engine coupled with a five-bladed composite propeller, the ministry said. "The Ministry of Defence, on March 10, signed a contract for procurement of six Dornier-228 aircraft for the Indian Air Force from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of Rs 667 crore," it said. "The aircraft was used by IAF for route transport roles and communication duties. Subsequently, it has also

Rajnath Singh addresses top naval commanders onboard INS Vikrant

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday reviewed India's maritime security challenges with the top naval commanders onboard the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in the Arabian Sea, amid China's burgeoning military posturing in the Indian Ocean region. As the 43,000-tonne steel behemoth, accompanied by a fleet of over 20 frontline frigates, destroyers and submarines, sailed across the high seas, the defence minister, sitting inside the Main Briefing Room of the nearly 262-metre long and 59-metre tall ship, complimented the naval commanders for fiercely protecting India's maritime interests in the strategic waters. Before addressing the commanders at the biannual naval conference, Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and other naval commanders witnessed a mega wargame involving Vikrant, the accompanying ships and almost all attack aircraft including MiG-29K deck-based jets. "It is a historic occasion," Admiral Kumar ..

We want to cooperate, work together in maritime domain: Indian Navy Chief

Highlighting the ever-changing technology in the field of modern warfare, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Saturday underscored the importance of cooperation and working together

Rajnath Singh, Israeli counterpart discuss development of military hardware

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke to his Israeli counterpart Major General Yoav Gallant and is understood to have discussed key projects relating to co-development of military hardware. In a tweet, Singh said India attaches "tremendous importance" to its relations with Israel. "Was happy to speak with the Defence Minister of Israel, Major General Yoav Gallant. India attaches tremendous importance to its relations with Israel," Singh said. "Looking forward to work closely with him towards strengthening the defence cooperation between both the countries," he said. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during which both leaders agreed on the potential for further strengthening bilateral strategic cooperation. Netanyahu is expected to visit India this year.