Russia discloses new details of electromagnetic pulse cannon

• Russian defense industry sources have disclosed the new details of the electromagnetic pulse cannon capable of hitting targets 6 miles away. The new super cannon will be able to shoot down aircraft and aerial drones by an electromagnetic pulse.
• An electromagnetic pulse lasts a fraction of a second and reaches the target almost immediately, travelling with the speed of light. During trials, electromagnetic pulse cannons were used to destroy various equipment on the ground and were also efficient against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
• The main problem of such weaponry is that it needs lots of energy to strike, and, therefore, creating a mobile EMP system is hardly possible in the near future.
• The sources said that EMP weaponry should be distinguished from radio electronic warfare systems. While radio electronic warfare systems can jam electronics at a distance of several hundred kilometres, they are way less powerful and do not knock out the equipment. EMP cannons, on the contrary, physically destroy electronics beyond repair.

American troops launch large-scale military exercises in South China Sea

• The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carriers and several warships were deployed to the South China Sea to demonstrate U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s commitment to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
• High-end integrated exercises build unmatched flexibility, endurance, manoeuvrability, and firepower in an all-domain warfighting environment. These efforts support enduring U.S. commitments to stand up for the right of all nations to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows.
• Sailors from both carrier strike groups continue to stand the watch, defending freedom every day of deployment, and reflecting on the freedoms we hold sacred.
• In addition to U.S. Navy warships, B-52 strategic bombers also took part in the exercises. One B-52 Stratofortress bomber from the 96th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, participated in a maritime integration exercise with the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike groups in the South China Sea before landing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
• During the mission, the B-52 aircrew tested and assessed command and control capabilities to inform the development of contested and degraded communication tactics, techniques, and procedures to ensure seamless joint interoperability.
• U.S. Strategic Command’s bomber forces regularly conduct combined theatre security cooperation engagements with allies and partners, demonstrating U.S. capability to command, control, and conduct bomber missions around the world.

Serbia receives Chinese-made UAVs

• Ministry of the defense Republic of Serbia has taken delivery of the first CH-92A unmanned combat aerial vehicles from China. The surveillance and reconnaissance unmanned aircraft systems, with strike capabilities, was formally handed over at Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlovic Air Base in Batajnica on 4 July.
• The CH-92A is a medium-altitude, long-endurance-class UAV purposed for reconnaissance and attack operations. It is developed by the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), also known as the 11th Academy of CASC, or 701st Research Institute.
• Serbia received a multipurpose UAV which can carry laser guided rocket and bombs for attacking role. The Serbian army is the first in the region to be equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles CH-92A, whose combat radius exceeds 250 kilometres, the maximum flight altitude is 5000 meters and the speed is slightly less than 200 kilometres per hour.
• The CH-92A armed drones system is a multifunctional system that can be used to perform a wide range of tasks, such as reconnaissance from airspace, accurate determination of the coordinates of observed targets on the ground, automatic tracking of moving targets on the ground, reconnaissance on the battlefield, artillery correction fire assessment of the effects of exposure, laser-guided missile attacks on targets on the ground, laser irradiation of the target.

Morale of armed forces very high, ready to sacrifice lives for country: ITBP DG

• The morale of the Indian armed forces is “very high” and the troops are ready to sacrifice their lives for the nation like in the past, ITBP chief S S Deswal said on Sunday as the military standoff with China continued in Ladakh. The ITBP Director General (DG) said the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ladakh and his address to troops in Nimu “have raised the morale of all the forces at the border”.
• “The complete national leadership, political leadership and the forces and jawans…they are dedicated to the nation. They are dedicated to border security and the morale of all forces, be it the Indian Army, Air Force or ITBP, is remarkably high,” Deswal told reporters on the side-lines of an event to inaugurate an over-10,000-bed COVID care centre here.
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is primarily tasked with guarding the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China on the country’s eastern flank and its troops are present, along with the Army, to counter the Chinese forces during the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan valley area and other locations.
• The force has inducted about 30 fresh companies (around 3,000 personnel) to bolster its numbers at various locations along the LAC in view of the standoff with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China.

