Indian elections were talked about a lot by the foreign media. Foreign country’s close scrutiny were on the Indian elections, but why did the world have such a keen eye on the Indian elections? How India’s image has transformed in recent years on the Global stage? Is India getting powerful on the world stage? Geopolitical analyst Vasu Sharma in conversation with Katyayani Kapoor speaks on India’s changing dynamics in the world and more in this episode of Straight Talk.
28 June,2024 07:00 PM IST
The Indian Army and the Air Force are planning to jointly deploy MQ-9B Predator drones at two key air bases for upgrading their surveillance capabilities all along the Line of Actual Control with China from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. The drone deal, expected to be worth around USD 4 billion is being done at tri services level with the Indian Navy leading the negotiations for it with the American side. "The MQ-9B drones require a significant runway length for take off and landing which are available with the Indian Air Force. That is why, the Army drones are planned to be deployed with the IAF at airbases in Sarsawa and Gorakhpur," defence officials told ANI. As per of the drone deal with the US, 31 MQ-9B drones are being acquired of which 15 would be for coverage of the maritime zone and would be deployed by the Indian Navy. The IAF and the Army will have eight each of these highly capable long endurance drones and would be able to cover almost all the areas of interest along the LAC with support from other existing assets, the officials said. The American side has given its letter of acceptance to the Indian side at a price tag of around USD 4 billion. There is also a provision of transfer of technology of some equipment to Indian entities under the agreement, they said. With a flight time of over 36 hours at heights over 40,000 feet, the drones can be armed with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and smart bombs, this fighter-sized drone specializes in (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) missions. The Predator drones are expected to significantly enhance India's ability to conduct unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and along its land borders with China and Pakistan. MQ-9B has proven to be a critical asset in safeguarding India's security interests as it was used to extensively to monitor anti-piracy operations from naval headquarters to get a clear picture of the actions taking place almost 3,000 km from Indian shores.
06 May,2024 11:52 AM IST
The Indian Air Force has inducted the Rampage long-range supersonic air-to-ground missiles which can hit targets at around 250 Km. The missile known as the High-Speed Low Drag-Mark 2 missile in the Indian Air Force was reportedly used in a big way by the Israeli Air Force during its recent attacks on Iranian targets. The Indian Navy has also inducted the missile in its fleet for the MiG-29K naval fighter jets, they said. The stand-off weapon will give Indian fighter pilots the option of engaging and taking out targets like communication centres or radar stations, the sources said. The procurement was part of the emergency powers given by the Defence Ministry to the armed forces to equip themselves with critical weapons and equipment after the standoff with China started in 2020. The missiles have a longer range than the Spice-2000s used in the Balakot air strikes in 2019.
28 April,2024 01:38 PM IST
The Indian Navy saved 23 Pakistani nationals from Somali pirates during a 12-hour-long operation in the Arabian Sea. The rescue unfolded in the early hours of March 29 when INS Sumedha intercepted the hijacked vessel FV Al-Kambar. INS Sumedha was soon joined by the guided missile frigate INS Trishul to bolster the operation. Indian naval forces initiated negotiations with the pirates, compelling them to surrender without bloodshed. Following the apprehension of pirates, the navy personnel thoroughly carried out the sanitisation of the vessel. The Iranian vessel was approximately 90 Nm south-west of Socotra and was reported to have been boarded by nine armed pirates. Notably, the Indian Navy has carried out several high-octane operations against piracy attacks lately. Also, this is not the first time that Indian Navy has come forward to rescue Pakistan nationals. In January this year, 19 Pakistanis were rescued from Iranian-flagged fishing vessel, Al Naeemi which was attacked by pirates. Also, earlier this month, Indian Navy intercepted the under-attack ship Ruen and 35 Somali pirates were made to surrender.
