May 2022 Monthly Defence Current Affairs And Updates [DOWNLOAD PDF]

Divyanshu Pandey
May 31, 2022
8,521

In today’s Monthly Defence Current Affairs for May 2022, we are going to see the latest national and international defence current affairs. These defence current affairs questions and major events will be really helpful for your upcoming NDA, CDS, AFCAT, TA, INET, MNS, ACC exams and other SSB Interviews like SSC Tech, TGC, TES, NDA, CDS, AFCAT and more. Download the Defence current affairs PDF file at the end of this article.

Monthly Defence Current Affairs May 2022

Lt Gen Baggavalli Somashekar Raju New VCOAS

Lt Gen Baggavalli Somashekar Raju take over as the vice chief of the Army Staff on May 1. Lt Gen Raju will succeed incumbent Lt Gen Manoj Pande who will take the reins of the 1.3 million-strong Army after Army Chief Gen MM Naravane completes his term on Saturday.
Lieutenant General Manoj Katiyar will succeed as the army’s next DGMO.
Lt General Raju has “commanded his Battalion during Op Parakram in the Western Theatre and in Jammu & Kashmir. He also holds the distinction of commanding the Uri brigade along the Line of Control, a Counter Insurgency Force and the Chinar Corps in the Kashmir Valley. The General Officer also served as the Commandant, Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan”.

Rear Adm Vikram Menon, VSM took over As Flag Officer Commanding Goa

Rear Admiral Vikram Menon, VSM took over duties of Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area (FOGA) and Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA) on 30 Apr 2022 from Rear Admiral Philipose G Pynumootil, AVSM, NM, who retired on superannuation after a career spanning over 36 years in service.
- Rear Admiral Menon is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Naval War College and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 January 1990.
- He has flown the Sea Harrier aircraft extensively from INS Virat. He also served as the Senior Pilot of INAS 300 and commanded INAS 552.
- Prior to taking over as FOGA, the Flag Officer held the appointment of Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) at Naval Headquarters. His Staff appointments include Director of Aircraft Acquisition at Naval Headquarters and Chief Staff Officer (Air) at Headquarters Naval Aviation.

Indian Army celebrated 84^th Armour Day

The Indian Army will celebrate 84^th Armour Day on Friday to honour the arrival of armoured vehicles in place of horses in the Indian cavalry regiments.
Armour Day is celebrated every year on May 1. On this day in 1938, the Scindia Horse became the first regiment to convert to tanks.
With the passage of time, the Indian Army became better equipped. In 1943, the Indian Armour updated itself to the Sherman tanks (M4) of American origin.

Exercise Sagar Kavach

Coastal Security Exercise, Sagar Kavach (A&N)- 01/22, was conducted by ICG (A&N), ANC from 27-28 Apr 22 towards ensure Coastal Security.
- The Ex witnessed participation from 17 stakeholders. Various SOPs were revalidated during the Ex.
- ICG was established in August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 as an independent Armed force of India.
- As the fourth largest Coast Guard in the world, it has played a significant role in securing the Indian coasts and enforcing regulations in the maritime zones of India.
- It is an Armed Force, Search and Rescue and Maritime Law Enforcement agency under the Ministry of Defence.
- It is headquartered in New Delhi.
- The concept of forming ICG came into being after the 1971 war.
- The blueprint for a multidimensional Coast Guard was conceived by the visionary Rustamji Committee.
- For effective command and control, the Maritime Zones of India are divided into five Coast Guard Regions, namely, North-West, West, East, North-East and Andaman & Nicobar, with the respective Regional Headquarters located at Gandhinagar, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Port Blair. .

Successful trials of ATAGS howitzers carried out in Pokhran

Trials of made in India Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) were successfully conducted at Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR) between April 26 and May 2, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
ATAGS is a fully indigenous towed artillery gun system project undertaken in mission mode by DRDO as a part of the artillery modernization programme of the Indian Army.
The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) has been developed by the DRDO and produced by two firms Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems Limited.
The gun is expected to be the mainstay of the Indian Army tower howitzer fleet and may also be used to replace the Bofors howitzers.

