Defence News 02 May 2024 | 530 New Fighter Jets | Next Gen Aircraft Carrier | France offers SSN Technology

India has summoned the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner to lodge protest against the pro-Kalistani slogans raised at an event attended by Justin Trudeau. Indian Navy and Andaman and Nicobar Command have installed CAT-2 approach lighting system at Port Blair Airport to enable night-time operations. Indian Coast Guard along with Gujarat ATS has busted another Pakistani drug consignment of 86 kgs narcotics on a fishing boat and apprehended 14 persons.

Officers of Royal Navy of Oman were briefed on the indigenous stabilised remote-controlled gun system being used by the Indian Navy. Zen Technologies has unveiled its Zen Armour Combat Training System, that is designed to address the rigorous training needs of tank crews with meticulously crafted real-world scenarios.

The Indian Air Force is planning to use an artificial intelligence-powered drone system for inspecting aircraft engines. Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd has launched the sixth ammunition-cum-torpedo-cum-missile barge for Indian Navy. A Royal Netherlands Navy ship engaged in a maritime partnership exercise with the Indian Navy’s guided missile frigate yesterday. ASAM rifles intercepted huge quantity of arms ammunition satellite phones and other warlax stores close to the Indo-Myanmar border in the Mon district of Nagaland.

Bharat Electronics Ltd has established partnerships with Uzbekistan’s key defense procurement agencies to promote indigenous defense electronics products for the Uzbek military. The Indian Navy’s plan to develop the twin-engine deck-based fighter, seems to be hitting turbulence from the Indian Air Force, as the Air Force has shown little interest in the Navy’s proposal for an Air Force variant named Orca. A senior Air Force official has said that developing the Orca would be a redundant exercise, as the Air Force is already heavily invested in the AMCA, which is in the same weight class of around 25 tons as the Orca, and the Orca does not offer any significant technological leap over the Tejas Mark 2 or the AMCA.

The official also said that 534.5 generation fighter jets will be inducted over the next 10 years including Tejas Mark 1, Mark 2 and MRFA, and the Air Force doesn’t want more 4.5 generation fighter jets, and wants to focus on 5th generation fighters. Retired Admiral Arun Prakash has suggested that India and France should collaborate to develop next generation aircraft carriers, which includes simultaneous construction of France’s 75,000 tonnes future aircraft carrier in France, and Indian Navy’s 60,000 tonne third indigenous aircraft carrier in India. He also suggested that such collaboration would not only facilitate the acquisition of ship design and construction expertise, but also enable the exchange of nuclear design and propulsion technologies.

The inclusion of both the new generation fighter and Rafale marine aircraft will further enhance operational versatility between the two navies. India’s Chief of Defence Staff was given a tour of the French submarine base at Brest, which is the homeport of the ballistic missile nuclear-powered submarines of the French Navy. France is eyeing collaboration with the Indian SSN program, and a key area of interest for India is France’s pump-jet propulsion technology, which India wants to integrate into its nuclear powered conventionally armed attack submarines, which is currently in the developmental stage.