Page 32 - Indian Navy

Chinese intrusions into Indian Ocean not uncommon, says Indian Navy

The Indian Navy on Wednesday said it keeps surveillance over the Indian Ocean Region where "the Chinese intrusions are not uncommon" and asserted that the force was committed to protect the country's interest in the strategic area. Southern Naval Command (SNC) chief, Vice Admiral M A Hampiholi, said the Indian Navy keeps surveillance in the region through satellites and maritime reconnaissance aircraft. His statement comes amid reports that a Chinese spy vessel has entered the Indian Ocean Region for the second time in the past few months. "The Chinese intrusions into the Indian Ocean region are not uncommon. They have been here for quite some time...I must assure you that we keep our areas of interest under surveillance throughout. We do that using a variety of means...," SNC chief told reporters here in response to a query on the news reports on the Chinese spy vessel reaching Sri Lankan port. He said the Navy also keeps surveillance through satellites, maritime reconnaissance ..

India seeks consular access to 8 ex-navy officers detained in Qatar: MEA

India on Thursday said it had sought further consular access to eight of its former navy officers under detention in Qatar for nearly three months. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman Arindam Bagchi said the Indian embassy in Doha has been pursuing the matter with the Qatar authorities. Bagchi said some relatives of the detained officers were allowed to meet them in Qatar. Qatar authorities had taken Commander Purnendu Tiwari (retd), the managing director of Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, and seven others into custody on August 30. The other detained officers are Cdr Navtej Singh Gill, Cdr Birendra Kumar Verma, Cdr Sugunakar Pakala, Cdr Sanjeev Gupta, Cdr Amit Nagpal, Capt Saurab Vasisht, and Ragesh Gopakumar. "I would refer you to the government of Qatar for the reasons for their arrest," Bagchi said to questions about the reasons for the arrest of the eight Indian nationals. "This issue is something that we have been pursuing. Our embassy in Doha h

INS Trikand, INS Sumitra take part in bilateral exercise with Oman Navy

The Indian Navy's guided missile stealth frigate INS Trikand and offshore patrol vessel INS Sumitra have participated in the 13th edition of bilateral exercise 'Naseem Al Bahr' off the coast of Oman. The exercise, which was conducted from November 19-24, had three phases -- harbour phase, sea phase and debrief, officials said. Activities undertaken during the harbour phase included professional interactions between Indian Navy and Royal Navy of Oman operations teams and friendly sports fixtures between the two navies, they said. "The Indian Navy's guided missile stealth frigate, INS Trikand, offshore patrol vessel, INS Sumitra, and Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), Dornier, participated in the 13th edition of the Indian Navy (IN)-Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) bilateral exercise 'Naseem Al Bahr' (Sea Breeze)," a Navy official said. Indian Navy ships Trikand and Sumitra, along with RNO ships Al Shinas and Al Seeb, sailed for the sea phase. IN-MPA Dornier, RNO MPA and shore-based RAFO fighte

Navy proposes operationalising Indian Ocean partnership initiative

The Indian Navy had already created a bouquet of initiatives and structures to manage the Indian Ocean

Women permitted in certain branches of Indian Navy University: Centre to HC

The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that entry of women candidates in certain branches of the Indian Navy University has now been permitted. The high court was informed that now the Indian Navy is recruiting women candidates under the Indian Navy University Entry Scheme in the executive branch's general service (X) cadre, IT and in the engineering and electrical branch. Taking note of the Centre's submissions, a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad disposed of a petition which had sought entry of women candidates in certain branches of the Indian Navy University, where admission of females was barred. The PIL, filed by lawyer Kush Kalra, had alleged institutional discrimination by the government and had sought a direction to it to elaborate the steps taken to permit the entry of women on par with male candidates. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Centre, argued that a PIL filed on the subject

Third, and the biggest, edition of coastal defence exercise from today

"Coastal security being a major sub-set of coastal defence, the concept of 'Exercise Sea Vigil' is to activate the coastal security apparatus across India," stated the Ministry of Defence

Testing, evaluation facility for sonar systems for Navy launched by DRDO

Giving impetus to the vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and the 'Make in India' initiative, a testing and evaluation facility for sonar systems to be used by the Indian Navy has been launched by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, an official statement said on Monday. It is a state-of-the-art system developed for use by the Navy onboard various platforms, including ships, submarines and helicopters, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. "Giving impetus to the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' commitment, the DRDO launched Hull Module of Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterisation & Evaluation (SPACE) facility at Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi, recently," it said. The SPACE facility is based on the concept design and requirements projected by NPOL and has been constructed by L&T Shipbuilding, Chennai, it said. This will be mainly utilised for evaluating sonar systems, allowing for quick deployment and easy recovery of ..

Deal with fishermen in more humane way: Indian Navy to Lankan peers

The Indian Navy has urged its Sri Lankan counterpart to adopt a more humane approach towards Indian fishermen. This was discussed during the Indian Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) meeting held aboard a Lankan ship in the Bay of Bengal on November 4. Flag officer commanding (Tamil Nadu and Puducherry-naval area) S Venkat Raman spoke to Lankan Navy commander (northern naval area) Tennekoon during the 32nd edition of the meeting, a defence press release said on Saturday. The meeting onboard 'Sayura' saw a discussion on maritime security and safety of Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait. "The Indian delegation urged the Sri Lankan security agencies to show a more humane approach towards the Indian fishermen. Both delegations reiterated the need for expeditious information-sharing, especially on issues that require immediate action", the release said. The interaction between the two officers acted as a forum to the Navy and Coast Guards of the two countries to further enhance ties and ..

