Amid China aggression, US largest warship USS Nimitz likely to conduct naval exercise with India

• US Navy’s USS Nimitz, the world’s largest warship is likely to conduct naval exercises with India off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar island.
• Nimitz is already present at Indian ocean via Malacca Strait. The strait, a narrow stretch between Malaysia and Indonesia is a crucial global choke point from which considerable global oil flows to rest of Asia including China.
• The likely India-US exercises could happen on the lines of similar exercise India had conducted with the Japanese Naval forces in June 2020. The India-Japan naval exercises was termed as “Passex” or passing exercises.
• Nimitz aircraft carrier was a part of wargames along with USS Theodore Roosevelt on South China Sea. Both conducted dual carrier operations in the Philippine Sea which according to US Navy was to “demonstrate our commitment to regional allies, our ability to rapidly mass combat power in the Indo-Pacific, and our readiness to confront all those who challenge international norms that support regional stability.”
• The development is also significant given the increased Chinese presence in the Indian ocean. China has its only overseas military base in Djibouti in the horn of Africa, located strategically at the mouth of crucial sea lanes connecting Suez Canal, Gulf of Aden, and wider Indian ocean.
• The development comes amidst China’s aggressive behaviour. Last month, India and China were engaged in a violent skirmish at the Ladakh border after “Chinese side took pre-meditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties”, the Ministry of External Affairs claimed.
• Meanwhile, it looks a significant possibility that Australia may join India, US and Japan for Malabar exercise expected to take place later this year. All the four countries already have a working arrangement called ‘quad’ whose foreign ministers met last year.

Raksha Mantri Visits Air Force Stations of Leh and Srinagar

• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh visited Ladakh and interacted with security forces deployed in the region. The CDS General Bipin Rawat, COAS General MM Naravane & SASO WAC Air Marshal RJ Duckworth were with the RM during his visit.
• The Raksha Mantri landed at Air Force Station Leh. The airbase epitomises the synergy between all elements of our security forces presenting a true example of jointmanship during current operations.
• He also visited Air Force Station Srinagar during his visit of the Northern Areas. He interacted extensively with the personnel of the security forces deployed in the region and commended their effort in keeping the Nation’s boundaries safe.

Southern Army Commander Visits Artillery Centre

• Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty, Army Commander Southern Command visited School of Artillery Devlali and Artillery Centre Nasik and witnessed the high standards of training under COVID scenario.

Indian Armed Forces Dispatch COVID Medication to Congo and South Sudan

• Indian Army and IAF dispatched over 20 tons of COVID precaution equipment and medicines to the Indian contingents deployed in UN missions at Congo & South Sudan. The flight also facilitated rotation of troops.

India conducts large military exercises with T-90S tanks and BMP-2 IFV along the border with China

• According to information released on July 18, 2020, India continues the deployment of combat vehicles and carried out military exercises using BMP-2 Sarath IFV Infantry vehicles, T-90S main battle tanks as well as combat helicopters AH-64 Apache, HAL Rudra and Mi-17V5 along the border with China.
• Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane arrived at Stakna monastery in Leh on July 17, 2020. Indian soldiers carried out para dropping and large ground exercises at Stakna, a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. Defence Minister visited forward areas of LAC and LoC during his two-day visit to Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
• The deployment of Indian soldiers and combat vehicles in the region is a response of the deployment of Chinese army with artillery, tanks, and troops along the border with India.
• The 2020 China–India skirmishes are part of an ongoing military standoff between China and India. Since 5 May 2020, Chinese and Indian troops have reportedly engaged in aggressive melee, face-offs, and skirmishes at locations along the Sino-Indian border, including near the disputed Pangong Lake in Ladakh and the Tibet Autonomous Region, and near the border between Sikkim and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Indian Navy plans to acquire new local-made naval jets for its aircraft carriers