MAJOR GEN SANJAY PURI TAKES CHARGE AS ADDITIONAL DG UP NCC DIRECTORATE

Major General Sanjay Puri, SM, VSM took charge as the new Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh NCC Directorate on 30 April 2022 from Maj Gen Rakesh Rana who superannuated after 37 years of service.
Major General Rakesh Rana was posted as Additional Director General, Uttar Pradesh NCC Directorate on 30 September 2019 and during his tenure the Uttar Pradesh NCC Directorate achieved 6th position in the Republic Day Camp 2022 and achieved Ist position in cultural competition among 17 NCC Directorates.
Major General Sanjay Puri, SM, VSM who assumed the duties of Additional Director General Uttar Pradesh NCC Directorate is a highly experienced officer. He has been instructor in Officers Training Academy, Chennai and has held several important appointments in the Army. He joins the Uttar Pradesh NCC directorate after a successful tenure at Army Headquarters New Delhi.

Indian Navy to Operate Electric-boats, Bengaluru Firm Building Prototype

As part of the defence electrification programme, the Indian Navy is, for the first time, looking to operate electric-boats. A Bengaluru-based EV platform startup — Tresa Energy — has begun a 12-month pilot (prototype-stage) to build a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) called the “EV.7M RIB”.
The lightweight, high-performance RIB, which can seat 18 people, will be useful for patrolling, interception, search and rescue, and transport by the Navy.
The EV.7M RIB can do all of these with a higher stealth mode and cannot be detected by heat maps, as it does not generate heat or sound.
Tresa, a high-performance EV platform start-up building next-generation EV powertrains and platforms, is into research, design, and manufacture of high-precision components. Its high-energy dense EV powertrains can be customised exclusively for high-end cars, buses, trucks, aerial and marine vehicles.
The firm has received Rs 3 crore as grant from the DIO under MoD for building the prototype, which will be done based on requirements specified by the Navy. The 12-month pilot started last month and it will take Tresa another 11 months to deliver the first prototype. As a first step, it is making its systems marine compliant, which will take some time.

Indigenous Artillery Gun Passes Validation Trials

The indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) jointly with the private industry crossed a milestone this week by successfully completing the validation trials towards meeting the specifications of the Army.
The ATAGS is a 155mm, 52-calibre heavy artillery gun jointly developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), the Pune-based laboratory of DRDO, in partnership with Bharat Forge and Tata Group. The ATAGS has demonstrated a range of over 45 km.
In August 2018 the Defence Acquisition Council had accorded approval for the purchase of 150 of these guns at an approximate cost of ₹3,365 crore which would be split between the two companies. The deal will be split in 60:40 ratio between the lowest bidder (L1) and L2. The Army has a requirement of 1,580 artillery guns in this category.

PM Modi Holds Talks with French President Discusses Defence Cooperation, Indo-pacific

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with the newly re-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, discussing a range of bilateral issues including defence, space, civil nuclear cooperation and people-to-people linkages, as well as regional and global issues.
India-France Defence Partnership
France was one of the first countries with which India signed a “strategic partnership” after the end of the Cold War, in January 1998.
France was one of the very few countries to support India’s decision to test nuclear weapons in 1998.
Defence Cooperation: Both countries have a defence dialogue at the Ministerial level.
The 3 services have regular defence exercises
Exercise Shakti (Army)
Exercise Varuna (Navy)
Exercise Garuda (Air Force)
France became the 23rd member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in 2021.
France is the second-largest exporter of defence equipment to India.

AIR SQUADRON COMMISSIONED IN COAST GUARD

Indian Coast Guard commissioned its second Air Squadron equipped with the indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK III on 04 may at Coast Guard Air Enclave Kochi. 845 Squadron (CG) became the premier ALH MK-III squadron in the Coast Guard’s western seaboard.
- In a major boost to India’s maritime security, 845 Squadron (CG), has been commissioned by Director General VS Pathania.
- The commissioning of this squadron earmarks a tremendous leap towards self-reliance in the field of SAR and Long-Range Maritime Surveillance, in line with government’s push towards “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
- The indigenously developed ALH Mk-III helicopters feature an array of state-of-the-art sensors which add up to maritime prowess of Coast Guard. The multifaceted helicopters sport advanced communication systems, automatic identification system, search-and-rescue homer and automatic flight control system and are fitted with modern surveillance radar/electro-optical equipment which enables them to undertake the role of long-range maritime reconnaissance in addition to providing long range search and rescue, both by day and night.

