The MH-60R Seahawk multi-role helicopter will greatly bolster the Indian Navy's surface and sub-surface capabilities amid China's increasingly aggressive forays into the Indian Ocean Region
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Indian Navy has ensured that no country with its overwhelming economic and military power can suppress India's friendly countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Due to the Navy's readiness, India is fulfilling its responsibility very well and providing full help to allied countries in the Indian Ocean, he said. "We have ensured that there is no kind of hegemony in the Indian Ocean," Singh said addressing a gathering after inaugurating a new administrative building of the Naval War College near Goa capital Panaji. On the occasion, he also virtually unveiled an aircraft carrier pier and auxiliary vessel pier at the Sea Bird naval base at Karwar in neighbouring Karnataka. "Our Navy ensures that no country, with its overwhelming economic and military power, can suppress our friendly countries or crush their sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific region," he said. "The readiness with which the Indian Navy stands with our allies provides substant
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar on Tuesday said they have approached the Defence Ministry for an approval of changing the nomenclature of various ranks as they now have women sailors also. He also expressed hope that since gender neutrality has been introduced in the Indian Navy, it will have a woman chief in 30-35 years. He was addressing mediapersons during the inauguration of a new administrative building of the Naval War College (NWC) at Verem in North Goa. "We follow all roles, all ranks. Hoping that 30-35 years down the line we will have a woman chief of naval staff speaking to you all," Admiral Kumar said. The Navy already has a woman commanding officer of a ship based in Goa, he noted. "Recently, we have got a consensus from all the people concerned and we have taken it with the ministry for approval for changing the rank nomenclature, like leading seamen, seamen class I, seamen class II, because now we have got women sailors also," he said. "Women cannot be sea
The Indian Navy will commission on Wednesday in Kochi its newly-inducted MH 60R Seahawk multi-role choppers that it said would mark a "pivotal moment" in India's defence modernisation journey. The commissioning of the helicopters in the INAS 334 squadron is expected to significantly enhance the Navy's operational capability in the Indian Ocean region which has been witnessing increasing Chinese military forays. The US-manufactured MH 60R Seahawk is a maritime variant of the Blackhawk helicopter. The helicopter is designed for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue and medical evacuation among other operations. "The advanced weapons, sensors and avionics suite make the Seahawks ideal for the Indian Navy's maritime security needs, offering enhanced capabilities for both conventional as well as asymmetric threats," the Navy said on Sunday. The Seahawks squadron will be commissioned in the Indian Navy as INAS 334. India signed an agreement with the US for ...
The attacks in the Arabian and Red Sea were the focus of discussions between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Indian counterpart Jaishankar at the recent Munich Security Conference
The lone Indian national who could not return to India from Qatar along with seven of his colleagues around two-and-a-half weeks ago will return home once certain requirements are fulfilled, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Seven of the eight former Indian Navy personnel returned to India on February 12 after Qatar freed them. The Navy veterans were given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance on October 26 last year. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf country commuted the capital punishment on December 28 and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public. "As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Al-Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing here. "The eighth Indi
The Indian Navy intercepted a small ship on Tuesday and recovered more than 3,089 kg of charas, 158 kg of methamphetamine, and 25 kg of morphine
An Indian warship provided critical assistance to a merchant vessel after it caught fire following a suspected drone or missile attack in the Gulf of Aden, the latest in a series of such support missions in the region. Palau-flagged vessel MV Islander came under attack on Thursday and a crew member of the ship sustained injuries, Indian military officials said on Saturday. An explosive ordnance disposal team of the Navy embarked the vessel and sanitised it for any residual risk following which the vessel was cleared for onward transit, they said. The fresh incident comes amid growing global concerns over attacks on various commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi militants. A medical team of the Indian Navy also embarked MV Islander and provided medical assistance to the injured crew member, they said. In a swift response to a distress call from the vessel, the Indian warship arrived in the vicinity of the cargo ship within a few hours to provide critical support, an official .
The two sides affirmed the significant progress in bilateral defence cooperation between the two nations
Underlining that global commons are getting "contested", top admirals from the UK, France and the US on Friday pitched for forging partnership between like-minded nations to respond to ongoing crises in the world, provide stability, reduce risks and restore confidence. Navy Chief Adm R Hari Kumar; Adm Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, the UK; Adm John C Aquilino, Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command; Adm Nicolas Vaujour, Chief of the Naval Staff, France; and Air Marshal Robert Chipman, Chief of the Air Force, Australia took part in a panel discussion titled 'From the Aegean Sea to the South China Sea: Responding to Maritime Sieges', held at the Raisina Dialogue here. "If you can see what is happening in the South China Sea, and Red Sea where people are seeking to impose their will on the global commons... then that ripple will be felt far and wide, and not just in that point. And, this is what separates the maritime environment from the land environment," Adm Key ..