• Indian Navy plans to receive a new twin-engine aircraft carrier jet designed by the local company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to replace the Russian-made MiG-29K.
• Navy could acquire 57 twin-engine fighter aircraft that will be used on the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya. The new jet will be developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that should be ready by 2026.
• Currently, Indian Navy has two aircraft carriers, the Vikramaditya which is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier that entered into service in 2013. On 14 June 2014, the Prime Minister of India formally inducted INS Vikramaditya into the Indian Navy.
• The Vikramaditya has been designed as a STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) carrier capable of operating both conventional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, with up to 34 aircraft capable of being accommodated. Its primary embarked aircraft type is the Mikoyan MiG-29K, a navalised version of the Mikoyan MiG-29M. The MiG-29K is an advanced, all-weather multi-role fighter capable of undertaking both the fleet air defence, low-level strike, and anti-shipping roles.
• The second aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy is the INS Vikrant, also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1). The ship is under construction by Cochin Shipyard in Kochi, Kerala for the Indian Navy. It is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India.
• Currently, the Indian Navy has 45 Russian MiG-29K aircraft and its officials had stated that there will not be enough aircraft to operate from both carriers. The Indian Navy has also shown interest for the acquisition of the American F-18 Super Hornet or the naval version of the French Rafale.

BSF recovers 64 kg of heroin floated from Pakistan in Ravi river

• The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 60 packets of heroin, weighing a total of 64.3kg, from the border outpost at Nangli Ghat near Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab on Sunday.
• BSF deputy inspector general (DIG) and public relations officer BS Rawat said the heroin was being smuggled into India from Pakistan through the Ravi river.
• BSF sources said a boat patrol at Nangli Ghat found the contraband floating in the Ravi. The packets of heroin were tied in four cloth pipes held together with a rope and concealed with water hyacinth. This is one of the major seizures made by the BSF in the recent past.

IAF commanders to review air defence system in view of border row with China at 3-day meet

• Top commanders of the Indian Air Force will carry out an in-depth review of the country’s air defence system at a three-day conference beginning Wednesday in view of the bitter border row with China in eastern Ladakh as well as evolving regional security scenario, military sources said.
• The commanders are also expected to specifically deliberate on deployment of first batch of around six Rafale fighter jets which are expected to join the IAF’s fighter fleet later this month, they said.
• The main focus of the commanders’ conference will be to deliberate on the overall situation in eastern Ladakh and on ways to enhance the IAF’s combat prowess and surveillance over the country’s air space in all sensitive sectors including in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, the sources said.
• “The commanders will also review the evolving security architecture in the region and ways to boost IAF’s combat capability,” said a source.
• The conference will be chaired by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also expected to address the IAF commanders.
• The IAF has been carrying out night-time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in the last few weeks, in an apparent message to China that it was ready to deal with any eventualities in the mountainous region.
• A number of IAF platforms participated in a military drill in Stakna in eastern Ladakh on Friday during the defence minister’s visit to the region. The exercise showcased integrated combat prowess of the Army and the Indian Air Force in dealing with complex security scenarios in the high-altitude terrain.
• The IAF has deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China notwithstanding disengagement of troops by Chinese military from a number of friction points.
• The IAF has also deployed Apache attack choppers as well as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations. The IAF has pressed into service a fleet of C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft as well as C-130J Super Hercules in transporting heavy military equipment and weaponry to several forward bases in the region.
• The sources said the commanders will also deliberate on preparations to received the first batch of the Rafale jets from France. The jets are expected to reach India by end of this month. The first squadron of the aircraft will be stationed at Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF.
• The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.
• The disengagement process between Indian and Chinese militaries began on July 6 after a telephonic conversation between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi the previous day. Doval and Wang are Special Representatives for the boundary talks.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. World’s largest warship:
2. USS Nimitz
3. USS Theodore Roosevelt
4. INS Vikramaditya
5. PLAN Shandong

ANSWER: A

• Army Commander Southern Command:
• Lieutenant General Alok Singh Kler
• Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty
• Lieutenant General Yogesh Kumar Joshi
• Lieutenant General Ravendra Pal Singh

ANSWER: B

• School of Artillery is at:
• Secunderabad
• Mhow
• Devlali
• Pachmarhi

ANSWER: C

• INS Vikramaditya has been designed as a what sort of carrier?
• CTOL (Conventional Take-Off and Landing)
• STOBAR (Short Take-Off but Arrested Recovery)
• VSTOL (Very Short Take-Off and Landing)
• CATOBAR (Catapult launch and arrested recovery)

ANSWER: B

• A number of IAF platforms participated in a military drill at what place in eastern Ladakh on Friday during the defence minister’s visit to the region?
• Hemis
• Stakna
• Lukung
• Chakula

ANSWER: B