Page 10 - Indian Navy

Indian Navy intercepts Somali pirates on board ship hijacked 3 months ago

The Indian Navy has foiled an attempt by Somali pirates by intercepting their vessel in the high seas off the east coast of Somalia, officials said on Saturday. The pirates had sailed out on board a ship that was hijacked around three months ago, they said. "The ex-MV Ruen, which had been hijacked by Somali pirates on 14 December, was reported to have sailed out as a pirate ship towards conducting acts of piracy on high seas," the Navy said. The vessel was intercepted by an Indian Navy warship on March 15, it said. The Navy said the vessel opened fire on the warship, which took actions following international law in self defence and to counter piracy with minimal force necessary to neutralise the pirates' threat to shipping and seafarers. "The pirates onboard the vessel have been called upon to surrender and release the vessel and any civilians they may be holding against their will," the Navy said in a statement. "The Indian Navy remains committed to maritime security and safety

MoD inks Rs 2,890-cr contract with HAL for upgrade of 25 Dornier aircraft

The defence ministry on Friday inked a contract worth over Rs 2,890 crore with state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for mid-life upgrade of 25 Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy. Under the project, the HAL will incorporate state-of-the-art avionics systems and sensors onboard the aircraft. The defence ministry said the project will be implemented within six and half years. "The ministry of defence signed a contract with the HAL on March 15 for mid-life upgrade (MLU) of 25 Dornier aircraft along with associated equipment for the Indian Navy at a cost of Rs 2,890 crore," an official readout said. "The MLU for Dornier aircraft includes an upgrade to incorporate state-of-the-art avionics systems and primary role sensors," the ministry said. It said the upgrade would significantly enhance the operational capability of the Dornier aircraft. "The upgrade would significantly enhance the operational capability of the Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy to perform pri

Incredible momentum in India-US defence partnership: Pentagon official

There is a paradigm change and incredible momentum in the US-India defence relationship which is now defined more by the overall trajectory rather than by differences on key issues, a senior Pentagon official has said. The remarks by Siddharth Iyer, Director for South Asia, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy), Department of Defense, came at a roundtable on the future of the US-India Defence Partnership with a focus on technology collaboration and maritime strategy. The roundtable was organised by The US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum and CUTS International, a non-profit body on trade relations. Incredible amount of progress (in India-US relationship) has been made not just in the last two years, but even the last 12 months. I think that just sort of underscores the degree to which there's incredible momentum and the relationship now is defined more by the pace and the sort of overall trajectory rather than by differences and divergences on key issues, Iyer said. The

Rajnath approves expanding NCC to 2 mn cadets, build 'future leaders'

Plan will make NCC the world's largest uniformed youth organisation

Prez Murmu attends National Day Celebrations of Mauritius as chief guest

President Droupadi Murmu participated in the 56th National Day Celebrations of Mauritius as the Chief Guest on Tuesday, underscoring the longstanding and enduring ties between the two countries. President Murmu is on a three-day state visit to Mauritius. The presence of Murmu at the 56th anniversary of the Independence and 32nd anniversary of the Republic of Mauritius marks a momentous occasion for the India-Mauritius special partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs said. "A momentous occasion for the India-Mauritius special partnership! President Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn participated as the Chief Guest in the celebrations of the 56th anniversary of the Independence and 32nd anniversary of the Republic of Mauritius at Champ de Mars," the Ministry of External Affairs posted on X along with some pictures from the event. Mauritius Day commemorates the East African country's independence from Britain in 1968 and its transition to a republic in 1992. The day was celebrated

Tri-service military exercise 'Bharat Shakti' to be held at Pokhran

Stage is set in the arid terrain of Rajasthan's Pokhran for the mega exercise 'Bharat Shakti' on Tuesday, which will demonstrate the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence equipment of the three services. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to witness the integrated tri-service firepower and manoeuvre exercise that will be held for about 50 minutes. The country's top military brass will also be present on the occasion. LCA Tejas, ALH Mk-IV, LCH Prachand, mobile anti-drone system, BMP-II and its variants, NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier), T90 tanks, Dhanush, K9 Vajra and Pinaka rockets are among the platforms that will be demonstrated. 'Bharat Shakti' will demonstrate the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence equipment of the three services, Additional Director General, Army Design Bureau, Major General C S Mann had told reporters here on Saturday. It will showcase the "shock and awe" impact that the armed forces seek to achieve in an operational situation with manoeuv