The sinking of PNS Ghazi was a significant event during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, which concluded with the establishment of Bangladesh in 1971
In a significant move, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has accorded approval for procurement of more than 200 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and associated equipment for the Indian Navy at a cost of around Rs 19,000 crore, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The missiles will largely be deployed on various warships to enhance overall combat capabilities of the Navy, they said. It is learnt that the proposal approved by the CCS entails acquisition of a mix of BrahMos missiles having a range of around 290 km and the latest extended range variant of the weapon with a range of around 450 km. BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms. BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound. The formal contract for acquisition of the missiles is expected to be sealed in the next few months. India is also
The BrahMos missile has been indigenised in a big way by the BrahMos corporation and more parts are being indigenised
Indian Navy will become "aatmanirbhar" (self-reliant) by 2047, Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Monday and also appealed to industry for help in achieving this goal. He said self-reliance meant manufacturing every ship, submarine, aircraft, and weapon system in India. "The Indian navy is committed to achieving aatma-nirbharta and we have promised the national leadership that we will become completely aatma-nirbhar by 2047, and for that, we will require the help of industry," said the chief of naval staff. He was speaking after inaugurating a manufacturing plant of Nibe Defence and Aerospace, an MSME working on various defence projects, in Chakan. Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, was also present. This facility is strengthening our ability to make our own weapon system in the country in line with the national vision for self-reliance, the Navy chief said. "Becoming 'aatmanirbhar' by 2047 means that every ship, submarine, aircraft, and weapon system will be made in India," Adm
India on Monday kick-started a nine-day mega naval exercise in Visakhapatnam with participation of around 50 navies that came amid the fractious geopolitical environment including growing global concerns over deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea. Navies from the US, Japan, Australia, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, among others, are participating in the 12th edition of the 'Milan' exercise that is aiming to bolster maritime cooperation among like-minded nations. The exercise commenced with the arrival of 15 warships and one maritime patrol aircraft from friendly foreign countries. From the Indian Navy, nearly 20 ships including aircraft carriers Vikrant and Vikramaditya and nearly 50 aircraft including MiG 29K, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas and P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft are participating in the exercise. Milan is a biennial multinational naval exercise which started in 1995 with the ...
Nibe Industries is one of the leading medium- and small enterprise firms working in the defence sector. They have been working on multiple projects, including canisters for vertical missile launchers
US aerospace major Boeing on Thursday announced the appointment of Nikhil Joshi as managing director of Boeing Defence India (BDI), saying it is aimed at strengthening the company's operations and accelerated growth strategy in the country. Based in New Delhi, Joshi will lead current and future programmes for BDI to enhance the mission readiness and modernisation of India's defence forces, the company said. Joshi has more than 25 years of aerospace and defence industry experience, including over two decades of service with the Indian armed forces in the aviation branch of the Indian Navy. Prior to joining Boeing, Joshi served as the country manager for Eaton Aerospace where he was responsible for growing the business footprint for Eaton in India. He has more than 4,000 hours of flying experience on various Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft and has commanded both frontline ships and air squadrons. "We are delighted to welcome Nikhil to our team. His wealth of experience and strong .
Captain Saurabh Vashisht is one of the eight Indian Navy veterans who were detained by Qatar on espionage charges. He returned home after months of captivity
Ministry of Defence has inked a contract with Advanced Weapon Equipment India Ltd for the production and supply of 463 indigenously manufactured 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control Guns (SRCG)
Ragesh Gopakumar, one of the eight Indian Navy veterans released by the Qatar government, expressed joy and gratitude over returning home and being reunited with his family after spending months in captivity in the tiny gulf nation. "We are just happy to be alive... happy to be home," a relieved Gopakumar said, adding that he and his colleagues survived only because of their Defence training. He was freed along with seven other former Navy personnel by Qatar two days ago after their death sentences were commuted to jail terms of varying duration. Gopakumar arrived in Balaramapuram, a suburb located over 16 km away from Kerala's capital city, on Monday and tearfully hugged his family members. Speaking to PTI, the ex-Navy man said, "Prison and confinement is something terrible." Whenever someone enquired what the plight of his family had been when he was in prison, he would ask them to imagine a situation where a husband who used to speak to his wife at least five times a day ...