LOST TRAIN

This is too hilarious.

Remember there was a case of a missing tank in Ahmednagar some years back. 

The Indian Railways did one better.....they had a complete train missing for nearly 40 years. This is how it happened:

The Lost Train.

This rake was discovered on on 18th December 2019 lying at a small station about 40 kms short of Tinsukia main. Tinsukia itself is about 480 kms NE of Guwahati and about 80 kms from the Arunachal border.

Apparently sometime in 1976 or so,  the rake had been  placed at one of the disused sidings temporarily, as there was no place available along the platforms at the station, which in any case was a very small one.

Railway records show that the train had reached there at 11:08 AM on 16th June 1976. The engine ('power' in railway parlance) was disconnected from the rake and brought back to the station to assist in placing of certain goods wagons.

Heavy rains and flooding took place with effect 11:31 AM, the same day. Enquiries ordered by the Railway Board reveal, at that point of time, the railway staff was totally involved in maintaining traffic continuity, track repairs and tackling the immediate flooding problem; as almost the entire station had been submerged in 5-6 feet of water. 

The passengers all had alighted and had made their way to their destinations, obviously with some difficulty. And with some help from the local villagers.

During this period the Station Master too moved out on posting as also some of the staff. 

In the meantime people forgot about this rake as it was about 2 kms from the main station, at a limb and in a deserted place. 

Slowly vegetation took over the entire area. The remnants of the track leading to the rarely used siding, which had not been washed away in the flood, soon disappeared  under bushes, shrubs and weeds. Snakes,   birds and wild animals found it an ideal home, much like sunken ships in which marine life abounds.

Time went by. Most of the older lot of railway men retired and others passed away. No one remembered the train. Daniel Smith, the engine driver emigrated to Australia in September 1976. 

On 5th December 2019, a satellite picture by one of the NASA satellites which was mapping the forest cover in the Asia-Africa region, captured somewhat obscure, hidden and not too clear pictures of this rake, under a thick forest canopy. 

Suspecting it to be the site of an Indian, camouflaged 'rail mobile' ICBM rake, it was forwarded to the Pentagon.  Abnormal activity of a number of satellites over this area was then noted by ISRO, NTRO and Indian intelligence agencies. 

In the meantime Russian and Chinese double agents in the Pentagon informed their handlers, in their mother countries, about the 'ICBM Train' discovered by NASA. In a bizarre sequence of events, RAW got this information from agents on their payroll in Russia and China. 

Now alarm bells started ringing. Could it be a rogue action by an Indian ‘Dr Strangeglove' type of person-- civilian or military?

Inquiries began at the Indian end. The PMO, DIA (Defence Intelligence Agency), NIA (National Investigation Agency), the MoD (Ministry of Defence) and the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) got involved.

By an internal memo, the IHQ, the Military Space Command and SFC (Strategic Forces Command), all denied the placement of any such train/rake at the location being given.

But subsequent aerial recce and pics taken by own satellites, IAF and the ARC (Aviation Research Center), all confirmed that a well camouflaged rake actually was there.

Ultimately a ground party of SF including MARCOS and GARUD's was sent along with a senior intelligence officer from the NSA's office to the site in an hush-hush operation. 

And that is the story of the Lost Train!

Unbelievable, but absolutely true!

Courtesy: C P Narayanan

 ADVISORY ON MIGRATION OF LEGACY PENSIONERS TO SPARSH   

1. It is brought to the kind notice of all esteemed Veteran Offrs & NoKs that PCDA (P), Allahabad has started the process of migration of legacy pensioners to SPARSH in phased manner. In the first phase, all 7th CPC regime pensioners (i.e post 01 Jan 2016) are being migrated. To this effect 558 pensioners, who were drawing their pension from private banks have been migrated. All balance pensioners are likely to be migrated by 28 Feb 2022. Pre-2016 pensioners will be migrated in phases for which separate intimation will be given through this website on receipt from PCDA (P), Allahabad. 

 2. For ease of understanding & business, few salient features about SPARSH are described in succeeding paragraphs.  

3. About SPARSH. System for Pension Administration – Raksha (SPARSH) is a comprehensive pension package (CPP), an end-to-end online system aimed at facilitating and easing every aspect of Defence Pensions from initiation to disbursement. The project basically entails online submission of Pension Claims from Officers’ Record Office (ORO) to PCDA (P), Allahabad through PCDA (O), Pune, online verification & authentication of data and online disbursement of pension direct into account by PCDA (P) instead of Banks/CPPCs/DPDOs etc. Website link – https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in.  

4. Migration of Legacy Pensioners on SPARSH. Stepwise process of migration is given at Appx A. 

5. Benefits/Advantages of SPARSH.  (a) Single point contact i.e PCDA (P), Allahabad for all pension and data related queries. (b) No role of any DPDO/Bank & CPPC etc as the pension will be directly credited into pensioner’s account by PCDA (P) Allahabad through SPARSH & eKuber package of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). (c) Pensioner will have the facility of login to access following services:- (i) View & updated profile. (ii) Raise any kind of request post login like change/update of Mobile No, Email, Address & Bank details which would be straight way approved & updated. (iii) Raise request for amendment of names or Date of Birth (DOB) of family members duly uploading necessary supporting documents which would be visible to the dealing staff of ORO (MP-5B) for vetting and approval. The updated data/details would be found reflected in SPARSH system post final approval of PCDA (P). No corrigendum PPO will be issued until there is a change in pensionary benefits. No hardcopies of documents are reqd to be sent. 2  (iv) Queries/Requests related to pension anomalies.  (v) Interactive grievance mgt as per designed modules/subjects therein.  (vi) View/Download monthly pension details/pension slip.  (vii) Income tax forms including Investment declarations to save the tax.  (viii) Track Claim.  (ix) Information about Re-employment. 

