New Delhi, 19th May 2023. The sixth submarine of Project 75, Yard 11880, Indian Navy’s Kalvari class commenced her sea trials on 18th May 2023. The submarine was launched in 20th April 2022 from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). Vaghsheer is scheduled for Delivery to the Indian Navy in early 2024 after completion of these trial.
MDL has ‘Delivered’ three submarines of the Project – 75 in 24 months and the commencement of sea trials of the sixth submarine is a significant milestone. This is indicative of the boost towards AatmaNirbharBharat.
The submarine will now undergo intense trials of all its systems at sea, these include propulsion systems, weapons and sensors.
New Delhi, 15th May 2023. Indian Naval ships Delhi and Satpura, under the command of Rear Admiral Gurcharan Singh, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, departed Sihanoukville, Cambodia on 14 May 2023. The three-day port call demonstrated India’s cordial ties and rapidly growing cooperation with the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Apart from social interactions with senior dignitaries from the Defence ministry and Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, Personnel from both navies engaged in a wide range of professional interactions, cross deck visits and friendly sports exchanges.
Training sessions on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and firefighting were also conducted. The ship was also open to visitors and members of the Indian diaspora in Cambodia were provided a tour of the two ships.
The successful port call has enhanced mutual understanding and strengthened the bonds of friendship between the two navies.
Will consolidate strong bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries, by strengthening maritime cooperation
Part of Indian Navy’s deployment to ASEAN countries
New Delhi, 12th May 2023. As part of Indian Navy’s deployment to ASEAN countries, Indian Naval ships Delhi and Satpura, under the command of Rear Admiral Gurcharan Singh, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF), are making a port call at Sihanoukville, Cambodia from 11 – 14 May 23. The port call demonstrates India’s cordial ties with the Kingdom of Cambodia.
During the port call, personnel from both the navies will engage in a wide range of professional interactions, deck visits and sports exchanges, aimed at enhancing interoperability and mutual understanding.
INS Delhi is India’s first indigenously built guided missile Destroyer and INS Satpura is an indigenouS multi purpose stealth Frigate. The two ships are equipped with a versatile array of weapons and sensors and can carry multi-role helicopters. Both ships are a testimony of India’s advanced ship design and shipbuilding capabilities.
The visit of the Indian Naval ships seeks to consolidate the strong bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries, by strengthening maritime cooperation.
New Delhi, 3rd May, 2023. Valedictory Function of the 35th Naval Higher Command Course (NHCC) was held at Naval War College (NWC) Goa on 03 May 23. 34 officers including 25 officers of the Indian Navy, four officers each from the Indian Army & Indian Airforce and one Coast Guard officer completed the course which commenced on 01 Aug 22. NHCC is the flagship course attended by Captains of the Indian Navy and equivalent ranks from the Army, Airforce and Coast Guard. The course aims to prepare officers for leadership at strategic and operational level with the primary focus on national security, maritime strategy, joint operations and technology transformations. During the course, the participating officers undertook research on a wide variety of subjects of strategic and operational importance to the nation in general and the Armed Forces in particular.
Shri Sreedharan Pillai, the Hon’ble Governor of Goa, was the Chief Guest for the function. Vice Admiral MA Hampiholi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command also graced the occasion. All the course participants were awarded degree certificates on Defence and Strategic Studies. Capt Rajeev Tiwari was awarded the Chief of Naval Staff Gold Medal for the Best Dissertation and Capt Vikram Ahuja was awarded the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (West) Silver medal for second best dissertation. Capt Kunal Bharadwaj was awarded the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (South) Silver Medal for the best Operation Research paper whilst Capt Varun Paniker and Col RR Laddha were awarded the Flag Officer Commanding-in- Chief (East) Silver Medal for the second best paper. A newly instituted, General Bipin Rawat Trophy in the memory of first Chief of Defence Staff for the Most Spirited Officer was awarded to Capt Suraj James Rabeira during the function. Mrs Kala Hari Kumar, President Navy Welfare & Wellness Association (NWWA), Mrs Madhumati Hampiholi NWWA (Southern Region) and daughters of Late General Bipin Rawat were also present for the award function.
The Chief Guest congratulated the medal winners and lauded the officers for their perseverance and professional excellence. The graduating officers will now occupy key operational and staff billets in the Armed Forces and will be instrumental in policy formulation as also in decision making.
