INDIAN ARMED FORCES CHIEFS ON
OUR RELENTLESS AND FOCUSED PUBLISHING EFFORTS

SP's MAI - Issue No. 3 | February 1-15, 2016

Issue Features

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  MILITARY / VIEWPOINT
  DPP 2016 – Big changes, big expectations
  By Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

  The most important takeaway of the new Defence Procurement Policy is the increase in the offset baseline from Rs. 300 crore to Rs. 2,000 crore, besides the focus on reducing delays in procurements.

• 

  AEROSPACE
  Russian Helicopters delivers 151 helicopters to India

  Russian Helicopters, part of state corporation Rostec, recently delivered the final batch of helicopters to India under a previously signed agreement. India received 151 Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters produced by JSC Kazan Helicopters...

• 

  INTERNAL SECURITY / BREACHES
  People's Choice Awards interrupted

  The People’s Choice Awards was rocked by an apparent security breach when a man ambushed the stage during The Talk panel’s thank you speech.

• CORPORATE
  Mahindra, Airbus joint venture for military helicopters

  Taking forward the memorandum of understanding signed in July, Mahindra Defence and Airbus Helicopters on January 24 inked a pact to form a joint venture to produce military helicopters in India.

• 

  MILITARY / REPORT
  Historic visit of French President François Hollande
  By R. Chandrakanth

  President François Hollande’s visit is the fifth such by a French leader to have been honoured as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day, highlighting the expanding areas of cooperation and convergence between the two countries.

• 

  AEROSPACE
  Egypt gets three more Rafale fighter jets

  Egyptian Air Force (EAF) received three Dassault Aviation-built Rafale fighter jets from France recently. This is the second batch of the jets to be dispatched as part of a $5-billion deal signed last year.

• INTERNAL SECURITY / BREACHES
  Call centre breach

  Three employees of a call centre run by Wipro for UK telecom firm TalkTalk have been arrested over security breach allegations, according to British media.

• CORPORATE
  Airbus Defence and Space and OneWeb join hands

  Airbus Defence and Space, the world’s second largest space company, and OneWeb, which is building a new global satellite communications system, announced the creation of OneWeb Satellites.

• 

  MILITARY / PREVIEW
  IFR 2016 rehearsal

  A Naval Fleet Review is a long-standing tradition of navies world over. The review was conceived as a show of naval might and combat readiness.

• 

  AEROSPACE
  Northrop to produce first Japanese E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

  Northrop Grumman Corporation recently received a US Navy contract modification for non-recurring engineering and recurring support to configure the first Japanese E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.

• INTERNAL SECURITY / BREACHES
  Woman crashes car through Phoenix Airport gate

  A woman who crashed her car through a Arizona’s Phoenix Airport’s security gate and drove onto a runway with her infant son in the vehicle has been sentenced to five years of probation.

• CORPORATE
  Rheinmetall Europe's leading producer of military vehicles

  Rheinmetall AG has decided to consolidate its defence unit’s extensive military vehicle activities in a new division called ‘Vehicle Systems’.

• 

  MILITARY / VIEWPOINT
  S-400 Triumf for India's air defence
  By Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

  India has cleared the acquisition of five S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems...

• 

  AEROSPACE
  P-8I aircraft deployed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

  India has started to deploy long-range naval patrol aircraft Poseidon-8I and spy drones at the forward military base in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of its strategy to counter China’s move to regularly send its nuclear and conventional submarines to the IOR.

• CORPORATE
  Thales and ASV strengthen partnership in the UK

  After successful trials on Halcyon unmanned surface vehicle, Thales and ASV strengthen their partnership. Both companies have signed an agreement to develop autonomous USV technology...

• 

  MILITARY / VIEWPOINT
  Chinks in border fencing: But what about facilitators
  By Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

  The bottom line is that while India should go for the latest technology, it should also eliminate the mafia within its border areas, besides establishing credible deterrence to Pakistan’s proxy war.

• 

  AEROSPACE
  HAL rolls out HTT-40 prototype

  Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has rolled out the first prototype of HTT-40 with the aircraft sporting all the aircraft lights and powered on cockpit. T. Suvarna Raju, CMD, HAL said that the HTT-40 prototype efforts symbolises the renewed...

