Category: Press Release

Rolls-Royce awarded second contract to supply mtu generator sets for U.S. Navy frigate program
- mtu Series 4000 marine gensets to be manufactured in the US; adding facility upgrades, additional jobs at two production locations
- Seamless transfer of state-of-the-art naval genset technology from Germany to US
USA 22nd March. The Power Systems division of Rolls-Royce (LSE:RR., ADR: RYCEY) has been selected to supply a further four of its mtu naval generator sets for the USS Congress (FFG-63), the second ship in the U.S. Navy’s Constellation Class Guided-Missile Frigate program, previously known as the FFG(X) program. Rolls-Royce has made significant investment at its production facilities in Aiken, S.C. and Mankato, Minn. to support the program and manufacture the gensets in the US.

Rolls-Royce is currently supplying mtu gensets for the lead ship in the Constellation Class program, the USS Constellation (FFG 62), relying on its established team in Friedrichshafen, Germany, to fulfil the project. For the second ship, the FFG-63, the company has successfully transferred advanced technology and detailed manufacturing processes to the US, investing in new facility improvements and creating new jobs to enhance its Aiken and Mankato plants. This investment will not only accommodate the specific needs of the FFG(X) program but also support future potential US naval business. Among the significant investments made at the facilities are new assembly tooling and material handling equipment, upgraded hoist systems, adapted test cells and building expansion, in addition to the creation of up to 20 new jobs.

Adam Wood, Managing Director, Rolls-Royce Solutions America, said:

“We’re not only proud to continue our support of our partners in the U.S. Navy but are also thrilled to bring the manufacturing of our mtu naval gensets to the US. Working with our colleagues in Germany for a seamless technology transfer to our Aiken and Mankato facilities has strengthened our ability to meet the high expectations of this project and better position us to compete for future government programs.”

The USS Congress (FFG-63) is a multi-mission warship designed for operation in littoral and blue water environments to conduct air, anti-submarine, surface and electronic warfare, in addition to information operations. The four generator sets, each rated at 3000 kWe, are based on the proven and most power-dense mtu 20V 4000 M53B engine and will provide a total power output of 12 MW for propulsion and on-board power supply.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) of Marinette, Wisc. was awarded the build contract for the project. The completed vessel will be powered by a combined diesel-electric and gas turbine, allowing for energy-efficient diesel power generation for propulsion at normal cruising speeds with extended range, while enhancing anti-submarine capability in its extremely quiet diesel-electric configuration. When completed, the ship will be nearly 500 feet in length, accommodate up to 200 crew and be capable of speeds in excess of 26 knots, with a range of 6,000 nautical miles at 16 knots.
March 22, 2023
INS Sujata Visits Port Maputo, Mozambique

New Delhi, 21^st March 2023. INS Sujata, a ship based at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, visited Port Maputo, Mozambique as a part of Overseas Deployment from 19 to 21 Mar 23. The ship was received by Captain Nitin Kapoor, DA Pretoria, Commandant NRN Siva Babu, Coast Guard Afloat Support Team and Captain Florentino Jose’ Narciso from Mozambican Navy amidst the fanfare of Mozambican Navy Band and traditional dance performances at the jetty.

The Commanding Officer, INS Sujata called on Rear Admiral Eugenio Dias Da Silva Muatuca, the Commander of Mozambican Navy, Mr Eneas Da Conceicao Comiche. Mayor of Maputo, His Excellency Sri Ankan Banerjee, High Commissioner of India and several other military and civilian dignitaries.

About 40 personnel of the Mozambican Navy visited the ship for Cross deck training, which included walk around of training facilities, briefing about diving ops, training on VBSS and light weapons, visual communication and maintenance of machinery and hygiene onboard. Various other activities such as combined morning yoga session, soccer match were organised between the personnel of both the Navies. A reception was also hosted onboard Sujata which was attended by several Indian/ Mozambican dignitaries/ diplomats.

The visit by INS Sujata at Maputo, Mozambique further enhanced the mutual cooperation and bilateral ties between the two Navies.

March 22, 2023
Army Rebooting Rations With Millets

Delhi March 22 With a view to promote consumption of millets in light of UN declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets, the Indian Army has steered introduction of Millets Flour in the rations of soldiers. This landmark decision will ensure troops are supplied with native and traditional grains after over half a century, when these were discontinued in favour of Wheat Atta.

Traditional millet foods with proven health benefits and suited to our geographical and climatic conditions would be a vital step in mitigating life style diseases and enhancing satisfaction and morale of the troops. Millets would now form an integral part of the daily meal for all ranks.

