September 2021

Ministry of Defence (MoD) placed an order with Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, Chennai for supply of 118 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) Arjun Mk-1A for the Indian Army on September 23, 2021. The order, worth Rs 7,523 crore, will provide further boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative in defence sector and is a big step towards achieving ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. It may be recalled that the Prime Minister had handed over the MBT Arjun Mk-1A to Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane in Chennai on February 14, 2021.

Australia's decision to scuttle a $66 billion contract to jointly build diesel-electric submarines with France and sign a new deal with the US and Britain to buy eight nuclear-powered subs has nearly torpedoed relations between the Western allies. With France describing it as a stab in the back and recalling its ambassadors from Washington and Canberra, some observers are turning this into an Anglosphere versus Europe moment. But the truth is that it makes perfect strategic sense for Australia to cancel the contract.

Government has decided to appoint Air Marshal V R Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, presently Vice Chief of Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff after the retirement of Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC on 30th September, 2021.

 Air Marshal V R Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, was commissioned into the Fighter stream of Indian Air Force on 29th December 1982 and has held various Command, Staff and Instructional Appointments at various levels including the present one as Vice Chief of Air Staff.

 This Air Officer is decorated with PVSM, AVSM, VM.

Boeing will continue maintaining the guidance system for the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the U.S. Air Force under a recently awarded 18-year, $1.6 billion sole-source contract.

In a meeting with the Secretary Defence Dr Ajay Kumar, SIA-India led by President Dr Subba Rao Pavuluri, highlighted the  possibilities for the country’s Defence requirements with the emergence of the commercial space sector and space start-ups in India.  The nascent industry is on the verge of taking its rightful place among the large players internationally.

Dynamatic Technologies has been awarded a contract for manufacturing assemblies for Boeing’s newest tactical fighter, F-15EX Eagle II. This is a first where aerostructures for the latest and most advanced F-15EX Eagle II will be made in India. This contract has given a boost to the Aatmanirbhar program and strengthens US-India collaboration on aerospace and defence industrialisation. Dynamatic Technologies will supply the F-15EX aerostructure assembly requirements from FY 2022. Dynamatic will manufacture these aerostructures from their manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, Karnataka.