 6. Identifications/Submission of Life Cert. Identifications/Submission of Life Cert process is explained in detail given at Appx B.  

7. Service Centres for Assistance of Pensioners. There are 938 Service centres across the country. Nearest service centre can be located by visiting the SPARSH website or by using direct link ‘https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in/?page =serviceCentreLocator’ on civil internet. Locate Service Centre, Put state/distt/pin code and click Search. 

 8. Pensioner’s Death/Missing Intimation by NoK. The process is given at Appx C.  

9. Online Submission of Family Pension or Corr Case by ORO (MP-5B). The pensioners may process any data correction case for issue of corrigendum PPO or start of Family Pension either through SPARSH as explained above or through existing method i.e RODRA, email, by post etc. On receipt of requisite document, ORO (MP- 5B) will raise the “Data Correction” case online through SPARSH if pensioners have been migrated to SPARSH otherwise through legacy system. However, to avoid duplicacy, pensioners are advised to use only one medium at a time. Manual cases of migrated pensioners will no longer be accepted by PCDA (P), Allahabad. 

10. All pensioners are advised to visit the SPARSH website ‘sparsh.defencepension.gov.in’ and specially the ‘FAQ’ link to acquaint themselves with the features and facilities. 

Appx ‘A’ MIGRATION PROCESS  

Step 1.   Imdtly on migration, an SMS and email is sent to the pensioner’s latest Mobile No & email ID registered with Bank for e-banking or SMS facility etc. OR 

Step 2. A pensioner can check his status by visiting the website ‘https://pcdapension.nic.in/pcda/view-sparshppo.php’ on civil internet. 

Step 3. Select the mode by which you want to search ; the Old e-PPO No or IC No or Bank Account No and then type the same in the box given. 

Step 4. Type the given Captcha and click on ‘Submit’ button. New PPO No would be reflected on screen. OR 

Step 5. Migrated pensioners may find their new PPO No under link ‘Various Functions - DAK/SPARSH migration status’ after login into RODRA also which is updated as per the list received from PCDA(P) by ORO. OR 

Step 6.      If any pensioner is shown as migrated to SPARSH but he couldn’t get his user ID & password through SMS/email due to any reason, he may contact PCDA (P), Allahabad on 18001805325 or TCS on 011-20893782/83/84/85 or may contact the following:

Name - Shri Suarabh Chandra Ghosh

Designation - AO

Mob No - 9450583095

E Mail Id -  sauravhghosh.dad@gov.in 

OR

Name - Shri Manish 

Designation - AO

Mob No -  9415267523

E Mail Id -  manishaao.da@gov.in 

OR

may try to directly login as per fwg method on SPARSH Website ‘sparsh.defencepension.gov.in’ 

Login page :- (i) Login with User ID - User ID as received or if not received then New SPARSH PPO No suffixed with 01 (eg if New SPARSH PPO No is 101202100999 then User ID will be 10120210099901) 

(ii) Password - Use Forgot Password link and follow the on screen process. 

Step 7.    In case the officer is still unable to get his details or successfully login, he may contact ORO (MP-5B) to update his Mobile No & email ID on 8130591689 & 8368051743 (whatsapp only), through email offr.record@gov.in or RODRA grievance module. 

Note :-   No soft or hard copy of new PPO is being generated or issued and only a new PPO No is issued. Details of service, family, pension & other benefit are reflected under profile post login into SPARSH. If the pensioner wishes, he may keep a printout of the same for his ref as the SPARSH PPOs are just a statement with pension dtls and no longer serve as an authority for payment of pension by any agency like DPDO/Bank etc. Accordingly, the PPOs of current retirees are also issued with following Note:- ‘This document is for record of pensioner only and does not serve as authority for payment at any Pension Disbursing Agency, Payment of pension will be done centrally by SPARSH’. 

Appx ‘B’ IDENTIFICATION PROCESS : EXPLAINED 

1. Pensioners/NoKs may use any of the following methods for initial/yearly identification or submission of Life Cert:- 

Method/ Option 1. DLC (Digital Life Cert) may be submitted after login into SPARSH on a Computer connected to Biometric fingerprint/iris scanner device for Aadhaar Authentication as per following process :-  

• Step 1. Click on Identification tab from menu on left bar.  
• Step 2. Click on “Perform Identification” button shown below personal particulars. A new page will open.  
• Step 3. Click on small circle shown against Aadhar and follow the onscreen process. 

Method/ Option 2. Generate Manual Life Cert (MLC) with Token No post login into SPARSH. 

 Step 1 & 2.  Same as above.  