Boeing, Air Works Work On Maintenance Of P-8I Warfare Aircraft

American plane maker Boeing and India MRO company Air Works are currently undertaking heavy maintenance checks on three P-8I long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft operated by the Indian Navy (IN) simultaneously at Air Works’ facility in, Hosur.
Boeing’s strategic collaboration with Air Works was the first step under the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub launched last year.
The BIRDS hub entails a collaboration with key local companies and businesses to develop India into an aviation and defence repair and sustainment hub.
The Boeing and Air Works collaboration has already been enabling faster turnarounds and enhanced operational capability within the country for the country’s key defence platforms. The partnership began with the first P-8I aircraft Phase 32 checks, and has grown to include Phase 48 checks and MRO on the landing gear of the Indian Air Force’s 737 VVIP aircraft.

With ‘Snags’ Reported, Defence Ministry Decides Against Repeating US Assault Rifle Order

India’s Ministry of Defence has decided against inking the Rs 700-crore repeat order it had approved in late 2020 for 72,400 ‘Patrol’ Sig Sauer assault rifles from the US for its military, due to diverse ‘snags’ which had surfaced with earlier imports of an equal number of similar weapon systems a year before.
The Wire that the supplementary procurement of SIG716 7.62×51 mm rifles had been abandoned following several “operational glitches” which had surfaced soon after they were issued to Indian Army units deployed along the Line of Control in Kashmir and on counter-insurgency operations in the region from December 2019 onwards.
Meanwhile, in a parallel move the MoD also included assault rifles in its 310-strong list of military items that India will no longer import, but source domestically.

BRO 63^rd Raising Day 2022

DGBR, Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, VSM conducts Special Sainik Sammelan. BRO will be Celebrating its 63rd Raising Day on 07 May 22.
On 06 May 22, the DGBR addressed all ranks & expressed his satisfaction with the achievements of organisation.
BRO was conceived and raised in 1960 by Pandit Nehru for coordinating the speedy development of a network of roads in the North and the North-Eastern border regions of the country.
It works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence.
It has diversified into a large spectrum of construction and development works comprising airfields, building projects, defence works and tunneling.
What is the role of BRO?
As discussed above BRO dons multiple hats while performing its duties. The border road infrastructure is of critical security importance. The BRO has the following roles to play.
Peacetime Role
During Peacetime, BRO builds and maintains the operational Road infrastructure of General staff in the Border Area.
While building the border infrastructure, the socio-economic development of the border states is a very important job that the BRO performs.
It has a very important role in disaster response during landslides, earthquakes in the border areas where BRO deploys its force in relief and rebuilding tasks.
Wartime Role
During wars, BRO works to develop and maintain roads in such a way that troop deployment is made easy in original sectors and Re-deployed sectors.
It executes additional tasks given by the government contributing the war efforts.
It has to work round-the-clock to maintain the lines of transport and engage in development of new lines or repair of existing roads that are damaged during war.

Indian Army To Get Two New Regiments Of Akash Prime Air Defence Missile System

The Indian Army will receive a major ‘Make in India’ solution to boost its ability to shoot down enemy aircraft and drones as it has proposed to buy two new regiments of the Akash Prime missile air defence missiles systems.
In comparison to the existing Akash System, Akash Prime is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy.
The missile can be deployed at heights up to 4,500 metres and can take down targets at a distance of around 25-30 km.
In comparison to the existing Akash system, it is equipped with indigenous active RF (Radio Frequency) seeker for improved accuracy, which makes sure that the target at which the missile is fired is hit.
Other improvements were also incorporated in Akash Prime like ensuring reliable performance under a low-temperature environment at higher altitudes.
Akash is India’s first indigenously produced medium range SAM that can engage multiple targets from multiple directions and it can be launched from mobile platforms like battle tanks or wheeled trucks. It has nearly 90% kill probability.
The development of the Akash SAM was started by the DRDO in the late 1980s as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
It is unique in the way that It can simultaneously engage multiple targets in group mode or autonomous mode.
It has built-in Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features, which means that it has mechanisms on-board that can counter the electronic systems that deceive the detection systems.
The missile is supported by the indigenously developed radar called ‘Rajendra’.
It can engage targets at a speed 2.5 times more than the speed of sound and can detect and destroy targets flying at low, medium and high altitudes.

Lt Gen Vijay Nair is New Chief of Staff, Western Command

Lt Gen Vijay B Nair has been appointed as the Chief of Staff, Western Command.
On assuming charge today, he paid tributes to martyrs at the Veer Smriti war memorial in a solemn ceremony held at the Chandi mandir Military Station. He exhorted all ranks to continue working with the same zeal and vigour.
Western Command is a Command-level formation of the Indian Army. It was formed in 1920.
The Command HQ is in Chand mandir, Haryana, about 5 km east of Chandigarh.

