Defence Current Affairs And Updates 26 November 2020

Hemanth Kasturi
November 26, 2020
1006

Indian Navy Inducts Predator Mq-9B SeaGuardian Drones on Lease for a Year

Indian Navy has inducted two American Predator drones on lease for one year by the Indian Navy under the Emergency Procurement Powers granted by the Defence Ministry in view of growing India – China tensions.
The drones arrived India in the second week of November and were inducted into the flying operations on November 21 at INS Rajali (or Arakkonam Naval Air Station, Tamil Nadu).
An American crew from vendor is accompanying equipment and would support the Navy in maintenance and operating machines.
All flying operations (including sortie planning and joystick control) will be done by Indian Naval team.
The data gathered by these drones will be an exclusive property of Indian Navy.
Manufacturer: General Atomics Aeronautical
It performs over-the-horizon long-endurance, medium-altitude Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The Royal Air Force was the very first to acquire the SkyGuardian.
The maritime variant of MQ-9B, SeaGuardian, can be configured with cross-domain capabilities for a vast range of maritime surveillance operations, including:
Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW)
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
HA/DR – Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief
Search and Rescue
Law Enforcement (Drug Trafficking, Illegal Immigration, Piracy)
OMSI – (Oceanic Maritime Security Initiative)
Airborne Counter Mine Capability (Developmental)

Structural Characteristics:

Wingspan	79 ft (24m)
Length	38 ft (11.7m)
Powerplant	Honeywell TPE331-10 Turboprop
Max Gross Takeoff Weight	12,500 lb (5670 kg)
Fuel Capacity	6,000 lb (2721 kg)
Payload Capacity	4,800 lb (2177 kg) across 9 hardpoints (8 wing, 1 centerline) 800 lb internal (363 kg) 4,000 lb external (1814 kg)
Power	45 kVA
Backup Power	2.2 kW

Performance Characteristics:

Max Altitude: >40,000 ft MSL
Max Endurance: 40 hr
Max Air Speed: 210 KTAS
Weather capable
Damage tolerant airframe
Lightning protection
Automatic takeoff and land
Fire protected engine bay
Other customer specific payloads

More Inputs:

Predator – B drones are known for their powerful capabilities which will be launched for carrying out surveillance in Indian Ocean Region. These can also be used along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Sources said the option of leasing weapon systems has been provisioned under the Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020 and the Defence Procurement Manual -2009 and helps in saving funds and the responsibility of maintenance also lies with the vendor, the sources said.

Webinar with Nigeria on Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership and Expo held

A webinar between India and Nigeria was held today. The Theme of webinar was “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”. It was organized under the aegis of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through SIDM.
This webinar is the part of the series of webinars which are being organized with friendly foreign countries in order to boost defence exports and achieve defence export target of $5 billion in the next five years.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Additional Secretary (DP), MoD India, High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Acting Head of Nigerian High Commission in India and Senior MoD officials from both side participated in the webinar and spoke about warm, friendly and deep-rooted relations between both the nations. Shri Sanjay Jaju, Additional Secretary (DP) stated that India has contributed significantly in capacity building of Nigerian Armed Forces since its formative years and Indian Government is ready to take this strategic partnership further in years to come through cooperation and co-production in Defence sector.
Various Indian companies such as BEL, BDL, GSL, HAL, TASL, Solar Industries, MKU, Mahindra Defence, L&T, Bharat Forge, Ashok Leyland, made company and product presentations on major platforms / equipment in the webinar.
The webinar was attended by more than 150 delegates and 100 virtual exhibition stalls have been set up in the Expo.

Army Chief Inaugurates New Residential Facility in Kohima Orphanage

Army Chief General Manoj Naravane, who is on three days visit to North East, inaugurated a new residential facility at Kohima Orphanage and Destitute Home (KODH) in Kohima on 25 November 2020. This facility will be run by the Assam Rifles which is always in the forefront in extending support to the functioning of KODH & many other orphanages in the area.
Assam Rifles organised construction & furnishing of this facility which presently takes care of 95 children including 26 girls. These children not only get love, care and affection, but are also afforded education in the local schools and colleges. Over the years, Assam Rifles has extended its support to many such social organisations, through various Civic Action projects. Earlier, items worth approximately Rs 4.5 lakhs were provided to the Orphanage for construction of two toilet blocks, and provision of two computers & one television. Some quantity of basic rations was also provided in April and June 2020 in order to ensure supply of basic amenities during the pandemic. A medical camp was also organised where in all children underwent basic tests for health and hygiene, a necessary component for their healthy upbringing.
‘Kohima Orphanage and Destitute Home’ is located on NH-29 at a distance of approximately 8 km from Kohima Town. It has provided yeoman service and healing touch to many orphans over the years. The Orphanage made its humble beginning in 1973, having been founded by a very benevolent local, Mrs Zaputo Angami, who was sometimes referred to lovingly as Mother Teresa by the local populace. The Home is now run by her daughter Mrs Neibano Angami. Over the years, the home has grown to provide solace to needy orphans with crowd funding, benevolence of various philanthropists, and NGOs like Sunbird Trust headed by Col (Retd) Christopher Rego and the Armed Forces.
Provisioning of a new home with requisite educational and sports infrastructure will go a long way in their wellbeing and empowerment.