Navy Chief Kumar arrives in Tokyo for quadrilateral naval Exercise Malabar

Exercise Malabar includes sophisticated naval drills, in which the navies of The US, India, Japan, and Australia, practice engaging a hostile power

Indian Navy must remain combat ready and credible force: CNS Admiral

The Indian Navy must remain a "combat-ready, credible, cohesive and future-proof force" to navigate the turbulent security scenario, Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said in an address to top naval commanders amid China's increasing assertiveness in the Indian Ocean region. Referring to various challenges facing India in the maritime domain, the admiral talked about the "complex security landscape", terrorism, the rise of "non-state actors" and the expanding influence of "large corporations", saying they are influencing the strategic and security calculus. He was addressing the naval commanders' conference that concluded on Thursday after deliberations for four days. In his remarks, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan reiterated the need for operational preparedness, self-reliance and the need for further integration in the armed forces towards collectively meeting India's national security imperatives. The Navy said the conference provided an opportunity to the naval ...

Revisit denial to disclose report on armed forces' pay: CIC to PMO

The Central Information Commission has directed the Prime Minister's Office to "revisit" its refusal to disclose under the RTI a 14-year old report by a Group of Ministers led by former External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on pay and pension of armed forces personnel on grounds that it was "highly sensitive". The directive came after the RTI applicant told the panel that substantial portions of the report that were termed "highly sensitive" and "prejudicially affecting the sovereignty and integrity of India" by the PMO, have already been declassified and disclosed by the Defence Ministry. Through his RTI application dated January 31, 2021, S Y Savur had sought the copy of the report submitted by Mukherjee on December 19, 2008 for then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's approval and copy of the approval along with file notes, office memorandum along with all relevant information that "preceded" the approval. The PMO had refused to disclose the report and other documents, calling t

Andhra cadre IAS Giridhar Aramane takes charge as new defence secretary

Seasoned bureaucrat Giridhar Aramane on Tuesday assumed charge as the new defence secretary at a time the government has been focusing on modernising the three services. Aramane, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was serving as secretary of the ministry of road transport and highways prior to his new assignment. Before taking charge, Aramane laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and paid homage to the fallen heroes. "We draw inspiration from these bravehearts and promise to work towards fulfilling their dream of making India a safe and prosperous country," he said. Aramane succeeded Ajay Kumar, who retired from service on Monday. In his 32-year career as an IAS officer, Aramane has held various important positions in the central government as well as the Andhra Pradesh government. He also served as an additional secretary in the cabinet secretariat. Aramane looked after the exploration division in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and was exec

Tamil Nadu fishermen to stage statewide protest against Navy firing

On October 21, the Indian Navy ship on patrol in the Palk Bay near the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) fired shots at a fishing boat which had 10 people in board.

Army's first inter-service paragliding championship begins in Bir Billing

The first Inter services paragliding X-country championship begin with a colourful opening ceremony at the mountainous belt of Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh. Commenced on Saturday, the Championship, a first of its kind, is being conducted from October 29 to November 01, under the aegis of army adventure wing (AAW), defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said on Sunday. The day's activities saw around 15 paragliding pilots from the Indian Army and Navy taking off from Billing and landing at Bir located approximately 13 to 14 kilometers, in a display of their ability of navigating X-country in air. "Paragliding is primarily a recreational and competitive adventure sport. The ability of the paragliding flight to last many hours and cover large distance is, what is of great importance to the Armed Forces, as it will facilitate aerial insertions behind enemy lines," Anand said. The opening ceremony was presided over by Brigadier AK Singh, who welcomed the paragliding pilots from the

Adani Group buys Air Works, forays into aircraft maintenance business

The MRO firm, which has six investors, received its first external funding from GTI Group and Punj Lloyd in 2007

Mig 29K crashes after developing technical snag, pilot ejects safely

A MiG 29K fighter jet of the Indian Navy developed a technical malfunction while returning to a base in Goa on Wednesday morning and the pilot ejected safely, officials said.

New CDS asks 3 defence forces to work on creation of theatre commands

In his maiden communication with the three defence forces, new CDS Gen Anil Chauhan has asked the Army, Navy and Air Force to make a move ahead towards the creation of integrated theatre commands

We will tackle all challenges and difficulties together: CDS Chauhan

Gen Anil Chauhan on Friday became India's new Chief of Defence Staff with a mandate to implement the ambitious theaterisation plan that aims to ensure tri-services synergy and prepare the armed forces for future security challenges facing the nation. Gen Chauhan, a former Eastern Army Commander, took charge as the country's senior-most military commander over nine months after first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. In a brief interaction with the media, Gen Chauhan said the security challenges facing the nation will be dealt with jointly by the three services. "I am proud to be assuming the responsibility of the highest rank in the Indian Armed Forces. I will try to fulfill the expectations from the three services and tackle all challenges and difficulties together," he said. He became the first retired three-star Lt General-rank officer to return to the service as a four four-star General. Gen Chauhan will also be the Principa

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan takes charge as India's new Chief of Defence Staff

Gen Anil Chauhan on Friday became India's new Chief of Defence Staff with a mandate to implement the ambitious theaterisation plan that seeks to ensure tri-services synergy and prepare the military for future security challenges. Gen Chauhan, a former Eastern Army Commander, took charge as the country's senior-most military commander over nine months after first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. "I will try to fulfil expectations of the three services," Gen Chauhan said. Known as an expert on China, his appointment to the top post comes amid the lingering border row between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh. Sixty-one-year-old Chauhan will also function as Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs. He retired from service on May 31 last year when he was serving as the Eastern Army Commander. After his retirement, he was serving as the military adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) headed by

Navy buys 'enhanced range' BrahMos missiles for Rs 1,700 crore

To be lethal against warships and shore targets at 400 km; deal value Rs 1,700 crore