Step 3. Click on small circle shown against Manual Life Cert (MLC) and click on Generate MLC Number.  Step 3. Click on Initiate Request. A Ceritifcate will be be generated, save or take a print, get it signed from any gazetted officer and upload the same in SPARSH as image/pdf through your Mobile/Tab/PC/Laptop etc after login.  (c) 

Method/ Option 3. Submit DLC through Govt “Jeevan Praman Portal”. Download the app on PC/Tab/Mobile. Better is to download and install the app on mobile which facilitates face recognisation authentication of Aadhaar and no biometric finger print/iris scanner device is required. For further details, visit FAQ section on website https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in.  

Method/ Option 4. Visit any nearby CSC (Citizen/Common Service Centre) which are also called as e-Mitra etc. There are approximate 4 lakh CSCs across the country located at every 5-10 km. Website link- https://locator.csccloud.in or https://registeration. csc.gov.in/JeevanPramaanLocator/csc.aspx.  Note 2. While submitting DLC/MLC other than through SPARSH, Pensioner must select or write “SPARSH PCDA (P) Allahabad” as their Pension Disbursing Authority in the other portals like ‘Jeevan Praman’ etc.  2. The pensioners who have already been migrated to SPARSH are advised to login and see whether their Identification is shown “Pending” or “Verified”. Though a pensioner might have given his MLC to his paying branch, but if the branch has not updated it on their Server, his identification will be shown as “Pending”. In such a case, the pensioners must submit their fresh Life Cert as per any of the methods mentioned in Para 6(a) to (d) above. 

Appx ‘C’ PENSIONER’S DEATH/MISSING INTIMATION BY NOK : EXPLAINED

1. If a pensioner has died post retirement and the NoK is not aware of the SPARSH ID & password, she may use following methods for intimation of death and start of Family Pension:- 

• Step 1. Go to ‘sparsh.defencepension.gov.in’  
• Step 2. Click on Services and then on For Family and then Report Event.  
• Step 3. Click on Death/Missing/Conviction/Initiate Family Pension (as applicable) or use any of the direct applicable link 
•  https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in/?page=death  or
• https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in/?page=missing  or
• https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in/?page=conviction or https://sparsh.defence pension.gov.in/?page=initiatefamilypension  2.
•  On submissioin of above, intimation will be recd by ORO (MP-5B) to process/initiate the Family Pension claim.  . 
• In case of difficulty the widow/ entitled NoK may approach this office (MP-5B) also on 8130591689 & 8368051743 (whatsapp only) on all working days (Monday to Friday) between 0900 AM to 0500 PM. 

Oldest Command Hospital in India, in 250 years of solitude

The maternity ward in the hospital was called 

' Hawa Mahal ' because of the constant sea breeze it got

Hidden from the public eye in an umbrella of greenery, the INHS (Indian Naval Hospital Ship) Asvini hospital has been witness to more two centuries of Indian history. 

From the time the East India Company set up its establishment in the port town of Bombay to the tumultuous period of World War I and II, the two-and-a-half century old hospital is not only the city’s oldest hospital, but also the country’s oldest command hospital.

The idea of constructing a hospital in Colaba struck Britishers during their hunting expeditions, an official from Asvini said. 

The hospital, then called the King’s (Seamen’s) hospital, was first built in 1756 on Old Woman’s Island as a convalescent home for ailing British soldiers.

“However, In 1769, a Sepoy Hospital was built where the current hospital exists for the Indian troops, and King’s hospital was shifted here,” said Commander Rahul Sinha, chief public relations officer (Indian Navy). 

Interestingly, the Sepoy Hospital, then a barrack but symbolic of British history, was demolished to give way for larger structure.

While the hospital dates back to 1756, several historians consider its history to begin from 1860 when the ground-plus-one-storey family hospital was built. 

“While it is ancient and has history attached to it, the hospital had no architectural features to flaunt. It was built with stone and was well spaced,” said city historian Deepak Rao.

According to hospital authorities, the maternity ward in the hospital was called hawa mahal because of the constant sea breeze it got. 

For a long time, family members of both Indian and British soldiers were treated there for simple ailments or for deliveries.

The modest stone structure, however, lost its charm after the requirement of expansion led to construction of a six-storey building nearby. 

Rao said, “The family hospital was a Grade-I structure. However, the new hospital building built in 2004 was not congruent with the old structure and the heritage category was dropped to Grade-II.”

Interestingly, the hospital has been renamed thrice till now. 

While it was first named King’s (Seamen’s) hospital in 1756, the name was changed to“Bombay Marine hospital” in 1788. 

Finally in 1951, Lady Parry, wife of then Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Navy, named the hospital “INHS Asvini”. 

It is said that the name Asvini was derived from ‘Asvini Kumars’ — twin gods symbolising fusion of medicine with innovation and leadership. Asvini also means ocean-born.

The hospital also has smaller structures built alongside, which date back a century. 

The Jeffrey’s wing, the current college of nursing and the school of medical assistance are all housed in heritage structures.

There is a unique feature of the hospital which is still not known to several working there — the ancient Banyan tree close to the family hospital building. 

“The tree exists even before the family hospital was constructed in 1860,” said Rao. 

A surgeon from the hospital said the tree, now “grand and old”, continues to give shade and add beauty to the property.

Source:

Tabassum Barnagarwala 

http://indianexpress.com/

Mumbai

Indian Navy kicks off largest combat exercise

With an all-seeing eye 36,000 km above the equator, the Indian Navy has kicked off its largest exercise with both the western and eastern fleets amassing in the Bay of Bengal for intensive combat manoeuvres. 

