News Analysis India

Tag: Indian defence

  • Ladakh airfield to get upgrade for fighter aircraft ops amid reports of China’s infra works

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Amid reports of China building new military infrastructure on its side, India is soon going to begin the construction work for upgrading its Nyoma advanced landing ground for fighter aircraft operations less than 50 kilometres from the LAC in eastern Ladakh, said Indian Army officials on Thursday.

    The Nyoma airfield has been used for the transportation of men and materiel during the ongoing stand-off with China and has seen operations of Chinook heavy-lift choppers and C-130J Special Operations aircraft.

    “The ALG is going to be soon upgraded for fighter aircraft operations as most of the required clearances and approvals have come already. As per plans, the construction of the new airfield and the military infrastructure would be done by the Border Roads Organisation,” senior defence officials told ANI.

    The capability of operating fighter aircraft from this area would strengthen the Air Force’s ability to tackle any misadventures by the adversary in a faster way.

    The inauguration of the construction work is expected to begin soon in the eastern Ladakh sector after the clearances by the Modi government in the area, they said.

    READ HERE | Situation has not returned to normal: MEA on eastern Ladakh border row

    India has been considering multiple options for developing airfields in eastern Ladakh including Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), Fukche and Nyoma which are at a distance of a few minutes from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

    The Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) has seen operations of the Apache attack helicopters, Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and the Garud special forces operations from Mi-17 helicopters.

    Recently, IAF Group Captain Ajay Rathi explained the importance of having an advanced landing ground such as Nyoma.

    “Nyoma ALG has strategic importance due to its close proximity to the Line of Actual Control. It bridges the critical gap between Leh airfield and the LAC enabling quick movement of men and material in eastern Ladakh, overcoming terrain friction,” Rathi had said.

    The Nyoma airbase Chief Operations Officer said the ALG will “further help in quicker access to the heights and sustenance operations thereafter. The air operations infrastructure at Nyoma enhances the operations capability of forces.”

    ALSO READ | India had ‘very difficult’ two-and-a-half-years in its ties with China: Jaishankar

    The Air Force also has deployed the Igla man-portable air defence missiles to tackle any aerial incursion by any adversary aircraft.

    The Indian Air Force has been regularly deploying fighter aircraft including the Rafale and MiG-29s to carry out operations in eastern Ladakh where there has been disengagement of troops at multiple locations

    The Chinese have been amassing troops since 2020 and carried out aggression in the garb of an exercise after which the Indian security forces retaliated in equal measure and checked the Chinese aggression there.

    The Indian Air Force is also continuing to maintain its assets in Leh along with a massive upgrade of capabilities in the area.

    NEW DELHI: Amid reports of China building new military infrastructure on its side, India is soon going to begin the construction work for upgrading its Nyoma advanced landing ground for fighter aircraft operations less than 50 kilometres from the LAC in eastern Ladakh, said Indian Army officials on Thursday.

    The Nyoma airfield has been used for the transportation of men and materiel during the ongoing stand-off with China and has seen operations of Chinook heavy-lift choppers and C-130J Special Operations aircraft.

    “The ALG is going to be soon upgraded for fighter aircraft operations as most of the required clearances and approvals have come already. As per plans, the construction of the new airfield and the military infrastructure would be done by the Border Roads Organisation,” senior defence officials told ANI.

    The capability of operating fighter aircraft from this area would strengthen the Air Force’s ability to tackle any misadventures by the adversary in a faster way.

    The inauguration of the construction work is expected to begin soon in the eastern Ladakh sector after the clearances by the Modi government in the area, they said.

    READ HERE | Situation has not returned to normal: MEA on eastern Ladakh border row

    India has been considering multiple options for developing airfields in eastern Ladakh including Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), Fukche and Nyoma which are at a distance of a few minutes from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

    The Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) has seen operations of the Apache attack helicopters, Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and the Garud special forces operations from Mi-17 helicopters.

    Recently, IAF Group Captain Ajay Rathi explained the importance of having an advanced landing ground such as Nyoma.

    “Nyoma ALG has strategic importance due to its close proximity to the Line of Actual Control. It bridges the critical gap between Leh airfield and the LAC enabling quick movement of men and material in eastern Ladakh, overcoming terrain friction,” Rathi had said.

    The Nyoma airbase Chief Operations Officer said the ALG will “further help in quicker access to the heights and sustenance operations thereafter. The air operations infrastructure at Nyoma enhances the operations capability of forces.”

    ALSO READ | India had ‘very difficult’ two-and-a-half-years in its ties with China: Jaishankar

    The Air Force also has deployed the Igla man-portable air defence missiles to tackle any aerial incursion by any adversary aircraft.

