Page 13 - Indian Air Force

Will cancel Agnipath scheme as soon as we come to power: Akhilesh Yadav

The Agnipath scheme will be cancelled "as soon as we come to power", Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday, a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced reservation for retired Agniveers. While campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections, Yadav had repeatedly promised to scrap the short-term military recruitment scheme if the INDIA bloc, of which the Samajwadi Party is a constituent, came to power. In a post on X, Yadav said, "As soon as we come to power, the short-term 'Agniveer' military recruitment that compromises the security of the country and plays with the future of the soldiers will be cancelled within 24 hours." "This is our demand on 'Agniveer' The old recruitment (model) should be reinstated," he said in Hindi. Adityanath on Friday said the Uttar Pradesh government would grant weightage to Agniveers who returned from service for recruitment in the police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). The Centre in 2022 unveiled the

Rajasthan announces reservation for Agniveers in state police recruitment

The Rajasthan government will provide reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment of jail and forest guards and state police, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has said. A statement from the Chief Minister's Office on Saturday said Sharma made a big announcement for Agniveers on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas (July 26). "The Rajasthan government has made a provision of reservation in state police, jail guard and forest guard recruitments for the Agniveers who protect the country's borders with a sense of dedication and patriotism," it said. "With this decision of the state government under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Agniveers will get an opportunity to work in the state after serving the country," the statement quoted Sharma as saying. However, the percentage of reservation in these services for Angiveers was not disclosed. The Centre in 2022 unveiled the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of youths aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 in the Army, Navy and the

Army had been demanding Agnipath scheme for years, we delivered it: PM Modi

The Prime Minister also criticised the Opposition parties opposing the scheme for 'politicising' a sensitive issue related to national security

Army had been demanding Agnipath scheme for years, we delivered it: PM Modi

The Prime Minister also criticised the Opposition parties opposing the scheme for 'politicising' a sensitive issue related to national security

Fighter jets to submarines: Budget 2024 aims at major defence acquisitions

In absolute terms, Budget 2024's allocation under the capital head to the armed forces stands at Rs 1.72 trillion, which is over nine per cent more than the FY24 Revised Allocation

Navy Chief to visit Mumbai following severe fire damage to INS Brahmaputra

Despite all efforts, the ship could not be brought to the upright position. The ship continued to list further alongside her berth and is presently resting on one side

Will Agniveer quotas address job security issue? Here's what experts think

Haryana government and a number of paramilitary forces have announced job reservations for Agniveers who are released after four years of service

25 yrs of Kargil war: IAF commemorates 'Op Safed Sagar', pays homage

The IAF on Sunday recalled the force's contribution in the Kargil war 25 years ago during which it flew thousands of strike missions and helicopters sorties to bolster the Army's efforts in fighting against the adversary. To commemorate the silver jubilee of the victory in the 1999 Kargil war, the Indian Air Force is celebrating 'Kargil Vijay Diwas Rajat Jayanti' at Air Force Station Sarsawa from July 12-26, honouring the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation, the ministry of defence said in a statement. On Saturday, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari laid a wreath at the Station War Memorial as a tribute to all air warriors who laid down their lives in service of the nation. He felicitated and interacted with many next of kin during the event. A spectacular air show was organised that included display by the Akash Ganga Team and aerial displays by Jaguar, Su-30 MKI and Rafale fighter aircraft. A 'Missing Man' formation was flown by Mi-17 V5 in memory of

HAL aims to deliver first LCA Mark 1A by Aug 15; GE engine supply by Sept

The aircraft was first planned to be delivered to the IAF by February-March timeframe this year but the schedule has been shifting for one reason or another

Pixxel hopes to deliver satellites for Indian Air Force by mid-2025

The Indian Air Force (IAF) may launch satellites procured from space start-up Pixxel by mid-2025, giving a boost to its capabilities to keep vigil on the country's borders and beyond. The IAF has signed a contract with the Bengaluru-headquartered Pixxel Space founded by young entrepreneurs Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal of BITS Pilani, while they were pursuing higher studies. "We should have that satellite up in space before the end of 2025, but likely we are aiming at mid-2025," Ahmed said in an interaction with PTI editors here. He said the task of Pixxel was to manufacture the satellite and hand it over to the IAF, which will operate the spacecraft. "In the case of the Indian Air Force for iDEX, we are not concerned with what the operations are. The operations will be mainly for looking at borders, looking at illegal testing, illegal growth and things like that. But we are not going to be operating the satellite," he said. Innovations for Defence Excellence, an initiative o

President Droupadi Murmu confers 10 Kirti Chakras, 26 Shaurya Chakras

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday conferred 10 Kirti Chakras, including seven posthumously, to personnel of the Army and paramilitary forces for displaying indomitable courage and extraordinary valour in the line of duty. Kirti Chakra is India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award. President Murmu, who is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, also presented 26 Shaurya Chakras, including seven posthumously, to the personnel of the armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces and state/Union Territory police during a defence investiture ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the defence ministry said in a statement. Sepoy Pawan Kumar of The Grenadiers, 55th Battalion, the Rashtriya Rifles; Captain Anshuman Singh of the Army Medical Corps, 26th Battalion, the Punjab Regiment; and Havildar Abdul Majid, 9th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) from the Indian Army have been conferred the Kirti Chakra posthumously, according to the list of awardees shared in the ..

