Enhanced version of PINAKA Rocket System successfully Flight Tested yesterday
- Enhanced PINAKA rocket, developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been successfully flight tested from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha today, 04 November 2020. Development of Enhanced Pinaka system was taken up to achieve longer range performance compared to earlier design with reduced length. The design and development has been carried out by Pune based DRDO laboratories, namely Armament Research and Development Establishment, ARDE and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, HEMRL.
- A total of six rockets were launched in quick succession and the tests met complete mission objectives. Rockets tested have been manufactured by M/s Economic Explosives Limited, Nagpur, to whom the technology has been transferred. All the flight articles were tracked by Range instruments such as telemetry, radar and Electro Optical Tracking Systems which confirmed the flight performance.
- Enhanced version of the Pinaka rocket would replace the existing Pinaka Mk-I rockets which are currently under production.
National Defence College celebrates its Diamond Jubilee; To hold a two-day webinar on ‘India’s National Security- a Decade Ahead’; NDC to allocate more seats for friendly countries
- The National Defence College (NDC), as part its Diamond Jubilee celebrations will organise a two-day Webinar on 05-06 Nov 20 with the theme ‘India’s National Security- a Decade Ahead’. This was announced by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Commandant of NDC, Air Marshal D Choudhury, AVSM, VM, VSM at a press conference in New Delhi yesterday.
- Dr Ajay Kumar said NDC is one of the leading institutions of the world dedicated to intellectual development and strategic training of select senior officers of Armed Forces and Civil Services of India and those of foreign countries. The first NDC course was held in 1960 with 21 participants. In the Diamond Jubilee Year NDC has 100 participants: 75 from India and 25 from friendly countries. He said it is the most prestigious program for higher management both, in Armed Forces and Civil Services.
- A number of illustrious alumni from NDC have held significant appointments which include the present CDS, two Governors, present National Security Advisor, two Election Commissioners, 30 Indian Service Chiefs, over 20 Ambassadors, 4 Defence Secretaries and 5 Foreign Secretaries besides a number of others.
- A number of foreign alumni have also achieved significant positions in their respective countries which include 74 Service Chiefs of their Armed Forces. The following very prominent alumni were Heads of States:
- His Majesty Jigme KhesarNamgyelWangchuck, The King of Bhutan
- Lt Gen Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Former President, Bangladesh
- Lt Gen Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo, Former Head of State, Ghana
- Another alumnus of NDC, His Excellency Hon’ble Sir Peter Cosgrove AK, is the Former Governor General of Commonwealth of Australia.
- The theme of the two day webinar is “India’s National Security – The Decade Ahead”. It will commence tomorrow with Keynote Address by Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri. Some of the key speakers include:
- Mr Peter Varghese, Chancellor Queensland University
- Mr C Rajamohan, Director, South Asian University
- Chief of Defence Staff
- Foreign Secretary
- Chiefs of the Armed Forces
- Mr Rudra Chaudhuri, Director, Carnegie India
- Dr. Shamika Ravi, Brookings India
- Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar said NDC is among the most sought after programme of its kind of the world. To cater to continuous demand for more seats from other countries, Ministry of Defence has decided to increase capacity of NDC from 100 to 110 in 2021 and to 120 in 2022. He said “We will be able to offer more seats to friendly foreign countries from where demand is huge. Necessary infrastructure in this regard is being created. We are going to give additional seats to Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh apart from new seats to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Philippines, Indonesia and Maldives.”
- To commemorate the Diamond Jubilee Year, HE President of India has kindly consented to institute a President’s Chair of Excellence on National Security and Strategy at NDC. This will be operational from NDC 2021. An e-book on NDC titled “NDC – Abode of Strategic Excellence” will be released by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri on this occasion.
- Commandant of NDC, Air Marshal D Choudhury said, despite the COVID-19 constraints, NDC continued its program online w.e.f. March 2020. It is remarkable that full course curriculum has been accomplished without dilution, he added.
Second Batch of Rafale Jets Arrives After Flying Non-Stop from France
- The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France.
- The second batch of Rafale jets — the first western combat aircraft to join the fleet 23 years after the Sukhoi aircraft from Russia — has arrived in India, the Air Force tweeted this evening. The jets had covered the 7,000-odd km flying non-stop from France, the IAF posted after the three aircraft landed.
- The delivery had started nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 aircraft at a cost of ₹ 59,000 crore.
- The induction of all 36 jets will be completed by 2023, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria has said.
- The first batch of five jets had arrived in India on July 29. That time, the jets had refueled midair and made a stopover at Al-Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates. Around 3 in the afternoon, they had landed to a special water cannon salute at the Ambala air base.
- “Welcome home ‘Golden Arrows’. Blue skies always,” the Indian Air Force tweeted with a photo of the Rafales in the “Arrow formation”. The IAF had also tweeted an audio clip of the Rafale fleet’s exchange with a naval warship as they crossed the Indian Ocean.
- The fleet, comprising three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft, were to be part of the No. 17 Squadron of the Air Force, also known as the ”Golden Arrows’.
- The jets were the highlight of the 88th anniversary of the Air Force last month. The newly inducted fleet has also been carrying out sorties in eastern Ladakh, where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a bitter face-off for months.
South Western Army Commander Visits Chetak Corps
- Army Commander Sapta Shakti Command, Lt. Gen. Alok Singh Kler, visited Headquarters Chetak Corps and reviewed operational preparedness. He commended them for their professionalism and exhorted all ranks to continue to work with the same zeal and enthusiasm.
- About Chetak Corps:
- Official name: X Corps (Type: Strike Corps).
- It is based in Bathinda and is a part of South Western Command.
- It had been raised at Bhatinda to reduce XI Corps’ load, while the new corps took over south Punjab and north Rajasthan.
- It has two of the army’s Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Divisions (RAPIDs).
- Current Commander: Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Mago
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- A total of how many rockets were launched in quick succession during the PINAKA flight test yesterday?
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
ANSWER: A
- National Defence College is celebrating its
- Diamond jubilee
- Silver jubilee
- Golden jubilee
- Platinum jubilee
ANSWER: A
- What e-book will be released by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri on the occasion of Diamond Jubilee of NDC?
- NDC – Countering International Terrorism
- NDC – Plan Maker of Global Security
- NDC – Conquer Through Safety
- NDC – Abode of Strategic Excellence
ANSWER: D
- Who among the following is not an alumnus of the National Defence College, New Delhi?
- Sir Peter Cosgrove AK, Former Gov-Gen of Commonwealth of Australia
- His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, The King of Bhutan
- Lt Gen Hussain Muhammad Ershad, Former President, Bangladesh
- Atiqullah Baryalai, Former Deputy Defence Minister of Afghanistan
ANSWER: D
- Chetak Corps is based in
- Patiala
- Bhatinda
- Chandigarh
- Raipur
ANSWER: B
- Official name of Chetak Corps
- IX Corps
- X Corps
- XIII Corps
- XI Corps
ANSWER: B
