Page 5 - Military

China will never treat India as equal partner: USISPF President Aghi

China will never treat India as an equal partner and by amassing troops on the border, Beijing is forcing New Delhi to spend more money on defence than capital investment, Mukesh Aghi, the head of a top US-based India-centric business and strategic group has said. The militaries of India and China have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have had several rounds of talks at the diplomatic and military levels. What we are witnessing today is for the first time in a human race, a democratic nation of 1.4 billion people has shown exponential growth in the economic arena," Aghi, the president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF), said. Growing at seven-eight per cent, India's economy is now touching USD 4 trillion. "It is still very small when you compare it to the global GDP, which is around USD 105 trillion. We are still around 3 to 3.5 per cent of the global GDP, he told ..

New orders point to further gains for Hindustan Aeronautics stock

HAL is the primary supplier of India's military aircraft, helicopters, engines, avionics and accessories and the main provider of maintenance for defence aerospace

Mali's junta bans media from reporting political activities in country

In a deepening crackdown, Mali's ruling junta on Thursday banned the media from reporting on activities of political parties and associations, a day after suspending all political activities in the country until further notice. The order, issued by Mali's high authority for communication, was distributed on social media. The notice said it applied to all forms of the media, including television, radio, online and print newspapers. Mali has experienced two coups since 2020, leading a wave of political instability that has swept across West and Central Africa in recent years. Along with its political troubles, the country is also in the grip of a worsening insurgency by militants linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The scope of the ban or how it would be applied in practice was not immediately clear. It was also not known if journalists would still be allowed to report on issues such as the economy, which are closely tied to politics and who would monitor their work. Th

Indian Army plans aggressor red team, test-bed units in modernisation drive

A number of foreign militaries employ the opposing force concept, which calls for specialised military units that act as the enemy force in training exercises and war games

Myanmar's worst violence since military takeover intensifying crisis: UN

Myanmar's escalating conflict and worst violence since the military takeover in 2021 are having a devastating impact on human rights, fundamental freedoms and basic needs of millions of people as well as alarming spillover effects in the region, UN officials have said. Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told the UN Security Council on Thursday that the civilian toll keeps rising amid reports of indiscriminate bombing by Myanmar's armed forces and artillery shelling by various parties. The nationwide armed conflict in Myanmar began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and suppressed widespread nonviolent protests that sought a return to democratic rule. Thousands of young people fled to jungles and mountains in remote border areas as a result of the military's suppression and made common cause with ethnic guerrilla forces battle-hardened by decades of combat with the army in pursuit of autonomy. Despite its .

Arunachal Pradesh 'inherent part of China's territory': Chinese military

The Chinese military has reiterated its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, calling the area an inherent part of China's territory", days after India rejected Beijing's objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state. The Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang said that the southern part of Xizang (the Chinese name for Tibet) is an inherent part of China's territory, and Beijing "never acknowledges and firmly opposes" the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India, official media here reported. Zhang made the remarks in response to India's enhancement of its military readiness through the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, according to a report posted on the Chinese Defence Ministry's website on Friday. China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet, routinely objects to Indian leaders' visits to the state to highlight its claims. Beijing has also named the area as Zangnan. India has repeatedly rejected China's territorial cla

Denmark to expand conscription, draft women into military in rare move

The goal of the updated strategy, according to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, is to boost the proportion of young people enlisting in the military

First batch of Indian military personnel manning helicopter leaves Maldives

The first batch of Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives manning a helicopter gifted by India have departed from the island nation after handing over the operations of the chopper to an Indian civilian crew, the Maldivian media reported on Monday. A media official for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) told the media here that approximately 25 Indian soldiers who were stationed in Addu city are now back in India after handing over the operations of a helicopter to an Indian civil crew. There was no immediate confirmation from India's defence ministry on the withdrawal of the first batch of Indian military personnel from the Maldives as reported by the media here. The MNDF official confirmed that, as agreed, the Indian military troops left the country ahead of March 10. The helicopters will, from now on, be operated by civilian experts from India who have been transferred to the Maldives for the purpose, the Editon.mv news portal reported. The official further

Maldives military to have control of helicopter crew from India: MNDF

The Maldivian defence force on Thursday said it will have operational authority over the helicopter given by India to the island nation and the civilian crew that will pilot it. Addressing a press conference, the Principal Director of Plans, Policy, and Resources Management for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Colonel Ahmed Mujuthaba Mohamed said that discussions are underway for withdrawing Indian troops from the Maldives. He emphasised that the government of President Mohamed Muizzu has decided not to permit any foreign troops to remain stationed in the Maldives beyond May 10, PSM News, the state broadcaster reported. Last week, India said its first civilian team of technical experts has reached the Maldives to replace the military personnel operating an advanced light helicopter in the island nation. "The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter has reached the Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel who were operating this .

Sweden officially joins Nato after completing its accession process

Sweden on Thursday formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality as concerns about Russian aggression in Europe have spiked following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided at a ceremony in which Sweden's instrument of accession to the alliance was officially deposited at the State Department. Later Thursday. Kristersson will visit the White House and then be a guest of honor at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address to Congress. The White House said that having Sweden as a NATO ally will make the United States and our allies even safer. "NATO is the most powerful defensive alliance in the history of the world, and it is as critical today to ensuring the security of our citizens as it was 75 years ago when our alliance was founded out of the wreckage of World War II, it said in a statement. Sweden, along with .

