Explanation :

• On 9th October, 2020, India’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile, Rudram, developed for the Indian Air Force, was successfully flight-tested from a Sukhoi-30 MKI jet off the East Coast.
• Rudram is an air-to-surface missile, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It has been developed for the Indian Air Force(IAF’s) requirement to enhance its Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) capability.

Anti-Radiation Missile

• Anti-radiation missiles are designed to detect, track and neutralise the adversary’s radar, communication assets and other radio frequency sources, which are generally part of their air defence systems.
• Such a missile’s navigation mechanism comprises an inertial navigation system — a computerised mechanism that uses changes in the object’s own position — coupled with GPS, which is satellite-based.
• For guidance, it has a “passive homing head” — a system that can detect, classify and engage targets (radio frequency sources in this case) over a wide band of frequencies as programmed.

Explanation :

In a major success amid the ongoing border crisis with China, India on 3rd October, 2020, successfully test-fired a new version of nuclear-capable Shaurya missile off the coast of Odisha.

About Shaurya Missile

• It is a land variant of short-range Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) K-15 Sagarika.
• It belong to the K missile family — codenamed after late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam — which are launched from Arihant class of nuclear submarines.
• It is a two-stage rocket missile having a strike range of around 800 kilometres.
• When fired, the missile in the final phase of its course moves at hypersonic speeds before reaching a height of 40 km as it gets closer to its target.
• The missile is less vulnerable to anti-ballistic missile defence systems due to its high maneuverability.

K Family of Missiles

• The K family of missiles are primarily Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) and are named after DrKalam.
• Because these missiles are to be launched from submarines, they are lighter, smaller and stealthier than their land-based counterparts, the Agni series of missiles.
• K family are primarily submarine-fired missiles to be fired from India’s Arihant class nuclear powered platforms.

Explanation :

• Exercise Red Flag is a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise held several times a year by the United States Air Force.
• It aims to offer realistic air-combat training for military pilots and other flight crew members from the United States and allied countries.
• First held in 1975, the Red Flag exercises bring together air crews from the United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy (USN), United States Marine Corps (USMC), United States Army (USA) and numerous NATO and other allied nations' air forces.
• Only countries considered friendly towards the United States take part in Red Flag exercises.

Explanation :

• In 2018, the Department of Defence Production instituted a new framework titled ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’ which aims to provide a boost to the IPR culture in indigenous defence industry.
• The Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating and implementing the programme.
• The end objective of the programme is to inculcate IP culture in Indian defence manufacturing ecosystem.

Explanation :

• The submarine project called “Project-75 India (P-75I)” was first approved by the defence ministry in 2007 but has been delayed due to politico-bureaucratic apathy.
• The Project 75I-class submarine is a follow-on of the Project 75 Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy.
• Under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six diesel-electric submarines, which will also feature advanced air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems to enable them to stay submerged for longer duration and substantially increase their operational range.
• The French Naval Group is among the five Original Equipment Manufactures (OEM) who have been shortlisted for the Indian Navy’s project for advanced submarines under Project-75I.
• All six submarines are expected to be constructed in Indian shipyards.
• The first Scorpene submarine, Kalvari, was commissioned in 2017 and it would go for a normal refit after six years in 2023, during which time the AIP would be installed.
• Second Scorpene Khanderi was inducted in September 2019.

Explanation :

• Pinaka Missile System has been jointly developed by various Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories viz Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Proof & Experimental Establishment and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).
• Pinaka was designed to replace the BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher systems of the Indian Army.
• It is an artillery missile system capable of striking into enemy territory up to a range of 75 kilometres with high precision.
• It is a multifaceted system integrating high energy propulsion, sub-munition warheads, servo-controlled launcher configuration and fire control computer.
• The navigation system of the missile is aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NAVIC.
• The system is based on the 8×8 vehicle. Each battery is composed of six launcher vehicles, six loader-cum replenishment vehicles and two command post vehicles.
• Each Pinaka rocket is capable of carrying a 100kg payload for a range of 40km. A single Pinaka battery can neutralise a surface area of 700m x 500m. The system can engage targets with a circular error probability (CEP) of one to two percent of range.

Explanation :

• The Defence Acquisition Council is Defence Ministry’s highest decision making body for capital acquisition proposals forwarded by the Indian armed forces.
• It was set up in 2001 as part of the post-Kargil reforms in defence sector.
• It has the power to approve any deviations in an acquisition, and recommends all big capital defence purchases for approval of the Cabinet committee on security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister.
• It also clears all acquisitions, which includes both imported and those produced indigenously or under a foreign license.

Objective

• To ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces, in terms of capabilities sought, and time frame prescribed, by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources.

Functions

• in-principle approval of 15 Year Long-Term Integrated Perspective Plan for Defence Forces
• accord of Acceptance of Necessity to acquisition proposals
• categorization of the acquisition proposals relating to ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’ and ‘Make’
• issues relating to Single vendor clearance
• decision regarding ‘offset’ provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs. 300 crores
• decisions regarding Transfer of Technology under ‘Buy & Make’ category of acquisition proposals
• Field Trial evaluation.

Explanation :

• Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) was launched by the Government in april 2018, primarily aims at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes & academia, and provide them grants/funding and other support to carry out R&D which has good potential for future adoption for Indian defence and aerospace needs.
• iDEX is funded and managed by a ‘Defence Innovation Organization (DIO)’ which has been formed as a ‘not for profit’ company as per Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose, by the two founder members i.e. Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) - HAL & BEL.
• iDEX functions as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities while DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.

Key Functions

• Co-Innovation/co-creation
• Piloting of candidate technologies in important platforms
• Indigenization of various defence and aerospace related platforms being manufactured in the country.

Explanation :

• NSG was established in 1986 by an act of Parliament- ‘National Security Guard Act, 1986’, to protect states against internal disturbances and terrorism. It is under administrative control of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• It is a Federal Contingency World Class Zero Error Force to deal with anti-terrorist activities in all its manifestation.
• The NSG was modelled on the pattern of the SAS of the UK and GSG-9 of Germany.
• It is a task-oriented Force and has two complementary elements in the form of the Special Action Group (SAG) comprising Army personnel and the Special Ranger Groups (SRG), comprising personnel drawn from the Central Armed Police Forces / State Police Forces.
• It is trained to conduct counter terrorist operations including bomb disposal, counter hijacking tasks on land/sea/air as well as Post Blast Investigation (PBI) and Hostage Rescue missions.

Major Operations till date:

• Operation Black Thunder (Golden Temple, Amritsar, 1986 & 1988)
• Operation Ashwamedh (Indian Airlines Flight-IC427 hijacking, India, 1993)
• Operation Thunderbolt or Vajra Shakti (Akshardham Temple attack, Gujarat, 2002)
• Operation Black Tornado (Mumbai Blasts, 2008)

Explanation :

• Recently ‘Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air (QRSAM) Missile, developed by DRDO was test fired.
• It uses solid-fuel propellant and has a range of 25-30 km, with the capability of engaging multiple targets.
• It is equipped with indigenously developed phased array radar, Inertial Navigation System, Data Link and RF seeker and electronic countermeasures against jamming by aircraft radars.
• It is an all-weather missile that will help the Indian Navy in Inertial Navigation System.

Source: Civil Services Chronicle Online