Daily Defence Current Affairs And Updates 20 January 2023 [DOWNLOAD PDF]

Divyanshu Pandey
January 20, 2023
299

In Defence current affairs for 20 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 20 January 2023

A contingent of IAF Will Be Led By Women Officer Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy

The marching contingent of IAF for the Republic Day parade will be led by a woman officer of the IAF, Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy.
Comprising four officers and 144 air warriors marching in a box formation, the contingent will be led by Sqn Ldr Reddy, along with three supernumerary officers — Flt Lt Ayush Agarwal, Flt Lt Tanuj Mailk and Flt Lt Pradhan Nikhil.
The fly-past will comprise 45 IAF aircraft, including 9 Rafal Jets and four helicopters from the IA. The IL 38 Jet of the IAF will take part for the last time in the parade. The flypast would comprise formations of Dhwaj, Rudra, Baaz, Tiranga Garuda Bheem Amrit Thriul and Vijay.
The theme of the IAF Tableau is ‘Indian Air Force Power, Beyond Boundaries’. A Rotating Globe placed on the Tableau highlights the IAF’s expanded reach whereby it has been able to render humanitarian aid across borders, as also flying exercises conducted with Air Forces of Friendly Foreign Countries.

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9 Rafale Among 50 Aircraft In Republic Day Celebrations At Kartavya Path

Fifty aircraft will take part in the 74th Republic Day celebrations at the Kartavya Path that will include an aerial display by nine Rafale and the Navy’s IL-38 which will be showcased at the event for the first and perhaps the last time, a senior IAF official said.
IL-38 is a maritime reconnaissance aircraft of the Indian Navy that has served for nearly 42 years, he said.
“It will be showcased during the Republic Day celebrations here for the first time and perhaps the last time. It will be among the 50 aircraft that will take part in the event,” the IAF official said.
These 50 aircraft will include four from the Army as well, he added.
At a press interaction, the Indian Air Force also unveiled a model of the IAF tableau that will be showcased during the January 26 parade.
The theme of the IAF tableau is “Indian Air Force: Power Beyond Boundaries” and will showcase some of the major assets of the IAF, including a few which have been recently inducted.
This will be the first Republic Day celebrations hosted at the ceremonial boulevard after Rajpath was renamed Kartavya Path last year.

5^th Kalvari Class Submarine Vagir To Be Commissioned On 23 Jan 2023

Indian Navy is set to commission the fifth Kalvari class submarine Vagir on 23 Jan 2023, Adm R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff will be the Chief Guest for the ceremony. These submarines are being built in India by the MDL Mumbai, under collaboration with M/s Naval Group, France.
The erstwhile Vagir was commissioned on 01 Nov 1973 and undertook numerous operational missions including deterrent patrols. The submarine was decommissioned on 07 Jan 2001 after serving the nation for about three decades.
This project envisages indigenous construction of submarines equipped with the state-of-the-art Air Independent Propulsion system at an estimated cost of Rs. 43,000 crore.
Project 75 (I), approved in 2007, is part of the Indian Navy’s 30 year Plan for indigenous submarine construction.
It will be the first under the strategic partnership model which was promulgated in 2017 to boost indigenous defence manufacturing.
The strategic partnership model allows domestic defence manufacturers to join hands with leading foreign defence majors to produce high-end military platforms to reduce import dependence.
Acquisitions under the Strategic Partnership model refer to participation of private Indian firms along with foreign OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) in ‘Make in India’ in defence.

About Scorpene-Class Submarines

The Scorpene-class submarines are one of the most advanced conventional submarines in the world.
The submarine has superior stealth features, such as low radiated noise levels, advanced acoustic silencing techniques and the ability to attack with precision-guided weapons on board.
The Indian Navy intends to use the submarines for missions such as intelligence gathering, area surveillance, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and minelaying operations.
The submarines are armed with six torpedo-launching tubes, 18 heavy weapons, tube-launched MBDA SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles and precision-guided weapons.
It can launch crippling attacks on the surface and underwater enemy targets.
Moreover, the attack submarines can travel at a maximum submerged speed of approximately 20 knots and have the ability to remain submerged for 21 days.
These Submarines have a diving depth of more than 350 m.
The Scorpene class of submarines were designed by French naval shipbuilding firm DCNS in partnership with Spanish shipbuilding firm Navantia.

75^th Army Day: Indian Embassy Hosts Banquet In Nepal

The Indian embassy in Nepal hosted a banquet on Wednesday on the occasion of the 75^th Indian Army Day. India’s envoy to Nepal recalled the lasting bond between the two countries, according to the statement released by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu.
It is pertinent to mention that Army Day is celebrated in recognition of Lieutenant General (Later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa being appointed the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army on 15 January 1949.
Expressing gratitude for the selfless service and sacrifice of Nepali soldiers in the Indian Army, Srivastava reiterated India’s commitment to the welfare of Indian Army pensioners and their families residing in Nepal.
During the celebration, General Prabhu Ram Sharma, who was also present there, conveyed his greetings to General Manoj Pande, COAS Indian Army and Honorary General of the Nepali Army, and congratulated General Anil Chauhan, on being appointed the second CDS of India.
He highlighted the intimate relationship between the two armies and appreciated the support of the Indian Army to the Nepali Army in niche’ skill development. General Prabhu Ram Sharma also felicitated the valiant gallantry awardee, Nepalese soldiers of the Indian Army, as per the statement.

