India on Friday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile with a strike range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the army.
The state-of-the-art indigenous missile targeting an UAV 'Banshee', was fired from the launch complex-III of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near Balasore on Tuesday afternoon.
For the first time, a home-grown howitzer gun will be used for the ceremonial 21-gun salute during the Independence Day ceremony at Red Fort, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said on Wednesday.
The five-day event will include aerial displays by aircraft and helicopters along with a large exhibition and trade fair of aerospace and defence companies.
In an effort to protect India's vast coastline and ports from various threats, sea bed arrays and unmanned underwater vehicles will be used for ocean surveillance.
If DRDO can appreciate that a technologically advanced and vibrant defence industry is equally critical for India's security and its global aspirations, we will not replicate this mistake. In other words, it should be made to realise that it solely exists to support the armed forces and not vice versa. Therefore, New Delhi should force ruthless accountability within DRDO and ensure fruitful collaboration with the private sector.
For the first time, India on Tuesday test-fired its indigenously developed medium range sub-sonic cruise missile 'Nirbhay' from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
Top DRDO scientists say indigenous missiles would cost barely half as much as a foreign alternative, reports Ajai Shukla.
It was for the first time that the missile, capable of travelling at speeds of up to Mach 3.0, or three times the speed of sound, was tested with indigenously developed 'seeker' technology.
The indigenously developed naval version of the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile has a strike range of up to 350 km and can carry 500 kg of conventional or nuclear warhead, a Defence Research and Development Organisation official said.
Marking a major step forward in technology development, India is expected to equip indigenously-built Dhruv helicopters with missiles in two years as part of an ambitious missile-development programme
Presently, the US and Russia are the only two countries to possess such sophisticated technology.
The missile was aimed at a moving object, sources said.
'Our politicians solely depend on bureaucrats who are unaccountable and follow their own agenda.' 'Our politicians would dare not dream of establishing a DOGE,' argues Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
Till now, India has been importing Israeli-made 'Heron' medium and high altitude series of UAVs for the three services, which are using them extensively for surveillance operations in Jammu and Kashmir and certain other strategic areas.
Defence sources said the missile, which was launched from a mobile launcher at 3.15 pm, successfully hit a target attached to a pilotless target aircraft.
The missile is India's first indigenously developed anti-radiation missile that has speed of Mach two or twice the speed of sound.
India is developing an unmanned aerial vehicle similar to the American Predator drones with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore and planning unmanned combat vehicles, a key official involved in the project said on Monday.
Even as Chinese troops continue squatting on territory that we claim as our own -- this was the lowest allocation for defence in percentage terms since the 1950s, reveals Ajai Shukla.
In the last three years, 340 defence personnel have been killed inside and outside the country, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said 27 Indian Army troops have been killed in ceasefire violations across the Line of Control in the last 10 years and 523 such violations have taken place in the past three years.
ISRO's Thiruvananthapuram-based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre successfully conducted a series of drogue parachute deployment tests at the rail track rocket sled facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh during August 8-10.
France is ready to transfer the technology of its surface-to-air missile to the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India so that this country can build its own version, French Minister of State for Defence Jean-Marie Bockel said on Wednesday. He evaded a direct reply when asked if France would stop sales of weapons to Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.
The indigenous howitzer gun that was used for the ceremonial salute on Monday has been designed by the Centre-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The indigenously built multi-target missile can carry a 50kg payload.
The southern deep-sea port of Hambantota is considered strategically important for its location.
India on Thursday successfully test-fired the Agni-5 Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, which was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.The missile was test-fired from Wheeler Island in Odisha at 8.05 am.
After launching missiles from land and sea, India is in the process of developing suspersonic missile aircraft that would hit long range targets from air.
India has signed its biggest defence deal with the United States to procure ten C-17 heavy-lift aircraft for $4.1 billion under which American defence major Boeing will set up test facilities for hi-tech aeronautics engines for the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The project to procure the ten strategic heavy-lift aircraft was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security last week through the Foreign Military Sales route.
With new added technologies, including the control system, the missile was test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad-III at Chandipur around 10.45 am, said a source at the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
After a detailed deliberations, it was decided a standard draft international agreement for establishing hotlines and a set of standard operating procedures will be prepared by DRDO and MTNL, which will be used for negotiations with foreign partners, the sources said.
Singh made the remarks while addressing a "CEOs' Roundtable" at the 14th edition of Aero India at the Yelahanka Air Force station complex on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
In a major boost to its military might, India on Wednesday successfully test-fired surface-to-surface strategic missile Agni-5 that can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km with a very high degree of accuracy, officials said.
India on Sunday test-fired the 290-km range BrahMos cruise missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the Orissa coast. "It was a user's trial by the defence forces," said a Defence Research and Development Organisation official. "User's trial of BrahMos conducted by the Indian Army was successful," ITR Director S P Dash said after the missile blasted off from a mobile launcher at nearly 11.35 am from the launch complex-3 of the test range.
Moving a step closer to completing its nuclear triad, India today successfully test fired a ballistic missile, with a strike range of around 1,500 km, from an underwater platform in Bay of Bengal. "The medium range K-5 ballistic missile was test fired successfully today from an underwater pontoon and all parameters of the test firing were met," said Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat from the undisclosed test area.
Changing sand patterns around India's lone missile test-firing range at WheelerIsland off Odisha coast is causing serious concern for Defence Research and Development Organisation and the agency is seeking assistance from Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology to control the erosion.
The BrahMos export order would be the biggest for the country in this field and is likely to propel India amongst arms exporting countries as more orders for the missile are expected from other friendly countries.
India successfully test-fired its indigenously built nuclear capable Agni-I missile, which has a strike range of 700 kilometre on Thursday, from a test range off Odisha coast as part of a user trial by the army.
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