Daily Defence Current Affairs And Updates 07 February 2023 [DOWNLOAD PDF]

Divyanshu Pandey
February 7, 2023
766

In Defence current affairs for 07 February 2023, we are going to see the latest national and international current affairs news. These important current affairs will be very helpful for your upcoming NDA, CDS, CDS OTA, AFCAT, TA, Agniveer Army, Agniveer Navy, Agniveer Air Force, Women Military Police, INET, MNS, ACC exams, SCO, PCSL, CAPF, and SSB interviews, and direct entries for Army, Navy, and Air Force like SSC Tech, TGC, JAG, NCC, TES, 10+2 Cadet. Download a PDF file about current events at the end of this article.

Defence Current Affairs 07 February 2023

PM Narendra Modi Unveils India’s Biggest Helicopter Manufacturing Facility

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Helicopter Factory at Tumakuru in Karnataka on February 06, 2023. He took a walkthrough of the Helicopter Facility & Structure Hangar and unveiled the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The factory is India’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce LUHs.
The LUH is an indigenously designed and developed three-ton class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter with unique features of high manoeuvrability. Initially, this factory will produce around 30 helicopters per year which can be enhanced to 60 and then 90 per year in a phased manner.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said, Karnataka is a land of saints and sages that have always strengthened the Indian traditions of spirituality, knowledge and scientific values. He lauded the talent and innovation of Karnataka’s youth and said the manufacturing sector’s strength is manifested in products from drones to Tejas fighter planes. “Double-engine government has made Karnataka the first choice of investors,” the Prime Minister asserted and illustrated the point by the HAL project dedicated today, for which he had laid the foundation stone in 2016 with a pledge for reducing foreign dependence for defence needs.
The Prime Minister expressed delight that hundreds of arms and defence equipment are being manufactured in India which are being used by the Armed Forces. “From advanced assault rifles to tanks, aircraft carriers, helicopters, fighter jets, transport aircraft, India is manufacturing it all”, the Prime Minister remarked. Throwing light on the aerospace sector, the Prime Minister pointed out that the investment made in this sector in the last 8-9 years is five times the investment made before 2014 plus 15 years prior. The Prime Minister underlined that Made in India arms are not just supplied to the armed forces but the defence exports have also grown manifold when compared to the years before 2014. He emphasised that hundreds of helicopters are going to be manufactured in this facility itself in the near future which will give rise to businesses worth Rs four lakh crore. “When such manufacturing units are set up, it does not just strengthen the Armed Forces but also creates employment and self-employment opportunities,” Shri Modi remarked as he underlined that small businesses near the helicopter manufacturing facility in Tumkuru will get empowered.
The Prime Minister emphasised that with the spirit of ‘Nation First’ success is assured. He talked about revamping and reforms in the working of the public sector enterprises as well as opening up opportunities for the private sector.
The Prime Minister referred to the recent propaganda to target the government in the name of HAL and said that falsehood, no matter how big, frequent or high, is always defeated in the face of truth. “This factory and the rising strength of HAL has exposed the purveyors of falsehood. Reality is speaking for itself,” he said and added that today the same HAL is making modern Tejas for the Armed forces and is a centre of global attraction and bolstering India’s ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in the defence sector.
In his address, the Raksha Mantri lauded the Prime Minister’s visionary leadership, saying that it has fuelled the rise of a ‘New India’ which has the ability to illuminate the world with its light. He stated that India has been a major centre for production and export of silk, cotton & steel and it has now embarked on a journey to become a global hub in manufacturing, especially in the field of defence. He described the HAL Helicopter Factory as a testament to the country’s growing indigenous capabilities and the Government’s unwavering resolve to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence manufacturing.
Shri Rajnath Singh also called the inauguration as a tribute to the innumerable heroes and freedom fighters of Karnataka who sacrificed their lives to protect the nation. He added that the facility is a reflection of the Swadeshi movement inspired by leaders like Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. “The Swadeshi movement, which started a century ago, was the first phase of our independence. That was National Movement 1.0. Our vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ is the second phase. It is National Movement 2.0, through which we are moving fast towards freedom from foreign equipment,” he said.
The Raksha Mantri stressed that under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the Armed Forces have marched ahead in the defence of the nation with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. Not just the soldiers, but scientists, engineers, machinists, technicians, MSMEs, individual innovators, start-ups, industrial workers and all other sections are contributing to national security and socio-economic empowerment of the country, he added. Shri Rajnath Singh stated that while the Armed Forces are at the borders, every citizen is behind the scene supporting and encouraging them. The HAL Helicopter Facility is a proof of that collective resolve, he said.

