SOURCE: IDRW.ORG.
The U.S. Navy has secured a crucial contract modification with Boeing for the final 17 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, marking a potential turning point for the iconic fighter jet’s production future.
This $1.1 billion contract, announced on March 19th, comes after stalled negotiations last year. The deal secures 10 F/A-18F Lot 46 aircraft and an additional seven from Lot 47, ensuring deliveries begin in late 2026 and conclude by spring 2027.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW.ORG.
China’s domestically-produced passenger aircraft, the C919, is making waves in the aviation industry. Built by the state-owned Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC), the C919 has garnered significant interest, with around 1,200 orders – primarily from domestic airlines. However, its global ambitions might face a hurdle in the form of the world’s fastest-growing aviation market: India.
According to leaked internal company documents, COMAC plans to actively promote the C919 in various Asian markets. This strategic move aims to capitalize on the region’s burgeoning aviation sector. The C919, a narrow-body jet designed to compete with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families, offers airlines an alternative within the single-aisle aircraft category.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Last weekend’s massive Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel served as a real-world test of air defense capabilities. While Israel claims it successfully intercepted 99% of the incoming projectiles with its Iron Dome system, the event sparked discussions within India’s military about its own air defense readiness.
Indian military experts acknowledge the effectiveness of Israel’s Iron Dome, which has a range of approximately 70 kilometers. However, India is heavily invested in developing its own robust and indigenous air defense network.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Eagle-eyed plane spotters recently captured images of a previously unseen high-speed drone carried by a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Xian H-6 bomber. This drone, believed to be the WZ-8, has garnered attention for its potential to significantly enhance China’s aerial reconnaissance capabilities.
The WZ-8 is reported to be a marvel of engineering, boasting speeds exceeding Mach 3 and a cruising altitude of 30 kilometers. This hypersonic performance surpasses most reconnaissance drones, placing it in a league of its own. While some resemblance exists to the American Lockheed D-21, the WZ-8’s unique dimensions, propulsion system, and blistering speed set it apart.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have joined forces in a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at spearheading innovation across a diverse spectrum of disciplines.
This strategic partnership, marked by a shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific advancement, promises to revolutionize defense technologies and foster transformative breakthroughs with far-reaching implications.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Tensions flared again this week as Israel launched a limited missile attack on Iran, firing three missiles towards the city of Isfahan. Analysts believe this was a calculated move intended as a warning to Iran, not a full-scale assault.
Iran reportedly chose to de-escalate by not acknowledging the attack. However, the details surrounding the strike raise questions about Israeli capabilities and future intentions. Israel reportedly used a previously undisclosed air-launched missile, possibly a two-stage variant of the Sparrow family missiles produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. This secrecy surrounding the missile is a significant development.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province Maryam Nawaz on Thursday met a group of Sikh pilgrims, mostly from India, and recalled that her father Nawaz Sharif had said that the country should not fight with its neighbours.
Some 2,400 Sikhs from India are currently visiting Pakistan to attend the Baisakhi festivities.
Maryam quoted her father and three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as saying, “We should not fight with our neighbours. We need to open our hearts for them,” while addressing the gathering at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
SOURCE: ANI
Iran has exercised its “inherent right of self-defence” in response to what it termed the “Zionist regime’s heinous military aggression” against its diplomatic premises in Damascus in Syria, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India on Friday.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a responsible member of the United Nations, emphasizing its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the rule of law, in response to the Zionist regime’s heinous military aggression and unlawful use of force against diplomatic premises of Iran in Damascus, the Syrian Arab Republic on 1st April 2024, implemented its inherent right of SELF DEFENSE in accordance with the Article 51 of the UN Charter on 14 April 2024,” the press statement read.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
After the US imposed sanctions on four entities (three from China and one from Belarus) for their alleged involvement in supplying missile-applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme, Islamabad claimed they were based on mere speculations.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, “While we are not aware of the specifics of the latest measures by the US, in the past, we have come across many instances where listings have been made on mere suspicion or even when the involved items were not on any control lists but were deemed sensitive under catch-all provisions.”
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri held a telephonic conversation with OPEC Secretary General, Haitham Al-Ghais on Friday and discussed the recent trends and volatility in the global oil markets and their implications for international energy stability.
As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, India is committed to supporting efforts to achieve balance in global energy markets, said Hardeep Puri during the conversation, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a press release.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath on Friday inaugurated the global headquarters of space sector start-up Digantara, which is gearing to launch the first ever space surveillance satellite, in Bengaluru.
The headquarters, spread across 25,000 sq ft area in Hebbal, comprises a satellite assembly, integration and testing (AIT) facility and a command and control centre for providing comprehensive space domain awareness.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
On April 19th, 1975, India took a historic step towards becoming a major spacefaring nation. Forty-nine years ago today, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Aryabhata, the country’s very first unmanned satellite, into space.
Named after the revered Indian astronomer and mathematician, Aryabhata, this spacecraft embodied India’s burgeoning space ambitions. Built entirely by ISRO scientists and engineers, the satellite marked a significant milestone in the nation’s scientific and technological journey.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
While the residents of several remote villages in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar Lok Sabha constituency defied the poll boycott call given by Maoists and exercised their franchise on Friday, people from Puvarti village, the native place of a hardcore Naxalite leader, chose to stay away from the electoral process. Puvarti, a Maoist-stronghold in Sukma district bordering Bijapur district, is the home village of dreaded Naxalite leader Hidma, who is believed to be the mastermind of several deadly attacks on security forces in Bastar region.
Polling was held in the Bastar Lok Sabha seat on Friday and a voter turnout of 67.56 per cent was recorded there. “No voters from Puvarti village exercised their voting right during polling on Friday,” Booth Level Officer (BLO) of Puvarti polling booth Java Patel told PTI. Some officials said the villagers did not cast their vote out of fear.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday busted a terrorist hideout in the Arnas area.
“Acting on the reliable information regarding the presence of a hideout in the general area of Dalas Barneli, subdivision Arnas, an operation was launched to sanitise the area in the Dalas Barneli area of Arnas,” police said.
As per the officials, during the search and cordon operation, the police team recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the hideout.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Punjab resident Baldev Kumar has become the first person from outside Jammu and Kashmir to contest Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory. The abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 paved the way for outsiders to contest polls in the Union Territory.
Earlier, the Representation of The People Act 1957 barred people who were not permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir to contest polls in the erstwhile state.
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