“Tropex” or the theatre-level readiness and operational exercise underway across the eastern seaboard with over 50 warships, including aircraft carrier INS Viraat and nuclear submarine INS Chakra, as well as scores of fighters, helicopters and drones is a yearly feature. 

But what is new this year is that the month-long exercise is being held for the first time under the gaze of India’s first dedicated military satellite GSAT-7 or “Rukmini”, which has a 2,000-nautical mile footprint over the critical Indian Ocean region (IOR). 

This geostationary naval communication and surveillance satellite, launched in Augustlast year, is beaming signals from its UHF, S, Ku and C-band transponders to network all Indian warships, submarines and aircraft with operational centres ashore through high-speed encrypted data-links.

“The exercise, with Admiral DK Joshi and Eastern Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Anil Chopra embarked on board warships, is being conducted with two completely networked fleets widely dispersed across the IOR in a dense maritime environment,” said an officer. 

Apart from IAF chipping in with its Sukhoi-30MKIs, Jaguars and IL-78 midair refuellers, the Navy has for the first time also deployed its newly-acquired P-8I longrange patrol aircraft or “intelligent hawk eyes” for the wargames. The US has till now delivered three of these eight sensor and radar-packed aircraft, contracted for $2.1 billion in 2009. 

Armed with potent anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the P-8Is are working in conjunction with medium-range Dorniers and Israeli Searcher-II and Heron UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to create a three-tier surveillance grid in the heavily-militarized IOR. 

With the western fleet coming all the way around the Indian peninsula, the “theatre” for the exercise is also significant since India is steadily bolstering military force-levels on the eastern coast and Andaman and Nicobar archipelago to counter China’s strategic moves in the IOR.

Strong as the Sun: Vikramaditya is like no other ship Indian Navy ever had.

In July this year, an old game played out in the Barents Sea — a new warship undergoing exhaustive trials by Russian shipbuilders prior to her induction, being shadowed by NATO ships keen to understand what it would be capable of. During the several weeks that the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier underwent trials, a Norwegian NATO intelligence vessel kept company, steadily building up an electronic dossier.

This was a follow-up to last year when a NATO maritime surveillance aircraft heavily buzzed the same ship, dropping buoys to pick up an acoustic profile. The game is not just old; it is one that Vikramaditya has played in an earlier avatar — as Soviet aircraft cruiser Baku, patrolling the Mediterranean in the late 1980s. 

However, the intense interest in Vikramaditya — whose name literally translates as Strong as the Sun — now comes from the extensive refit and modernisation it has gone through. 

For a Navy that is proud of its legacy of operating aircraft carriers, the Vikramaditya is like no other ship it has had in the fleet before. It is the Navy's biggest ship for one —surpassing INS Viraat by 10,000 tonnes — and one of the most potent aircraft carriers in this side of the world, in fact the first 'new' ship of its class to be based in the Indian Ocean in over two decades. While India had to acquire older technology often in the past due to non-willingness of nations to share strategic assets, the Vikramaditya with its MiG-29K fighters is top of its game. 

With the ship likely to reach its home base of Karwar in January, preparations have been made to ensure that it is operationalised at the earliest. As things stand, it is coming without any fighters on board, with only a small chopper complement for utility missions. The plan is to start the first landings and take-offs of the fighters on board within two-three weeks of Vikramaditya reaching India. 

At present, Indian pilots are training on simulators to operate from the confines of the small flight deck. A shore-based facility in Goa, where the fighter squadrons will be based, is set to start training MiG-29K pilots on landing and taking off from the carrier. 

Part of the training will be conducted during the journey of the carrier from Russia, which is expected to take four to five weeks. The 183 Russian personnel on duty will not only help operate the ship but also train the 1,600-odd Indian sailors on board. Strategies and operational tactics to exploit the platform are already being worked on and will be fine-tuned as the ship's characteristics are revealed in internal trials and war games. 

"The plan is to start operations as soon as possible. Certification of both pilots and air controllers has to be done before the ship can formally join the fleet," an aviation officer said. 

Manu Pubby

http://www.indianexpress.com/news

New Delhi

24 Nov 2013

INS Vikramaditya inducted into the Indian Navy

The long-delayed and much-awaited $ 2.3 billion aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was on Saturday inducted into the Indian Navy here in a strategic boost to India's maritime warfare capabilities.

The mammoth 44,500-tonne warship was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Sevmash Shipyard in this northern Arctic port at a handing over ceremony attended by Defence Minister A K Antony and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and senior government and naval officials of the two countries.

The Russian flag on the vessel was lowered and the flag of the Indian Navy was raised in its place. In a traditional Indian ritual, a coconut was broken against the ship's side.

                                       

      

 

The commissioning papers were signed by deputy director of Russia's arms exporter Rosoboronexport, Igor Sevastyanov and the ship's captain, Captain Suraj Berry, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The warship with a length of 284 metres will have MiG-29K naval combat aircraft along with Kamov 31 and Kamov 28 anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance helicopters.

The MiG 29-Ks would provide a significant boost to Indian Navy with their range of over 700 nautical miles, extendable to over 1,900 nautical miles with mid-air refuelling, and an array of weapons like anti-ship missiles, beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and guided bombs and rockets.

The carrier will be escorted to India on a near two-month voyage by a group of warships to secure a safe sail to its base at Karwar on the Arabian Sea coast.