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About HAL Helicopter Factory

The Greenfield Helicopter Factory, spread across 615 acres of land, is planned with a vision to become a one-stop solution for all helicopter requirements of the country. After initially producing LUHs, the factory will be augmented to produce other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Indian Multirole Helicopters (IMRHs). It will also be used for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and IMRH in the future. Potential exports of civil LUH will also be catered to from this factory.
The HAL plans to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the range of 3-15 tonnes, with a total business of over Rs four lakh crores over a period of 20 years. Besides generating direct and indirect employment, the Tumakuru facility will boost the development of surrounding areas through its CSR activities with large-scale community centric programmes on which the company will spend substantial amounts. All this will result in improvement in the people’s lives in the region.
The proximity of the factory, with the existing HAL facilities in Bengaluru, will boost the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in the region and support skill & infrastructure development such as schools, colleges and residential areas. Medical and health care would also reach the community residing in the various nearby Panchayats.
With the establishment of facilities like Heli-Runway, Flight Hangar, Final Assembly Hangar, Structure Assembly Hangar, Air Traffic Control and various supporting service facilities, the factory is fully operational. This factory is being equipped with state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 standard tools and techniques for its operations. This factory will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters without import and giving much needed fillip to the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in helicopter design, development, and manufacture.
Karnataka Chief Minister Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Ministers of the state government and senior officials of Ministry of Defence were among those present on the occasion.

Naval Variant Of LCA Lands First Time On Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant

“The successful landing and take off of the indigenous LCA Navy on India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is a momentous step forward towards the realisation of our collective vision of AatmaNirbharBharat. The maiden landing of the Mig-29K also heralds the integration of the fighter aircraft with INS Vikrant. Congratulations to all those who made it happen.” – Adm R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff
INS Vikrant is the first indigenous Aircraft Carrier and the most complex warship ever built by our country. It is a matter of pride that the ship has been designed in-house by Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and constructed by M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited. The ship had sailed for maiden Sea Trials on 04 Aug 21. Since then, she has undergone sea sorties for trials of Main Propulsion, Power Generation equipment, Fire Fighting systems, Aviation Facility Complex equipment etc. The Carrier was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 02 Sep 22, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi was the Chief Guest.
The construction of the Carrier is a big boost to the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ vision of the Government of India. The Carrier has been undertaking extensive Air Operations with Rotary Wing and Fixed Wing aircraft since 13 Dec 22 towards Air Certification and Flight Integration Trials for achieving the ultimate aim of being ‘Combat Ready’. As part of the aviation trials, landing of LCA (Navy) and MiG-29K onboard INS Vikrant was carried out on 06 Feb 23 by Indian Naval Test Pilots.
The landing of LCA(Navy) on deck has demonstrated ‘AatmaNirbharta’ in India’s capability to design, develop, construct and operate indigenous Aircraft Carrier with indigenous Fighter Aircraft. It is indeed a landmark achievement being the first time that trials of a prototype aircraft – indigenously designed & produced by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) & Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has been successfully undertaken on an indigenous Aircraft Carrier. Further, the landing of MiG-29K onboard INS Vikrant is also a significant achievement as it marks the successful integration of the aircraft with the indigenous carrier as well as further enhances the Combat Readiness of the Navy.

Defence Expenditure Was 14.08% Of Central Govt Expenses In 2022-23

In 2022-23, the defence expenditure was 14.08 % of the central government expenses, Parliament was informed on Monday. The expenditure-related data for 2022-23 referred to the budget estimate figures, according to data shared in a written response by MOS for Defence Ajay Bhatt in Rajya Sabha.
The defence expenditure was 5,55,484 crore while the central government expenditure was 39,44,909 crore for the year 2022-23, according to the data shared by the government in the response.
The defence expenditure was 5,23,330 crore while the central government expenditure was 35,09,836 crore for 2020-21, the percentage being 14.91 per cent.
“It is seen from the above data that Defence Expenditure as a percentage of Central Government Expenditure may appear to be decreasing due to an increasing trend in the growth of Central Government Expenditure. However, Defence Expenditure is increasing in absolute terms, implying higher spending,” the minister said in his response.

Indian Researchers Develop New Tech To Make Military Equipment Invisible To Radar

In a significant achievement, Indian researchers have been able to develop a material that can make stealth vehicles and covert establishments less visible to the radar. Radars are used in defence and civil sectors for surveillance, and navigation, to detect and track aircraft, ships, ground vehicles, and movements within covert establishments.
The material can absorb a wide range of radar frequencies (signals), irrespective of the direction from which the radar signal hits the target, said the team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi, which has developed the technology.
According to it, it can also be used to cover windows or glass panels of stealth vehicles and covert establishments that must be invisible to radar.
Radar Cross Section (RCS) reduction is a way to make something less visible to radar. RCS reduction is achieved by using materials that can absorb radar signals, or by shaping the object in a way that makes it difficult for radar to detect.

India-France-UAE Discuss Taking Cooperation Forward In Defence, Energy

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra participated in the India-France-UK Trilateral Dialogue and discussed taking the cooperation forward in the fields of defence, energy and environment, innovation and people-to-people exchanges, according to the statement released by the MEA.
The three countries agreed that they will seek to ensure greater alignment of their respective economic, technological, and social policies with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
This meeting came as the follow-up after the Foreign Ministers of India-France-UAE adopted a roadmap during their telephone call on February 04, 2023.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, France Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone call in which they discussed collaboration in areas such as education, business, maritime and green energy.