LCA (NAVY) SKIJUMP FACILITY INDIGENOUSLY PRODUCED
It was a defining moment when LCA (Navy) Prototype 1 (NP1), the first indigenously designed and developed 4th plus generation combat aircraft designed to operate from the decks of air-craft carriers, took-off majestically from Ski-Jump facility of Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa on 20 December 2014. Piloted by Commodore Jaideep Maolankar, the Chief Test Pilot of National Flight Test Centre, the aircraft had a perfect flight with results matching the predicted ones to the letter. The launch was orchestrated by the Test Director Cdr J D Raturi and Safety Pilot Capt Shivnath Dahiya supported by Gp Capt Anoop Kabadwal, Gp Capt RR Tyagi and Lt Cdr Vivek Pandey. The readiness and availability of aircraft for the event was made possible through the relentless effort of HAL, ARDC under the aegis of Mr P S Roy the Executive Director. LCA (Navy) is designed with stronger landing gears to absorb forces exerted by the ski jump ramp during take-off, to be airborne within 200 m as against 1000m required for normal runways. It’s special flight control law mode allows hands-free take-off relieving the pilot workload, as the aircraft leaps from the ramp and automatically puts the aircraft in an ascending trajectory. SBTF has been produced by ADA with the participation of the Indian Navy, Goa shipyard, CCE (R&D) West, Pune, R&D Engg (E) Pune and the Russian agencies providing the design support and specialized equipment.
43rd SAND DUNE DAY (27-28 DEC 2014) A TRIBUTE TO HEROES OF BATTLE OF NAGI
Beginning on 03 December 1971, the third India-Pakistan war ended with a cease fire and surrender of 93,000 Pakistan armed forces personnel at Dhaka on 16 December. However, Pakistan Army violated the cease fire by capturing village Nagi in Indian territory ten days after the ceasefire. Indian Army reclaimed the post following valiant action by its troops. The battle of Nagi Sand Dune came alive in Sriganganagar District when veterans, serving soldiers as well as local populace stood at the very sand dune, where the battle was fought 43 years ago.
To commemorate the occasion a number of events were held at Sriganganagar Military Station and Nagi Memorial on 27-28 December 14 by Amogh Division on behalf of Sapta Shakti Command and Chetak Corps. A wreath laying ceremony was held at Shaurya Sthal on 27 December 2014 and a Sand Art show organised at Sriganganagar Cantonment depicted the heroism of the martyrs of 4 PARA Battalion and 9 PARA Field Regiment. On 28 December 2014, a Para Motor display and wreath laying ceremony was held at the war memorial at Nagi wherein soldiers passing over the memorial by parachute showered rose petals on the War Memorial. It was followed by interaction with veterans and civilians of Nagi village present during the war.
In addition to the military brass of Sapta Shakti Command and Chetak Corps, the event was also attended by Major General TS Handa (Retd) of 4 PARA Battalion, Col Ranjeet Singh of 9 PARA Field Regiment and Lt Col Shailesh Bansal of 410 Field Company representing the units of 51 (I) Parachute Brigade who launched the operation on 28 December 1971. During the functions, the war veterans were felicitated by General Officer Commanding, Chetak Corps, Lt Gen PM Hariz, SM, VSM.
RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER’S VISIT
The high point of Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu’s tour to India, beginning on 21 January 2015, was his visit to the Russian-Indian joint defence enterprise BrahMos Aerospace Limited where he saw a presentation of the plant’s rocket equipment. The Russian minister saw, in particular, a self-propelled launcher with three BrahMos missiles mounted on it and the control system using satellite data for engaging targets, and computing the flight path. The plant personnel also presented to Shoigu the sea-based and air-based BrahMos missile systems. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters of the Indian Air Force will be equipped with the air-based BrahMos missile version.
Flight tests of the BrahMos air-based missile are planned in India this March. The Russian defense minister took a particular interest in the project of new-generation BrahMos missile that is implemented at the JV. This missile will be smaller in size and weight than the existing samples, which “will make it possible to mount it on different platforms, including the fifth-generation fighter, the MiG-29K deck-based fighter and Su-30MKI fighter (each warplane will carry 5 such missiles), as well as torpedo launchers of Indian submarines. Shoigu invited his Indian counterpart to take part in the International Security Conference in Moscow.
DRDO TESTS 1000 KG CLASS INDIGENOUS GUIDED GLIDE BOMB
A 1000 kg glide bomb designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully tested recently in Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast. Dropped by an Indian Air force aircraft, the bomb, guided by its ‘on board navigation system’ glided for nearly 100 km before hitting the target with great precision. The flight of the glide bomb was monitored by radars and electro-optic systems stationed at Integrated Test Range (ITR). Multiple DRDO laboratories namely, DARE, Bengluru, ARDE, Pune and TBRL, Chandigarh, with RCI, Hyderabad as the nodal laboratory contributed towards development of the glide bomb. The complete avionics package and navigation system has been designed and developed by RCI. India’s capability to design, developed and launch heavy bombs for delivery up to 100 km away with high precision is considered a major achievement.
DEFENCE MINISTER FELICITATES NCC BRAVEHEARTS
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar conferred Raksha Mantri Padak and Commendation Cards to selected National Cadet Corps (NCC) Cadets for their exemplary courage and devotion to duty in an impressive Investiture Ceremony held at DG NCC Republic Day Camp 2015. He was received by the Director General NCC, Lt General A Chakravarty and presented a Guard of Honour by a contingent of smartly turned out NCC cadets drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of NCC..
Raksha Mantri Padak was instituted in 1989 and since then is awarded to the most deserving Cadets every year for bravery or exceptional service of highest order. This year the Raksha Mantri Padak has been awarded to Cadet Sergeant Shubham Bairagi of Rajasthan Directorate and Raksha Mantri Commendation Card have been awarded to Cadet Anjum Moudgil (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana & Chandigarh Directorate), Cadets Soma Hazara (West Bengal & Sikkim Directorate) and Major (Dr) Sham Sharad Kharat (Maharashtra Directorate).
The Defence Minister visited the ‘Flag Area’ where he was briefed by cadets on their respective colourful tableaux of State contingents depicting various contemporary socio-economic themes elaborately illustrated and brilliantly displayed. Later, the NCC cadets presented a colourful cultural programme showcasing the rich and diverse cultural heritage and National Integration. In his address, the Defence Minister complimented the cadets for their superlative performance. He said that the NCC is doing a yeoman service to the nation by transforming the ‘youth of the nation’, which has the largest and youngest population profile in the world. He was very much impressed with the performance of the cadets depicting the message of cleanliness.