Indian Navy to have 200 warships in next 10 years

The Indian Navy currently operates 136 warships
and the force is targeting 200 in the next 10 years.

Indian Navy would have 200 warships in another 10 years, with three aircraft carriers in each of the three naval commands, for which orders have already been given to various docks in the country, a senior official said here on Wednesday. 

"Right now, we have 136 ships and we are targeting 200 in the next 10 years. All our docks in our country are full of orders," Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, Flag officer commanding in chief, Eastern Naval Command told reporters here. 

The Navy was looking at making destroyers and frigates, he said. "Right now, we have only one landing platform dock (LPD) INS Jalashwa. We are going for four more LPDs." 

He said INS Vikramaditya, which India bought from Russia would be inducted into the Navy later this month. 

"Once it comes, INS Vikramaditya would be under the control of INS Karwar in Karnataka. Another aircraft carrier is in the making in Kochi now. Once it is commissioned, we will position it in Visakhapatnam," he said. 

Indian Navy would also engage with the Japanese coast guard for a joint military exercise next month off the eastern coast, he added. 

Earlier, he along with Puducherry Lt governor Virendra Khataria reviewed various demonstration activities by seven naval ships — INS Shivalik, INS Satpura, INS Ranvijay, INS Khukri, INS Kulish, INS Khanjar and INS Jalashwa, as part of Navy Day celebrations. 

Slithering by marine commandos on board Navy's Chetak helicopters and recently inducted surveillance aircraft P-81 were also part of the demonstration. 

Over 3,000 guests, mostly family members of defence personnel, senior bureaucrats and journalists, also witnessed the four-and-a-half hour long demonstration, which happened some 25 nautical miles off Chennai coast.

Indian Navy emerging as a major air force

The Indian Navy is on its way to becoming a major air force, with the fleet air arm having achieved several landmarks this year.

In May, the first MiG-29K squadron was commissioned at INS Hansa in Goa, with twenty world-class Russian fighters.

In August, the first indigenous aircraft carrier,
INS Vikrant was launched at Kochi.

Later this month, Russia will hand over the
INS Vikramaditya, formerly the Admiral Gorshkov, which will supplement the INS Viraat to become the navy’s second aircraft carrier.

Today the navy received its first Hawk-132 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT), on which it will train the pilots that fly its MiG-29Ks and, when cleared to join the fleet, the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is building 17 Hawk AJTs for the navy.

The navy is on track to operate more than 300 fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. These including 45 MiG-29K/KUBs; over 50Tejas LCAs; 8-12 Boeing P8 multi-mission aircraft; 36 Dornier 228utility aircraft; 36 medium range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft; 5-10 long range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft; 90 medium helicopters; 59 naval utility helicopters; and more than 30 airborne early warning helicopters.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently gives naval pilots basic training on the Pilatus PC-7 Mark II, along with air force trainee pilots. After that, naval flyers branch off, doing Stage-2 training on the Kiran Mark I; and will now do Stage-3 training on the navy’s own Hawk fleet. Far-sighted naval planners say the day will come when the navy, emerging as a major operator of aircraft, will train all its pilots in-house.

“The induction of this highly capable (Hawk-132) aircraft will provide the much needed fillip to the training of combat pilots in the Navy by bridging the gap between basic flying training and advanced fighter flying,” said the navy today.

  

While Stage-1 and Stage-2 training mainly hone a pilot’s flying skills, Stage-3 training on the Hawk involves combat flying, which includes advanced navigation and the use of airborne weapons.

The Hawk 132 has an advanced navigation system and can carry air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground rockets, bombs and guns. The trainee pilot learns how to use a HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) systemthat allows him to select weapons without removing his hands from the flying controls.

Capable of carrying two extra fuel tanks under its wings to extend its operating range, the Hawk can even be used in a combat role as a light strike aircraft.

HAL will deliver five Hawks to the navy this fiscal year, with the remaining 12 delivered over three years.

While naval pilots train on these 17 AJTs, the IAF will fly 106 Hawk AJTs, making India the largest operator of Hawks in the world. Currently 18 countries operate almost 1000 Hawk trainers. The US Air Force could soon buy several hundred more under its so-called T-X trainer acquisition programme.

Meanwhile, BAE Systems, which is the original equipment manufacturer of the Hawk, has bid to supply 20 more Hawks for the IAF’s aerobatics team, Surya Kiran. This contract is being processed as a “follow on” procurement from the large earlier tenders, since the aerobatics aircraft is identical to the trainer, except for the fitment of smoke generators to increase the visibility of the aerobatics aircraft. The apex Defence Acquisition Council is believed to have cleared this.

A BAE Systems release on Wednesday quoted Guy Griffiths, group managing director-international, as saying, “We have also submitted our response to HAL’s Request for Proposal for a potential order to supply products and services for the manufacture of 20 additional Hawk aircraft to the IAF, and are now looking forward to partnering with HAL in providing the Indian Air Force's display team this fantastic aircraft.”

Ajai Shukla 

Business Standard

7th Nov 2013 

Naval pilots to train in Russia ahead of Gorshkov delivery

Around 10 top-notch combat pilots of the Navy will leave for Russia early next week to complete their training on Russian-origin MiG-29K fighter planes ahead of their deployment on-board the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier.

