Defence Current Affairs And Updates 20th June 2020

Hemanth Kasturi
June 20, 2020
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IAF Passing Out Parade 2020

IAF Passing Out Parade held for 420 trainees of Automobile Technician, Automobile Fitter and Air Force Police of (MTTI) and Air Force Police & Security Training Institute respectively along with 3 International students.

Pakistan drone shot down by BSF along International Border in Jammu and Kashmir

A Pakistani drone was shot down by the Border Security Force along the International Border in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said.
The drone was spotted hovering in the skies by a BSF party on patrol duty in the vicinity of Border Out Post Pansar around 5.10 am, the officials said.
They said the BSF personnel fired about nine rounds and shot down the flying object 250 metres inside Indian territory.
Senior BSF and police officers have rushed to the spot and further investigation is on.
Meanwhile, the officials said Pakistani rangers fired a few rounds on Babiya post in Hiranagar sector around 8.50 am. There was no retaliation by the BSF guarding the IB, they said, adding the situation is being monitored closely.

Japan deployed missile at China border after its conflict with India

China has created war-like conditions not only in India but against its other neighbors. In addition to the South China Sea, it is also engaged in seizing areas of Japan and Taiwan.
However, to respond to his intentions, India as well as Japan have created a mood. In addition to deploying its missile towards the border with China, Japan has also increased the number of army.
In view of China’s war intentions, Japan is increasing its air defense. It will implement the Patriot Pac-3 MSE Air Defense Missile System deployment at four military bases by June this year.
PAC-3 MSE is capable of countering any hit-to-kill. The current Patriot PAC-3 deployed in Japan has a maximum range of 70 km and has been increased to 100 km in the new version of the PAC-3 MSE. In December 2017, Lockheed Martin signed a $ 944 million contract to deliver Patriot Advanced Capability-3 and PAC-3 missile segment enhancement missiles to the US and allied countries.
The upgraded PAC-3 MSE increases its firepower as well as increases its height and performance. The PAC-3 MSE is a high-velocity interceptor that detects incoming threats in advance.
This includes tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft. The missile uses hit-to-kill technology, which detects threats through kinetic energy.

Russia to deliver Sukhoi Su-30MKIs, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29s to Indian Air Force in shortest timeframe

Russia is ready to deliver Sukhoi Su-30 MKI and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fighter jets to India in the shortest possible timeframe. In a government to government deal which comes amidst the India-China border tension, the Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to order and induct 33 fighters – 12 Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs and 21 MiG-29s – from Russia.
Russia is ready to assess the issue of early delivery even as the country is already helping the IAF in the MiG-29 modernisation programme. IAF got its first MiG-29 in 1985 and the modernisation will help increase combat capabilities of the MiG-29 fighters to a level comparable to the 4th Generation jets.
Post-modernisation MiG-29s will allow integration of Russian and foreign origin weapons including tracking of aerial targets in a wide range of flight speeds and altitudes, tracking of heat-contrasting air objects & perform “hidden” (without the use of radar) attacks on them. Modern materials and technologies for corrosion protection will increase the service life of MiG-29 fighters by up to 40 years.
The IAF commissioned its first squadron of Su-30MKIs armed with the supersonic BrahMos-A cruise missile in January 2020 at Thanjavur Air Force Station. The Su-30MKI based at Thanjavur are part of the 222 Squadron ‘Tigersharks’.

Navy alert on China’s designs on Andamans

Many feel the archipelago, nearly 700 nautical miles from the mainland, remains at risk from People’s Liberation Army Navy.
The Chinese navy has been active in the region, surveillance has established. While most Chinese vessels, including submarines, have lurked close to India’s territorial waters, some had to be driven away.
The Galwan incident and PLA’s build-up along LAC are indicative of China’s mindset from the start. China does not want a full-scale conflict with India. In Galwan, they suffered casualties, and this will be hard to digest for the Chinese. They will not try anything more at LAC but will look at other avenues.
China has already launched artificial islands and floating landmasses that are actually military bases. Countries like China are on the lookout for islands they can put to use strategically. In the Andamans, we have such islands but fail to understand their potential,” a senior Navy official said.
The Indian mainland is actually further away from A&N than South China Sea over which China claims control. Moreover, rushing in assets will require planning and have to be guided by the prevalent weather.
Senior Navy officers say the Andamans and Nicobar Tri-Services Command requires capital ships, including missile frigates and even destroyers. At least 3-4 P-8I long range surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft should also be deployed there for constant patrolling.
Vice-Admiral (retd) P K Chatterjee, former commander-in-chief, Andamans and Nicobar Command and the senior-most submariner in the country when he retired, believes the Andamans needs to be paid more attention.

