FAQ

The sixth edition of Japan India Maritime Exercise 2022 (JIMEX 22) hosted by the Indian Navy commenced in the Bay of Bengal on 11 Sep 2022.

The Japanese Navy which is officially called as  Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) is being represented by Naval ships Izumo, a Helicopter Carrier, and Takanami, a Guided Missile Destroyer.

The Indian Navy is being represented by three indigenously designed and built warships; Sahyadri, a multi-purpose stealth frigate and Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes Kadmatt and Kavaratti. Additionally, Guided Missile Destroyer Ranvijay, Fleet Tanker Jyoti, Offshore Patrol Vessel Sukanya, submarines, MIG 29K fighter aircraft, Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft and ship borne helicopters are also participating in the exercise.

JIMEX 22 involves two Phases; exercises at sea and a harbour phase at Visakhapatnam.

The 5th edition of JIMEX -21 was held in Arabian Sea  from 6 to 8 October .

The Union Cabinet on Defence (Cabinet Committee on Security) has approved the development of a more effective model of indigenous combat aircraft Tejas (LCA Mark 2) on 31 August 2022. Now this aircraft will replace the Mirage 2000, Jaguar and MiG-29 fighter aircraft in the Indian Air Force.

• The Government of India has taken such a decision in view of the success of the indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas (LCA Mark 2).

Mega project likely to be completed by 2027 :

• The government has approved the LCA Mark 2 fighter aircraft development project.

• This has opened the way for designers to develop an advanced 17.5 ton single engine aircraft.

• According to the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the development of the new aircraft will be completed by 2027.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• The project will benefit from the progress made in the LCA Mark 1A program and will also help in the development of the fifth generation advanced medium fighter aircraft project.

• The government has approved the development of prototypes, the first of which is likely to start in a year.

• The project is scheduled to be completed by the year 2027 after extensive flight tests and other related works.

Tejas will be equivalent to Rafale :

• According to the Defence Research and Development Organisation, this aircraft will be in the class of Rafale aircraft in terms of avionics and capabilities, but will be lighter in weight.

• The government has also approved that the engines used in the aircraft should be made in India after the initial development phase.

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation will develop this new aircraft with the GE-414 engine which is an improved version of the GE-404s.

• This will give more power to the existing LCA and 83 LCA Mark 1As, which will be inducted into the Indian Air Force in the next few years.

In August 2022, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted its biennial National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise SAREX 22 off the Chennai coast. During this, 24 observers from 16 countries participated in this exercise organised under the theme 'Capacity Building Towards Maritime Security'.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• This was the 10th exercise conducted by the Coast Guard.

• The main objective of this exercise of Coast Guard is to avoid accidents at sea and save lives by conducting rescue operations.

• During this exercise, new technology like remote controlled lifebuoy was demonstrated over the Bay of Bengal.

Main Functions of Indian Coast Guard :

• protect artificial islands;

• protect marine ecology and the environment;

• Easily protect fishermen and sailors;

• The responsibilities of the Indian Coast Guard are offshore security coordination, national maritime search and rescue, coastal security.

Indian Coast Guard :

• This agency was established on February 1, 1977 under the Coast Guard Act, 1978.

• ICG is a maritime law enforcement, search and rescue agency under the Ministry of Defence, India.

• It has jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India, including contiguous areas and exclusive economic zones.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited on 2 September 2022. At the commissioning event of INS Vikrant, PM Modi will also unveil the new flag of the Indian Navy.

IMPORTANT FACTS -

• This has been confirmed by the Prime Minister's Office through an official statement issued on 30 August 2022. The Prime Minister will launch the first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier as INS Vikrant.

• The Prime Minister will also unveil the new naval flag, set aside the colonial past and in line with the rich Indian maritime heritage.

• Naval flag is a maritime flag used by naval ships of different countries to denote their nationality.

• The flag of the Navy may be similar to the national flag of the country they represent or it may be different from that.

• In the case of India, the naval flag used by the Indian Navy is different from the national flag.

The naval flag was also changed in the past :

• The Indian Navy has changed its flag several times during the pre-colonial era and once after gaining independence.

• The Indian Navy got its first flag during the colonial period under British rule. The first flag of the Indian Navy, known as Her Majesty's Indian Marines (1879 to 1884) and the Royal Indian Marines (1892 to 1934), included the Star of India.

• In 1928, the white flag of the Royal Navy was used by the Royal Indian Navy (1934 to 1950) along with the St. George's Cross and the Union Jack flag.