The pilots will form the first batch of fully-trained pilots to operate out of Gorshkov, which will be commissioned as INS Vikramaditya in Russia on November 16 by Defence Minister A K Antony.

The Indian crew, consisting of around 1,500 personnel, is already in Russia to take over the 45,000-tonne Kiev class aircraft carrier from the Russian Navy, which tested the warship extensively at sea, including with 500 on-board sorties of fighter planes.

India had bought Gorshkov, an unused aircraft carrier, from Russia in 2004 and sent it to the Sevmash shipyard there for a refit and refurbishment. After the shipyard haggled for a hike in payments from $974 million for the work being done on the warship, India agreed to pay $2.34 billion as the final payment in 2010.

The warship was to be handed over to India in December 2012, but got delayed by a year after the Russians identified trouble in the boilers of the warship during sea trial in mid-2012 and hence postponed the delivery by a year.

Now the warship is ready for getting operational after a second round of tests and will reach India by the end of December 2013. India had also bought 16 MiG-29Ks for operating from Gorshkov along with the warship for $526 million in 2004. The Navy also ordered for 29 more MiG-29Ks, of which five have been delivered by Russia so far.

The 10 pilots, who had extensive phase-I training, will undergo the phase-II and Phase-III final training in Russia when they will train on a simulator and later progress to flying the plane from the a shore-based training facility and graduate to flying off the deck of an aircraft carrier. 

The Navy has already raised the MiG-29K squadron for INS Vikramaditya at Goa, christened the INAS 303 squadron. A shore-based training facility too has come up at INS Hansa naval air base in Goa, where the pilots have been training for a couple of years now.

Source: The New Indian Express

Date: 01 Nov 2013

Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre at Kochi

Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC) inaugurated at Kochi

Weather prediction, a vital factor in Naval operations planning, received a fillip on 06 Sep 13 with the inauguration of Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC) at the Naval Base Kochi on 06 Sep 13. Vice Admiral Pradip Kumar Chatterjee, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff inaugurated the modern facility in the presence of Vice Admiral Satish Soni, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Naval Command. 

INMAC will synergise the advantages of different methodologies of forecasting – synoptic, climatology-persistence and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) techniques, with advanced satellite data processing techniques, to ensure speed and objectivity in forecasts. 

INMAC at Kochi on reception of meteorological data from Indian Meteorological Department disseminates this to meteorological offices of the Navy across the country through intranet, after due analysis, plotting and processing. The distribution and dissemination of data is facilitated through a propriety software provided M/s. Wipro- the executor of the project, through M/s. Corobor MESSIR systems. The forecasts, for any location across the globe would be thus be available to Navy’s operation rooms, platforms and aircraft.

Indian Air Force inducts C-17 heavy-lift transport plane

The Indian Air Force (IAF) Monday formally inducted the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transport aircraft at a function held here. Of the 10 C-17 aircrafts, three have been delivered to the IAF while two more will be delivered this year and the remaining five in 2014. The squadron will be based at Hindon station of the air force in Ghaziabad. "This is a giant stride for the air force," said Defence Minister A.K. Antony who called it a "defining moment". The C-17 will boost the IAF's capability to transport troops and equipment such as tanks to battlefronts, thanks to its ability to carry around 80 tonnes of load.                                             

India’s first defence satellite all set for launch

India’s maritime security will get a fresh impetus as the stage is now set for the launch of an exclusive home-built satellite for the Navy by European space consortium Arianespace from Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on Friday.

The GSAT-7 is India’s first dedicated spacecraft for Defence applications.

“It has frequency bands that will help marine communications”, an official of the Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation, which built the satellite, told PTI in Bangalore.

“It has coverage over India landmass as well as surrounding seas. It’s important from security and surveillance points of view,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

A senior space scientist in the know said, “So far, Navy had limitation from line of sight and ionospheric effects etc.

It was thought essential to have an integrated platform for their exclusive use. Earlier, satellite communication in ships was through Inmarsat (a major provider of global mobile satellite communications services). Now, India will have its own set up”

ISRO shies away from calling it an exclusive satellite for the Navy on record, but privately admits exactly that.

The Rs. 185 crore state-of-the-art satellite carries payloads operating in UHF, S, C and Ku bands.

GSAT-7 has a lift-off mass of 2,625 kg and is based on ISRO’s 2,500 kg satellite bus with some new technological elements, including the antennae. Its solar arrays generate 2,900 W of electrical power.

The satellite’s A108 Ampere-Hour Lithium-Ion battery enables it to function during the eclipse period. The propulsion subsystem has a 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) and thrusters.

GSAT-7 is scheduled to be launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) by Ariane-5 VA 215 during the 50-minute launch window starting from 2 a.m. on Friday.

The launch cost for ISRO is around Rs. 470 crore, including insurance. ISRO can’t launch heavy satellites like GSAT-7 as its home-grown GSLV rocket, with indigenous cryogenic stage, is still in works and needs two successful flights before it’s declared operational.

