Daily Defence Current Affairs And Updates 17-18 January 2023 [DOWNLOAD PDF]

Divyanshu Pandey
January 18, 2023
287

In Defence current affairs for 17-18 January 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 17-18 January 2023

The Chief of Defence Staff visits NCC Republic Day Camp

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM SM, VSM visited the NCC Republic Day Camp 2023 at Delhi Cantt in New Delhi on 17 January 2023. This is for the first time a CDS has visited NCC Republic Day Camp.
A contingent of all the three wings namely Army, Navy and Air Force presented an impressive “Guard of Honour” to the Chief of Defence Staff on his arrival. NCC cadets thereafter presented a fine band display. The CDS also visited the ‘Flag Area’ prepared by the NCC cadets, depicting various social awareness themes and cultural activities. The cadets briefed him in detail about their respective State Directorate themes.
The CDS also visited the recently renovated ‘Hall of Fame’ a proud possession of NCC with display of rich archival collection of alumni photographs, models, motivational and other visual delights of the three wings of NCC.
The Chief of Defence Staff along with other distinguished guests later witnessed a spectacular ‘Cultural Programme’ by the cadets in the NCC auditorium.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief of Defence Staff underscored that from a humble beginning the NCC has grown into a volunteer organisation of 17 Lakh Cadets. “Its contribution in inculcating the qualities of Discipline, Leadership and Camaraderie amongst the youth of this country is exemplary”, he said.
Highlighting the immense contributions of NCC in social awareness activities, Chief of Defence Staff mentioned about the ‘Puneet Sagar Abhiyan’ launched with the aim to clean up Sea Shores/Beaches and remove and recycle plastic/other waste and spread awareness about need for clean and pristine beaches and hazards of plastic pollution.
“The drive has caught the imagination of public and till date approximately 13.5 lakh NCC cadets have participated in the Abhiyan and collected almost 208 tons of plastic waste out of which 167 tons has been sent for recycling”, said General Chauhan.
The CDS complimented NCC for its 75th year of selfless service to the nation. He also applauded the exceptional performance displayed by NCC cadets in various sports events.

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Keel Laying of Fourth Ship – Diving Support Craft At M/S Titagarh Wagons Ltd

Keel laying for the fourth Diving Support Craft (DSC), DSC A23 (Y-328) project was held on 17 Jan 23 at M/s Titagarh Wagons Ltd, Kolkata. RAdm Sandeep Mehta, ACWP&A presided over the function. The ships are scheduled to be inducted into the Indian Navy commencing end 2023 onwards to provide diving assistance for ships close to harbour, for underwater repairs, maintenance and salvage. Further, main and auxiliary equipment are being sourced from indigenous manufacturers, and the ships are proud flag bearers of Make in India and Make for the World initiatives of Ministry of Defence.
Titagarh Wagons Limited is an Indian private shipbuilder, defense, railway wagon manufacturer headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. The company manufactures coaches for the Indian Railways, bailey bridges, and mining equipment. A subsidiary, Titagarh Marines, operates in the shipbuilding industry.

