Page 3 - Navy

MV Ruen rescue boosted our first responder status: Indian Navy chief

Citing a daring mid-sea anti-piracy operation undertaken by the Indian Navy recently, its chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Sunday said this mission further "cemented" India's stature as the "first responder" and "preferred security partner" at sea. In his address at a Naval Investiture Ceremony held at INS Hansa, Goa, he also urged the Navy personnel to "affirm and align all your actions to the vision of Ships First". "As the Indian Navy continues to affirmatively expand its operational footprint, it is the unwavering professionalism and indomitable spirit of our personnel, which ensures our success, always and every time. Our men and women, who don the whites with pride, are the formidable bulwark of our service," the Navy chief said. Towards supporting the Navy's warriors in white, who valiantly fight at sea, patrol the deep reaches of oceans, and soar through the skies, "I urge each one of you to affirm and align all your actions to the vision of 'Ships First', our basic building ..

Navy chief awards unit citation to INS Sharda for anti-piracy operations

Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar has awarded an 'On-the-spot Unit Citation' to INS Sharda for successful conduct of anti-piracy operations at sea, officials on Saturday said. The ship was involved in the safe release of all 19 crew members (11 Iranian and 8 Pakistani) of Iranian fishing vessel "Omari" which was held hostage by pirates off the east coast of Somalia, the Indian Navy said in a statement issued by its spokesperson. Admiral Kumar, during his visit to Southern Naval Command, Kochi, awarded the 'On-the-spot Unit Citation' to INS Sharda for successful conduct of anti-piracy operations, it said. The ship was tasked to investigate the Iranian fishing vessel "Omari" that was likely hijacked by pirates, the Navy said. "Based on surveillance inputs of naval RPA, the ship intercepted the vessel and maintained a covert trail throughout the night. During early morning hours of February 2, the ship's integral helo and subsequently Prahar team was launched," the statement said. The

19 fishermen detained by Sri Lanka return home: Indian High Commission

As many as 19 Indian fishermen detained by the Sri Lanka Navy were on Wednesday repatriated to India after being released by authorities here, the Indian High Commission said. "Returning home! 19 Indian fishermen have been repatriated from Sri Lanka and are now on their way from Colombo to Chennai," the Indian High Commission here said in a post on X. The Navy has so far held 23 Indian trawlers and 178 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in the island nation's waters thus far in 2024, and handed them over to authorities for legal action, the Sri Lankan Navy late last month confirmed in a statement. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters. The release of 19 Indian fishermen comes amidst a row over the Katchatheevu island issue after India's ruling BJP blamed

Ukraine says a third of Russian warships in Black Sea destroyed or disabled

Ukraine has sunk or disabled a third of all Russian warships in the Black Sea in just over two years of war, the navy spokesman said on Tuesday, a heavy blow to Moscow's military capability. Ukraine's Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk told The Associated Press that the latest strike on Saturday night hit the Russian amphibious landing ship Kostiantyn Olshansky that was resting in dock in Sevastopol in Russia-occupied Crimea. The ship was part of the Ukrainian navy before Russia captured it while annexing the Black Sea peninsula in 2014. Pletenchuk has previously announced that two other landing ships of the same type, Azov and Yamal, also were damaged in Saturday's strike along with the Ivan Khurs intelligence ship. He told the AP that the weekend attack, which was launched with Ukraine-built Neptune missiles, also hit Sevastopol port facilities and an oil depot. Russian authorities reported a massive Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol over the weekend but didn't acknowledge any damage

India, US hold tri-service exercise Tiger Triumph-24 aboard INS Jalashwa

The Indian and US navies on Tuesday held a bilateral tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, Tiger Triumph - 24 on the Eastern Seaboard. The HADR exercise represents the robust strategic partnership between India and US, with the drill aimed at sharing best practices and standard operating procedures (SoPs). The Harbour Phase of the exercise is scheduled at Visakhapatnam from March 18 to 25, which includes pre-sail discussions, subject matter expert exchange on professional subjects and deliberations on planning and execution procedures of various tasks, said a press release from the Visakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Indian Navy. Other Harbour Phase activities include friendly sports events to further enhance camaraderie between the participating armed forces personnel of both nations. Scheduled from March 26 to 31, the Sea Phase will involve the naval units from both the countries setting up joint command and control centre and

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

Crouching tiger, rising mammoth

Historian Sugata Bose, in his new book, makes a compelling case for Asia to embrace its political, cultural, and economic diversity as it reclaims its centrality in the world

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

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

Navy responds 'swiftly' to drone attack on merchant ship in Gulf of Aden

The Indian Navy on Tuesday said it "swiftly" responded in assisting a Liberian-flagged commercial vessel after it came under a drone strike in the Gulf of Aden. The fresh incident on Monday came amid increasing global concerns over attacks on various commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi militants. In the last few weeks, the Indian Navy extended assistance to a number of merchant vessels in the western Indian Ocean following attacks on them. The Navy swiftly responded to a maritime incident in the Gulf of Aden, it said on 'X'. It said the Liberian-flagged vessel, while transiting approximately 90 nautical miles Southeast of Aden reported a fire due to "drone/ missile attack" on Monday. "INS Kolkata, mission deployed in the region for maritime security operations, promptly responded and arrived at scene of incident by 2230 hours," it said. The Navy said a specialised firefighting team of 12 personnel from INS Kolkata embarked the vessel early morning hours of March 5 to assi

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 ...

