During a crucial meeting on Monday held to discuss the Army's annual acquisition plan, Antony asked the Army chief to streamline procedures within the Army HQ so that proposals for new acquisitions could be processed faster
During a crucial meeting on Monday held to discuss the Army's annual acquisition plan, Antony asked the Army chief to streamline procedures within the Army HQ so that proposals for new acquisitions could be processed faster
'There will be much for President Trump and Prime Minister Modi to discuss including growing Chinese military cooperation with Pakistan, which heralds a new attempt by China and Pakistan to neutralise India's influence in its Indian Ocean neighbourhood,' notes Ambassador G Parthasarathy.
Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Thursday took over the baton of the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee from outgoing IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha even as the government plans to create a new post to focus exclusively on inter-services issues and acquisitions.
The Indian Air Force argued that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's HTT-40 trainer jet would be costlier than the Swiss Pilatus trainer over its 30-year service life. When HAL challenged this contention, the IAF was not able to back it with figures.
Surjewala said shocking revelations have brought out lies of Sitharaman about the award of Rs 30,000 crore 'defence offset contract' to Reliance Defence as part of this deal.
'Singh apprised the Japanese leaders about Islamabad's 'evil design' on Kashmir at a time when Pakistan has decided to internationalise the issue.'
Any such acquisition, if at all, should only be in exceptional cases
Joyita Ghose on the land acquisition laws in the country and the changes that the NDA government's controversial bill in Parliament makes to the land acquisition act, 2013 brought in by the United Progressive Alliance government.
'It is not clear how the NDA government -- including Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, backed by senior IAF officials -- claimed that the 36 Rafale contract with Dassault in 2016 cost the IAF 20% less than Dassault's 126 Rafale offer,' notes Ajai Shukla in the first of a three-part series.
The defence ministry is finalising a decision to allow the FGM-148 Javelin missile, built by US companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, into a contest to supply the Indian Army with anti-tank guided missiles. This is bad news for Israelis
Its advanced Longbow radar picks up enemy armoured vehicles and then destroys them with anti-tank missiles, air-to-surface rockets or a chain gun that sends 625 rounds per minute ripping into the targets.
'The greatest loss from replacing the 126 Rafale proposal with the 2016 contract for 36 Rafales might not be the extra money paid, but the opportunity that India's aerospace industry lost of obtaining access to critical aviation technologies and manufacturing skills.'
Changing tracks helps. But, not taking the beaten path isn't always helpful. This is the story of two of India's biggest privatisations - Air India and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL). Nearly two decades after the last privatisation, a landmark divestment concluded this year when the loss-making national carrier Air India was sold to the Tatas.
Maharashtra has the opportunity to solve all these problems by voting for the Congress and NCP, he said.
India has over 4,000 medium tanks, but not a single light tank. It remains to be seen whether the Ladakh face-off with China galvanises a change, observes Ajai Shukla.
Accepting that there are gaps in the capability of the armed forces, the defence ministry on Wednesday said that it will take cognisance of the concerns expressed by Army Chief General V K Singh and will address those issues.
The Trump administration has been very clear that the acquisition of advanced Russian technology sends the wrong message to Russia at a time when it continues its aggressions, the official said.
'Rafales can play an important role in doing DEAD (Destruction of Enemy Air Defence) on the Surface-to-Air Missiles that the Chinese have put on Tibet'
In a written reply to the House, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "17 offset contracts have been signed so far with a value of about $4.279 billion... Offset policy was introduced in 2005. It is a relatively new policy and is in the process of evolution. The first offset contract was signed in 2007."
We get tangled up in our own crooked web on purchases, and the murky arms bazaar knows it, says Shekhar Gupta.
These next generation ships can patrol the oceans for three or four months compared to the navy's current patrol boats, which can be at sea for a maximum of 45 days.
Responding to the statement by France, Gandhi said, "Let them deny it if they want. He (Macron) said that before me. I was there, Anand Sharma and Dr Manmohan Singh were also there."
India and the United States have started discussions to jointly develop a next-generation aircraft carrier to bolster the Indian Navy's blue-water capabilities, a top Pentagon official has said.
He said it is the duty of the Air Force personnel to remain combat worthy and maintain combat systems operational for any contingency at a short notice.
French government said French companies have the full freedom to select Indian firms for the deal.
The opposition in Lok Sabha on Monday tore into the controversial Land Acquisition Bill
'There shall be no change in India-Japan ties,' predicts Rajaram Panda.
Insufficient technology has been transferred during the ongoing Project 75, which involves building 6 Scorpene-class submarines.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrkar ruled out the possibility of deploying the Indian Army in anti-Naxal operations.
Three M777 Ultra Light Howitzers, ten K9 Vajra tracked self propelled guns and field artillery tractors were inducted into the Indian Army.
In the latest standard operating procedures (SOP) regarding flying drones, the Central government has given powers to the local police to book a person under 121 and 121A apart from other IPC sections, depending on the nature of offence/threat and distance from the prohibited vital installation/area.
Ahead of United States President Barack Obama's visit to New Delhi, an advance American team held talks on agenda and security-related aspects on Friday even as top Pentagon official Frank Kendall will arrive on January 21 to give final touches to defence-related content.
Weeks after confusion over three Mauritius-based funds whipsawing shares of Adani group firms, billionaire Gautam Adani on Monday said that "twisted narrative" seems to imply that companies have regulatory powers over their shareholders and can compel disclosures. Shares of port-to-energy group nosedived last month after reports that accounts of three of the six Mauritius-based funds that have invested most of their money in Adani group firms had been frozen by the national share depository. The three funds owned about $6 billion of shares across the conglomerate.
The terrorists now knew that I was the only one in the room, that I was injured and that I could not continue this battle for long.
Boeing is likely to vie for the deal to supply 110 fighter jets to the IAF in one of the biggest such procurement in recent years globally which could be worth over USD 15 billion.
'The government has belied the hope that many harboured of change, efficiency and dismantling old practices as the defence ministry continues to pursue the same well trodden and wasteful path.'
Russia -- already India's biggest arms supplier from 2014-18, accounting for 58 per cent of India's defence imports -- eyes more, reports Ajai Shukla.
Was Manmohan Singh focused too much on getting policy right, while Narendra Modi is focused essentially on getting projects moving?
In the wake of the Adarsh housing scam, the Navy has found that a "huge number" of its plots were encroached upon, a top Navy official said on Wednesday.