Indian Army Organises Sainya Ranakshetram 2.0 – A Cyber Threat Seminar

The Indian Army under the aegis of HQ Army Training Command (ARTRAC) organised the second edition of Hackathon aptly named “SAINYA RANAKSHETRAM 2.0” from October 2022 to January 2023 with an aim to seek solutions to operational cyber challenges and to jump start and telescope the development time for innovative solutions in the field of Cyber Security. The prize winners of the event were felicitated by Gen Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff during a virtual function on 17 January 2023.
The event was aimed at providing a platform to identify indigenous talent in niche domains and enhance the standard of training in domains of Cyber Deterrence, Security Software Coding, Electro Magnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) and Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ ML). The participation was open to all Indian citizens and participation permitted in an individual / team manner. Thus to meet this end state, the Cyber Threat Seminar cum Workshop was held under four sub-events which included following activities:-
Secure Software Coding – Its aim was to engage with academia in the field of securing software programs and identifying talent capable of undertaking cyber security requirements in software code. Mr Aravindha Hariharan M from Coimbatore, a Cyber Security enthusiast holding a number of certifications has won the prize in this category.
ESMO: Customised Indian Army Specific Stack for Wi-Fi 6 – The aim of conducting this sub event was to seek a solution to implement an Indian Army specific version of Secure Wi-Fi stack for increasing the levels of security. Colonel Nishant Rathee, Commandant, Army HQ Computer Centre is the winner in this category. Mr Suryasaradhi Balarkan currently working with L&T is the runners up and Ms Tanisha Joshi, who is currently pursuing a Ph D in Dark Energy has secured the 3rd prize.
Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning: NLP Processing and Decoding of Radio Intercepts. This sub-event helped create an Al stack for addressing translation and decryption of multi lingual radio transmissions. Master Mithil Salunkhe, a 15 year old class 10 student at Gyan Mata Vidya Vihar, Nanded, Maharashtra has come first this category. Mr Prashant Kumar Singh, who holds a B Tech (CS) from Punjab Technical University and presently pursuing B Sc (Data Science) from IIT Madras has come second while Cdr Sushant Sarswat, a Naval Officer presently posted in HQ Eastern Naval Command has secured the third position.
Cyber Deterrence: Capture the Flag (CTF). This was a seven stage cyber security exploitation challenge meant for identification of talent for enhancing existing Cyber Security setup. The winner of this challenge was Mr Shaksham Jaiswal, BE (CS) from MVSR Engineering College in Hyderabad. He is now working as a freelancer, and has more than 15 core qualifications in the field. The 2nd prize winner is Mr Prince Kumar Patel presently doing BE (IT) at Army Institute of Technology (AIT), Pune and Mr Hardeep Singh, a BCA from Maharaja Ganga Singh University in Bikaner has won the 3rd prize.
The Cyber Threat Seminar cum Workshop has facilitated engagement with the intrinsic talent at levels of individuals, academia and organisations leading to identification of suitable talent in the field of Cyber Security both within the Defence forces and in the civil academia. The identified talent can further be utilised for focused engagement resulting in fast track development of cyber security tools and techniques.

Team of NIMAS On 6-nation Cycling Expedition

To commemorate “Aazadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”, a 4-member team of Dirang-based National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) is ready to kick off a 6-nation cycling expedition from Hanoi, Vietnam tomorrow on January 18, 2023, covering a distance of around 5300km in over 50 days through Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia before culminating at Esplanade Park (INA War Memorial) in Singapore on March 8, 2023. The expedition team is getting acclimatized in Hanoi after setting off from New Delhi on January 16, 2023. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the expedition in the meeting of the Executive Council of the Institute held under his Chairmanship last year (18/4/2022).
The expedition was flagged off from New Delhi by Additional Secretary MoD on January 16 in the presence of NIMAS Secretary. The four-member team is led by Col R.S. Jamwal
This is the first of its kind Cycling of expedition traversing 6 South East Asian Nations. At Singapore they will pay tributes to all the warriors who laid down their lives for the Country’s Independence from British colonial Regime, at the INA Memorial.
It is notable that NIMAS team had created a Record in India Book of Records recently by becoming first of its kind expedition, covering all the seven North Eastern states by cycle. It also climbed the highest point of all 7 states of North East region. The expedition cycled 1098 kms through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura and interacted with Youth Associations of these States.

NAVAL EXERCISE ‘VARUNA’ – 2023

The 21st Edition of the Bilateral Naval Exercise between India and France – Exercise Varuna commenced on the Western Seaboard today, 16 Jan 23. While the bilateral exercise between the two navies were initiated in 1993, it was christened as ‘VARUNA’ in 2001 and has become a hallmark of India – France strategic bilateral relationship.
This edition will witness participation of indigenous guided missile stealth destroyer INS Chennai, guided missile frigate INS Teg, maritime patrol aircraft P-8I and Dornier, integral helicopters and MiG29K fighter aircraft. The French Navy will be represented by the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, frigates FS Forbin and Provence, support vessel FS Marne and maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique. The exercise will be conducted over five days from 16 to 20 January 2023 and will witness advanced air defence exercises, tactical manoeuvres, surface firings, replenishment, and other maritime operations. Units of both navies will endeavour to hone their war-fighting skills in maritime theatre, enhance their inter-operability to undertake multi-discipline operations in the maritime domain and demonstrate their ability as an integrated force to promote peace, security and stability in the region.
Having grown in scope and complexity over the years, this exercise provides an opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices. The exercise facilitates operational level interaction between the two navies to foster mutual cooperation for good order at sea, underscoring the shared commitment of both nations to security, safety and freedom of the global maritime commons.