Source: PTI

A momentous occasion for CSL

Kochi: The launch of the first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on August 12 will be a momentous occasion for Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) which achieved the feat in four years of laying the keel under trying conditions. The warship is expected to join the Navy fleet by 2018.Ms Elizabeth Antony, wife of Defence Minister A.K. Antony will launch the ship at a function to be attended among others by Antony, Navy chief Admiral D.K. Joshi and Union minister for shipping G.K. Vasan. The design of the indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) is the result of a collaborative effort of Indian Navy’s design organization and the design team of CSL. The special steel for the ship was supplied by the Steel Authority of India Ltd. CSL in association with National Metallurgical Research Laboratory developed the weld process and consumables for this special grade steel.  The 263-metre-long IAC can displace about 38,000 tonnes and is propelled by four gas turbines. It can achieve a speed of about 30 knots. It will operate a combination of Russian MiG-29K, Ka31 and the indigenous light combat aircraft, sources in the Navy and CSL said. The flight deck of IAC will feature two take-off runways and a landing strip equipped with three arrester wires. 

Vikramaditya Passes Engine Tests in Russian Sea Trials

A Russian-built aircraft carrier due to be delivered to the Indian Navy following a much-delayed refit has successfully passed engine tests during the first stage of final sea trials in the White Sea, shipbuilder Sevmash said Tuesday. The current trials focused on the ship's propulsion system and its ability to perform as required. The carrier, named Vikramaditya, “showed excellent performance while being tested at various speeds,” a Sevmash spokesman said. “On Sunday, the ship attained a maximum speed of 29.2 knots.” 

The Vikramaditya, which is already years past its original 2008 delivery date, was supposed to have been handed over to India on December 4, 2012, but initial sea trials in September revealed that the ship's boilers were not fully functional. The source of the problem, which reduced the ship's maximum speed, was due to use of low-grade Chinese-made firebricks in the boiler insulation instead of asbestos, Russian shipbuilders said. The boiler problems were fixed by Russian shipbuilders in February, Sevmash reported previously. 

The Vikramaditya will now sail to the Barents Sea, where the ship will undertake working-up procedures including aircraft deck operations. Several MiG-29K fighters and two helicopters will be used in the flight trials. A report on the results of the final trials must be given to the Indians on October 15, the Sevmash official said. The Vikramaditya was originally built as the Soviet Project 1143.4 class aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. In its original incarnation, the Gorshkov also had a history of boiler problems and suffered a boiler explosion in 1994. The refit of the ship has lurched from one crisis to another since India and Russia signed a $947 million deal in 2005 for its purchase and refit. Delivery has already been delayed three times, pushing up the cost of refurbishing the vessel to $2.3 billion, causing acrimony between Moscow and New Delhi.

Source: MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti)

INS Trikand, a Stealth Frigate joins Indian Navy

INS Trikand, the last of the three “Follow On Talwar Class” frigates built in the Russian Federation, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 29 Jun 13 at Kaliningrad, Russia by Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy, in a glittering ceremony marked by traditional military fervour that included the Indian and the Russian navies.

      The commissioning of INS Trikand marks the culmination of a three ship contract for “Follow On Talwar Class” ships built in Russia, and is therefore a milestone in the Indo-Russian military-technological cooperation. The other ships of the class viz, INS Teg and INS Tarkash were commissioned last year and are now undertaking operations as part of the Western Fleet. The keel of INS Trikand was laid on 11 June 2008 and the ship was launched on 25 May 2011.  Extensive Acceptance trials were conducted in the Baltic Sea in April and May 2013.

INS Trikand carries a  state-of-the-art combat suite which includes the supersonic BRAHMOS missile system, advanced Surface to Air missiles Shtil, upgraded A190 medium range gun, Electro-optical 30 mm Close-in Weapon System, Anti-Submarine weapons such as torpedoes and rockets and an advanced Electronic Warfare system. The weapons and sensors are integrated through a Combat Management System ‘Trebovanie-M’, which enables the ship to simultaneously neutralise multiple surface, sub-surface and air threats. The ship also incorporates innovative features to reduce radar, magnetic and acoustic signatures, which have earned this class of ships the sobriquet of ‘Stealth’ frigates. The ship is powered by four gas turbines and is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots. The ship can carry an integrated Kamov 31 helicopter which is best suited for airborne early warning roles.

INS Trikand is commanded by Captain Ajay Kochhar, a Gunnery and Missile Warfare specialist, who was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1988. The ship has a complement of about 300 personnel including officers. The ship will soon undertake her maiden passage to India to join the Western Fleet of Indian Navy

The ceremony was also attended by HE Shri Ajai Malhotra, the Indian Ambassador to the Russian Federation, the Mayor of Kaliningrad and representatives of various Russian agencies involved in the project and senior Naval officers of both the Indian and the Russian Navies.

First Indian C-17 Arrives Today, June 17

The Indian Air Force's first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (Tail no. CB-8001) departs Long Beach on its journey to the Hindon Air Force Station outside Delhi, where the squadron will be based. Boeing and Indian Air Force officials will conduct a short ceremony at Long Beach before the aircraft departs. After a ferry flight that will make a list of stops along the way, the C-17 will touch down at Hindon on June 17. 

The first airframe will get a welcome ceremony when it arrives, but a formal induction ceremony is expected to happen in August, by which time two more C-17s will have arrived. The first Indian C-17 arrives in India almost exactly two years after the deal was signed in June 2011. The $4.116-billion deal for 10 aircraft doesn't have a formal options clause, but the IAF is likely to formalise a follow-on order by the end of this year (even with the original order for 10,

India will be the largest operator of the aircraft outside the U.S. Boeing delivered the first Indian C-17 to flight test at Edward's in January this year, and will deliver four more this year, and five next. Indian pilots and loadmasters were trained at Altus, Oklahoma.