Galwan river bridge that China tried to stop in Ladakh is complete, says official

Army engineers have completed a 60-metre bridge over Galwan river in eastern Ladakh that would consolidate India’s hold of the sensitive sector by allowing Indian infantry to move across the cold mountain river and also protect the 255 km strategic road from Darbuk to Daulat Beg Oldie, the last military post just south of the Karakoram Pass. The bridge was built by the formation engineers despite the PLA showing hostile moves in the area in an effort to force Indian Army to abandon the project.
The construction of the strategic bridge was seen as one of the triggers for the aggressive manoeuvres by China’s People’s Liberation Army in eastern Ladakh that led to the stand-off between the two countries before Western Theatre Command of PLA made an “exaggerated” claim to the entire Galwan river Valley.
A senior government official said the bridge was completed on Thursday, signalling that the border infrastructure upgrade projects being executed by the formation engineers and the Border Roads Organisation will continue despite the PLA’s attempts to stall them.
The four-span bridge is located three kilometres east of the Shyok river-Galwan river confluence with the contested Patrolling Point 14 a further 2 km east of the Bailey bridge. Patrolling point 14, which was the site of the June 15 fisticuffs, is close to the Y-junction where the Galwan rivulet joins the main river. An Indian army base camp, called ‘120 km camp’ is on the confluence of the two rivers and next to the DSDBO road.

Eastern Ladakh tension: IAF chief pays quiet visit to Leh, Srinagar

Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria paid a two-day visit to Leh and Srinagar to oversee preparedness of the IAF in view of the massive escalation in tension with China following the violent Galwan Valley clash that left 20 Indian Army personnel dead and 76 injured, military sources said on Friday.
The Indian Air Force has put all its frontline bases along the 3,500-km de-facto border with China on high alert and moved in additional assets like fighter jets and attack helicopters as part of heightened state of preparedness following the clashes.
Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria was at the Leh IAF base on Wednesday where he reviewed operational preparedness of the force in effectively guarding the sensitive border areas in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese armies have been on a nearly six-week standoff.
From Leh, he travelled to Srinagar on a day-long visit on Wednesday where he held a series of meetings with senior IAF officials.
The IAF has already moved a sizable number of its frontline Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage 2000 aircraft and Apache attack helicopters to several key air bases including Leh and Srinagar in the last three days, sources said.
It is learnt that IAF jets have increased their sorties in the eastern Ladakh region in the last few days after Chinese military increased its aerial activities in the area following the Monday evening clash in Galwan.

IAF deploys Apache attack helicopters and Chinooks in Ladakh, increases combat air patrols

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed Apache attack helicopters in Ladakh to provide tactical support to the ground forces if needed, besides using the Chinook heavy-weight choppers to help in the movement of men and equipment amid tensions with China.
The increased deployment also includes regular Combat Air Patrols, besides flying a host of surveillance aircraft, including by intelligence agencies and the Navy’s P8I aircraft, defence sources said.
Mirage 2,000 fighter aircraft, which carried out the Balakot air strikes last year, have also been moved to bases near the Ladakh region from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, where it is based.
This has been done to ensure they can fly over in the Ladakh region within minutes of taking off.
Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria has reportedly made a hush visit to Leh and Srinagar air bases Wednesday evening after high-level meetings with the government. Following the meetings, the Navy and the IAF had been put on high operational alert.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh could visit Moscow next week as Delhi seeks to widen strategic ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh could visit Moscow next week for the 75th World War II Victory Day parade on June 24. The visit if fructified will be taking place in the backdrop of stand-off with China along LAC.
Singh could meet his Russian counterpart and leaders of other countries it has been learnt. Singh will, however, skip meeting China’s leaders who will also be at the parade.
Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and top officials of the armed forces could also be accompanying the Minister.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

The IAF commissioned its first squadron of Su-30MKIs armed with the supersonic BrahMos-A cruise missile in January 2020 at:
Jodhpur Air Force Station
Thanjavur Air Force Station
Begumpet Air Force Station
Hindon Air Force Station

ANSWER: B

Japan deployed which missile at China border after acknowledging China’s conflict with India?
PAC-3 Missile System
PAC-5 Missile System
ASM-5 Missile System
AAM-1 Missile System

ANSWER: A