Government sanction has been sought to procure millets flour not exceeding 25 percent of the authorised entitlement of Cereals (Rice and Wheat Atta), in rations for troops commencing from the year 2023-24 onwards. Procurement and issue will be based on option exercised and quantity demanded. Three popular varieties of millets flour i.e. Bajra, Jowar & Ragi will be issued to troops duly considering preference. Millets have the benefit of being a good source of proteins, micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals thus boosting the nutritional profile of Soldier’s diet.

In addition, advisories have been issued for Millets to be extensively used in organised functions, Barakhanas, canteens and in home cooking. Centralised training of chefs is being undertaken to prepare wholesome, tasty and nutritious millet dishes. Special emphasis for introducing value added millet items and snacks to troops deployed along Northern borders have been given. Millet foods are being introduced through CSD canteens as well as dedicated corners are being set up in shopping complexes. ‘Know your Millet’ awareness campaigns are also being conducted in educational institutions.

March 22, 2023
Self Reliance in Defence Production

FILE PICTURE

New Delhi, 20th March, 2023. In order to promote Aatmanirbharta, Ministry of Defence (MoD) has notified four Positive Indigenisation Lists comprising 411 major weapons platforms/systems with an embargo on their import from defined timelines. Further, MoD has also notified three Positive Indigenisation Lists in respect of DPSUs, comprising 3,738 major Line Replacement Units/sub-system/ assemblies/sub-assemblies/components & spares with an embargo on their import from defined timelines.

Further, more than 26,000 defence items have been uploaded on SRIJAN Portal and offered to the Industry for indigenisation. Indigenisation is a dynamic process. So far, 7,031 items have already been indigenised, which cater to the domestic and global markets. As per data available till December 2022, the defence imports have reduced from 46% to 36.7% since 2018-19.

This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Shri Rakesh Sinha in Rajya Sabha on 20th March .

March 21, 2023
INS Sujata Visits Port Maputo, Mozambique

New Delhi, 21st March 2023. Sujata, a ship based at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, visited Port Maputo, Mozambique as a part of Overseas Deployment from 19 to 21 Mar 23. The ship was received by Captain Nitin Kapoor, DA Pretoria, Commandant NRN Siva Babu, Coast Guard Afloat Support Team and Captain Florentino Jose’ Narciso from Mozambican Navy amidst the fanfare of Mozambican Navy Band and traditional dance performances at the jetty.

The Commanding Officer, INS Sujata called on Rear Admiral Eugenio Dias Da Silva Muatuca, the Commander of Mozambican Navy, Mr Eneas Da Conceicao Comiche. Mayor of Maputo, His Excellency Sri Ankan Banerjee, High Commissioner of India and several other military and civilian dignitaries.

About 40 personnel of the Mozambican Navy visited the ship for Cross deck training, which included walkaround of training facilities, briefing about diving ops, training on VBSS and light weapons, visual communication and maintenance of machinery and hygiene onboard. Various other activities such as combined morning yoga session, soccer match were organised between the personnel of both the Navies. A reception was also hosted onboard Sujata which was attended by several Indian/ Mozambican dignitaries/ diplomats.

The visit by INS Sujata at Maputo, Mozambique further enhanced the mutual cooperation and bilateral ties between the two Navies.

March 21, 2023
Meeting with D.M. of National Defence, N. Hardalias, for DEFEA 2023
Athens, 20th March A working meeting led by the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Hardalias with executives of the exhibition organization company ROTA SA took place on Friday, March 17, 2023, at the Ministry of National Defence on the subject of the International Defence and Security Exhibition “DEFEA 2023 – Defence Exhibition Athens”, which will take place from 9 to 11 May 2023, in Athens.

The meeting was attended by:
- From the ROTA SA, the Chairman of the Board Mr. Georgios Tsausoglou, the CEO Mr. Alexis Lagoudakis and the Director of the “DEFEA 2023” Exhibition Mr. Vassilios Barkas.
- The Directors of the Executive Office Mrs. Eleni Bobou and of the Military Office Captain Georgios Zouros HN, as well as competent Staff of the Office of the Deputy Minister of National Defence.
Organizational actions and action planning were discussed regarding the holding of the second DEFEA, in which, currently, 350 leading defence companies from 27 countries have registered to participate, either with national stands or as independent entries. Specifically, exhibitors with:
• National stands from the countries of Armenia, Austria, France, Germany, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, India, Israel, Italy, China, Cyprus, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as the European Commission with the Directorate General for Defense Industry & Space (DG DEFIS).
• Independent entries from England, Bulgaria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Japan, Croatia, Norway, Poland, Romania and Sweden.
• The Ministry of National Defence and the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (HNDGS) with their own stands.

