Former DRDO chief Avinash Chander's tenure was abruptly curtailed.
An Indo-French proposed joint venture expected to be worth around Rs 30,000 crore to develop short range air defence missiles seems to have run into rough weather as Indian Air Force feels that its requirements could be met by indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile weapon system.
Besides strengthening the IMD's infrastructure, Mohapatra said his priority will be to improve the dissemination of weather-related information -- from nowcasts to weather forecasts -- focus on sector-related forecast and give impact-based prediction in all areas.
A fighter aircraft's lethality in air-to-air combat is governed by the air-to-air missile that it carries. Since the Independence, the Indian Air Force has mounted French, Russian and British missiles on its fighters. On Sunday, an IAF Sukhoi-30MKI fighter conducted the first test launch of the indigenous Astra air-to-air missile, which the Defence R&D Organisation is developing at its missile cluster in Hyderabad.
Defence Research Development and Organisation Director General Avinash Chander on Saturday said that India's missile programme is purely aimed at peace in the country.
All about India's Agni-III missile
Although the credit for acquiring the technological skill must be given to India's outstanding nuclear scientists, the decision to go nuclear was a political one that entailed clarity of vision, courage and resolve, points out Rup Narayan Das.
The memorial has been built at a cost of Rs 15 crore on land alloted by the Tamil Nadu government at Kalam's village Peikarambu.
The armed forces have been pushing for adequate allocation of funds so that they are well prepared to deal with the possibility of a "two-front" war on both northern and western borders.
Maintaining that its strategic capabilities were not targeted against any particular country, India has said that it abides by all applicable international obligations and expects others do the same, while responding to Chinese reaction to its test-firing of Agni V missile.
'Extending the range of the DF-21D could challenge Indian aircraft carriers if the missiles are launched from southwest China. Also, if Pakistan acquires these systems, these missiles could directly challenge India's aircraft carriers.'
Defence exports have grown by 334 per cent in the last five years and India is now exporting to over 75 countries due to collaborative efforts, the government said on Sunday. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a tweet: "The Indian Defence sector, the second largest armed force is at the cusp of revolution." "Defence exports grew by 334 per cent in the last five years; India now exporting to over 75 countries due to collaborative efforts," it said.
Breaking the glass ceiling to enter a field dominated by men, Tessy Thomas has had to walk the tightrope as a defence scientist and homemaker to achieve what very few women have. Mohammed Siddique reports
Rediff.com takes a look at how India bolstered its defence preparedness this year.
Agni-5, India's latest long-range nuclear-capable missile under development, can target China's northernmost city of Harbin, a leading Chinese newspaper has claimed, amid a slew of strident anti-India articles over the status of Arunachal Pradesh."India's Advanced Systems Laboratory has made its forthcoming Agni-5 missile highly road-mobile, or easily transportable by road, which would bring Harbin, northernmost city, within striking range if the Agni-5 is moved," it said.
The test of the Hatf-VIII or Raad missile, which has a range of 350 kilometres, was part of a 'continuing process of validating the design parameters of the weapon system', said a statement from the military. The statement did not say where the missile was tested. Pakistan has conducted a series of missile tests in the past few months. The test of the Raad came a day after India successfully launched ballistic missile Agni-III which has a range of 3,500 km.
Ajai Shukla presents an action plan for Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to fix the systemic weaknesses in defence.
A message board on the successful launch of Agni-III
By removing Avinash Chander last week, the government has chosen to sacrifice the organisation's most potent symbol of success
Against the backdrop of long delays in its projects, the Government today asked the premier research agency Defence Research and Development Organisation to accelerate the work on its major military development programmes and complete them in time. The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was briefed by the DRDO on its major projects including the futuristic Agni-6 and the recently launched Agni-5 long-range missile programmes.
Government on Tuesday removed the chief of top defence research organisation Avinash Chander, 15 months before his contract was to end.
DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy Reddy is the first Indian to be appointed Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Here is how the two countries stack up militarily, according to a report in AlJazeera.com.
A woman leading an Air Force contingent, a deadly missile covering 3,000km, a newly-developed UAV and recently acquired Super Hercules aircraft were among the firsts at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Thursday when the country showcased its military might and cultural diversity.
'India must close the missile technology gap with both China and Pakistan as early as possible, or else the credibility of India's nuclear deterrence will remain suspect,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
The city has lost its favourite son, A P J Abdul Kalam. But his his legacy will live on forever.
When asked if India should be test-firing a nuclear capable missile at a time when Washington is trying to dismantle the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea, McCormack replied: "It's not the first time they've test-fired missiles.
Tactical systems such as main battle tank Arjun, light combat aircraft Tejas, a family of radars, electronic warfare systems, sonars, torpedoes, armaments and missiles have been successfully developed in the country and many of them are being delivered to the armed forces. The recent success of the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) in the launch of interceptor missile and Agni-III has taken our country into the elite club of a few developed nations.
Contradicting Army Chief General V K Singh, Defence Research and Development Organisation chief V K Saraswat on Saturday said Tatra trucks were "outstanding" and there was nothing substandard about the vehicles used as base for launching all important missiles like Prithvi and Agni.
India on Thursday hit back at China for its statement that Nuclear Suppliers Group membership can't be a "farewell gift", saying it was not seeking the membership to the 48-nation grouping as gift but instead based on its non-proliferation record.
China's "charm diplomacy" on India is bearing fruit in terms of mutual cooperation, but it may not be enough to eliminate all suspicions in the backdrop of New Delhi's plans to launch long rage Agni-V missile, an article in an official daily in Beijing said.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said there was no controversy in the sacking of Avinash Chander as Defence Research and Development Organisation chief and it was he who recommended that the position should be held by someone from a "slightly younger generation" and not by someone on contract.
The country's top rocket scientist V K Saraswat and Dipankar Banerjee, credited with developing critical materials for aircraft carriers, were among scientists decorated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Technology Day on Monday. Both received the 2007 Technology Leadership Award. The top-most defence research award was bagged by the Aeronautical Defence Agency, Bangalore for carrying out test firing of close combat air-to-air missiles in LCAs.
After nearly two decades of nuclear competition with Pakistan, India with the several long-range ballistic missiles in development is seemingly now paying attention to its future strategic relationship with China, a think-tank report has said.
China will be the nuclear threat of most concern to New Delhi for at least another decade, the latest report by the Arms Control Association says.
From tackling cyber threat to having an an unmanned tank, there's so much DRDO wants to do
Among them was P Venugopalan, leading designer of the propulsion systems for Prithvi, Agni and BrahMos missiles.
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