25^th November 2020 – 79^th Pioneer Corps Raising Day

This corps is the operational logistics arm of the Indian Army. Though not a combat arm, the Pioneer Corps provide disciplined and well-trained manpower where civilian labour is either not available or its employment is not desirable for reasons of security.
The Pioneer Corps Training Center (PCTC) is currently located in Bangalore.
Motto: श्रम सर्व विजयी (With Labour, everything can be won)

Indian Armed Forces Assistance in Cyclone Nivar

Eight Rescue Teams are deployed by Dakshin Bharat Area following requisition by Puducherry & Tamil Nadu civil authorities. 12 HADR Teams & 2 Engineer Task Force are readily made for deployment.
Indian Navy ships, aircraft, helicopters, diving and disaster relief teams standby for rendering full support.

HAL Intermediate Jet Trainer Successfully Completes First Spin Test in Bengaluru

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) indigenous Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) aircraft took a spin test in Bengaluru, a HAL official said on Monday. The IJT is indigenously designed and developed by HAL to replace the ageing Kiran aircraft fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The IJT will be playing a pivotal role in pilot training, general flying, navigations formation flying, instrument and cloud flying, basic air to ground and air to air weapon aiming, tactical flying and night flying, the official claimed.
The flight was piloted by HAL’s test pilots Gp. Capt H. V. Thakur (Retd) and Wg. Cdr P. Avasti (Retd). “During the first flight, initially the aircraft was taken through one turn spin to the left- and right-hand sides to test the spin characteristics,” the official said.
According to the statement released by the HAL, the spin testing of an aircraft is the most crucial phase of its flight testing.
“After the suitable design changes, the testing will be gradually progressed to assess the behaviour of the aircraft till six turn spins to either side to meet the targeted requirement,” the statement explained.

25^th November – Rajputana Rifles Remembrance Day

This is observed every year to pay homage to the immortal soldiers of the regiment, who lost their lives during World War II. Lt Gen KJS Dhillon & many serving officers paid homage to the brave hearts at Delhi Cantonment yesterday.

26^th November 2020 – 12 years after Mumbai terror attacks: Remembering the heroes of 26/11

The Mumbai terror attacks of 26 November 2008 left a scar on the psyche of the city, one which it has struggled to come to terms with. The 10 Pakistani terrorists who came from the sea targeted the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station, Nariman House complex, Leopold Cafe, Taj Hotel and Tower, the Oberoi-Trident Hotel and Cama Hospital among other prime locations in South Mumbai. When the mayhem ended after three days, some 190 people were dead, and hundreds of others wounded.
But amid the grief, shock, anger and horror which took over Mumbai and the rest of the country on that fateful November week 12 years ago, there were also incredible tales of raw courage, of bravery, of a sense of duty, of men who faced the terrorists’ bullets while trying to rescue others, of those who fought back against terror. Some of these brave men paid the ultimate sacrifice.
As we remember 26/11, let us also pause and remember some of these heroes.

Hemant Karkare, Ashok Kamte, Vijay Salaskar

Hemant Karkare, the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad, was at his home in Dadar when he got a call about a terror attack at 9.45 pm on November 26. He immediately left for CST station accompanied with his driver and bodyguards. There he learnt that the terrorists were now near Cama hospital. Karkare together with police officers Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar went on the lookout for two terrorists believed to be hiding behind a red car. Eventually, they saw one of the terrorists and managed to injure Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist who was caught alive, but in the ensuing exchange of fire with the second terrorist in a narrow lane close to the Crime Branch office, all three police officers were killed.

Tukaram Omble

A former army soldier-turned Mumbai cop, Tukaram Omble and his fellow policemen were involved in a shootout with two terrorists in a hijacked car, one of whom was killed. In an act of incredible daring, Omble held the barrel of Kasab’s gun and took dozens of bullets at point blank range. That gave the other cops time to overpower Kasab. For his supreme sacrifice, Omble was honoured with the Ashoka Chakra, the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan

A member of the elite special forces, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan made the supreme sacrifice while defending fellow NSG commandos of the 51 Special Action Group and guests and taking the fight to the terrorists inside Taj Hotel. He was killed fighting a terrorist who was armed with grenades and an AK-47 after the officer charged alone into a corridor. The ‘Black Cat’ managed to wound one terrorist and drive all the jihadis towards the restaurants below, from where there was no escape as security forces closed in. Major Unnikrishnan was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra.

Karambir Singh Kang

Not all heroes don uniforms. Karambir Singh Kang was the general manager of Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in 2008 when terror struck. Keeping his cool when the world around him was quite literally falling apart, he helped hundreds of guests and staff escape. Though Kang survived the attack himself, his wife and two children did not make it and were killed in a fire that engulfed the sixth floor.

QUICK REVIEW

Operation launched by the National Security Guard to deteriorate 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks
Operation Black Tornado
Operation Pitch Black
Operation Red Tornado
Operation Mumbai Safe

ANSWER: A

On 12 June 1999, Major (then Lieutenant) Sandeep Unnikrishnan was commissioned in which regiment of Indian Army?
Bihar Regiment
Rajputana Rifles Regiment
Dogra Scouts Regiment
Madras Regiment

ANSWER: A