Post-Independence Indian Naval Flag Draft :

• After gaining independence, on 26 January 1950, the Royal Indian Navy was rechristened the Indian Navy, with its crests and flags duly "Indianised". Accordingly, the Union Jack on the earlier flag was replaced by the tricolour or national flag of India in the canton (upper left corner of the flag).

• In the year 2001, the flag of the Indian Navy was changed once again to distinguish it from the pre-colonial era accessories.

• After receiving several complaints from sailors about the Blue Crest of the Indian Navy being indistinguishable from the Blue Sky; The government decided to re-adopt St. George's Cross.

• In addition, the state emblem of India was also introduced at the crossroads of the cross. In 2014, there was another iteration of the flag with the inclusion of the Indian national motto in Devanagari script: Satyameva Jayate below the national emblem.

Need for change in flag of Indian Navy :

• The decision to adopt a new flag for the Indian Navy also comes in line with colonial roots and the idea of separation from the past. In fact, the statement issued by the PMO in this regard also said that the new naval flag will obliterate the colonial past and will be "in line with the rich Indian maritime heritage".

The United States has expressed concern about the participation of Indian Armed forces in the joint military exercises to be hosted by Russia. The US government's concern was conveyed by the White House press secretary Karrie Jean Pierre on 30 August 2022.  White House is the official residence of the United States President and is seen as the symbol of the office of the Presidency. 

Russian Vostok 2022 military drill :

Russia said on 29 August had announced that the Vostok 2022 military exercises will be held from September 1 - 7, 2022, in different locations in the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan.

Around 50,000 troops from China, India and Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria and several ex-Soviet nations will participate in the exercise.

Last year, India attended Exercise ZAPAD 2021 drills in Russia in which 17 countries including China and Pakistan took part.

What is the US objection ?

The American government was concerned about any country participating in military exercises with Russia while it was at war with Ukraine.

It is seen as a pressure tactic by the United States to isolate Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

In a clear shift of threat perception the Indian Army is gearing up for threats emanating from the northern border along China. Till date Pakistan was identified as the main threat and the Indian army deployment was also geared to face the Pakistani threat. 

To counter the Chinese threat Project Zorawar has been launched by the Indian Army.

 Threat from China and High Altitude war 

• The border clash with China in Ladakh in 2020 and the continuous standoff in the region has underlined the need for a rapid deployment of armoured columns along the Line of Actual Control.
• The Indian Army is looking for light tanks which can be rapidly deployed in the high altitude area.
• The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had inducted a large number of technologically modern, lightweight “state of art” tanks in the region putting Indian forces at a disadvantage.

Project Zorawar 

• The project has been named ‘Zorawar’ after Zorawar Singh Kahluria, who is also known as the conqueror of Ladakh. He was a military general who served under Jammu’s Raja Gulab Singh and conquered Ladakh.
• Under Project Zorawar, the Indian Army wants to build a lightweight tank with a maximum weight of 25 tonnes, with the same firepower of a regular tank armed with Artificial Intelligence (AI), integration of tactical surveillance drones along with an active protection system.
• The Indian Army wants indigenous light tanks with a maximum weight of 25 tonnes for quicker deployment and movement in high altitude areas of Ladakh to counter the Chinese threat.
• The Army also wants the light tank to be amphibious, so it can be deployed across riverine regions and even the Pangong Tso Lake in Eastern Ladakh.
• Under project Zorawar indigenous lightweight tank which will be designed and manufactured in India. 

Present tanks with the Army inadequate for the task 

• The Army currently operates three different types of tanks with the latest being the Arjun Mk 1A, which weighs a massive 68.5 tons. The T-90 weighs about 46 tons and the T-72 about 45 tons.
• These Tanks were primarily designed for operations in plains and desert terrain facing Pakistan and have their own limitations when employed in High-Altitude Areas. 
• In the high altitude area like Ladakh, 25-ton weight is the maximum that can allow for the tanks to be airlifted in high-altitude zones.
• The government had in March this year given its approval for the indigenous design and development of light tanks for mountain warfare. 

The External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar has tweeted on 27 August 2022 that Argentina has expressed interest in the made in India, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas. The Argentine Air Force had been seeking to induct new supersonic fighters for decades, but has been thwarted by the country’s precarious financial condition. 

Dr Jaishankar is on a three nation tour to Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina from 22-27 August 2022. 

 His visit to Argentina  

• In Argentina, on 26 August 2022, he presided over a Joint Commission Meeting with the Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Santiago Cafiero in the capital city of Buenos Aires.
• During the meeting, both the sides underscored the importance of bilateral ties in defence, nuclear energy, space, pharma, science and technology, yoga, climate change and economic cooperation.
• Both sides expressed satisfaction in the bilateral trade which reached 5.7 billion US dollars in 2021 making India the 4th largest trading partner of Argentina.
• Both the sides agreed to promote exchange of visits between Armed Forces, defence training and collaboration for joint production of defence-related equipment.
• Highlighting its expertise and immense production capacities, India offered tie-ups in vaccine production making Argentina a regional base.

