New Delhi: The Indian Navy will acquire at least five ships every year for the next 10 years, and deploy two nuclear submarines and its new aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, in 2013. The fast forward mode after a long lull has been mentioned both by Defence Minister AK Antony as well as navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma on different occasions, particularly at the induction of the nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra...
02:04 AM, May 17, 2012
New Delhi: India has become the largest importer of arms, surpassing the Chinese share of five per cent of global arms imports during 2007-11, government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. "As per a report published in March 2012 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has become the largest importer of arms during 2007-11 and accounted for 10 per cent of global arms import as compared to...
03:48 PM, May 16, 2012
New Delhi: Two types of indigenously manufactured howitzers for the Indian Army will be ready for trials by December 2012 and by June 2013, Government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply to the House, Defence Minister AK Antony said, "As per the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) decision of October 2011, Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is to manufacture 155mm howitzers." The OFBs have been asked to manufacture...
03:24 PM, May 16, 2012
New Delhi: Unhappy over the initial report, Defence Minister AK Antony has asked Army to take immediate "corrective" steps to see that incidents like the clash between jawans and officers at a firing range near the India-China boundary in Nyoma, Ladakh do not recur. The Minister is understood to have expressed his displeasure to the Army top brass over the initial report that is said to have attempted a cover...
03:17 PM, May 13, 2012
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security is expected to clear a major air force requirement for a basic trainer. The lack of a basic trainer since 2009 has seriously setback pilot training. Although the Swiss Pilatus was selected last year, a competing Korean aircraft maker objected setting off a vicious dogfight. Which Air Force has the dubious distinction of crashing 55 per cent of its frontline MiG fleet -...
06:38 PM, May 10, 2012
New Delhi: India is raising an offensive Corps and taking other steps to gear up its preparedness along China border to meet the challenges, Defence Minister AK Antony said as he pitched for a substantial hike in defence budget to meet this changing threat perception. Terming the growing military ties between Pakistan and China as a "cause of worry", he said the armed forces have been issued a new directive...
02:39 AM, May 09, 2012
New Delhi: India will get aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and nuclear submarine INS Arihant next year providing a much needed boost to country's naval capabilities. Wrapping up a discussion on the performance of his Ministry in the Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister AK Antony on Tuesday said from 2013, the Navy will get five new warships every year which will help in modernising country's naval fleet. "In the early half of...
08:09 PM, May 08, 2012
New Delhi: The UPA government and the Opposition were involved in a slugfest in the Rajya Sabha over the shortages of arms and ammunition faced by the defence forces. Raising the issue BJP MP and Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said that the Indian defence forces were moving on imported trucks, which was not a good sign. "The country which aspires to become a superpower has to import trucks for...
03:58 PM, May 08, 2012
New Delhi: No nepotism in distributing tickets, declaring candidates almost a year before polls, easy accessibility of the CM, PCC chief and CLP leaders to party workers and strict enforcement of discipline are some of the recommendations of the Congress committee that went into party's debacle in Uttar Pradesh. The report of the three-member committee, headed by Defence Minister AK Antony, was submitted to Congress President Sonia Gandhi a few...
09:44 PM, May 07, 2012
New Delhi: Defence Minister AK Antony on Monday defended the Tatra deal in Parliament saying that the trucks were bought mainly due to operational needs of the Army and that not a single Tatra truck had been purchased post 2008. Seeking to turn the tables on the Opposition, Antony said the present government had not purchased a single new Tatra truck and the current deliveries were being made as per...
12:04 PM, May 07, 2012
New Delhi: Notwithstanding controversy, Tatra trucks produced by the state-owned BEML are taking part in the summer trials conducted by the Army for procuring heavy trucks to ferry missile and artillery systems. The Army had issued a global tender for procuring over 255 heavy eight-wheeled trucks in 2010 and a few indigenous companies along with BEML are competiting, sources said. The summer trials are being held in desert and hot...
01:39 AM, May 05, 2012
New Delhi: Notwithstanding controversy, Tatra trucks produced by the state-owned BEML are taking part in the summer trials conducted by the Army for procuring heavy trucks to ferry missile and artillery systems. The Army had issued a global tender for procuring over 255 heavy eight-wheeled trucks in 2010 and a few indigenous companies along with BEML are competiting, sources said. The summer trials are being held in desert and hot...
08:57 PM, May 04, 2012
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday said China intruded twice into the Indian airspace last month when its helicopters were found flying over territories of Himachal Pradesh. "There was an incident of air violation on March 16 when two Chinese helicopters were observed flying on Indian side of international border in Himachal Pradesh," Defence Minister AK Antony told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. Another such incident took place on...
02:04 AM, May 03, 2012
New Delhi: Government on Wednesday promised in the Rajya Sabha that action will be taken on allegations regarding the controversial Tatra trucks deal, on which a CBI inquiry has been ordered, after a debate in Parliament. He made it clear that Tatra trucks were always purchased on the requirement of army and the government did not impose it on the defence forces. "We are clean...we have nothing to hide, nothing...
05:01 PM, May 02, 2012
While replying to queries related to Tatra truck deals Defence Minister AK Antony said, "We are clean. We have nothing to hide, nothing to fear." ...
01:22 PM, May 02, 2012
New Delhi: India lost 26 of its soldiers manning the world's highest battlefield in Siachen glacier in the last one year, Parliament was informed on Monday. "The number of casualties in Siachen in the last one year is 26," Defence Minister AK Antony told the Lok Sabha in written reply. He also informed that 12 rounds of defence secretary level talks have been held between India and Pakistan till now...
08:21 PM, Apr 30, 2012
New Delhi: With reports suggesting that he is one of the candidates for the presidential post, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday parried questions on whether he is in the race for it. "Oh my goodness...oh my goodness..," a smiling Mukherjee told reporters outside Parliament House when asked that he was being projected as consensus choice for President's post. "Don't indulge in any speculation," he said when pressed again to...
05:21 PM, Apr 30, 2012
New Delhi: Aiming to enhance the combat potential of its fighter aircraft, the IAF has signed contracts with various companies to upgrade its fleet of combat planes involving MiG-29, MiG-27, Mirage-2000 and Jaguars. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today, Defence Minister AK Antony said, "IAF has undertaken upgrades of MiG-21 and MiG-29 aircraft. Contracts have also been signed to upgrade MiG-29, Mirage-2000 and Jaguar aircraft."...
03:17 PM, Apr 30, 2012
Chennai: Defence Minister on Sunday met DMK Chief M Karunanidhi as part of consultation process among UPA allies on the Presidential election to arrive at a consensus leader to succeed incumbent Pratibha Patil, who is retiring on July 25. After more than an hour-long meeting, Antony told reporters that he would convey the DMK leader's views on the issue to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. After meeting Karunanidhi, Antony said, "I...
11:26 AM, Apr 29, 2012
New Delhi: Defence Minister AK Antony on Wednesday called for a fresh report from the Indian embassy in Rome on alleged malpractice in the Indian procurement of 12 helicopters for VVIP transport worth Rs 3,546 crore ($788 million). "The defence minister today (Wednesday) directed his ministry officials to get a fresh report from the Indian embassy in Rome following a media report alleging malpractices in the procurement of 12 helicopters...
03:22 AM, Apr 26, 2012
