Page 16 - Defence Sector

Budget: Defence allocation at Rs 6.21 trillion, but stays below 2% of GDP

As a percentage of government expenditure, the budget allocated to defence is 13 per cent, continuing a multi-year trend of falling allocations

Defence Budget 2024: Rs 6.21 trn allocated, ambitious tech scheme announced

In the capital outlay for defence services, Rs 40,777 crore has been set aside for aircraft and aero engines while an amount of Rs 62,343 crore was allocated for "other equipment"

'India moving fast in defence production, 2,920 items indigenised so far'

India is moving "fast and steady" in defence production and so far indigenised 2,920 defence items out of 4,666 listed items, Director (DIP), Department of Defence Production, Amit Satija said on Wednesday. He was speaking on the topic ' Enhancing the participation of MSMEs in the Defence sector' at a state-level conclave of Defence MSMEs in Nagpur, organised by the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry). Satija said multiple initiatives have been undertaken by the Ministry of Defence, especially the Department of Defence Production. "Out of 4,666 defence items, including assemblies, sub-assemblies, raw materials, critical spares and components etc, which were listed for indigenisation, 2,920 items have already been indigenised," he said. Referring to the Make-1 and Make-2 categories, Satija said several industry-friendly provisions are built in, such as relaxation in the eligibility criteria, minimal documentation, and other provisions for considering ...

Rolls-Royce, Azad Engineering partner to make defence aero-engine parts

Power and propulsion solutions provider Rolls-Royce on Monday said it has signed an agreement with Azad Engineering for making complex defence aero-engine components in India. Under the long-term agreement, Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering will manufacture and supply complex components for defence aircraft engines and thus join the global supply chain for complex category components for Rolls-Royce's technologically advanced aero-engines, the company said in a statement. "Strong collaboration has been at the heart of Rolls-Royce's journey of success in India. As we work towards strengthening the defence ecosystem, we are happy to expand our supply chain in India in partnership with Azad Engineering," Rolls-Royce Executive Vice President Business Development and Future Programmes and Head of Global Networks, Alex Zino, said. The sourcing of complex components from India for aero-engine programmes further advances the goal of capability creation in the country, he added. Azad ...

Tata group, Airbus team up to make helicopters; Thales' MRO on cards

India, France adopt joint defence production road map

Sajjan Jindal-owned JSW forays into defence manufacturing business

JSW Group's entry into the defence business reciprocates the Indian Government's confidence in providing impetus through the private sector's participation in building indigenous defence capabilities

US Pentagon has no more money for Ukraine as it hosts meeting of allies

For the first time since Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin established the international group to support Ukraine in April 2022, the United States will host the monthly gathering of about 50 countries out of money, unable to send the ammunition and missiles that Ukraine needs to fend off Russia's invasion. While waiting for Congress to pass a budget and potentially approve more money for Ukraine's fight, the US will be looking to allies to keep bridging the gap. Tuesday's meeting will focus on longer-term needs, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters. Even though we aren't able to provide our security assistance right now, our partners are continuing to do that, Singh said. On Tuesday in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced a new USD 1.2 billion joint contract to buy more than 2,22,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition. The rounds are some of the most heavily used munitions in this conflict, and the contract will be used to backfill allies that h

India clocks defence offsets worth over $7 billion till January 2024

The total amount under defence offset stood at $2.9 billion as of March 2020, according to data from the Department of Defence Production

With an eye on Ladakh, DRDO begins testing an indigenous light tank

The tank has been named Zorawar, after the 19th-century general who conquered Ladakh and Baltistan for his Dogra overlords

India-US partnership within Quad enhances security: General Atomics

The collaboration between India and the US within the Quad framework enhances security and strengthens the ability to respond to emerging geopolitical threats and promotes a rules-based international order, according to a top Indian-American executive in the American defence industry. Vivek Lall, Chief Executive for the General Atomics Global Corporation, also said as his company is building its support network within India, it is also reaching out to the Indian high-tech sector. Collaboration between the U.S. and India, within the Quad framework, enhances security by fostering a strategic partnership to address common challenges, such as regional stability, maritime security, and counterterrorism, Lall told PTI in an interview. The US, Japan, India and Australia had in 2017 given shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad or the Quadrilateral coalition to counter China's aggressive behaviour in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region. Lall is on the Advisory Board of