Indian Army Commands

The Indian Army is organised into seven commands, these are

S.No.	Command	Headquarter
1	Western command	Chandigarh
2	Eastern command	Kolkata
3	Northern command	Udhampur
4	Southern command	Pune
5	Central command	Lucknow
6	Army Training Command	Shimla
7	Southwestern Command	Jaipur

DRDO developing Unified Common Launcher for Astra Air to Air Missile

To ensure compatibility of a single launcher across the existing platforms of the IAF, DRDO has taken up the Design and Development of a Unified Common Launcher for AAM which is compatible across the platforms.
Missiles are generally not mounted directly to an aircraft, but rather are mounted to launchers that are fixed to the aircraft. In this manner, the missile can be launched from the launcher, while the launcher remains fixed to the aircraft.
New Unified Common Launcher will be compatible with both Rail launched (Astra Mk1) and Ejector launched (Astra Mk2/Mk3) Air to Air missiles.

Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Aujla takes over as GoC 15 Corps

Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Aujla took over as GOC of the strategic Chinar Corps of the India Army from Lt Gen D P Pandey, a defence spokesman said here. Lt Gen Pandey commanded the Corps in a critical phase of 2021 when Kashmir was confronted with the twin challenges of terrorism and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The tenure has been defined by an improved security environment prevailing at the Line of Control, as well as in the hinterland. With the Civil Administration and security forces synergising their efforts to bring normalcy back to Kashmir, terrorism is on the decline with assessed residual terrorist numbers reduced to an all-time low”.

Indian Army to Buy 12 More Made-in-India ‘Swathi’ Weapon-locating Radars

In a major boost for the Indian Army on the China front, the force has put up a proposal to the defence ministry for buying 12 Swathi weapon-locating radars developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Indian Army has initiated this proposal worth around Rs 1,000 crore Swathi WLRs and it is planned to be put for consideration by a high-level Defence Ministry meeting.
The weapon-locating radars developed by the DRDO and built by Bharat Electronics Limited had achieved major success and were supplied to Armenia as well.
Swathi weapon-locating radars provide fast, automatic, and accurate location of enemy weapons like mortars, shells and rockets within 50-kilometre range.
The radars can simultaneously detect multiple projectiles fired from different weapons at different locations.
The Indian Army has been using the radars for its operations along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The system was given for trial in the Army in 2018.
New Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande is a major supporter of indigenisation and orders for many types of equipment like self-propelled artillery guns are likely to go to Indian vendors only.
A major push is also expected in small arms also as the planned orders for foreign assault rifles are now going to be given to Indian vendors who have made significant developments in this field.

From Ladakh to Northeast, 6 Indian Army Divisions shifted from the Pak front

In his recent visit to the Ladakh sector, Army chief Gen Manoj Pande reviewed the security situation along the LAC in view of the Chinese threat for which the Indian Army has shifted six Divisions that were earlier deployed in counter-terrorism roles and after taking care of Pakistan front.
The military standoff with China has been going on for over two years now when the Chinese side attempted to change the status quo unilaterally by moving troops in large numbers against Indian positions.
One division from Rashtriya Rifles was taken out from counter-terrorism roles from Jammu and Kashmir and has now been deployed in the Eastern Ladakh sector and would be there along with the 3 Division already based there
Likewise, an Assam-based Division under the Tezpur-based Gajaraj Corps has been pulled out of its counter-insurgency role from the state and now its mandate is to look after the China border in the northeast.
Two Army Divisions located in Uttar Pradesh have also now been assigned to the Northern Command for Ladakh theatre. Uttarakhand-based Division of a Strike Corps has been reassigned to the Central Command to look after the entire Central sector where the Chinese have been attempting transgressions on multiple occasions.

After Brahmos, Philippines looking to buy LCAs and LCHs

After a deal with India for the induction of anti-ship Brahmos missiles, the Philippines government seems interested in upgrading its fleet of military aircraft with help from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
HAL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC) in April that may lead to export of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH).
China had even raised objections (even diplomatically) when Brahmos carrying Su-30 MKI fighters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) landed at upgraded Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in Arunachal Pradesh, close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China.