Depleting minesweepers fleet worries indian Navy

Indian Navy’s three-decade-old fleet of minesweepers is depleting at a fast rate and yet, a Rs 24,000-crore contract proposal to augment it with eight new Korean-made vessels is entangled in the Defence Ministry’s red tape for nearly three years now. The Mine Counter-Measure Vessels (MCMV)—capable of minesweeping and mine hunting are critical to naval operations. They help in carrying out sweeps at the entry and exit points of dockyards to sanitise these passageways of enemy mines ahead of Indian warships sailing out to the sea. India had, after a decade-long procurement process, zeroed in on the South Korean shipyard, Pusan-based Kangnam Corporation, as the lowest bidder in a tender for construction of MCMVs for the Indian Navy in 2010. It was said then that the Defence Ministry would complete its cost negotiations with Kangnam, which best Italian Intermarine to the contract, and issue the orders for building the vessels within two months.“Three years since, the contract negotiations have not happened and the contract proposal for the MCMV is now buried among files in the defence ministry,” lamented a senior Indian Navy officer, when The Sunday Standard asked him about the progress in the minesweepers procurement.

The Navy had expected the Defence Ministry to conclude the contract as soon as Kangnam was identified as the foreign shipyard to provide the minesweepers in view of the urgency felt in adding these specialist vessels in to the fleet. With a variety of naval mines that are triggered by pressure, acoustic or electro-magnetic signals from a surface warship or a submarine available in the arms bazaar, these are some of the cheapest ways to sink an enemy warship. Laying of these mines are quite easily done and hence the threat perception from these self-contained explosives to warships are quite high, Navy officers pointed out. “Hence the urgency in procuring these specialist vessels and inducting them as early as humanly possible,” they added.

 According to the tenders, the chosen shipyard was to build the first two MCMVs and the rest six were to be constructed at Goa Shipyard Limited under a licence, with technology transfer being part of the contract. This was to create capabilities at GSL to build minesweepers in the future, as a requirement for more of these vessels was envisioned. Navy officers noted that Kangnam’s selection itself was done after crossing hurdles, as its competitors had moved the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in 2010 against the Indian choice of the Korean firm as the lowest bidder. Detailed explanations to the CVC had settled the issue in favour of Kangnam by April 2011. Since then, no progress has been made in the procurement process, they added.

Just over a decade ago, the Navy was operating 12 of Pondicherry/Karwar class of minesweepers, but had to decommission five of them after completion of their serviceable life. INS Pondicherry, the first of this class of minesweepers, was built by Russia and commissioned in 1978. It was decommissioned in 2007. Since then, four other minesweepers of this class too have been decommissioned at regular intervals. The last of the Karwar class of minesweepers was commissioned in 1988 and this class of warships has completed the serviceable life of 20 years and has entered the obsolescence phase. The Navy, at present, operates seven Pondicherry/Karwar class of minesweepers in its fleet, of which one is based in Mumbai and the rest six in Visakhapatnam. These seven vessels have gone through a midlife upgrade to extend their service life by another decade and for adding latest technologies to boost their capabilities. “Yet, these minesweepers’ hull is still old. How long can the Navy flog these old horses?" wondered another officer. The officers pointed out that even if the MCMV contract was awarded this year, the first two vessels would not be delivered before 2018 and GSL would take another two to four years before completing its part of the contract for rest of the fleet.

Source: The New Indian Express -

By N C Bipindra - NEW DELHI

10th June 2013 

BrahMos missile successfully test-fired from ship

                      BrahMos Missile Successfully Test-Fired|BrahMos Missile|Navy|INS Tarkash

 India on Wednesday successfully test-fired the 290 km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Navy's latest guided missile frigate INS Tarkash off the coast of Goa.

The missile performed the high-level 'C' manoeuvre in the pre-determined flight path and successfully hit the target.

The missile was launched from the Russian-built warship at 1100 hours, BrahMos Aerospace chief A Sivathanu Pillai said here.

"The launch was carried out by the Navy as part of Acceptance Test Firing (ATF) of the ship," he said.

INS Tarkash, which is an advanced Talwar Class frigate, was commissioned on November 9, last year.

The warship, along with two other frigates of the class - INS Teg and INS Trikand, have been built as part of an over Rs 8,000 crore contract signed between India and Russia in July 2006.

INS Teg was commissioned on April 27, 2012 and the commissioning of INS Trikand is expected soon.

The weapons suite of INS Tarkash includes surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile systems, 100 mm medium-range gun, close-in weapon system, torpedo tubes and anti-submarine rockets.

All the three ships will be equipped with 8 vertical- launched BrahMos missile systems as the prime strike weapon.

The new missile frigates are designed to accomplish a wide range of maritime missions, primarily hunting down and destroying large surface ships and submarines.

BrahMos officials said the vertical launch configuration of the supersonic missile enhances the stealth capabilities of the ship as the missiles are under the deck and not exposed.

Jointly developed by India and Russia, the BrahMos is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg. The missile can cruise at a maximum speed of 2.8 Mach (or 2.8 times the speed of sound).

India is readying several different versions of the missile which includes land attack, anti-ship and submarine- launched versions.