PM Narendra Modi Addresses First Batch Of Agniveers

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the first batch of Agniveers of the three Services, who have commenced their basic training, via video conferencing on January 16, 2023. He congratulated the Agniveers on being the pioneers of the path-breaking Agnipath scheme. He highlighted that this transformative policy will be a game changer in strengthening the Armed Forces and making them future ready for the challenges that lie ahead. The Prime Minister affirmed that the young Agniveers will make the Armed Forces more youthful and tech-savvy.
Hailing the potential of Agniveers, the Prime Minister said that their spirit is reflective of the bravery of the Armed Forces which has always kept the flag of the nation flying high. He said that the experience which they will acquire through this opportunity will be a source of pride for life.
The Prime Minister said that ‘New India’ is filled with renewed vigour, and efforts are underway to modernise the Armed Forces as well as make them ‘Aatmanirbhar’. He said that in the 21st century, the way wars are fought is changing. Discussing the new fronts of contactless warfare and challenges of cyber warfare, he said technologically-advanced soldiers will play a key role in the Armed Forces. He added the current generation of youth especially have this potential and so the Agniveers will play a leading role in our armed forces in the times to come.
The Prime Minister also spoke about how the scheme will further empower women. He expressed happiness at how women Agniveers are adding pride to the Naval forces, and said that he looks forward to seeing women Agniveers in all three forces. The Prime Minister also recalled how women are leading armed forces on various fronts, citing examples of woman soldier posted in Siachen and women driving modern fighter planes.
The Prime Minister said that getting posted in different regions will give them an opportunity to get diverse experiences and that they should try to learn different languages and also about different cultures and ways of living. He said that teamwork and honing of leadership skills will add a new dimension to their personality. He exhorted Agniveers to remain curious about learning new things while simultaneously working on bettering their skills in the fields of their choice. Hailing the potential of youth and Agniveers, the Prime Minister concluded by saying that they are the ones who are going to provide leadership to the nation in the 21st century.
In his welcome remarks, Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’, under which all sectors have set new targets and are making giant strides towards achieving them. He stated that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has taken a number of decisions to empower the nation, terming AGNIPATH scheme as one of the most important and unprecedented reforms.
The Raksha Mantri asserted that strengthening the security apparatus of the country is the Government’s top-most priority amidst the ever-evolving global scenario and geopolitical uncertainty. In such a situation, the AGNIPATH scheme will make the profile of the Armed forces more youthful and tech-savvy, he said. Shri Rajnath Singh added that all efforts are being made so that the Agniveers are able to serve the society, along with the Armed Forces, with their strength and knowledge. The scheme is a pioneering step towards building a strong and prosperous ‘New India’.
Shri Rajnath Singh appreciated the fact that the scheme received encouraging response, with a large number of applicants turning up for the recruitment. He made special mention of the women Agniveers who are also being trained along with their male counterparts.
The Raksha Mantri pointed out that several ministries, including MoD, are coming forward for the welfare of Agniveers. “Reservation is being ensured for Agniveers on a number of posts in various departments of Ministry of Defence, Central Armed Police Forces and Ministry of Railways. Arrangements are being made jointly by MoD & Ministry of Education to ensure proper education to the Agniveers. In collaboration with Ministry of Finance, arrangements are being made to provide loans at reasonable rates to Agniveers, who wish to start self-employment or any business after service. Agniveers will not only become Surakshaveers, but also Samriddhiveers,” he said. Shri Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that all the Agniveers will be greatly inspired and guided by the vision & meaningful thoughts of the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister’s address was telecast live on all Agniveer Training Centres and was attended by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and other senior officers of Ministry of Defence.