India Plans Dam Project as China Seeks to Divert River

The proposed dam in the upper reaches of Arunachal will be able to store around 10 billion cu. m (BCM) of water, Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said. By storage, the Indira Sagar Dam is the largest in India at 12.2 BCM.
China’s 14th five-year plan has proposed building a massive dam over the Brahmaputra River, known in China as the Yarlung Tsangpo, a development that has raised concerns in India because of the strategic ramifications.
Of the 2,880km length of the river Brahmaputra, 1,625km is in Tibet, 918km in India, and 337km in Bangladesh. Of the total catchment area of 580,000 sq. km, 50% lies in Tibet, 34% in India, and the balance in Bangladesh and Bhutan.
“Brahmaputra river has a huge quantum of 500 BCM (billion cubic metres) of water flowing into it. Of this, more than 75% comes from our catchment area. That’s the reason why we are not affected by it a lot. But in the non-monsoon season, when the river gets water from snowmelt, we don’t have water in our catchment area. So, if they construct a dam and divert water in the non-monsoon seasons, then it will have an impact from Arunachal Pradesh to Bangladesh. Earlier they (China) had said they were not doing anything. Later they said that they are constructing run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects. And now there is evidence that perhaps they can also work on water transfer,”

Indian Army’s New Arsenal Additions Focus On Indigenous Acquisitions

One of the major requirements in air defence and the Rs 6000 crore Successor AD (air defence) Gun project has been altered and will be placed for clearance. The project is for 220 AD guns to replace Bofors’ L-70s of the ’60s and the anti-aircraft autocannon Zus of the ’70s.
- Initially, it was about buying 25 guns from abroad and making 195 in India, but now, it will be an entirely ‘Make in India’ project, with trials of the gun also being conducted here.
- Similarly, the General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) was to be bought from the United States, but instead of buying 700, about 100 are likely to be purchased from the US and the rest will be made in India. This is not a high-value system, with each machine gun costing about Rs 1 crore.
- A longer range than the existing Pinaka rocket launchers with the Indian Army. The project cost is about Rs 3100 crore.
- The purchase of more weapon locating radars is also on the anvil.

Time to Make-for-World, Says Rajnath as Indian Navy Launches Indigenous Warships

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday expressed India’s grit towards indigenous shipbuilding as he presided over the launch of the Indian Navy destroyer warship INS Surat and frigate INS Udaygiri in Mumbai. “We will aim for not just Make-In-India but also for Make-for-World,” Singh said.
The ship ‘Surat’ is the fourth and last of the stealth destroyers under the ‘Project 15B’ programme.
The second ship, ‘Udaygiri’ is part of the ‘Project 17A’ frigate programme.
The Project 15B class of ships are the next generation stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy being built at the Mazgaon Docks Ltd in Mumbai. ‘Surat’ is the fourth ship of Project 15B destroyers which heralds a significant makeover of the P15A (Kolkata Class) destroyers, the official said.
The ship Surat has been built using the block construction methodology which involved hull construction at two different geographical locations and has been joined together at MDL, the official said.
The first ship of this class was commissioned in 2021. The second and third ships have been launched and are at different stages of trials. The ship ‘Udaygiri’ is named after a mountain range in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
It is the third ship of Project 17A frigates. These follow the P17 Frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
Both 15B and P17A ships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design.

Indian Navy SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRES NAVAL ANTI-SHIP MISSILE

The Indian Navy on Wednesday successfully carried out the maiden test firing of the first indigenously developed naval anti-ship missile from a Seaking helicopter, officials said. The test was conducted at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Odisha’s Balasore.
“This firing is a significant step towards achieving self-reliance in niche missile technology and reaffirms the Indian Navy’s commitment to indigenisation“. The Indian Navy carried out the test in association with the DRDO.
The test-firing of the new missile came over a month after an anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy appreciated the efforts of the project team for successfully proving mission objectives. He complimented the Indian Navy and Naval Flight Test Squadron for their support to the project and said that the system will strengthen offensive capability of Indian Navy.

4^th Edition of CORPAT Exercise

4th Ed of India – Bangladesh Coordinated Patrol CORPAT commenced in Northern Bay of Bengal.
Strengthening mutual understanding & enhanced interoperability b/n both the navies in countering transnational maritime threats at sea.
Indian Navy’s indigenous warships INS Kora & INS Sumedha along with Bangladesh Navy warships BNS Ali Haider & BNS Abu Ubaidah & Maritime Patrol Aircraft of both navies will undertake joint patrol along International Maritime Boundary Line 22 – 23 May 22

India-Bangladesh Relations

India was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh and establish diplomatic relations immediately after its independence in December 1971.