Hyderabad man, duped into working as 'helper' for Russian army, dies

A man from Hyderabad, who was among the Indians "duped" by agents on the promise of jobs and taken to Russia and forced to work as a "helper" for the Russian Army, has died. The Indian Embassy in Moscow on Wednesday confirmed the death of the man, identified as Mohammed Afsan, adding that they are in touch with the family here. "We have learnt about the tragic death of an Indian national Shri Mohammed Asfan. We are in touch with the family and Russian authorities. Mission will make efforts to send his mortal remains to India," Indian embassy in Moscow said in a post on 'X'. When contacted, Afsan's brother Imran said the Indian embassy in Moscow informed the family about the 30-year-old's death. He requested the Central government to help them get back his brother's mortal remains. AIMIM sources said the party's chief Asaduddin Owaisi had contacted the Indian embassy in Moscow after Afsan's family approached him in this regard recently. An official from the Indian embassy in Mosco

China to provide military assistance to Maldives, inks pact to bolster ties

China on Monday signed a defence cooperation agreement with the Maldives to provide free military assistance to foster "stronger" bilateral ties with Male, weeks after President Mohamed Muizzu set a deadline for the withdrawal of the first group of Indian military personnel from his island nation. The Defence Minister of the Maldives Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon met with Major General Zhang Baoqun, Deputy Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China, to discuss enhancing defence cooperation between the two countries. Maumoon and Major General Baoqun "signed an agreement on China's provision of military assistance gratis to the Republic of Maldives, fostering stronger bilateral ties," the Maldivian defence ministry posted on its X handle. The details of the defence cooperation agreement were not provided. The visit of the Chinese military delegation took place days after Male allowed Xiang Yang Hong 03, a hi-tech Chinese research ship to make a port call for the

World Civil Defence Day 2024: All you need to know about civil defence

World Civil Defence Day, inter alia, promotes joint effort and participation among countries to reinforce resilience and reaction capacities in the face of developing dangers and challenges

Policy on progression of women army officers to be in place by Mar 31: Govt

The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Monday a detailed policy on career progression of women officers in the Indian Army will be in place by March 31, 2024. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud took note of the submission of senior advocate R Balasubramanian, appearing for the Centre, and directed that an updated status report be filed on this by April 1. "By March 31, 2024, a detailed policy will be in place on career progression of women officers and command in regular major unit," Balasubramanian told the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Senior advocate V Mohana, representing some women officers, said all 225 male officers who were promoted have been granted command position in regular major units. She said out of 108 women officers, only 32 were granted command position in regular units. On December 4 last year, the apex court was told that deliberations were underway to formulate a policy to deal with the issue of career progressio

After Pakistan hits back on Iran, China offers mediation to ease tensions

China Thursday offered to play a "constructive role" to ease tension between Pakistan and Iran following their missile strikes against each other over the last two days and asked the two countries to "exercise restraint and calmness and avoid escalation". Pakistan conducted "precision military strikes" against what it called "terrorist hideouts" in Iran's Siestan-Balochistan province that killed 9 people in the wee hours on Thursday. The attack was seen as retaliation to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Tuesday which targeted two bases of the Sunni Baloch militant group 'Jaish al-Adl' in Pakistan's unruly Balochistan province. The attacks have put China in a piquant situation as Pakistan is an all-weather ally, while Tehran is warming up to Beijing in recent years enabling China to expand its influence in the West Asia region. China also imports a considerable amount of oil from Iran. "Did you say that Pakistan launched strikes on Iran? I'm not aware of this, Chinese Foreign ...

Military ranking 2024: India retains 4th position; full list here

Global Firepower 2024 list sees South Korea, Japan, and Turkey move up in the rankings, while the UK, Pakistan and France slip

Russia plans to produce over 32,000 drones each year by 2030: Report

Drones have been widely used by Moscow and Kyiv since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and both sides are sharply increasing military production as the war drags on

Pakistan's military men want to kickstart Green Revolution in the country

Pakistan's government argues that corporate farming is essential to ensuring food security for its 240 million people

Taiwan reports China sent 4 suspected spy balloons over the island

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that China sent four balloons over the island, three of which passed near to a key air force base. The reported incursions on Tuesday come as China has been upping its threat to use force to annex the self-governing republic. Taiwan is holding elections for its president and legislature on January 13, and China has used its military, diplomatic and economic power to influence voters to back candidates favouring unification between the sides. Despite that, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party is leading in most polls, reaffirming the electorate's backing for the status of de-facto independence from mainland China. China regularly sends navy ships and warplanes to waters and airspace close to Taiwan, and its use of balloons to collect intelligence could be a new stage in its campaign of intimidation against the island. The Defence Ministry said three of the balloons passed from east to west, close to the Ching-Chuan-Kang air base, home to

Chinese military irked by Indian naval ship's drills with Philippines navy

Peeved over the recent naval exercises between the navies of India and the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea, the Chinese military on Thursday said defence cooperation between different countries should not harm the interests of third countries and regional peace. Answering a question from Chinese official media about naval exercises between an Indian naval ship and the Philippines naval vessel besides plans by France to hold naval and air drills with the Philippine Navy, Spokesman of the Chinese Defence Ministry Senior Col Wu Qian said China has taken note of the reports. China has always emphasised that defence and security cooperation between relevant countries must not harm the interests of third parties or hurt regional peace and stability, he said. China is getting restive about military cooperation between the Philippines and other countries as its coastguard ships recently involved face-offs with Philippines navy vessels to assert Beijing's control over the parts o