In 2021, the organization of the first DEFEA was particularly successful, with the participation of 315 exhibitors from 22 countries and the presence of 45 official national delegations, at a particularly high political and military level. This year the expectations are even higher. With the cooperation of the Association of Hellenic Manufacturers of Defence Material (SEKPY), which represents over 150 certified Greek companies active in the field of Defence, and the valuable patronage and assistance of the Ministry of Defence, DEFEA will once again present an exhibition worthy of the history of defence exhibitions of the country and the importance of its geopolitical position.

As part of the work of the Exhibition, which aims to be the point of reference for the region of South-Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, events and workshops will be organized in the field of the defence industry, initially highlighting the Greek defence industry but also European and NATO initiatives, such as the European Defence Fund (EDF Cross-Project Conference) and NATO defence innovation initiatives, such as the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and the NATO Innovation Fund.

Furthermore, parallel actions will take place on special and extremely timely issues such as The Future of Firefighting: Impact on Life, Environment, Economy, Best Practices for Innovative Border Management Solutions (Piloting, Validation and Best Practices of Innovative Border Management Solutions) and Critical Infrastructure Protection.

“DEFEA 20223” is also under the auspices of the Ministry of Civil Protection and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy and the support of the Hellenic Aerospace Security & Defense Industries Group (HASDIG) and the Hellenic Association of Space Industry (HASI).
March 20, 2023
Border Roads Organisation opens strategic Zoji La Pass after a closure of only 68 days
- Connectivity to Ladakh & Gurez Valley restored
New Delhi, 16th March Border Roads Organisation (BRO) opened strategic Zojila Pass on the Greater Himalayan Range on 16 March 2023. The pass at 11,650 feet which acts as a gateway between Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir was kept open for traffic till January 06, 2023 through relentless snow clearance operations amidst tough weather conditions, ensuring that the Pass remained closed for only 68 days this year as compared to 73 days last year and 160-180 days in the yesteryears.

Since the first week of February, 2023, the snow clearance operations were undertaken from both sides of the pass by Project Beacon and Vijayak, located in J&K and Ladakh respectively. After sustained efforts, the connectivity across Zoji La Pass was initially established on March 11, 2023. Thereafter, efforts were made to improve the road conditions to create safe passage of vehicles.

Likewise, Razdan Pass which provides the only road connectivity between the Gurez Sector and the Kashmir Valley has also been successfully reopened on 16 Mar 2023 after a gap of just 58 days. Other important passes at Sadhna, Pharkiyan Gali and Zamindar Gali have been kept open throughout the winter season.

Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, VSM, DGBR commended the Karamyogis of Project Beacon and Project Vijayak in achieving this feat.

Lt Gen Chaudhary said, “Early opening of the Zojila and Razdan Passes will facilitate augmentation of supply of essential goods and services for people of Ladakh and Gurez Valley.”

The DGBR further said that the trial movement of vehicles has been conducted successfully today and the decision to open the road for civil traffic will be taken by the Civil Administration after the conduct of joint inspection.
March 16, 2023
Exercise La Perouse – 2023

New Delhi, 16th March. Indian Navy’s indigenously built guided missile frigate, INS Sahyadri and fleet tanker, INS Jyoti participated in the third edition of the multilateral exercise La Perouse conducted from 13 – 14 March 2023. The exercise was conducted in the Indian Ocean Region, and was aimed at enhancing maritime domain awareness and optimising maritime coordination amongst the participating navies in the Indo-Pacific Region.

In addition to Indian Naval ships, the exercise witnessed participation of HMAS Perth from the Royal Australian Navy, FS Dixmude and FS La Fayette from the French Navy, JMSDF ship Suzutsuki from Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force along with Type SH 60 J Helicopter, HMS Tamar from the Royal Navy and USS Charleston the the United States Navy. The two day exercise provided all the participating navies an opportunity to undertake complex and advanced naval operations involving replenishment at sea, surface warfare drills, anti-air and air-defence exercises, cross deck helicopter operations and tactical manoeuvres in a joint manner suitable for seamless maritime operations.

INS Sahyadri, is an indigenously designed and built guided missile stealth frigate fitted with state-of –the art weapons and sensors, which makes her capable of detecting and neutralising air, surface and sub-surface threats. INS Jyoti is a fleet tanker capable of providing prolonged sustenance at sea to the fleet. Both the ships are a part of Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam and function under the operational command of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