Tata Introduces The Apache Helicopter Fuselage For The Indian Army

The first fuselage for the Indian Army’s six AH-64E Apache attack helicopter contract rolls out of the Tata advanced & Boeing India facility, a JV Tata-Boeing Aerospace Limited in Hyderabad, and is ready to be shipped to the US facility, where it will be assembled before being returned to India.
Five more will be manufactured soon. So far, 200 fuselages have been prepared and moved for assembly at the TBAL factory in Hyderabad. Every Apache AH-64 helicopter will now have at least some parts manufactured in Hyderabad by TBAL.
The Hyderabad plant will be the sole supplier of the entire fuselage of any Apache helicopter delivered around the world”.
The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems.
Top speed: 365 km/h
Range: 476 km
Weight: 5,165 kg
First flight: 30 September 1975
Number of seats: 2
Engine type: Turboshaft
Manufacturers: Boeing Co, McDonnell Douglas

India Remains In Fourth Place In The Annual Global Firepower Ranking

India is ranked 4th out of 145 countries considered for the annual GFP review in 2023. The country has a PwrIndx* score of 0.1025 (a score of 0.0000 is regarded as ‘perfect’). The Global Firepower Index is based on fifty distinct factors ranging from geography to logistical capability. Manpower, land forces, airpower, natural resources, naval forces, logistics, and finances are also included.
China, India’s main rival in the region, remains in third place, while Pakistan, which was in ninth place in 2022 after falling to 15^th in 2021, remains in seventh place.
Trainer fleet, aircraft fleet strength, helicopter fleet, attack fleets, rocket projectors, tank strength, towed artillery, aircraft carriers, naval fleet strength, destroyers, submarines, coastal patrol craft, frigates, mine warfare craft, coastal patrol craft, and tanker fleets are the factors considered under equipment.

Position	Country	Score
1	United States	0.0712
2	Russia	0.0714
3	China	0.0722
4	India	0.1025
5	United Kingdom	0.1435
6	South Korea	0.1505
7	Pakistan	0.1694
8	Japan	0.1711
9	France	0.1848
10	Italy	0.1973

NDRF Celebrated 18^th Raising Day

Living up to its motto of ‘Saving Lives and Beyond’ during any natural disaster in the country, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is celebrating its 18^th raising day, January 19. The Force, since its formation, has played a crucial role in disaster management and dealing with its threats.
The NDRF was formed in 2006 under the Disaster Management Act. The Force was constituted for the purpose of specialized response to natural and man-made disasters. Calamities like the Orissa Super Cyclone in 1999, the Gujarat Earthquake of 2001 and the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 brought to light the need for a comprehensive disaster management plan.
The unique Force, functioning across the country under the Ministry of Home Affairs, consists of 15 battalions from the BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB and Assam Rifles. With a strength of 1,149 personnel, each battalion has 18 self-contained specialist search and rescue teams of 45 personnel including engineers, technicians, electricians, dog squads and medical and paramedics. The Force, since its inception, has continued to win the hearts of the citizens of India by showcasing its professionalism and humanity in dealing with disastrous crisis situations.

India Hands Over Two Sea Ambulances To Maldives

India handed over two Sea Ambulances to Maldives on Wednesday that were procured under the Indian Grant Assistance scheme.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid attended the handover ceremony held at Noonu Manadhoo today. A number of significant Memorandums of Understanding were exchanged between Maldives and India in various fields, as part of Jaishankar’s visit to Male.
“During the ceremony, both Foreign Minister Shahid and External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar also witnessed the handover of two sea ambulances from the Government of India to the Ministry of Defence of Maldives which was a project carried out under the High Impact Community Development Project Scheme,” the Maldives government said in a statement.
As part of the close cooperation between India and Maldives under the Indian Grant Assistance scheme, Maldives’s Defence Ministry has procured two Sea Ambulances. A total of 6.2 million Rufiyaa was allocated to the Maldives for the procurement of Sea Ambulances.
The scope of the project is to procure two new Sea Ambulances to strengthen the healthcare delivery system in the Maldives. It will also help with the inter-island travels of patients in emergency. The Maldives government thanked the Indian government for the Sea Ambulances.
Jaishankar is on a visit to Male to see the signing of agreements related to the bilateral development cooperation, ground-breaking/inauguration/handing-over.
At today’s ceremony, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel and Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding between Maldives and India for additional grant assistance of 100 million Rufiyaa for the High Impact Community Development Project scheme.