Ex Veer Guardian 2023

In order to strengthen the Air Defence cooperation, the IAF and Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) are executing their very first joint venture in air exercise in Japan, known as Veer Guardian 2023.
After the 2+2 dialogue, this joint exercise was scheduled. It involved the Foreign and Defence Ministers of the two countries, where the two nations noted ‘the substantial expansion of Japan-India security and defense cooperation.
To allow the air warriors to exchange their best practices Both nations are scheduled to participate in various aerial combat drills including multi-domain air combat missions in a complex environment.
Apart from this experts will participate in the discussion to share their expertise on varied operational aspects from both sides.
Veer Guardian will prove to be another step toward deeper strategic connections and closer defense collaboration b/w India and Japan as per the Ministry of Defence.
This joint exercise is believed to strengthen the long-standing friendship between the two Air Forces.
The Indian contingent will be further glorified by Four Su-30 MKI, two C-17, and one IL-78 aircraft.
Four F-2s, a Japanese development of the US-built F-16 fighter, and four F-15 aircraft will be representing the Japanese side.
Squadron Leader Avni Chaturvedi the leader of the Sukhoi-30MKI Squadron will be leading the Indian Side.
A female fighter pilot is commanding the Indian fighter squadron in a bilateral exercise with a foreign partner for the first time.
“Both contingents not only shared their expertise on contemporary subjects of counter-terrorism operations but also utilized this opportunity to share their experiences on exploiting disruptive technologies like Drone and Anti-Drone weapons.” as per a statement issued by the Indian Ministry of Defense.

In A First, Indian Army Clears Over 30 Women Officers For Command Roles

Further empowering female officers, the Indian Army has cleared more than 30 women officers for command roles. The Indian Army is holding promotion boards for 108 vacancies of select Colonel rank for women officers including batches from 1992 to 2005.
The initial list of over 30 women officers has been cleared from different arms and services including Corps of Engineers, Signals, Ordnance and Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
The women officers clearing the boards would be given command roles and they could also be considered for future promotions also to higher ranks in the force.
Recently, a woman officer from the 57 Engineers regiment was deployed in the Siachen Glacier and has been tasked in operations there.
Women soldiers are also being inducted through the Agnipath entry scheme.
The first batch of over 100 women Agniveers will join their training centre in Bengaluru in March 2023.
Army has also started deployment of women soldiers in joint exercises with friendly foreign countries and in peacekeeping missions.
“We have considerably stepped up the role of our women soldiers in various UN Peacekeeping missions. In consonance with the United Nations’ Gender Parity drive, we recently deployed an Enhanced Female Engagement Team comprising of two officers and 25 women soldiers to the strive torn Abeyi region of Africa to provide relief and assistance to women and children in one of the most challenging operational and terrain conditions under the UN flag,” an official said.

INS Vidyut Celebrates 28 Years Of Service To The Nation

INS Vidyut celebrates 28 years of service to the nation on 16 Jan 23. Commissioned in 1995, the ship is a Missile Vessel indigenously built at Goa Shipyard Limited. The ship is part of the 22^nd Missile Vessel squadron based in Mumbai.
INS Vidyut (K83) was the lead vessel of her class of fast attack craft of the Indian Navy.
Length: 39 m
Beam: 7.6 m
Commissioned: 1995
Speed: 37+ knots

60 Airports To Soon Get Comprehensive Armed Security Under Centre’s Scheme

More than 60 airports operational in tier-two and tier-three cities under the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN will soon be brought under a comprehensive anti-terror security cover of armed CISF personnel with the deployment of around 1,650 troops.
The proposal is awaiting final policy sanction from the home ministry. The Bureau of civil aviation security (BCAS), in consultation with the ministry of civil aviation and the CISF, finalised the proposal for the “very important security measure” required for the safety of passengers taking flights from small air terminals across India.
The regional connectivity scheme was launched under the name of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on October 21, 2016, by the Union government to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the masses residing in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and towns.
The CISF is the national civil aviation security force as it guards 66 major domestic and international airports in the country.

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