Export Potential of Tejas 

• Tejas which has been developed in India is being manufactured by the state owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. 
• It is a single engine multi role fighter Aircraft capable of operating in a high threat air environment.
• According to the Government of India, Argentina, U.S, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Egypt, Philippines have shown interest in the aircraft.
• Malaysia is already preparing to buy this aircraft and India has offered to sell 18 Tejas to Malaysia. 

Argentina 

It is the eight largest country in the world area wise. It is located in the South America continent.

Capital : Buenos Aires 

Currency : Argentine peso

President: Alberto Fernández

The Appointment Committee of the Union Cabinet on 25 August 2022, has approved the appointment of distinguished scientist Dr. Samir V. Kamat as the chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Dr Kamat will remain in office till he attains the age of 60 years.

He will succeed G. Satheesh Reddy who retired today. He has been made the scientific advisor to the Defence minister Rajnath Singh.

Dr Samir V. Kamat was the Director General, Naval Systems & Materials before he was appointed as the chairman of DRDO. He joined DRDO in 1989.

DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation)

• DRDO is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems.
• DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).
• Today, DRDO is a network of more than 50 laboratories which are deeply engaged in developing defence technologies covering various disciplines, like aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat vehicles, engineering systems, etc.

Chairman of DRDO: Dr Samir Kamat

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the annual meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on 24 August 2022 at Tashkent, Uzbekistan.Rajnath Singh reached Tashkent on 23 August 2022 for a three day visit.

Defence Minister proposes to host Defence minister’s workshop in India 

• Speaking on the occasion the defence  minister proposed to host a workshop in India in 2023 on the theme ‘Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief - Risk mitigation and Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’ for the Defence Ministries of SCO Member States. 
• He also suggested an annual seminar on ‘Topic of Interest’ among the defence think tanks of SCO countries. He said India will host the first such defence think tank seminar in India in 2023. 
• India will take over the chairmanship from Uzbekistan next year.

Defence Ministers Meeting in Uzbekistan 

• Currently Uzbekistan is the chairman of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and all SCO meetings are being hosted by Uzbekistan.
• Uzbekistan is going to hold the SCO Summit of Heads of State meeting which is scheduled to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on 15-16 September 2022.
• The defence ministers meeting is expected to discuss issues which will be deliberated by the leaders in the summit meeting.
• Defence Ministers of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan also participated in the meeting.

Other Engagement of the Defence Minister

• Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with his Uzbek counterpart Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov; Defence Minister of Kazakhstan Colonel General Zhaksylykov Ruslan Zhakslykov and Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin.
• During the stay in Tashkent, Rajnath Singh also paid homage at the monument of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.  
• There is a memorial dedicated to Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent. 
• The second Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri died on 11 January 1966 at Tashkent. He was there to sign a peace deal with Pakistani President Ayub Khan to formally end the 1965 India-Pakistan war.  He died the next day after signing the peace deal with Ayub Khan.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 

• It is a regional organization consisting of China, Russia, India, Pakistan and the four central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
• SCO has four observer states ;Iran, Mongolia, Belarus and Afghanistan
• It has six dialogue partner states; Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted successful trials of the Pinaka multi barrel rocket launcher extended range, at the Pokhran Firing Ranges in Rajasthan  on 24 August 2022. Multiple successful test firings were carried out during these trials.

The Pinaka was tested in the presence of Army and DRDO officers.  According to the DRDO, the 15 feet long missile of the Advance Navigation and Control System of Pinaka destroyed the target as per the prescribed standard.

Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher 

DRDO started the development of the Pinaka in the late 1980s, as an alternative to the multi barrel rocket launching systems of Russian, used by the Indian Army.

The Pinaka rocket system has been developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune supported by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, another Pune-based laboratory of DRDO.

Range and use of the Pinaka

It is an artillery system where multiple rockets are fired simultaneously from a single platform.

According to the DRDO, in war, long-range artillery systems such as Pinaka are used for attacking the adversary targets prior to close quarter battles which involve smaller range artillery, armoured elements and the infantry.

The Guided Extended Range Rocket Ammunition has a range of 75 km with an accuracy of 40 meters.

Deployment of Pinaka 

The Pinaka system has been deployed at the forward position in Ladakh along the border with China. 

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

• DRDO is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies and a mission to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems.
• DRDO was formed in 1958.
• Chairman of DRDO : Dr G Satheesh Reddy