IAF indigenised more than 60,000 components in 2-3 years: Air Chief Marshal

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Saturday said the IAF has indigenised more than 60,000 components in the last two to three years. He also said the Air Force cannot rely on foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) for repair and overhaul maintenance activities and that it has to be done in-house. The IAF chief was speaking with reporters on the sidelines of a programme held in the Bhonsala Military School in Nagpur. Queried on tracing the wreckage of a transport aircraft of Indian Air Force in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast, the Air Chief Marshal said, "Unfortunately, it took so long but finally we at least got the technology to (explore) deep sea and locate such things in seabed". "We are grateful to the Ministry of Ocean and Earth Sciences for facilitating this and to be able to discover this wreckage. It brings closure to a long pending sad accident". The wreckage of an IAF transport aircraft has been located at a depth of around 3.4 km in the Bay of Bengal, ne

China abruptly ousts nine military lawmakers as defense purge widens

The nation's top legislative body revoked the lawmakers' membership during a Friday meeting, the official Xinhua News Agency reported

Defence Secretary Aramane urges HAL to partner with private players

Hailing the important work being done by HAL, Aramane said, "HAL has received applause at the highest levels and the government trusts your capability to deliver and make the country self-reliant "

US says its nuclear missile capsules safe, but toxins lurked: Report

A large pool of dark liquid festering on the floor. No fresh air. Computer displays that would overheat and ooze out a fishy-smelling gel that nauseated the crew. Asbestos readings 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's safety standards. These are just some of the past toxic risks that were in the underground capsules and silos where Air Force nuclear missile crews have worked since the 1960s. Now many of those service members have cancer. The toxins were recorded in hundreds of pages of documents dating back to the 1980s that were obtained by The Associated Press through Freedom of Information Act requests. They tell a far different story from what Air Force leadership told the nuclear missile community decades ago, when the first reports of cancer among service members began to surface: The workplace is free of health hazards, a Dec 30, 2001, Air Force investigation found. Sometimes, illnesses tend to occur by chance alone, a follow-up 2005 Air Force review ..

IAF Chief Chaudhari visits 2 frontline operational bases in western sector

The IAF chief was briefed on the operational readiness of the bases, the statement said

'Govt to increase exports of 10-11 sectors from $160 bn to $500 bn by 2030'

The government is working on boosting domestic manufacturing and increasing exports to USD 500 billion by 2030 from 10-11 sectors, including automobiles, pharma, textiles, medical devices and chemicals, a senior official said on Thursday. These issues were discussed during a meeting called by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Thursday. The meeting was convened by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in collaboration with Invest India and SCALE (Steering Committee for Advancing Local Value-Add and Exports) Committee to unveil outcomes and recommendations made during the Chintan Shivir for Manufacturing, held on October 12 at Bharat Mandapam here. The 11 sectors are auto components, automobiles (including EVs), capital goods, chemicals, drones, medical devices, aerospace and defence, leather and footwear, textiles, and space. "We are looking at investments in these sectors. We will drill down to each of the areas to see how to promote manufacturing

2023 defence wrap: US supports India's defence modernisation plans

Calling 2023 a 'decisive year', the US Department of Defence, in an official release has stated that it is supporting allies and partners as they invest in their capabilities

N Korea's Kim Jong Un pledges to advance his atomic ambitions in New Year

That's according to an address he gave at a major policy-setting meeting attended by top cadres from his ruling party

Stealth-guided missile destroyer INS Imphal commissioned into Navy

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony Admiral Hari Kumar said that the INS Imphal is the first warship to be named after a prominent city of the north-east

China unveils Hu Zhongming as new naval chief amid rising maritime tensions

Hu Zhongming was promoted to the rank of general at a ceremony in Beijing attended by President Xi Jinping on Monday