PM Modi to witness tri-service exercise 'Bharat Shakti' in Pokhran on Tue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness 'Bharat Shakti', a synergised demonstration of indigenous defence capabilities in the form of a tri-services live fire and manoeuvre exercise, in Rajasthan's Pokhran on March 12. Modi will also visit Gujarat on Tuesday to launch multiple development projects, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Sunday. The 'Bharat Shakti' will have on display an array of indigenous weapon systems and platforms as a demonstration of the prowess of the country, premised on the nation's self-reliance initiative, the statement said. The exercise will simulate realistic, synergised, multi-domain operations displaying integrated operational capabilities of the Indian armed forces to counter threats across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains, it added. Key equipment and weapons systems participating in the exercise include T-90 (IM) tanks, Dhanush and Sarang gun systems, Akash weapons system, logistics drones, robotic mules, advanced ligh

India's Samudrayaan set to explore ocean bed by 2025 end: Kiren Rijiju

India should be able to send its scientists to study the deep ocean 6 km under the sea surface in its own Samudrayaan by the end of next year, Earth Sciences Minister Kiren Rijiju has said. In a video interview to PTI, Rijiju said India's deep-ocean submersible Matsya6000, which will take humans up to a depth of 6,000 meters under the sea, was "well on course" and could be tested by the "end of this year". "When you talk about Samudrayaan, you are now talking about our mission to go up to around 6,000 meters, 6 km deep inside the ocean, where even light cannot reach. I can say that as far as our Matsaya, the machine which will take human beings inside, (is concerned), it's well on course," Rijiju said. The minister said he had reviewed the project and scientists should be able to carry out the first shallow water testing by the end of this year. "But broadly I feel confident that by the end of 2025, that means next year, we should be able to send our human crew to the deep ocean, m

Indian Navy rescues 21 crew members of drone-hit vessel in Gulf of Aden

Indian warship INS Kolkata rescued 21 crew members, including an Indian national, after three of their colleagues in a Barbados-flagged cargo vessel were killed following a Houthi missile strike on the bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday. The deaths were the first since the Houthi militants began attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and adjoining shipping lanes in response to Israel's military offensive in Gaza. The crew abandoned the vessel True Confidence after the attack, military officials said. INS Kolkata, deployed for maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden, arrived at the scene of action at 4.45 pm on Wednesday and rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national, from a life raft using its integral helicopter and boats, Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. The US Central Command reported "three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, as well as significant damage to the ship". Accord

Red Sea crisis: Ship evacuated after 1st civilian fatalities in attacks

The Iran-aligned militants fired a missile at the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence on Wednesday about 50 nautical miles off the southern Yemeni port of Aden, setting it ablaze

Big attack in Red sea: Houthis attack commercial ship; Indian navy joins rescue op

Indian warship saves 21 crew members from drone-hit vessel in Gulf of Aden

The rescued crew, including the critically injured personnel, were evacuated to Djibouti on March 6 by INS Kolkata

Indian warship INS Kolkata rescues crew of drone-hit vessel in Gulf of Aden

Indian warship INS Kolkata has rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national, after their Barbados-flagged cargo vessel was hit by a missile in the Gulf of Aden, a Navy spokesperson said on Thursday. The crew members had abandoned bulk carrier MV True Confidence after it caught fire following the attack on Wednesday. INS Kolkata, deployed for maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden, arrived at the scene of action at 4.45 pm and rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national, from a life raft using its integral helicopter and boats, Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. Critical medical aid was provided to the injured crew by the ship's medical team, he said. The rescued crew, including the critically injured personnel, have been evacuated to Djibouti by INS Kolkata. The Indian Navy warship swiftly responded to the maritime incident in Gulf of Aden, Madhwal said. The Barbados-flagged vessel was reportedly hit by a drone approximately 55 nm sout