New Delhi, 1st May 2023. Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test trial of ‘ADC-150’ from IL 38SD aircraft off the coast of Goa on April 27, 2023. ‘ADC-150’ is an indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container with 150 kg payload capacity. The trial was conducted to enhance the naval operational logistics capabilities by providing quick response to meet the requirement of critical engineering stores to ships (under distress), which are deployed more than 2,000 kms from the coast. It reduces the requirement of ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores.
Three DRDO laboratories – Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam; Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru – have been involved in the development of ADC-150 container. The crucial flight clearance certification was given by Regional Center for Military Airworthiness (RCMA), Kanpur headed by Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC), Bengaluru.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D & Chairman DRDO has congratulated the scientists and the Indian Navy for the successful trial of ADC-150.
New Delhi. Imphal, Indian Navy’s third indigenous stealth destroyer of the Project 15B class, planned to be commissioned later this year, undertook her maiden sea sortie on 28th April, 2023. The ship incorporates several niche technologies and high indigenous content and is designed in-house by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Ltd. (MDL) stands proud testimony to the Indian Navy’s thrust on the national vision of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Imphal will have the unique distinction of being the largest and most advanced destroyer to be ever named after a city from the North-East. Imphal would thus be a befitting symbol of the growing importance and contribution of the North-Eastern region and the state of Manipur towards national security and development.
Imphal will add significantly to the Indian Navy’s combat capabilities. With the recent commissioning of her predecessor INS Mormugao in December 2022 and the fifth Project 75 submarine INS Vagir in January 2023, commencement of sea trials of Imphal is yet another important milestone in MDL’s continued contribution towards building a strong, modern and self-reliant India.
New Delhi, 18th April, 2023. Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan assumed charge as Controller of Personnel Services on 17 Apr 23. The Flag Officer was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 87 and is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla; the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom; the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja; and the United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
A recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, the Admiral has held several key operational, staff and training appointments in his naval career including the command of missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash; the missile corvette INS Kulish; the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore; and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
On promotion to the Flag rank, he served as the Chief Staff Officer (Training) at Headquarters Southern Naval Command, Kochi and played a key role in the conduct of all training in the Indian Navy. He was also instrumental in raising the Indian Navy Safety Team that oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy. He then went on to head the work up organisation of the Navy as the Flag Officer Sea Training, after which he was privileged to be chosen for the extremely prestigious appointment of Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. After commanding the Sword Arm, he tenanted the appointment of Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Advisor Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India. He was later appointed as Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command, a position he held till assuming his current assignment.
Admiral Swaminathan’s educational qualifications include a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi; MA in Defence Studies from King’s College, London; MPhil in Strategic Studies from Mumbai University; and PhD in International Studies from Mumbai University.
New Delhi, 17th April, 2023. The Indian Army has transformed the procedure for recruitment of Agniveers, Junior Commissioned Officers and other categories with the introduction of a Computer Based Online Common Entrance Exam as the first step. The online CEE for eligible registered candidates has commenced at 375 Examination Centers in 176 pan-India locations today and will continue till 26th April, 2023.
The online exam is being conducted with assistance from Education Consultancy Services India Limited, a Mini Ratna Company under the Ministry of Education.
The technological threshold of youth in the nation has improved significantly and with enhanced network connectivity and the proliferation of smartphones, the youth is now empowered to undertake an online exam instead of traveling long distances to appear for physical exams. The changed methodology will ensure an increased focus on the cognitive aspect during selection and prevent chances of malpractice. It will have wider outreach across the country and also reduce the large crowds seen during recruitment rallies to make them more manageable & easier to conduct.
The new recruitment procedure will be carried out in three stages. In stage one, all candidates who have registered and applied online on www.joinindianarmy.nic.in will undergo Online Common Entrance Exam. In stage two, the shortlisted candidates will be called for recruitment rallies from June 2023 onwards in phases at locations decided by respective Army Recruitment Office where they will undergo Physical Fitness Test and Physical Measurement Test. Finally, in Stage three the selected candidates will undergo Medical Test. Thereafter, the final merit list of the successful candidates will be declared.
The modified recruitment system will make the recruitment process more streamlined, transparent and is designed to optimally exploit the latest IT infrastructure available in the nation.
