PRABAL DOSTYK-16 (ROBUST FRIENDSHIP)
Troops of Indian & Kazakhstan Army engaged in a joint exercise ‘PRABAL DOSTYK – 16 over a two week period ending on 17 September 2016. The Indian Army was represented by a platoon strength, while the Kazakhstan Army contingent comprised of a platoon from Special Operating Force’s Unit. The exercise was conducted in Karaganda region of Kazakhstan with the aim of enhancing interoperability while undertaking Counter Terrorism & Counter Insurgency Operations in rural & semi-urban environment under the umbrella of United Nations. Conducted over two stages, the first stage was devoted to familiarisation with each others tactics, drills, weapons & equipment. In Stage 2, both armies jointly executed a helicopter borne operation in a simulated environment. The exercise marks a significant step towards fostering military as well as diplomatic ties between both countries.
YUDH ABHYAS – 2016
Exercise YUDH ABHYAS 2016, a two week long joint military training exercise of Indian and US Armies, commenced on 15 September 2016 at Chaubattia, Uttarakhand with the Opening Ceremony. Indian and US soldiers stood side by side in an impressive military parade that saw the unfurling of the national flags of both countries and the playing of their national anthems. The US contingent is represented by a Company of 5th Infantry Battalion, 20 Infantry Regiment, 2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7 Infantry Division, US Army while the Indian side was represented by an infantry company from Twelfth Battalion, The Madras regiment. The two week joint exercises saw the troops from both countries honing their tactical and technical skills in countering insurgency and terrorism in a UN Peace Keeping scenario involving a combined deployment at a Brigade level. State of the art equipment for surveillance and tracking, specialist weapons for Close Quarter Battle with terrorists, explosive and lED detectors, as well as the latest communication equipments were fielded by both sides, who jointly trained, planned, and executed a series of well developed tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered in UN peace keeping operations.
INDRA 2016
On 22 September, Indian troops from the Kumaon Regiment arrived in Vladivostok, to take part in a joint military exercise with Russian troops. The exercise, called Indra 2016, will terminate on 2 October. The India-Russia-Indian joint military exercise is being held for the first time at the Sergeyevsky firing range in Russia’s Far Eastern Primorye territory. An all arms formation from the Eastern Military District deployed in Primorye is participating in the exercise with the Indian troops from the Kumaon Regiment. India and Russia will hold their Indra naval wargames in the Indian Ocean around December.
ASEAN PLUS JOINT MEDICAL EXERCISES
In September 2016, Indian Army Medical Teams participated in Joint Exercise of ASEAN PLUS countries at Thailand. Exercise was based on humanitarian action during natural calamity.
PRESIDENT REVIEWS PASSING OUT PARADE AT OTA
On 10 Sep 2016, in the Passing Out Parade at the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, a total of 269 Officer Cadets were commissioned as Officers. Shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India reviewed the spectacular parade which was commanded by Academy Under Officer (AUO) Varun Singh Chauhan. It is only the third time in the 53 year old history of OTA, that the President is reviewing the Parade.
GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER ‘MORMUGAO’ LAUNCHED
India achieved a significant milestone in indigenous warship design and construction with the launch of Guided Missile Destroyer on 17 September 2016. In keeping with maritime traditions, Smt Reena Lanba, President, Navy Wives Welfare Association (NWWA), broke a coconut on the ship’s bow and launched the ship, as invocation from the Atharva Veda was being rendered. The warship named Mormugao, belongs to Visakhapatnam class of ships being constructed under Project 15B, at Mazagaon Dock Ship Builders Limited (MDL), Mumbai. Mormugao is a modern warship equipped with the latest weapons package in continuation of the lineage of the highly successful Delhi and Kolkata Class ships. Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff said that “this event is yet another moment of truth for the Indian Navy and India’s quest for self-reliance and indigenisation. The Indian Navy stands fully committed to the call of ‘Make in India’ and we are extremely proud of the fact that all of our warships and submarines on order today are being constructed within the country”.
Project 15B ships feature cutting edge advanced technology and are comparable to the best ships of similar class anywhere in the world. Designed indigenously by the Directorate of Naval Design, New Delhi, each ship spans 163 metres in length and 17.4 metres at beam and displaces 7300 tonnes. Propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots, the P15B destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and ship manoeuvrability.
VIETNAM ORDERS HIGH SPEED PATROL BOATS FROM L&T
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed the principle contract with Vietnam Border Guard valued at USD 99.7 Million for design and construction of high speed patrol vessels in India as well as for transfer of design and technology for construction of follow-on vessels at a Vietnam shipyard. The high-speed patrol vessels are purpose-built for controlling and protecting sea security and sovereignty, detecting illegal activities such as smuggling, and undertaking search and rescue missions. In keeping with the Government of India’s Make in India policy, complete design and engineering of these vessels will be undertaken at L&T’s dedicated Warship Design Centre with the vessels being built at L&T’s state of the art Kattupalli Shipyard, off Chennai. Commenting on the occasion, Mr.S.N. Subrahmanyan, President and Deputy Managing Director of L&T, said that the contract is a testimony to L&T’s world-class technological capabilities. He also hoped for the contract to pave the way for stronger bilateral ties between India and Vietnam. L&T is presently executing Indian MoD contracts for design and construction of 54 Interceptor Boats (IBs) for Indian Coast Guard, out of which 28 IBs have already been delivered with the last boat having been delivered two years ahead of schedule. L&T is also executing orders for design and construction of seven Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Coast Guard against a contract of Rs.1432 Crores and a Floating Dock for the Indian Navy with a contract value of Rs.468 Crores.
