Page 3 - Defence Ministry

India successfully carries out test launch of Prithvi-II ballistic missile

India successfully carried out a test launch of tactical ballistic missile Prithvi-II from a test range off the Odisha coast on Tuesday. The defence ministry said the missile struck its target with "high accuracy". "A successful training launch of a short-range ballistic missile, Prithvi-II, was carried out on January 10 from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha," it said. "A well-established system, Prithvi-II missile has been an integral part of India's nuclear deterrence. The missile struck its target with high accuracy," the ministry said in a statement. It said the "user training launch" successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile. The Prithvi-II missile has a range of around 350 kilometres.

Defence ministry approves capital procurement proposals worth Rs 4,276 cr

The defence ministry on Tuesday approved three procurement proposals, including that of Helina anti-tank guided missiles, at a total cost of Rs 4,276 crore to bolster the combat capabilities of the armed forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The procurement proposals were cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The DAC, which is the defence ministry's highest decision making body on acquisition, also gave a go ahead for procurement of a batch of VSHORAD missiles to boost the air defence system along the LAC. While two procurement proposals were for the Army, the third one was for the Indian Navy. The defence ministry said the DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for three capital acquisition proposals, amounting to Rs 4,276 crore. "The DAC accorded AoN for procurement of Helina anti-tank guided missiles, launchers and associated support equipment which will be integrated to the Advanced Light Helicopter .

India, Japan to hold joint air exercise to promote defence cooperation

The air exercise, which will take place from January 12 to 26, will witness the participation of India's Su-30 MKI, two C-17s, and one IL-78 aircraft

Agnipath is game changer scheme for armed forces: Defence Minister

Agnipath recruitment scheme is a game changer initiative for the armed forces and it is going to act as force multiplier in making Indian military one of the best in the world with youthful outlook, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday. In his virtual address at an event, he said the scheme is going to help transform the armed forces into a tech-savvy, well-equipped and combat ready unit to face future challenges. The defence ministry, education ministry, skill development and entrepreneurship ministry and all the three services exchanged MoUs with various stakeholders to facilitate continued education of Agniveers while serving in the armed forces. Under these MoUs with National Institute of Open School (NIOS) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), suitable 12th class certificates and Bachelor's degree will be awarded to the Agniveers pursuing relevant courses, according to the defence ministry. "The job roles/skill sets of Agniveers, while being trained and

India has every capability to thwart challenges along border: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asserted that India has every capability to thwart challenges along the border to protect the country's territory. Singh also said India never encourages war, and always wants to maintain cordial relations with its neighbours. However, the Indian Army has the capability to face any challenge along the border, and is ready to deal with any situation, he said during the inauguration of a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) bridge here. India is a country which never encourages war and always wants to maintain cordial relations with its neighbours.. This is our philosophy inherited from Lord Rama and from the teachings of Lord Buddha. The country has every capability to face any kind of situation if provoked, Singh said.

World recognises India as military power to be reckoned with: Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh on Friday said that the world today recognises India as a military power to be reckoned with, due to the Indian government's pitching in for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'

Army inaugurates first 3D-printed dwelling unit for soldiers in Ahmedabad

The Army has inaugurated its first 3D-printed dwelling unit for soldiers at Ahmedabad Cantonment, the defence ministry said on Thursday. 3D printing technology uses complex software and a robotic unit that helps in creating a structure through multiple stages from a digital model. "The Indian Army inaugurated its first 3D-printed house dwelling unit (with ground-plus one configuration) for soldiers at Ahmedabad Cantonment on December 28, the ministry said in a statement. "The dwelling unit has been constructed by the Military Engineering Services (MES) in collaboration with MiCoB Pvt Ltd incorporating the latest 3D rapid construction technology," it said. Construction work of the dwelling unit measuring 71 sqm with garage space was completed in just 12 weeks by utilising the 3D-printed foundation, walls and slabs, officials said. "The disaster-resilient structures comply with zone-3 earthquake specifications and green building norms. The 3-D printed houses are symbolic of the ...