Shri Rajnath Singh calls for judicious use of financial resources, advice based on sound economic analysis, internal audit and payment & accounting
“Rule of competitive bidding through open tender must be followed in defence procurement”
The Union Minister for Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh lighting the lamp at the inaugural session of three-day International Conference on Defence Finance & Economics 2023, in New Delhi on April 12, 2023.
New Delhi, 12th April, 2023. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has stressed on the need to devise innovative methods to maximise the value of money spent on the security needs of the country, terming a robust defence finance system as the backbone of a strong military. Inaugurating the three-day International Conference on Defence Finance & Economics in New Delhi on April 12, 2023, Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that a legal and procedural defence-finance framework is an integral part of a mature state system, which ensures prudent management of the defence expenditure.
The Raksha Mantri stated that such a framework, which includes expenditure control as per guidelines, financial advice by professionals, audit, payment authentication mechanism, etc., ensures that the defence spending is well within the allocated budget and the full value of money is realised. He emphasised that while the Armed Forces require a superstructure of defence ecosystem, involving R&D organisations, industries, soldier welfare organisations, etc., they also need a well-funded system with a robust architecture to ensure the optimum and judicious use of financial resources.
Shri Rajnath Singh was of the view that it is difficult to apply the economic concept of full value of money in defence expenditure, as in this sector, there is no visible revenue stream and no easily identifiable beneficiaries. To maximise the value of money spent, he stressed that the rule of competitive bidding through open tender must be followed in defence procurement.
“In the case of procurement of defence platforms/equipment, either under capital or revenue route, the gold standard of Open Tender should be adopted to the extent possible. A competitive bid based procurement process, which is open to all, is the best possible way to realise the full value of the public money being spent. There would be some rare cases when it may not be possible to go for an open tender process. Such instances should come under exceptions and exceptions should not become the rule,” the Raksha Mantri said.
Shri Rajnath Singh underscored the importance of comprehensive Blue Books, codifying the rules and procedures of procurement of defence equipment & systems for a fair and transparent system. He said, with this vision, the Government has formulated Blue books in the form of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 for capital acquisition; Defence Procurement Manual for revenue procurement and Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services. “These manuals play a very important role in ensuring that the process of defence procurement is rule-bound and follows the principles of financial propriety. Since these manuals are critical, they need to be carefully crafted by defence finance and procurement experts in consultation with all the stakeholders. This needs to be a continuous exercise, so that these documents are dynamically updated, incorporating new rules and procedures as and when required,” he said.
The Raksha Mantri also emphasised on the role of expert financial advice to the Service personnel in day-to-day financial matters. He said, the system of Integrated Financial Advisor (IFA) has been created to provide financial advice to the Competent Financial Authority (CFA) in order to help them in avoiding the wastage of public money. In this system, the IFA and CFA work as a team towards utilising public money in a prudent manner, he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh batted for a fool-proof system of internal and external audit which would tackle the instances of wastages, pilferage and corruption, if any, even after following the principles of financial prudence and propriety. The role of auditors is that of a watchdog or a sentinel, he said.
The Raksha Mantri also elaborated on the need for a sound system of accounting, passing of bills and payment, salary and pension disbursal, etc., as it frees the Armed Forces personnel to concentrate on their core jobs. He added that the separation of functions of defence finance from the core defence organisations has multiple advantages. “The chances of leakages, corruption, wastages are reduced. A positive public opinion is generated when there is a justified confidence that public money is being spent optimally and prudently. With greater public trust and confidence in the system of defence expenditure, the defence system benefits overall, as the chances of greater funding by legislature increases pari-passu (Latin for equal footing),” he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that the central idea is that defence establishments like Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence Research organisations etc. require a specialised agency, which is dedicated to defence finance and economics. In India, this work is being done competently by the Defence Accounts Department under the leadership of Financial Advisor (Defence Services), he said.
Before the international delegates, the Raksha Mantri also put forth the idea of shared security. “In the spirit of collective security of the whole world as one family, we are all partners in the path towards a secure and prosperous future for the entire humankind. We have a lot to learn from your experiences in the field of defence finance and economics and we are ready to share our learning with you,” he said.