BSF alerts units along Bangladesh border against spurt in human trafficking during COVID-19

• The Border Security Force (BSF) has sounded an alert all along the 4,096 km long India-Bangladesh front to check cross-border human trafficking instances that may witness a spurt in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the linked lockdown, officials said on Sunday.
• The force has noticed some innovative methods to push the poor and vulnerable from across the border by luring them with job opportunities in cities like Kolkata, Guwahati, some other towns in north-east India and as far as Delhi and Mumbai, a senior officer of the BSF said.
• At least five Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended by the BSF in less than two weeks, between June 19-29, from railway wagons that entered India via Petrapole in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The wagons either contained bags of chilli or were empty, the officer said.

Navy to seek ban on unauthorised sale of armed forces uniform

• Taking serious note of incidents of men using naval uniforms or badges for allegedly posing as Navy officers in Kerala, the Indian Navy on Saturday said it will approach the state government seeking a ban on unauthorised sale of Armed forces uniforms in the state.
• Impersonation of service personnel by others is a cognizable offence and those indulging in such activities would be subject to stringent measures in order to avoid anti-national elements from utilizing this method for ulterior motives, which pose a potentially grave threat to national security, the navy said in a statement.
• The Navy noted that District administrations of Kutch (Gujarat) and Srinagar, and Punjab government had issued orders for ban on unauthorized sale of Armed forces uniform under section 144 of the CrPC.
• Raja Nath, hailing from Nadia, West Bengal was arrested on July 1, based on a tip-off from the Navy that the man was travelling to various places in Naval uniform. He also allegedly uploaded videos in TikTok posing as a Naval Officer. Nath, who arrived Kerala in October last year, was residing in an apartment at Thevara. He had got uniforms stitched from shops at Kochi. Police said a case was registered against him under Section 140 of the IPC for impersonating as an officer in Indian Navy and has also recovered naval uniforms and badges from his residence. He was later released on bail.
• A similar incident was reported earlier also at Thevara Police Station against a man identified as Nibit Daniel for impersonating as a Indian Navy commander. He had also got uniforms stitched locally.

IAF ramping up deployment in key bases along border with China

• The Indian Air Force is significantly enhancing deployment of its frontline jets, attack helicopters and transport fleet in all its key bases guarding the airspace along the Line of Actual Control in view of heightened border tension with China in eastern Ladakh.
• The IAF has also 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 to further ramp up India’s military preparedness in the region.
• The IAF is also using its Ilyushin-76 fleet to transport troops to various areas along the Line of Actual Control, the 3,500 km de-facto border between India and China.
• They said the force has already moved a sizeable number of its frontline Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage 2000 aircraft to several key air bases including Leh and Srinagar. It has also deployed Apache attack choppers and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations.
• The frontline fighter jets have increased their sorties in Ladakh and nearby areas in the last few days as part of increased alert level, and probably as a response to expanded activities of the Chinese air force.
• Last month, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria made a quiet visit to Ladakh and Srinagar air bases to review the Indian Air Force’s preparedness to deal with any eventualities in the region.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. The new super cannon of Russia will be able to shoot down aircraft and aerial drones by an electromagnetic pulse by what distance?
2. 5 miles
3. 6 miles
4. 7 miles
5. 8 miles

ANSWER: B

• Which US aircraft carriers and warships were recently deployed to the South China Sea to demonstrate U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s commitment to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region?
• USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan
• USS Ronald Reagan and USS Theodore Roosevelt
• USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt
• USS Nimitz and USS William P. Lawrence

ANSWER: A

• In addition to U.S. Navy warships, which aircrafts of US also took part in the exercises?
• F-35 Lightning II
• Boeing F/A-18E/F
• Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
• CH-53E Super Stallion

ANSWER: C

• Navy to seek ban on unauthorised sale of armed forces uniform under which section of Criminal Procedure Code?
• Section 118
• Section 145
• Section 164A
• Section 144

ANSWER: D

• Chinese CH-92A unmanned aerial vehicles were formally handed over to Serbia at which of its airbase on 4^th July?
• Morava Airport, Lađevci
• Niš Constantine the Great Airport, Medoševac and Popovac
• Colonel-pilot Milenko Pavlovic Air Base, Batajnica
• None of the above

ANSWER: C