Defence, aerospace exports treble to Rs 12,815 cr in 5 years: Govt

Foreign procurement in defence rises to Rs 50,061 cr

Stealth guided missile destroyer Mormugao commissioned into Indian Navy

The stealth guided missile destroyer Mormugao was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Sunday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Goa CM Pramod Sawant were among those present at the commissioning ceremony in Mumbai. Singh said the warship's commissioning will boost India's maritime power. He termed INS Mormugao as the most technologically advanced warship. Indian economy is among the top five economies in the world, and according to experts, will be among the top three in 2027, Singh said. The Navy chief said the commissioning of the warship, on the eve of the Goa Liberation Day, is indicative of the large strides taken in warship design and building capability over the last decade. INS Mormugao is the second of the four 'Visakhapatnam' class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation, Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai. Named after the historic port city of Goa on

Indian Army remains prepared for all military contingencies: Govt

The Indian Army remains prepared for all military contingencies emanating out of the "collusive threat" from the military modernisation and aggressive actions by India's adversaries, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday, in an apparent reference to China and its all-weather ally Pakistan. It also said the Army is primarily focused on maintaining its operational preparedness in sync with India's desire to ensure stability and dominance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and Line of Control (LoC) while constantly monitoring and reviewing emerging threats to national security. The Defence Ministry mentioned this in a year-end review. Referring to the situation along the LoC (with Pakistan), it said the situation has been relatively peaceful with both Indian and Pakistani armies observing ceasefire understanding since February last year. "As compared to 4,645 ceasefire violations during its peak in 2020, only three minor incidents have been recorded since the understanding in ...

'India has no intention to capture other's land, but ready if provoked'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday commended the Indian Army for showing unmatched bravery during the Galwan and Tawang incidents

Six years after entering water, navy's latest destroyer to join the fleet

India building 1-2 capital warships yearly; China builds 6-9

Indian, Indonesian navies to take part in Coordinated Patrol: Defence Min

Indian Naval ship Karmuk, an indigenously built Missile Corvette along with L-58 (indigenously built Landing Craft Utility vessel) and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft will be participating in CORPAT

India never favours war, violence; not neutral to injustice: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said India neither disturbs others nor does it spare those who disturb the country. India never favoured war and violence. However, it cannot remain neutral to injustice and oppression. "It's not in our nature to remain neutral to injustice and oppression," he said without elaborating. The Minister was speaking at the Gita Dana Yajna organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at its magnificent Rajadhiraja Govinda temple in Vasantapura in Bengaluru. The Minister explained the circumstances that led to the Battle of Mahabharata. It was on the battlefield of Kurukshetra where Lord Sri Krishna delivered his epic lecture which came to be known as Srimad Bhagwad Gita, he said. He also told the audience that the content of Gita makes it eternal and universal. Reading Bhagwad Gita and imbibing it in life makes a person fearless, he added. The ISKCON Bengaluru has decided to donate one lakh Bhagwad Gita book throu

Ministry asks defence manufacturers to make policies on ex-Agniveers' quota

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane urged Indian defence manufacturers to act on their commitment and make policy announcements for ex-Agniveers at the earliest

Defence Min extends pension payment for pensioners who migrated to SPARSH

The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday said it has approved the extension of pension payment for three months for pensioners who migrated to its SPARSH platform and whose identification was due in November. The System for Pension Administration (Raksha) or SPARSH is a web-based system for processing pension claims and crediting the pension directly into bank accounts of defence pensioners without any external intermediary. "The Ministry of Defence has approved the extension of pension payment for three months for banks' pensioners, who migrated to SPARSH...and whose identification was due in November 2022," it said in a statement. "It is reiterated that the process of annual identification/life certification is a statutory requirement for continued and timely credit of monthly pension. Thus, all defence pensioners who are yet to complete their annual identification are requested to complete their annual identification/life certification by February 2023 positively to ensure smooth ...

Hindustan Aeronautics told to conduct Aero India 2023 in February

"Hon'ble Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) has approved that the DDP will conduct the 14th edition of Aero India 2023 at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, from 13th- 17th February 2023"

Swift, transparent decision-making needed for combat readiness: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said swift and transparent decision-making and availability of optimal resources were needed for a country's combat readiness. In his address at the Controllers' Conference 2022 organised by the Defence Accounts Department (DAD), Singh further said that a delay in making a decision leads to loss of both time and money, and affects combat readiness. Resources around the world are limited, the defence minister said, and emphasised on exercising "financial prudence" in using them. Resources should be used at the right places and there should be no wastage, he added. "A penny saved is a penny earned, and this applies fully to resources too. You are aware that for a country's combat readiness, not only availability of optimal resources is required, but swift and transparent decision-making is also needed," Singh said. If there is a delay in decision-making, there may be some shortfall in combative readiness, he added.

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on three-day visit to Lucknow

Rajnath Singh, who is an MP from Lucknow, has a packed schedule lined up with several events during his trip

Info war can be a threat to stability: Defence minister Rajnath Singh

Adds successive govts have failed to create national security strategy