March 16, 2023
Seminar on Emerging Disruptive and Futuristic Technologies

New Delhi, 16th March. In keeping with the requirement of staying ahead of the curve in the field of military technology, Base Repair Depot (BRD), Palam organized a seminar on ‘Emerging Disruptive and futuristic Technology and their Application in Military Domains’ on 16 Mar 23 at New Delhi. Held under the aegis of Maintenance Command of the Indian Air Force, the chief Guest of the event was Air Marshal Vibhas Pande AVSM VSM, AOC-in-C, Maintenance Command. The event was also graced by Director Gen (Aircraft), Assistant Chief of Air Staff Engineering (A), Assistant Chief of Air staff (MP) from Air Headquarters and many other eminent and distinguished guests from not only the IAF but also from sister services, academia/DPSUs and civil agencies. After the Welcome address Air Cmde SS Rehal, AOC BRD, Palam, Air Marshal Vibhas Pande AVSM VSM inaugurated the seminar and delivered the key note address. He said “Digitization is the most disruptive technology that has happened to this world”, and, “For all the disruptive and futuristic technologies, interconnection is of utmost importance to use them effectively for our military applications”.

The first session of the seminar, with the theme “Interconnection and Decentralized Decisions” was chaired by AVM PS Sarin, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Engineering (A). This session was aimed at understanding the nature of emerging, disruptive and future technologies and their application in the Armed Forces. Gp Capt Vikas Dhankar was the first speaker who spoke on “Understanding Emerging Disruptive Technologies for Utilization in Future Warfare”. Prof Jaijit Bhattacharya, President of Center for Digital Economy Policy Research thereafter spelt out the “Strategic Options for Indian Defence Forces in the Emerging Futuristic Technologies and Autonomous Systems”. The topic of “Leveraging IoT/IoP within the Constraints of IW/Cyber Requirements in the IAF” was covered by AVM (Dr) D Vatsa (Retd) who is the Advisor of Cyber Security and Critical Technologies, Data Security Council of India, NASSCOM. Ms Shimona Mohan, Research Assistant in the Center for Security, Strategy and Technology at the Observer research Foundation thereafter dwelled on “Effective and Ethical Military AI and Challenges in Maintenance of AI Weapon Systems”.

The second session of the seminar themed “Technology Assistance and Common Consciousness” chaired by AVM SK Jain, Assistant Chief of Air staff (MP) sought to bring the requirements of the Armed Forces and the capabilities of the defense manufacturing ecosystem into unison. Mr Yogesh J Inamdar, Associate Vice President and Head of IoT and Automation, Digital Manufacturing, Bharat Forge Ltd set the ball rolling by elucidating on “Industry 4.0 – How it can Revolutionize Manufacturing and Product Distribution in the Defense Sector”. Thereafter, Smt Hemavathy M, Principal Scientist, Central Research Laboratory, BEL spelt out “BEL’s Vision for Indian Defence Forces in general and IAF in Particular with Focus on Block Chain Technology”. Gp Capt Manish Chand from the IAF’s Unit for Digitisation, Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Application Networking thereafter spoke on the IAF’s experiences with “Operational Decision Support System using Intelligent Automation”.

The seminar thus focused on bringing experts of various varied technological fields under one platform with the aim of looking at ways on usage of technology as a force multiplier for the Indian Armed Forces. The colloquium holds significance since it was a unique effort on looking at the ways to revolutionize the Indian Armed Forces war waging capabilities and operational readiness with the support and involvement of our indigenous Defence Manufacturing ecosystem in keeping with the clarion call of “Atma Nirbar Bharat”.

March 16, 2023
Two-day workshop on ‘Human Factors Engineering in Military Platforms’ organised by DRDO concludes in New Delhi

New Delhi. The two-day workshop on ‘Human Factors Engineering in Military Platforms’, organised by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) in New Delhi, concluded on March 16, 2023. The workshop was organised by Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, a DRDO laboratory, to address the need and future roadmap for implementation of Human Factor Engineering in product life cycle of indigenous products.

At the end of two days of deliberations by stakeholders from Armed Forces, CAPF, Industry and DRDO, a panel discussion was chaired by Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri Dr G Satheesh Reddy. Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat; DG Armoured Corps Lt Gen Karanbir Singh Brar; DG ITBP Shri Anish Dayal; ADG Infantry; ADG, Army Design Bureau; ADG, Warship Design Bureau; Director Generals of DRDO and senior officials from Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), MKU, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) were also present.

Recommendations related to inclusion of chapter on Human Factors Engineering (HFE) in design document for all indigenous products and formulation of policy with the involvement of users were made. Generation of Anthropometry database of Indian soldiers and creation of Indian Standards were emphasised by all the panel members.

The Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri suggested inclusion of Human Factors Engineering (HFE), as desirable parameters in Preliminary Services Qualitative Requirements (PSQRs). DIPAS has been entrusted with the responsibility to drive implementation of HFE through interaction with stakeholders and formulation of required policies and standards.

The DRDO Chairman emphasised that inclusion of HFE in design and development of indigenous products will be a leap forward towards realising the vision of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in Defence.

March 16, 2023