IAF's C-17 aircraft successfully airdrops indigenously built platform

A C-17 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force airdropped an indigenously developed heavy platform that can carry a maximum load of over 22 tonnes, officials said on Wednesday."In a major milestone on its path towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, an extra-long and heavy platform, indigenously developed by ADRDE & capable of carrying approximately 45000 Lbs of load, was successfully air-dropped during trials from an IAF C-17 aircraft," the Indian Air Force said in a post on X.The Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) is a premier defence research laboratory.According to the Indian Air Force, capable of carrying multiple such platforms, the combat capabilities of C-17 aircraft will be further enhanced in its varied missions to air-deliver critical loads to troops on the ground.

Indian Navy's first MH-60R sub-hunter squadron soars: All you need to know

The MH-60R Seahawk multi-role helicopter will greatly bolster the Indian Navy's surface and sub-surface capabilities amid China's increasingly aggressive forays into the Indian Ocean Region

Indian navy ensuring no country suppresses our Indo-Pacific allies: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Indian Navy has ensured that no country with its overwhelming economic and military power can suppress India's friendly countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Due to the Navy's readiness, India is fulfilling its responsibility very well and providing full help to allied countries in the Indian Ocean, he said. "We have ensured that there is no kind of hegemony in the Indian Ocean," Singh said addressing a gathering after inaugurating a new administrative building of the Naval War College near Goa capital Panaji. On the occasion, he also virtually unveiled an aircraft carrier pier and auxiliary vessel pier at the Sea Bird naval base at Karwar in neighbouring Karnataka. "Our Navy ensures that no country, with its overwhelming economic and military power, can suppress our friendly countries or crush their sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific region," he said. "The readiness with which the Indian Navy stands with our allies provides substant

Navy requests change in rank nomenclature to accommodate female sailors

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar on Tuesday said they have approached the Defence Ministry for an approval of changing the nomenclature of various ranks as they now have women sailors also. He also expressed hope that since gender neutrality has been introduced in the Indian Navy, it will have a woman chief in 30-35 years. He was addressing mediapersons during the inauguration of a new administrative building of the Naval War College (NWC) at Verem in North Goa. "We follow all roles, all ranks. Hoping that 30-35 years down the line we will have a woman chief of naval staff speaking to you all," Admiral Kumar said. The Navy already has a woman commanding officer of a ship based in Goa, he noted. "Recently, we have got a consensus from all the people concerned and we have taken it with the ministry for approval for changing the rank nomenclature, like leading seamen, seamen class I, seamen class II, because now we have got women sailors also," he said. "Women cannot be sea

Indian Navy to commission newly-inducted MH 60R Seahawk helicopter on Wed

The Indian Navy will commission on Wednesday in Kochi its newly-inducted MH 60R Seahawk multi-role choppers that it said would mark a "pivotal moment" in India's defence modernisation journey. The commissioning of the helicopters in the INAS 334 squadron is expected to significantly enhance the Navy's operational capability in the Indian Ocean region which has been witnessing increasing Chinese military forays. The US-manufactured MH 60R Seahawk is a maritime variant of the Blackhawk helicopter. The helicopter is designed for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue and medical evacuation among other operations. "The advanced weapons, sensors and avionics suite make the Seahawks ideal for the Indian Navy's maritime security needs, offering enhanced capabilities for both conventional as well as asymmetric threats," the Navy said on Sunday. The Seahawks squadron will be commissioned in the Indian Navy as INAS 334. India signed an agreement with the US for ...

Govt expects piracy attacks to rise in Red Sea, stretching navy resources

The attacks in the Arabian and Red Sea were the focus of discussions between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Indian counterpart Jaishankar at the recent Munich Security Conference

Qatar case: MEA says 8th Indian will return once requirements fulfilled

The lone Indian national who could not return to India from Qatar along with seven of his colleagues around two-and-a-half weeks ago will return home once certain requirements are fulfilled, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Seven of the eight former Indian Navy personnel returned to India on February 12 after Qatar freed them. The Navy veterans were given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance on October 26 last year. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf country commuted the capital punishment on December 28 and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public. "As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Al-Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing here. "The eighth Indi