Saturday, 18 December 2010
Written by Editor
[PIB] Indian Air Force (IAF) got a new batch of officers with 171 newly commissioned Flying Officers graduating from the Air Force Academy (AFA), at Dundigal near Hyderabad, today.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik reviewed the combined graduation parade and awarded President’s Commission to the graduating Flight Cadets that included 39 women Flight Cadets.
Four Indian Navy officers and one Indian Coast Guard officer also received their flying brevet (Wings) at the graduation parade from the Air Chief.
Among the senior IAF officials present at the ceremony included Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Training Command, Air Marshal D Kukreja and AFA Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Amit Aneja. Civil dignitaries, retired and serving defence officers, parents and relatives of the graduating Flight Cadets were among others who witnessed the parade.
Addressing the newly commissioned IAF officers, the Air Chief impressed upon the technological transformation of the Air Force and exhorted the young officers to acquire full understanding and knowledge of application of new technology to exploit the true potential of aerospace power.
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Written by Editor
[PIB] The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have been maintaining a vigilant watch West of the Lakshadweep Islands for pirate boats in the last two months. This has been extremely effective and the area has been free of piracy incidents.
During one such aircraft surveillance sortie at 1030 h on 28 Jan 11, a Coast Guard Dornier on routine patrol located two white colour skiffs in the vicinity of a merchant vessel MV CMA CGM Berdi. The aircraft descended and passed over the skiffs and chased them away. A mother vessel Prantalay was also sighted by the Patrol Aircraft in the area. MV CMA Berdi is a Bahamas flag container carrier.
Because of the timely arrival of the Aircraft the merchant vessel is now safe and heading for its next Port of Call in East Asia. The suspicious mother vessel Prantalay continues to be monitored by Navy and Coast Guard units.
Anti Piracy Patrols and surveillance in the East Arabian sea will continue in order to assure merchant vessels using the international shipping lanes in the Arabian sea of their security.
Friday, 25 February 2011
Written by Editor
NEW DELHI: Indian Navy has deployed a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft in the Seychelles for carrying out anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean Region.
Stationed at the Seychelles' capital Victoria, the Dornier was deployed last week and would be operated by Navy crew on anti-piracy patrol duties in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), navy officials said here on Thursday.
"The aircraft along with crew member flew a week back for its assignment off the Seychelles coast. Besides guarding the its Exclusive Economic Zone, it would be used for anti-piracy patrol duties," they added.
India and the Seychelles had agreed to enhance cooperation in maritime security areas after a two-day visit by defence minister A K Antony to the island nation in July 2010.
Besides Dornier, two Chetak maritime choppers would also be provided to the Seychelles for its fight against sea-pirates.
India, recently, has taken several steps to enhance its presence in the IOR and initiated a series of maritime operations to check piracy.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Written by Editor
[Stratpost]
India has given to Seychelles a Dornier maritime reconnaissance aircraft for surveillance and anti-piracy missions in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)that is plagued by piracy threats in and around the Gulf of Aden.
The fixed-wing aircraft will start its surveillance operation in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Seychelles from this week, official sources said. The aircraft was delivered six months after Defense Minister A.K. Antony, on a two-day trip to Seychelles in July, agreed to provide a Dornier and two Chetak helicopters to the archipelago nation.
This was to help the country to carry out aerial surveillance in its EEZ, the sources said.
India has also stepped up the visits of its warships to the region to help in anti-piracy operations against Somali and other mercenary pirates. Seychelles President James Alix Michel was in India for a 2-day visit earlier this month, accompanied by Foreign Minister Jean Paul Adam.
The president met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who, in 2008, announced a $5 million assistance for defence related projects for Seychelles.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Written by Editor
MANGALORE: An Indian Navy helicopter caught fire at the old terminal building of Bajpe airport here on Monday. Personnel on board Indian Navy Helicopter bearing call sign/registration IN556 had a close shave when the helicopter in which they arrived from Kochi at the apron of the old terminal building. Rescue and fire fighting personnel of Airports Authority of India alerted by Air Traffic Control (ATC) immediately rushed to the site and put off the fire using foam compound.
The Seaking-42 helicopter, with 13 personnel on board, that was on its way from Indian Navy's aviation base Garuda at Kochi and on its way to Mumbai landed at the runway of old terminal at 10.45 am and taxied to the apron. When the helicopter was on parking stand 1, CISF personnel on duty noticed smoke near the rotors that had stopped at 10.56 am and reported it to the ATC. The rescue and fire fighting personnel put out the fire at 11 am.
M R Vasudeva, airport director, Mangalore Airport told TOI that the helicopter's rotors were switched off when the smoke was seen and the rescue and fire fighting personnel used less than 50-litres of foam compound to douse the fire.
Thursday, 04 November 2010
Written by Editor
New Delhi — The Indian Coast Guard, part of the Indian Armed Forces, has given the $335 million contract to build 20 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) to state-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). The contract was bagged by CSL amidst tough competition from private and defence shipyards in the country. The contract for FPVs was signed in New Delhi between Preethi Sudan, Joint secretary, Ministry of Defence and Bejoy Bhaskar, Deputy General Manager, CSL.
The acquisition of the FPVs will augment the coastal security of India. As for the details of the FPV, they will be 50 metres long and have a speed of 35 knots. The FPVs will be used for patrolling coastal areas. CSL will deliver the first ship in 20 months time and one every three months thereafter, as per the contract.
The FPV contract for CSL has taken its present order book position to 36 ships valued at about $1.30 billion. CSL’s order book consists of 15 offshore support ships for international owners besides the FPVs for Indian Coast Guard.
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Written by Editor
[Stratpost]
The Indian Defense Minister AK Antony, on Monday, agreed to provide three aircraft to Seychelles on its request. An Indian Ministry of Defense statement said, “On a specific request from the Seychelles, Mr. Antony agreed to provide one new Dornier and two Chetak helicopters from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for maritime surveillance, at the earliest.” The statement quoted him as saying that although delivery would normally take 18 to 24 months, New Delhi would try to provide the aircraft in 15 months. In the meantime, India is to provide an in-service Dornier Aircraft to carry out maritime surveillance. This comes after Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh committed $ 5 million assistance to Seychelles for defense-related projects during the visit of Seychellois President James Alix Michel to India earlier.
Antony met President Michel, Vice President Danny Faure, the Minister for Home Affairs Joel Morgan and Foreign Minister Jean Paul Adam in Mahe, while leading a delegation comprising Defense Secretary Pradeep Kumar and the Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral DK Dewan.
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