The Raksha Mantri stated that the full potential of society’s development can be realised only when it is secure from external and internal threats. He described security of the people from external aggression and internal disruptions as the prime function of the state. Security is the bedrock on which the prosperity, arts and culture of any society flourish and prosper, he said.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Secretary (Ex-Servicemen Welfare) Shri Vijoy Kumar Singh, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D & Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat, Financial Advisor (Defence Services) Smt Rasika Chaube, Additional CGDAs Shri Praveen Kumar & Shri SG Dastidar and delegates from within in the country & abroad were present on the occasion.
The three-day conference, organised by the Ministry of Defence (Finance), will witness the participation of eminent policy makers, academics and government officials from India and abroad, including from USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Kenya. It will provide a platform to them to share their insights and experiences on Defence Finance and Economics in the context of evolving security challenges and policies globally.
The conference aims to foster dialogue and collaboration among the participants and contribute to the country’s defence readiness with optimum financial resources and effective implementation of the Defence Budget. The objective is to disseminate best practices, experiences & expertise of various countries and align processes in the Indian context with international standards. It also hopes to facilitate collaborations with foreign governments, international institutions and global leaders in the domain of Defence Finance and Economics to support the Government’s ongoing efforts on indigenisation and self-reliance in the Defence sector, and to advance transformative reforms.
The topics of discussion will include current challenges and opportunities in the areas of Defence Finance and Economics, such as how to allocate and use resources efficiently & effectively and how to manage logistics in a cost-conscious way. The participants will also deliberate upon different models and practices of finance and economics related to Defence Acquisition around the world as well as the latest developments and innovations in Defence Research and Development.
In addition, the discussions will address best practices on managing human resources in Defence, including issues related to pay, pensions and welfare of Defence Personnel and the role & functions of oversight mechanisms within defence ecosystems.
New Delhi. On 31st March 2023, Vice Admiral SN Ghormade, Vice Chief of Naval Staff superannuated after more than 39 years of illustrious service. During his tenure as VCNS, he significantly contributed towards creation and sustenance of combat ready, credible, cohesive and future proof Navy through focused impetus on integrated planning, innovation, indigenization, adopting emerging technologies in capital acquisition, infrastructure development alongwith the optimisation of allocated fiscal resources.
He also worked on roadmap for Theatrisation of Armed Forces with emphasis on Tri-service synergy, jointmantship and integrated planning.
The Navy has been in the forefront of AatmaNirbharta and the Flag Officer has given impetus to the AatmaNirbhar initiatives with dedicated efforts to encourage Indian industry along with DRDO. Sustained impetus on indigenisation has resulted in continuous increase in indigenous content in the Naval ships. Indian Navy has also effectively utilised ‘Make’ and ‘iDEX’ route to achieve the objective of self-reliance by involving greater participation of Indian industrial eco-system including Private Sector. Under his supervision, Indian Navy laid the foundation for the induction of more than 75 game changer technologies/ products through SPRINT challenges that were launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister during Swavlamban Seminar; to be inducted by 15 Aug 23.
During his tenure Navy has ploughed back more than 2/3rd of capital budget towards Indian economy by processing from indigenous sources, 41 out of 43 ships and submarines for Indian Navy are being constructed in Indian Shipyards. Many other schemes of innovation, indigenisation, technological advancements, capability enhancements and research and development projects with DRDO, DPSU and industries were progressed alongwith various infrastructure Projects thus contributing towards combat efficiency during his illustrious tenure. His tenure also saw allocation of highest budget approvals with highest AoNs, Conclusion of Shipbuilding contracts, SPRINT and IDEX projects, impetus to Indigenisation schemes, highest expenditure in Capital Works, push to infrastructure projects.
Under his supervision, the First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant was commissioned on 02 Sep 2022 in the presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister and historical milestone of the maiden landing of LCA (Navy) on the flight deck of INS Vikrant at sea completed on 06 Mar 23. This has amply demonstrated India’s capability to design, develop, construct and operate an Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, with an Indigenous Fighter Aircraft.
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New Delhi, 1st May 2023. Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test trial of ‘ADC-150’ from IL 38SD aircraft off the coast of Goa on April 27, 2023. ‘ADC-150’ is an indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container with 150 kg payload capacity. The trial was conducted to enhance the naval operational logistics capabilities by providing quick response to meet the requirement of critical engineering stores to ships (under distress), which are deployed more than 2,000 kms from the coast. It reduces the requirement of ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores.
