Defence Current Affairs And Updates 3 July 2020

Hemanth Kasturi
July 3, 2020
995

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Reached Leh To Boost the Morale of Indian Army

Amid an ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Leh along with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat. The two are currently being briefed by officers of Leh-based HQ 14 Corps, which oversees India’s defences along the LAC in this sector.
According to an update by Prasar Bharati at about 10.15 am PM Modi was at one of the forward locations in Nimu. “He reached there early in the morning. He is interacting with personnel of the Army, Air Force and ITBP,”. He was briefed by senior officials of the Indian Army.

IAF SASO Conference 2020

IAF Senior Air Staff Officers’ (SASOs’) Conference was inaugurated by the CAS ACM RKS Bhadauria on 02 Jul 20. The conference was conducted through video conferencing, in a first of its kind effort in the backdrop of the prevailing security environment & COVID-19 pandemic.
The CAS appreciated the operational readiness of IAF Commands & subordinate formations. He commended the effort put in towards integrated training of air-warriors of all streams to meet the present & future operational requirements.
The CAS emphasised the need for further enhancing operational capabilities & maintaining high serviceability of mission critical systems. He highlighted the need for sustenance of existing fleets & optimum operational exploitation of new inductions.

India deploys Special Forces units in Ladakh amid military standoff with China

Amid the ongoing dispute with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India has now deployed its Special Forces units in Ladakh for operational roles, if required.
Special Forces units played a key role in the 2017 surgical strikes against Pakistan-based terror camps and can be used effectively on the Chinese front if and when needed, sources added.
Most recent inputs indicate that Special Forces units have already been deployed along forward locations in eastern Ladakh. Troops have been fully apprised about roles they may have to assume in case hostilities with China escalate.
India has more than 12 Special Forces regiments who train on different terrains and have developed specialisation in desert, mountains, and jungle terrain. The Special Forces units deployed in Jammu and Kashmir regularly practice war games in high-altitude areas in and around Leh.
While raiding them, Indian Army Special Forces had destroyed multiple launch pads near the Line of Control (LOC) during the 2017 surgical strikes. Troops had targeted and eliminated a number of terrorists, along with Pakistan Army personnel tasked with training and guiding them to India through different routes.
At present, India and China are engaged in a military standoff along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Tensions have been high since June 15 when a violent face-off between soldiers of the Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops resulted in casualties on both sides in the Galwan Valley.

Defence Ministry approves proposal to procure 21 MIG-29, 12 Su-30 MKI jets for Rs 18,148 crore

Amid the ongoing efforts to modernise the Indian armed forces, the Defence Ministry on Thursday approved procurement of 21 MIG-29 and 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft along with the upgradation of existing 59 Mig-29 jets.
The Defence Acquisition Council met under the Chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday and accorded approval for capital acquisitions of various platforms and equipment required by the Indian Armed Forces. Proposals for an approximate cost of Rs 38,900 crore were approved, the ministry said.
As the government is focused on indigenous design and development under the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ initiative, these approvals include acquisitions from Indian Industry of Rs 31,130 crore.
The equipment are to be manufactured in India involving the Indian Defence Industry with the participation of several MSMEs as prime tier vendors. The indigenous content in some of these projects is up to 80% of the project cost, the Defence Ministry said in a press release.
A large number of these projects have been made possible due to Transfer of Technology by DRDO to the indigenous industry. These include Pinaka ammunitions, BMP armament upgrades and Software Defined Radios for the Army, Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile Systems and Astra Missiles for Navy and Air Force.

Transgenders in central police forces soon

In a major gender reform, the home ministry is set to allow induction of transgenders as ‘third gender’ into the central armed police forces. The ministry is at the concluding stage of consultations with central paramilitary forces — BSF, CRPF, ITBP, CISF and SSB — on incorporating transgender, along with male and female, in the rules for the recruitment examination for assistant commandants in central forces, starting this year.
The move follows enactment of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, in December last year. The Act prohibits discrimination against a transgender person in matters like education, employment, healthcare services, accommodation, right to acquire property and other public services and facilities. In a circular on April 20, the department of personnel and training had requested all central ministries and departments to modify examination rules and provide for inclusion of ‘transgender’ as a separate category of gender, in conformity with the Act.
Once formalised, the decision will mark a breakthrough for transgender rights, particularly in the tradition-bound paramilitary. The move can be expected to spur recruitment of transgenders in other areas, including the armed forces and police organisations. Last year, Chhattisgarh had announced that transgenders would be eligible for police jobs.

Australian Army to receive 251 new Remote Weapon Stations for its protected vehicles

A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), or remote weapon station (RWS), also known as a remote weapon system, (RWS) is a remotely operated weaponized system often equipped with fire-control system for light and medium-caliber weapons which can be installed on ground combat vehicle or sea- and air-based combat platforms. Such equipment is used on modern military vehicles, as it allows a gunner to remain in the relative protection of the vehicle. It may also be retrofitted onto existing vehicles.
Australia’s Department of Defense and Electro Optic Systems announced on Thursday an agreement for the procurement of 251 new Remote Weapon Stations.
Minister for Defense Industry Melissa Price said the investment in new remote weapon stations would provide job stability for over 200 of Electro Optic Systems’ workforce directly involved in engineering and support.

Russian fighter jets again intercept U.S. spy plane as it flew close to Crimea

Russian SU-27 fighter aircraft scrambled on Wednesday to intercept U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint strategic reconnaissance plane flying over the Black Sea, flying close to the Crimean Peninsula on July 1, 2020.
Wednesday’s intercept follows similar encounters last month in which Russian fighter jets intercepted U.S. Navy and Air Force reconnaissance aircraft flight about 50 miles away from the peninsula’s Black Sea coast.
The last previous one was 26 June when SU-30 fighter jets intercepted U.S. Navy P-8A “Poseidon” patrol plane, RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft, and a US air force KC-135 tanker aircraft approaching the state border of the Russian Federation over the neutral waters of the Black Sea.
The U.S. military planes were continuously tracked by Russian radars at a considerable distance from the state border of Russia, the statement says.
“The Russian aircraft performed the flights in strict compliance with the international rules of using the airspace over the neutral waters, without violating the borders of other states,” the Russian defense ministry said.

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