Page 12 - Defence Ministry

Winter Session: Indian Navy has shortage of 10,896 personnel, says govt

The Indian Navy is reeling under a shortage of 10,896 personnel including 1,777 officers, according to details provided by the defence ministry in Parliament on Friday. Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt also said 9,119 posts of sailors are lying vacant in the Navy as on October 31. He said the shortage in the officer-rank is 1,777. The sanctioned strength of officers and sailors in the Navy is 11,979 and 76,649. Bhatt said a total of 323 officers were recruited in 2021 while the number in 2022 was 386. In 2021, 5,547 sailors were inducted into the Navy. The number in 2022 was 5,171, he added. To a separate question, he said a technology development fund to provide financial assistance to Indian industries, startups as well as academic and scientific institutions for the development of defence and dual use technologies. The fund is also aimed at engaging the private industries especially MSMEs and startups to bring in the culture of de

Rajnath Singh unveils crest of India guided missile destroyer 'INS Imphal'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday unveiled the crest of Indian Navy's stealth guided missile destroyer Imphal that is equipped with BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles and anti-submarine indigenous rocket launchers. The ship was delivered to the Indian Navy on October 20 by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai. The crest unveiling ceremony in Delhi was graced by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar. INS Imphal is the third of the four Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers. The crest design depicts the Kangla Palace on the left and 'Kangla-Sa' on the right. The unveiling of Imphal's crest, adorned with the Kangla Palace and Kangla-Sa is a befitting tribute to the sacrifice made by the people of Manipur towards India's independence, sovereignty and security, the defence ministry said. The Kangla Palace is an important historical and archaeological site of Manipur, and was the ...

India set to begin ambitious defence projects worth Rs 1.4 trillion

These three projects for the Indian Airforce include aircraft carrier, Tejas fighters, and Prachand helicopters

Defence Ministry body distributes Rs 932 cr to over 370,000 beneficiaries

Singh said on the sidelines of an event organised by the KSB on Friday to honour veterans and kin of martyrs ahead of Armed Forces Flag Day

Committed to unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters: Rajnath

India is committed to freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters in accordance with global norms, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday against the backdrop of China's increasing military muscle flexing in South China Sea. In an address at a meeting of 10-nation ASEAN and some of its dialogue partners in Jakarta, Singh also underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to ensure enduring peace and stability in the world. The defence minister reaffirmed India's message to the world at large, that "this is not an era of war", and spoke about the imperative to give up the "us versus them" mindset. Singh said India is commitment to freedom of navigation, overflight and unimpeded lawful commerce in the international waters in accordance with international laws, including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. There have been growing global concerns over China's sweeping claims of sovereignty over all o

Message for Beijing

Indo-US geopolitical collaboration is expanding

Defence ministry to release 3rd instalment of OROP pay before Diwali

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court asked the government to clear OROP arrears in three equal instalments by February 28, 2024.

India can eliminate nefarious acts on either side of border: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said if someone tries to carry out any nefarious act, India can eliminate them on this side of the border, and if necessary, on the other side as well. Singh was addressing a rally while campaigning for BJP candidate Lal Singh Arya at Khaneta village under the Gohad assembly seat in Bhind district. India's pride is soaring all over the world. During the Congress rule, people abroad would say India is a weak country. The world did not take our words very seriously, the minister said. The situation has changed now, and if India says something on international forums, the world listens with open ears, he said. Now, your India is not a weak country. No power in the world can dare threaten India, he said. If someone tries to carry out any nefarious act, India can eliminate them on this side of the border, and if necessary, it can strike them on the other side of the border as well, Singh said. He further said one person from every five famili

India, Kazakhstan to conduct 13-day military exercise starting Monday

India and Kazakhstan will begin on Monday a 13-day mega wargame in the Kazakh military base of Otar with a focus on boosting their counter- terror cooperation. The Indian contingent comprising 120 personnel from the Army and the Indian Air Force left for Kazakhstan on Sunday to participate in the seventh edition of the exercise 'Kazind-2023'. "In this edition of the exercise, both sides will practice conduct of counter terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under United Nations mandate," the defence ministry said. It said the two sides will rehearse various tactical drills such as "search and destroy operations, small team insertion and extraction operations etc." "The scope of the exercise also includes conduct of counter unmanned aerial system operations," the ministry said. "Exercise Kazind-2023 will provide an opportunity for both sides to gain an insight into the tactics, battle drills and procedures of each other, which is a prerequisite while operating under