Rajnath Singh to inaugurate new building of Naval War College, Goa on Mar 5

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the new administrative and training building of Naval War College at INS Mandovi near Panaji on March 5, a Navy official said on Friday. Rear Admiral Arjun Dev Nair, Commandant of the Naval War College told reporters that the building will help the institute train officers from all three military services three times more than its current strength. "This modern edifice has been named as 'Chola' in commemoration of the mighty maritime empire of the Chola dynasty. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the new building on March 5 and the ceremony will be attended by senior naval leadership in addition to ex-commandants of the Naval War College," he said. According to him, the College of Naval Warfare was established at INS Karanja in 1988 in Mumbai to impart advanced professional military education to the middle and senior level officers of the Indian Navy. The college was renamed as Naval War College in 2010 and was shifted to ..

3 services worked in 'silos', now they have better coordination: Rajnath

India's annual defence production is expected to touch a whopping Rs 3 lakh crore and exports of military hardware is poised to reach Rs 50,000 crore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. In an address at a defence conclave, Singh, delving into structural defence reforms, said the three services used to work in "silos" earlier but now they are ready with better coordination to deal with every challenge jointly. He said capital acquisition projects worth more than Rs 4,35,000 crore have been given in-principle approval in the financial year 2023-24, and the government is aiming for production of high-end systems like aero-engines and gas turbines in India in the next five years. Singh noted that the government has been focusing on jointness among the Indian Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force that would ensure enhanced coordination in times of "crisis". "Earlier, the three Services used to work in silos. We focused on their integration which was an out-of-the-box ste

Cabinet okays Rs 19,000 cr deal to procure 200 BrahMos missiles for Navy

In a significant move, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has accorded approval for procurement of more than 200 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and associated equipment for the Indian Navy at a cost of around Rs 19,000 crore, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The missiles will largely be deployed on various warships to enhance overall combat capabilities of the Navy, they said. It is learnt that the proposal approved by the CCS entails acquisition of a mix of BrahMos missiles having a range of around 290 km and the latest extended range variant of the weapon with a range of around 450 km. BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms. BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound. The formal contract for acquisition of the missiles is expected to be sealed in the next few months. India is also

Indian Navy will become 'aatmanirbhar' by 2047: Admiral R Hari Kumar

Indian Navy will become "aatmanirbhar" (self-reliant) by 2047, Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Monday and also appealed to industry for help in achieving this goal. He said self-reliance meant manufacturing every ship, submarine, aircraft, and weapon system in India. "The Indian navy is committed to achieving aatma-nirbharta and we have promised the national leadership that we will become completely aatma-nirbhar by 2047, and for that, we will require the help of industry," said the chief of naval staff. He was speaking after inaugurating a manufacturing plant of Nibe Defence and Aerospace, an MSME working on various defence projects, in Chakan. Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, was also present. This facility is strengthening our ability to make our own weapon system in the country in line with the national vision for self-reliance, the Navy chief said. "Becoming 'aatmanirbhar' by 2047 means that every ship, submarine, aircraft, and weapon system will be made in India," Adm

India hosts Milan naval exercise, almost 50 countries participating

India on Monday kick-started a nine-day mega naval exercise in Visakhapatnam with participation of around 50 navies that came amid the fractious geopolitical environment including growing global concerns over deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea. Navies from the US, Japan, Australia, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, among others, are participating in the 12th edition of the 'Milan' exercise that is aiming to bolster maritime cooperation among like-minded nations. The exercise commenced with the arrival of 15 warships and one maritime patrol aircraft from friendly foreign countries. From the Indian Navy, nearly 20 ships including aircraft carriers Vikrant and Vikramaditya and nearly 50 aircraft including MiG 29K, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas and P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft are participating in the exercise. Milan is a biennial multinational naval exercise which started in 1995 with the ...

Dredging Corporation Q3 results: Profit jumps over two-fold to Rs 27.22 cr

Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI) on Tuesday posted two-fold jump in net profit at Rs 27.22 crore for the quarter ended December 31, supported by lower expenses. It had reported a net profit of Rs 13.83 crore for the October-December period of 2022-23, the company said in a BSE filing. Total income fell to Rs 266.23 crore from Rs 372.30 crore a year ago. The company trimmed its expenses to Rs 238.52 crore from Rs 358.10 crore a year ago. In a separate statement, the company said its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation & amortization (EBIDTA) in Q3 FY24 was at Rs 69.59 crore as against Rs 59.71 crore in the same quarter last year. "The third quarter witnessed successful completion of several significant dredging projects, contributing significantly to our revenue surge. Our expertise in executing complex projects has solidified the company's position as a preferred partner for clients seeking efficient and sustainable solutions," company's Chairman Madhaiyaan ...

Indian Navy veterans released from death sentence in Qatar; 7 return home

Eight former Navy officers detained in Qatar on espionage charges had their capital punishment commuted to imprisonment following diplomatic efforts by India. Here's what happened

Qatar frees eight Indian Navy veterans jailed on 'espionage' charges

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said seven of them have returned to India and that India appreciates the decision by the Amir of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of the Indians