Ø The proposed decommissioning of the aircraft carrier INS Viraat next year will not affect the Navy’s
operational plans, readiness or capability, says Vice-Admiral S.P.S. Cheema,
outgoing chief of the Southern Naval Command. Vice-Admiral Cheema will take
over the Mumbai-based Western Command, the sword arm of the Navy, early next
month. Both carriers operated by the Navy — Viraat andVikramaditya — are part of its potent Western
Fleet. Flagging the long operational life of Viraat — 56 years in two navies — as
demonstrative of a robust maintenance regime, he said the carrier became
healthier after being inducted into the Indian Navy in 1987. “Our refit routine
has helped it stand the test of time,” he said adding Vikramaditya was being fully integrated in phases.
“There’s no need for any concern.” The Vice-Admiral said the Navy had a
streamlined refit and maintenance schedule for all its platforms. The upkeep of
the platforms ensured that none of the scores of ships and submarines that were
mobilised for the recently concluded theatre-level war games, TROPEX, was
forced to return to harbour for maintenance midway through the deployment.
“These included both the carriers. The exercise, among other things, validated
our ability to do sustained combat,” he said. “Which is why every Navy worth
its salt wants to exercise with us.”
Ø A newly configured version of an interceptor missile, designed to
improve its efficacy, will be test-fired against an electronic target missile
from Wheeler Island on April 6. As part of India’s plans to deploy a two-tier
Ballistic Missile Defence system to protect important cities and installations,
missile technologists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) have conducted nine interceptor missile tests. Six of the tests were
conducted in the endo-atmosphere (below 40 km altitude) and three in
exo-atmosphere (above 80 km). Eight of the tests were successful. In the
upcoming test to be conducted in the endo-atmosphere, the reconfigured version
of the interceptor missile (AAD) would be launched to validate its capability
to carry a bigger warhead and minimise the mis-distance, among other
parameters. Another crucial feature — that of powering the missile when the
target missile is detected with a reduced reaction time would also be tested
during the mission. Since the entire exercise from detection till the terminal
event is automated, the crucial capability to power the missile after detecting
the target would prevent unnecessary powering of the missile, while keeping it
alert mode. While an actual AAD missile would be launched after the take-off of
a target missile is simulated on April 6, scientists plan to carry out another
exercise by April end in which both the interceptor and target missile would
launched with warheads in a real, battle-like scenario, DRDO sources told The Hindu here on Sunday.
Ø An advanced airfield for military and commercial use in strategically
important Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh may not be feasible because of
topographic constraints and weather, a preliminary evaluation shows. The
government had identified a place called Sogyatse in Tawang district to develop
an advanced landing ground (ALG). The preliminary analysis, however, shows that
the area may not be conducive, official sources said. I am yet to get a
complete technical report on the project. However, other than Tawang, work on
other landing grounds at Mechuka, Ziro Passighat, Tuting, Vijaynagar, Walong
and Aalo is in full swing. I think the highest number of advanced landing
grounds in the country is being built in Arunachal. Tawang, which borders
Tibet, is strategically important for India as China’s People’s Liberation Army
had reached Tezpur during the 1962 war through this route. Poor connectivity is
a major problem as it takes nearly 16 hours to reach Guwahati, a distance of
600 kilometres, through treacherous roads. Considering the strategic importance
of Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre has sanctioned a Rs. 720-crore package to
develop the ALGs.
Ø Arab leaders have agreed to form a joint military force, Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced on Sunday at a summit dominated by a
Saudi-led offensive on Shia rebels in Yemen. Arab representatives would meet
over the next month to study the creation of the force and present their
findings to a Defence Ministers within four months, according to the resolution
adopted by the leaders. The decision was mostly aimed at fighting jihadists who
have overrun swathes of Iraq and Syria and secured a foothold in Libya, Arab
League chief Nabil al-Arabi said ahead of the summit.
Ø A late surge among top European countries, including Germany, France,
Britain, and now Russia along with Australia to join the China-led Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), has imparted a new sense of realism to
Beijing’s Silk Road plans. If implemented, they are likely to shift the global
balance of economic power towards Eurasia. On Saturday, Russia, Australia and
the Netherlands, announced its decision to join the China-led AIIB. The
decision of key European powers along with South Korea to join the bank,
overriding strong objections from the United States, has split the Atlantic
Alliance on this issue. “I would like to inform you about the decision to
participate in the AIIB,” which was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin,
said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov during the annual meeting of
the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) — China’s Davos-style meeting of top decision
makers that takes place in Hainan island, in the country’s south. Mr. Shuvalov
said that Moscow welcomes China’s Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and is
happy about stepping up cooperation. The Russian Minister was referring to
China’s “One belt One road” initiative, which envisages connecting the Pacific
coast with Europe by an extensive transport, cyber and energy network along the
Eurasian corridor. Inter-linked with the land route, China wants to establish
the 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) , which would connect China with a
string of ports, from where would radiate economic corridors, in Southeast
Asia, South Asia, West Asia and Africa. The MSR would terminate in Europe.
Ø Iran and six world powers have reached tentative agreement on key parts
of a deal sharply curtailing Tehran’s nuclear programme, Western diplomats said
on Sunday while cautioning that the pact is by no means done. One of these
diplomats in talks in Switzerland said Iran had “more or less” agreed to slash
the number of its centrifuge machines by more than two-thirds and to ship
abroad most of its stockpile of nuclear material. As negotiators in Lausanne
raced to nail down by midnight on Tuesday the outlines of a deal, due to be
finalised by June 30, the diplomats cautioned however that with some tough
issues still to resolve, things may change. Iranian diplomats denied that any
tentative agreement on these points has been struck, saying that reports of a
specific number of centrifuges and exporting its stockpiles were “journalistic
speculation”. “The fact is that we will conserve a substantial number of
centrifuges, that no site will be closed, in particular Fordo. These are the
basis of the talks,” the Iranian diplomat said.
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