Focus on strengthening air defence systems: Rajnath to IAF commanders

It is learnt that the commanders are extensively analysing use of various aerial platforms in the Hamas-Israel conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war

Zen Technologies secures Rs 100 cr order from MoD for tank training system

Zen Technologies had won an order for anti-drone systems worth Rs 227.65 crore and orders worth Rs 202 crore from the defence ministry earlier this year

Govt seals Rs 313 crore deal for mid-life upgrade of frigate INS Beas

The defence ministry on Monday signed a Rs 313 crore contract with the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for mid-life "upgrade and re-powering" of frontline frigate INS Beas. The ministry said the "transformative maiden re-powering" project marks a significant stride in the maintenance philosophy of the Indian Navy and repair capabilities of CSL. "The ministry of defence signed a contract on October 16 in New Delhi for mid-life upgrade and re-powering of INS Beas with Kochi-based M/S Cochin Shipyard Limited at an overall cost of Rs 313.42 crore," it said. INS Beas is the first of Brahmaputra class frigates to be re-powered from steam to diesel propulsion. "After completion of the mid-life upgrade and re-powering in 2026, INS Beas will join the active fleet of the Indian Navy with a modernised weapon suite and upgraded combat capability," the ministry said in a statement. "The transformative maiden re-powering project marks a significant stride in the maintenance philosophy of the Indi

Army moves proposal to Defence Ministry to buy howitzers from Indian cos

Indian Army's Regiment of Artillery is looking to use the expertise of Indian Industry to produce 155 mm/52 calibre Towed Gun System

Private defence companies likely to sell Rs 60,000 crore arms to MoD

In Feb 2018, the MoD established two defence industrial corridors to serve as engines of economic development and growth of defence industrial base in the country

Defence ministry clears procurement of military hardware worth Rs 45,000 cr

The Defence Ministry on Friday cleared procurement of various weapons systems and platforms including Dhruvastra short range air-to-surface missile and 12 Su-30 MKI fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 45,000 crore. A total of nine procurement proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, officials said. "All these procurements will be made from Indian vendors under Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM)/Buy (Indian) category which will give substantial boost to the Indian defence Industry towards achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'," the defence ministry said. To enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increase survivability of mechanised forces, the DAC accorded the approval for procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (LAMV) and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S), the ministry said in a statement. The DAC cleared also cleared the procurement

MoD approves capital acquisition proposals worth about Rs 45,000 crore

Proposals also cleared for the avionic upgrade of Dornier-228 aircraft; procurement of Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missile; and 12 Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft

Invest in R&D for India to keep pace with evolving world: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called upon domestic defence companies to invest more in research and development for India to keep pace with the evolving world. Addressing the North-Tech Symposium, jointly organised by the army's Northern Command, the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and IIT-Jammu, Singh described the country's defence manufacturing sector as "imaginative, innovative, dynamic and progressive". "Though research and development (R&D) is a risky venture as it requires out-of-the-box thinking and sometimes does not give desired results, it still remains one of the basic elements for the development of any country," he said. Hence, capital investment in R&D becomes a necessity, the minister added. The defence minister said India is passing through a transitional phase. "There is nothing wrong in acquiring a technology through imitation or transfer, but we cannot become a developed nation on these grounds alone. We need to file our own ...

Defence Ministry's Rs 19,048 cr order to greatly benefit HSL, Vizag: BJP MP

BJP Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao visited Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam here on Thursday

Increased engagement with Bangladesh forces positive sign: Defence Ministry

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, co-chaired the meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman

Kalyani Rafael Systems bags Rs 287.51 cr order to supply missile systems

Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems Pvt Ltd on Monday said it has bagged a Rs 287.51 crore order from the defence ministry for the supply of missile systems. The company is a joint venture between Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd (a wholly-owned defence subsidiary of Bharat Forge Ltd) and Rafael Advanced Systems Ltd of Israel. "The order is expected to be executed over the next 12 months," Bharat Forge said in a regulatory filing. The value of the order amounting to Rs 287.51 crore is inclusive of taxes, it added. Bharat Forge had set up Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd, a 100 per cent subsidiary, as a flagship company to drive defence business initiatives of the group.