Defence Cooperation:

Various Joint exercises of Army (Exercise Sampriti) and Navy (Exercise Milan) take place between the two countries.
Border Management: India and Bangladesh share 4096.7 km. of border, which is the longest land boundary that India shares with any of its neighbours.
The India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) came into force following the exchange of instruments of ratification in June 2015.

Cooperation over Rivers:

India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers. A bilateral Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) has been working since June 1972 to maintain liaison between the two countries to maximize benefits from common river systems.

Economic Relations:
Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia. India’s exports to Bangladesh for financial year 2018-19 (April-March) stood at US 9.21 billion USD and imports from Bangladesh for the same period stood at US 1.22 billion USD.
Bangladesh has appreciated the Duty-Free and Quota Free access given to Bangladeshi exports to India under South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) since 2011.

Indian Air Force Ranks 3rd On World Air Power Index

The World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) has published the Global Air Powers Ranking of 2022, a report that has placed the Indian Air Force (IAF) above the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
The report has evaluated the total fighting strength of the various air services of different world nations and has ranked them accordingly. Not just China, but IAF has been placed above Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), Israeli Air Force, and French Air and Space Force.
The Global Air Powers Ranking (2022) report has given the highest TvR score to the United States Air Force (USAF)- 242.9. The USAF comprises a broad mix of aircraft types and several products are locally sourced from the massive industrial base of the US.

Indian Air Force Inventory 2022

Fighters (632 units)

Su-30MKI (Multirole)-242
MiG-21bis (Interceptor)-132, Jaguar M/S (Attack)-130
MiG-29UPG (Multirole)-66, M2000H/I (Multirole)-45
Tejas Mk.1 (Multirole)-16, Rafale (Multirole)-1

Helicopters (438 units)

Mi-17/171 (Medium-Lift)-223
HAL Dhruv (Multirole)-91
SA 316/SA319 (Utility)-77, SA 315 (Light Utility)-17
Mi-25/25/35 (Gunship/Transport)-15, AH-64E (Attack)-8
CH-47F (Medium Lift)-6, Mi-26 (Heavy Lift)-1

Transports (250 units)

An-32 (Tactical)-104
HS 748 (Utility)-57
Dornier 228 (Utility)-50
IL-76MD/MKI (Strategic)-17
C-17 (Strategic/Tactical)-11, C-130J (Tactical)-11
Top 10 Global Air Powers Ranking 2022

Serial No.	Country	TvR
1	United States Air Force (5,091)	242.9
2	United States Navy (2,626)	142.4
3	Russian Air Force (3,829)	114.2
4	United States Army Aviation (4,328)	112.6
5	United States Marine Corps (1,211)	85.3
6	Indian Air Force (1,645)	69.4
7	People’s Liberation Army Air Force (2,040)	63.8
8	Japan Air Self-Defense Force (779)	58.1
9	Israeli Air Force (581)	58.0
10	French Air and Space Force (658)	56.3

Quad to spend over $50billion on infrastructure in Indo-Pacific in 5 years

The Quad summit being held in Tokyo on Tuesday decided to extend over $ 50 billion of infrastructure assistance and investment in the Indo-Pacific over the next five years.
On the political front, the Quad was critical of the situation in North Korea, Myanmar, and Afghanistan but in view of India’s reluctance, the joint statement did not criticise Russia. “Quad is a force for good, committed to bringing tangible benefits to the region”.
The Quad mentioned its focus on South China Sea but refrained from mentioning China though the tone and tenor of several formulations in the joint statement left no doubt about their determination to counter Beijing’s forward forays.
The Pacific Island countries this time came for prominent mention in the backdrop of China signing a military pact with one of them which is geographically close to Australia.
The Quad also dwelt at length on terrorism. It denounced the use of terrorist proxies, emphasised the importance of denying any logistical or military support to terrorist groups and condemned the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks.
But a considerable focus was on emerging and critical technologies where the West is intent on maintaining an advantage over China. Work will begin by the four countries aligning their baseline software security standards and promoting interoperability and security in 5G supplier diversification.
Taking note of Quad’s capacity and vulnerabilities in global semiconductor supply chains, they decided to strengthen cooperation through a new International Standards Cooperation Network (ISCN).
Quad partners have also collectively committed $524 million for the development of new vaccines to prevent and contain infectious diseases.

