Naval MiG-29K fighter aircraft to be deployed in Northern sector
| Date :22-Jul-2020 |
By Ajit K Dubey :
NEW DELHI,
AT A time when Indian Navy’s P-8I surveillance planes are carrying out frequent sweeps over the Eastern Ladakh sector, the Navy’s maritime fighter jets MiG-29K will be deployed in the Northern sector for operations. The deployment of the naval fighter aircraft at the Indian Air Force (IAF) bases is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directives for enhancing collaboration between the three services and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat’s call for the possibility of deployment of maritime combat aircraft along the northern or western borders with the Air Force. “It is being planned to deploy the MiG-29K fighter aircraft at an Indian Air Force base in the northern sector. They might be used for carrying out operational flying in the Eastern Ladakh sector along the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” Government sources told ANI.
The Indian Navy has a fleet of over 40 MiG-29K fighter jets that are deployed on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and carry out regular flying from the naval fighter base INS Hansa in Goa. The Russian-origin fighters were procured by the Indian Navy along with the aircraft carrier over a decade ago. Amid the ongoing dispute with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Indian Navy has been playing an important role as its planes are being used for surveillance along the LAC for picking up the Chinese activities and positions there.
The surveillance aircraft were used extensively during the Doka La crisis as well. The Indian Navy is also carrying out an exercise close to the Malacca Straits from where the Chinese Navy enters into the Indian Ocean Region. “The warships and submarines of the Western Fleet are carrying out wargames near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territories as part of their deployment,” Government sources said. The nuclear submarines including the INS Chakra and INS Arihant are also out of their harbours, they added. Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has also been out in the sea for missions with its carrier battle group.
The Indian Navy has been keeping a constant eye on the activities of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean Region where they come regularly with their warships including Landing Platform Docks and long-range frigates and destroyers. Indian Navy warships also carried out a passage exercise with the American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz a few days ago amid the tensions with China.
Army gets ‘Bharat’ drones for accurate surveillance along China border
NEW DELHI,
July 21 (ANI)
AMID the ongoing boundary dispute between India and China, DRDO has provided its indigenously-developed drone named Bharat to the Indian Army for carrying out accurate surveillance in high altitude areas and mountainous terrain along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh. “The Indian Army requires drones for accurate surveillance in the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Ladakh area. For this requirement, the DRDO has provided the Bharat drones to it,” Defence sources told ANI here. The Bharat drones have been developed by a Chandigarh-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
The Bharat series of the drones can be listed among “World’s most agile and lightest Surveillance drone. Indigenously developed by the DRDO.” DRDO sources said the “small yet powerful drone works autonomously at any location with great accuracy. The unibody biomimetic design with advance release technology is a lethal combination for surveillance missions”.
The drone is equipped with artificial intelligence to detect friends and foes and can take action accordingly. The drone has been made capable of survival in extreme cold weather temperatures and is being developed further. The drone provides real-time video transmission during the complete missions and with very advanced night vision capabilities, it can detect humans hidden in deep forests. It is gaining a lot of popularity because it can operate in swarm operations, sources said. The drone has been built in a way that makes it impossible to be detected by Radar.