Daily Defence Current Affairs And Updates – 29th April 2020

Australia cancels premier multilateral air combat training exercise

Pitch Black 2020 scheduled from July 27 to August 14 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation, defence sources said.
This was conveyed by Air Marshal Meg Hupfeld, Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in a letter to Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.

South Korea to fete Indian Army officer

To mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War this year, the South Korean government will honour an Indian Army officer Lt Colonel AG Rangaraj (Maha Vir Chakra) as the ‘Korean War Hero for the month of July 2020’ for his huge contribution during the period of the war.
Lt. Col. Rangaraj commanded the 60 Para Field Ambulance which was a medical unit of the Indian Army that was responsible for providing medical treatment to many soldiers during the Korean War that took place from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953.

Kazakhstan forms radiation, chemical, biological defence unit

A department of radiation, chemical, biological defense (RBB) and environmental security forces has been created at the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan, the country’s Defence Ministry said on April 28.
The new unit must finalize as soon as possible the concept considering modern threats, capabilities of the troops and development trends.

WHO map shows Ladakh’s Aksai Chin as part of China

While several United Nations (UN) maps have shown parts of Kashmir as ‘disputed’ territory in the past, this is probably the first time that Ladakh and J&K are shown in different colour codes than the rest of India.

Saab completes first air trials of AESA radar

Name of RADAR – Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar
Made by whom for whom? – Saab, a Swedish company made this for USAF.
Features – a material providing a lower power consumption and improved heat resistance called GaN, enhances the aircraft with wider bandwidth and greater reliability, availability and efficiency.

Situation in Assam

Troops of Assam Rifles in a joint ops with Assam Police nabbed two NSCN(R) cadres along with 0.22 Pistol with ammunition in Cachar District of Assam on 27 April 2020.
National Socialist Council of Nagaland is a Naga nationalist separatist group operating mainly in Northeast India, with minor activities in northwest Myanmar since 2012.

Terrorists in Pakistan launch pads almost double as conspiracy to infiltrate them inside Kashmir continues

According to a report by security agencies, the presence of around 450 terrorists, including from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), has been seen on the launching pads adjacent to the Line of Control (LoC).

Pakistan Army Chief Says India Has Endangered Immediate Neighbourhood

The Balakot airstrike & the abrogation of Article 370 to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir are the two significant events that will have a “lasting imprint” on the geopolitical situation of South Asia, according to Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
He describes this in “Green Book 2020”, a research journal of Pakistan army. He even says that “Kashmir is the new nuclear flashpoint.”

Rajnath Singh asks OFB, DPSUs to ramp up production post-lockdown

He asked the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) to draw up contingency plans for resuming operations after the lockdown to combat the coronavirus disease is lifted.

Militant Killed in Encounter with Security Forces in J&K’s Shopian District

The encounter broke out after the militants opened fire at a search party of the security forces at Melhora in Zainapora area of the district, a police official said. He said the security forces retaliated, leading to a gun-fight.

Israel’s Elbit Systems Gets $103 Million Electronic Warfare Contract

The contract will be carried out over three years and includes long-term integrated logistic support. Elbit did not name the Asian country.
Under the contract, Elbit Systems will fit the customer’s helicopters with complete EW suites, including countermeasure systems.

Know Your Navy

INS Tabar, 3rd of Talwar class stealth frigates was commissioned on 19 April 2004.
Fitted with surface-to-surface & surface-to-air missiles, medium & short-range guns, anti-ship & anti-submarine torpedoes, ASW rockets & Advanced EW & Communication suite
INS Tabar is capable of operating Kamov 31 Airborne Early Warning, Kamov 28 Anti-Submarine Warfare and Chetak Search and Rescue helicopters.
It is named after a weapon, mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures as ‘Parashu’, wielded by ‘Parashu Ram’, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

ANSWER: A

The crest of INS Tabar has which weapons crossed against each other over a red background with blue ocean waves?
One axe and one trident
Two tridents
Two axes
One trident and our national flag

ANSWER: C