    The Indian Air Force has been regularly deploying fighter aircraft including the Rafale and MiG-29s to carry out operations in eastern Ladakh where there has been disengagement of troops at multiple locations

    The Chinese have been amassing troops since 2020 and carried out aggression in the garb of an exercise after which the Indian security forces retaliated in equal measure and checked the Chinese aggression there.

    The Indian Air Force is also continuing to maintain its assets in Leh along with a massive upgrade of capabilities in the area.

  • Ambiguity continues over status of Navy’s third aircraft carrier

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The ambiguity over Indian Navy’s third aircraft carrier continues even as China is adding to its maritime might. The Navy has been strongly pushing for a third aircraft carrier. The proposed indigenous aircraft carrier-2 (IAC-2, expected to be 65-70,000 tonnes) will supplement INS Vikramaditya (46,000 tonnes), and INS Vikrant, the 44,500-tonne IAC-1 that is expected to join service this month after almost a six-year delay.

    The Navy has been maintaining the three carriers-based force structure so that it can operate two of them in maritime zones on each side of the Indian coastline — eastern and western coasts. This can only happen when the Navy has three carriers as one can be used as a substitute when either of the first two undergoes maintenance. 

    Aircraft carriers are known to have lengthy maintenance schedules. The cycle of maintenance can lead to an absence of a carrier for years, as has been the case with the refit of India’s lone Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya which started in the beginning of 2021 and still continues. It has been delayed due to a fire onboard in July.

    With one aircraft carrier still under maintenance and one yet to be inducted, the Indian Navy will be operating without one for some more time. 

    This is the state of affairs when China has been successful beating deadlines in adding to its military might. It started manufacturing its first aircraft carrier in 2012 and commissioned its third indigenous one, Fujian, in June this year.

    China has become the biggest Navy with 355 warships and submarines while India’s total fleet strength is 130. “Keeping in mind our pace, even if we take a decision on the carrier today, it will take over a year to begin the process of manufacturing,” said a defence source.

    NEW DELHI: The ambiguity over Indian Navy’s third aircraft carrier continues even as China is adding to its maritime might. The Navy has been strongly pushing for a third aircraft carrier. The proposed indigenous aircraft carrier-2 (IAC-2, expected to be 65-70,000 tonnes) will supplement INS Vikramaditya (46,000 tonnes), and INS Vikrant, the 44,500-tonne IAC-1 that is expected to join service this month after almost a six-year delay.

    The Navy has been maintaining the three carriers-based force structure so that it can operate two of them in maritime zones on each side of the Indian coastline — eastern and western coasts. This can only happen when the Navy has three carriers as one can be used as a substitute when either of the first two undergoes maintenance. 

    Aircraft carriers are known to have lengthy maintenance schedules. The cycle of maintenance can lead to an absence of a carrier for years, as has been the case with the refit of India’s lone Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya which started in the beginning of 2021 and still continues. It has been delayed due to a fire onboard in July.

    With one aircraft carrier still under maintenance and one yet to be inducted, the Indian Navy will be operating without one for some more time. 

    This is the state of affairs when China has been successful beating deadlines in adding to its military might. It started manufacturing its first aircraft carrier in 2012 and commissioned its third indigenous one, Fujian, in June this year.

    China has become the biggest Navy with 355 warships and submarines while India’s total fleet strength is 130. “Keeping in mind our pace, even if we take a decision on the carrier today, it will take over a year to begin the process of manufacturing,” said a defence source.

  • India wants to create USD 5 billion worth of defence equipment by 2025: DRDO official 

    By PTI

    NOIDA: The Union government has an ambition to create a USD 5 billion worth of defence equipment by 2025, a senior DRDO official said here on Friday, emphasising on the need for developing an ecosystem for defence research in the country.

    To realise this ambition, the government has also launched several schemes to fund startups, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Director General (Technology Management) Hari Babu Srivastava said.

    He made the remarks at the launch of Amity University’s M Tech in Defence Technology course, its joint programme with the DRDO and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

    “The genesis of this programme is to generate wealth for the country. All wealthy countries have rich defence ecosystems and the Indian government has the ambition to create USD 5 billion of defence equipment by 2025,” Srivastava said, according to a statement.

    “To achieve this, we need to increase efficiency and the number of productive people from day one, and thus, the incubation period will reduce. India needs to develop its ecosystem for defence research and have launched several schemes to fund startups,” he said while addressing the students of the university.

    He said students, after completion of this programme, can make their own research and development (R&D) startup, adding that the “aim is to fight the next war with our weapons”.

    Amity Group’s founder chairman Ashok K Chauhan thanked the government agencies for partnering with the private university for the programme.