Agniveer controversy explained: From Rahul Gandhi's claim to Army response

What is the Agniveer scheme and how has Ajay Kumar's death sparked fresh debate on the controversial army recruitment scheme

India, Russia conduct meeting to further enhance defence cooperation

The third India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission (IRIGC) Sub-Working Group meeting was held in the national capital to further enhance defence cooperation and joint exercises between the two nations.The two-day meeting was held on June 26-27, with the Indian Army and Russia's Land Forces participating in it.The meeting focused on defence cooperation, military training, military education and joint exercises between the two Armies."3rd #India #Russia Inter Governmental Commission (IRIGC) Sub Working Group (Land) Meeting between #IndianArmy & #LandForces, Russian Federation was held at #NewDelhi from 26-27 Jun 2024. The Talks focused on defence cooperation, military training, military education & joint exercises between the two Armies," the Indian Army posted on X.Meanwhile, India and Russia are making arrangements for an upcoming visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia, Reuters reported, citing, Russian state news agency RIA.According to RIA, a diplomatic source

IAF to acquire 6 Tapas drones, lead acquisition for Made-in-India UAVs

The Indian Air Force will be the lead agency for the induction and acquisition of the Tapas drones into the defence forces, they said

India, Qatar hold talks on sale of 12 used Mirage-2000 fighter jets

If the deal goes through, the Indian Air Force's fleet of Mirage fighter jets will jump to 60. They have been part of several key missions, including the Balakot airstrikes

Modern warfare no longer solely physical domain: IAF chief V R Chaudhari

Modern warfare is no longer a solely physical domain, but a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape increasingly influenced by complex data networks and advanced cyber technologies, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said on Saturday. Addressing the Combined Graduation Parade of the 213 Officers' Course at the Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal near here, Chaudhari also said tomorrow's conflicts cannot be fought with yesterday's mindset. Modern warfare is a dynamic and ever evolving landscape. It is no longer solely physical domain. It is increasingly influenced by complex data networks and advanced cyber technologies. As leaders you all need to adapt, innovate and leverage technology effectively for proving decisive in winning wars, the Air Chief Marshal said. He further said that professionalism, aggressiveness and initiative are three most admired qualities of a leader and at the same time leaders who are thinkers are also needed. As you embark on this extraordinary journey, let the co

After Kochi, plane ferrying bodies of Kuwait fire victims arrives in Delhi

An IAF aircraft carrying the bodies of 14 of the 45 Indians who died in a devastating fire at a building in Kuwait is expected to land shortly in Delhi from Kerala's Kochi, newly elected MP Yogender Chandolia said on Friday. A C130J aircraft carrying the bodies of 45 Indians, who died in the incident two days ago in Kuwait's Mangaf, landed at the Kochi international airport around 10.30 am. Thirty-one bodies were received at the Kochi airport by Central and state ministers, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The remaining 14 bodies were sent to Delhi in the same aircraft as a domestic flight from Kochi, airport authorities said. "Kamaljeet Sehrawat ji, Bansuri Swaraj ji (both MPs from Delhi) and I will be there at the Palam technical area when the bodies arrive. We will offer tributes to them by laying wreaths on the caskets. The flight is expected to land very shortly," Chandolia, the MP from Northwest Delhi, told PTI. The special IAF aircraft had taken off for Koch

IAF played vital role in LS polls, flew over 1,000 hours in 1,750 sorties

From extending the reach of the Election Commission into remote corners of the country to airlifting EVMs, the IAF played a vital role in the recently-held general elections, with its aircraft flying more than 1,000 hours in over 1,750 sorties. The Indian Air Force on Wednesday shared details about the helping hand it lent to the electoral machinery in the conduct of the Lok Sabha polls. "During the general elections 2024, the substantial flying effort has taken place over the last few months by medium-lift helicopters (Mi-17 variants), light utility helicopters (Chetak) and the indigenously manufactured advanced light helicopters (ALH Dhruv)," the IAF said in a statement. The force has been actively involved with the task of airlifting electronic voting machines (EVMs) and deploying Election Commission of India (ECI) personnel on election duties, as has been carried out during previous general or assembly elections, officials said. During the general elections 2024, the IAF played

IAF's Sukhoi fighter jet crashes in Nashik; pilot, co-pilot eject safely

They have been taken to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) hospital for further treatment, Special Inspector General of Nashik Range D R Karale told PTI

China deploys stealth jets close to Sikkim. When will India's answer fly?

As China once again deploys its Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter jets close to its boundary with India, the Indian AMCA fifth-generation fighter project finally appears to be gathering speed