Major decisions

New Indo-Pacific partnership for maritime domain awareness
Common statement of principles on critical technology supply chains
$524 million for new vaccines
Quad Fellowship for 100 students to study in the US from 2023
Address vaccine hesitancy by Quad event at World Health Assembly
New MoU on 5G Supplier Diversification and Open RAN
Quad Satellite Data Portal to help other countries

Rajnath Singh Undertakes Sea Sortie On Stealth Submarine ‘INS Khanderi’ At Karwar

Rajnath Singh, on May 27, 2022, conducted a sea sortie on one of the most potent platforms of Indian Navy ‘INS Khanderi’ during his visit to Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka. The Raksha Mantri was given a first-hand insight into the combat capabilities and offensive strength of the state-of-the-art Kalvari class submarine.
The Raksha Mantri described ‘INS Khanderi’ as a shining example of the ‘Make in India’ capabilities of the country. He appreciated the fact that 39 of the 41 ships/submarines ordered by the Indian Navy are being built in Indian shipyards.
The Raksha Mantri described ‘INS Khanderi’ as a shining example of the ‘Make in India’ capabilities of the country. He appreciated the fact that 39 of the 41 ships/submarines ordered by the Indian Navy are being built in Indian shipyards. The number of platforms and the speed at which they have been launched by the Indian Navy has strengthened the resolve of achieving ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ as envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
On the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’, Shri Rajnath Singh said, it will bolster the maritime security of the country, along with INS Vikramaditya. He, however, assured that the preparations being made by the Indian Navy are not a provocation to any aggression, but a guarantee of peace and security in the Indian Ocean region.

Use Of Drones Will Increase In Defence Sector: PM Modi at Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022

Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. In the drone exhibition centre, he interacted with kisan drone pilots and witnessed open-air drone demos.
The Bharat Drone Mahotsav is a two-day event that will take place on May 27 and 28. The Mahotsav will be attended by around 1,600 delegates, including government officials, foreign diplomats, military forces, central armed police forces, PSUs, private firms, and drone startups, among others.
According to a July 2021 report by BIS Research, the global drone market, which is currently dominated by the US, China and Israel, is estimated to reach US$ 28.47 billion in FY21-22, with India likely to account for 4.25% share.
The drone services industry is expected to grow to over Rs 30,000 crore in next three years and generate over five lakh jobs, according to the government.
The Centre will also promote the use of ‘Kisan Drones’ for crop assessment, digitization of land records and spraying of insecticides.
Indian drone industry will have a total turnover of up to Rs 15,000 crore by 2026. At that time, Indian drone manufacturing companies had a turnover of approximately Rs 80 crore.

Indian Navy Decommissions INS Gomati After 34 Years of Service

The Indian Navy on Saturday decommissioned the INS Gomati, a Godavari class guided-missile frigate, after 34 years of service
The ship, which had been deployed in Operations Cactus, Parakram and Rainbow, was decommissioned at sunset at the Naval Dockyard.
Gomati was designed by the Indian Navy and built in an Indian shipyard, and these were initial steps towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), said Vice Admiral, Flag Officer-in-Command, Western Naval Command Ajendra Bahadur Singh.
Gomati’s legacy will be kept alive in an open-air museum being set up on the banks of the Gomti river (from which the frigate derives her name) in Lucknow where several of her combat systems will be displayed as military and war relics.
The Uttar Pradesh government and Indian Navy have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for this purpose, Singh added.
The present INS Gomati was commissioned on April 16, 1988, by then defence minister K C Pant at the Mazgaon Dock.
The ship was twice awarded the coveted Unit Citation, once in 2007-08 and in 2019-20.
The earliest avatar of INS Gomati was decommissioned in 1979.

US F-18 Fighters In India To Demonstrate Operational Capability

Two Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter aircraft have arrived in India to showcase their operational capability at a naval facility in Goa as the Indian Navy plans to acquire a fleet of combat jets for its indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant, people familiar with the development said.
The demonstration by the aircraft will start this week at the shore-based test facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa, the naval air station in Goa.
The flight trials are expected to last over a week, the two jets arrived in India on May 20.
Over four years back, the Indian Navy had initiated the process to acquire 57 multi-role combat aircraft for its aircraft carrier.
Four planes were in contention for the deal which included Rafale (Dassault, France), F-18 Super Hornet (Boeing, US), MIG-29K (Russia) and Gripen (Saab, Sweden).

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