30 March,2024 11:07 AM IST
In a historic milestone, indigenous LCA Mark 1A fighter aircraft on March 28 completed its first flight. The aircraft airborne for 15 minutes during its first maiden flight, as per Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Currently, two squadrons of IAF, 45 Squadron and 18 Squadron, are fully operational with LCA Tejas. HAL has current capacity to build 8 LCA aircraft per year, this is being increased to 16 aircraft's every year by 2025. In coming years the capacity will be further increased to 24 aircraft every year in the next 3 years. Over Rs 9000 crore have been sanctioned for the development of LCA Mk 2, an updated and advanced version of LCA Tejas. Earlier in the 2023, Air Chief Marshal stated that the Indian Air Force aims to replace the MiG-21 fighter jets with LCA Tejas.
28 March,2024 05:18 PM IST
Indian Navy’s warship INS Kolkata brought 35 captured Somali pirates to India on March 23. All 35 Somalian pirates were handed over to Mumbai Police after due formalities of Customs and Immigration. After being handed to Mumbai Police, the pirates were taken to JJ Hospital for medical examination. The pirates were captured by the Indian Navy in an Anti-Piracy operation on March 16 from the Arabian Sea. As part of the Indian Navy’s anti-maritime security operations, INS Kolkata intercepted the hijacked vessel, ex-MV Ruen. The navy intercepted ex-MV Ruen, which was reported to have sailed out as a pirate ship on high seas. After over 40 hours of operation, Indian Navy coerced all 35 Pirates to surrender and ensured safe evacuation of 17 crew members. The Navy shared a video of its encounter with Somali pirates who were using a hijacked merchant vessel. The pirates onboard the vessel were called upon to surrender and release the vessel.
23 March,2024 05:32 PM IST
The Indian Navy once again displayed its heroics and intercepted a ship hijacked by Somali pirates. From a Indian Navy vs Somali Pirates scenario, Navy shared a video of its encounter with Somali pirates who were using a hijacked merchant vessel. The Indian Navy thwarted designs of Somali pirates to hijack ships plying through the region by intercepting ex-MV Ruen. The navy intercepted the hijacked ex-MV Ruen which was reported to have sailed out as a pirate ship on high seas. The vessel opened fire on the warship and the Indian Navy retaliated to neutralise the pirates. The pirates onboard the vessel were called upon to surrender and release the vessel. In recent times, Indian Navy has proved its mettle by averting piracy bids in high seas.
16 March,2024 06:09 PM IST
The Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared the Indian Navy’s proposals to buy 220 BrahMos extended-range missiles for its warships. The contract will be signed on March 05 and 220 BrahMos will be worth around Rs 20,000 crore. The extended-range BrahMos is speculated to have an extended range of around 800 km. This would be a major ‘Make in India’ success for the missile system built with Russia’s partnership. India’s BrahMos is a universal long-range supersonic cruise missile system that can be launched from land, sea, and air. Not only to just Indian Navy, but the indigenous BrahMos missile system will also be exported to the Philippines. In January, DRDO Chief Dr Samir Kamat informed ANI about the export of India’s missile system to the Philippines.
22 February,2024 12:29 PM IST
INS Chennai, which rescued the hijacked Bulk Carrier MV Lila Norfolk on January 5, reached Chennai on Feb 16. On Jan 05, the Indian naval warship reached the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk off Somalia coast. As many as 21 crew members, including 15 Indians were onboard the ship which was hijacked by the pirates. The Indian Navy was quick to respond and rescued all the crew members. Navy’s elite commando unit MARCOS reached the vessel and initiated the “sanitisation” process. The rescued members hailed the Indian Navy’s efforts and a timely response.
17 February,2024 02:20 PM IST | Mumbai
Qatar released 8 Ex-Navy veterans who were detained in Doha on alleged espionage charges. 7 out of 8 ex-Navy veterans reached India safely on Feb 12 from Qatar after months of captivity. Saurabh Vashisht, one of the Ex-Indian Navy veterans who returned home, expressed his feelings. His family was overwhelmed on his return and thanked PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar for their intervention. As Govt managed to bring back its Navy veterans from Qatar, it is one of the biggest diplomatic wins for India. PM Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar have been receiving praise for their diplomatic victory.
14 February,2024 04:03 PM ISTADVERTISEMENT