• CORPORATE
  HAL bestowed with Raksha Mantri's awards

  The Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for HAL’s new Helicopter Manufacturing Facility at Biderehalla Kaval, Gubbi Taluk, Tumakuru, about 100 km from Bengaluru recently.

• 

  MILITARY
  Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy

  On October 26, 2015, the Indian Navy released its latest maritime strategy, titled “Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy.” This edition is a revised and updated version of the previous outlined strategy “Freedom to Use the Seas: India’s Maritime Military Strategy,” published in 2007.

• 

  AEROSPACE / UNMANNED
  Heron-1 UAS reaches 70,000 operational flight hours in Afghanistan

  Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Heron-1 unmanned aerial system (UAS) recently marked its 70,000th flight hour in Afghanistan, after less than seven years of operation...

• 

  MILITARY / REPORT
  Hypersonic weapons to missile on rails – China readies for global war
  By Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

  China is among three nations that are developing hypersonic weapons, along with Russia and the US.

• 

  AEROSPACE / UNMANNED
  US soldiers bid farewell to this Army's oldest unmanned aircraft

  The US Army’s oldest unmanned aircraft system had its final flight here as part of a ceremony that marked transitions for both the aircraft and its operators, December 16.

• 

  MILITARY / VIEWPOINT
  Hype vs reality
  By Air marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)

  Will the Tejas be able to make an impact in the discerning global market where the platform will be subjected to intense scrutiny by aerospace professionals from across the world?

• AEROSPACE
  Boeing gets $2.5-billion contract for 20 more P-8A Poseidon aircraft

  Boeing will further equip the US Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with maritime patrol capabilities, building 20 more P-8A Poseidon aircraft following a $2.5-billion US Navy order announced recently.

• 

  MILITARY / SPOTLIGHT
  Naseem Al Bahr 2016 – Visit of Royal Navy of Oman ships

  The Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) recently conducted a bilateral maritime exercise Naseem-al-Bahr in the Arabian Sea from January 22-27, 2016, off Goa.

• AEROSPACE / UNMANNED
  AirMule completes its first autonomous flight

  On December 30, AirMule successfully completed its first autonomous, untethered flight at the Megiddo airfield in northern Israel.

• 

  MILITARY
  Coast Guard Day 2016

  The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is celebrated its 39th Anniversary on February 1, 2016. With a modest beginning of just seven ships in 1978 the service has grown into a formidable force with 119 ships, 62 aircraft and 42 stations.

• AEROSPACE / UNMANNED
  Northrop to develop MALE UAV for small ships

  Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. Aerospace Systems, El Segundo, California, has been awarded a $9,30,76,636 Other Transaction Agreement for prototype project—Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node programme, Phase III.

• 

  MILITARY
  Sri Lankan President visits INS Vikramaditya at Colombo

  Maithripala Sirisena, the President of Sri Lanka, visited INS Vikramaditya recently. He was received onboard by Rear Admiral Ranveet Singh, NM, Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet and Captain Krishna Swaminathan, Commanding Officer of the ship.

• 

  MILITARY
  Beta Version of Integrated Quartermaster Package (IQMP) for the Indian Army released

  The Beta Version of Integrated Quartermaster Package (IQMP) was released by the VCOAS, Lt General M.M.S. Rai, on January 28, 2016, as a precursor to the final release...

• 

  MILITARY
  Vice Admiral Girish Luthra assumes command of Southern Naval Command

  Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, AVSM, VSM, took over charge as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command from Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM...

• 

  MILITARY
  Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba takes over Western Naval Command

  Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba took over the reins of Western Naval Command (WNC) as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) on January 31, 2016, from Vice Admiral S.P.S. Cheema at a ceremonial parade held at INS Shikra.

• 

  MILITARY
  Assam Regiment adjudged best marching contingent on Republic Day parade 2016

  The Assam Regiment has been adjudged as the Best Marching Contingent amongst the three Services in the Republic Day parade held on January 26, 2016.