Hyderabad BDL Complex to test 1,000 kg rocket bomb

Defence minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday dedicated a 50-tonne Rocket Motor Test Facility at BDL’s Ibrahimpatnam Complex to the nation.

The Rs 48 crore state-of-the-art unit is the first of its kind defence production unit in India. The facility will support design and vendor development activities for surface-to-air missiles.

The test bed of facility can withstand a load of 50,000 kg and explosive limit of over 1,000 kg.

Jaitley held the ground breaking ceremony for Phase-2 construction of facilities at Bharat Dynamics Limited, Ibrahimpatnam. The state company has acquired 632 acres of land from the state government to establish manufacturing, testing and storage facilities for development of medium range and quick reaction surface to air missiles.

He also inaugurated the production facility of the Astra weapon system, an indigenously developed air-to-air BVR(Beyond Visual Range) missile developed by DRDO, with a maximum range of 110 km at Bhanur. The facility also got 5-MW solar photovoltaic power project.

Source: Indian Defence News Club

China’s navy holds rare live-fire drill in Indian Ocean

Chinas navy has held a rare live- fire drill in the Indian Ocean to improve its fleets performance under real combat circumstance, state media reported today.

A Chinese naval formation consisting of the destroyer Changchun, guided-missile frigate Jingzhou and supply vessel Chaohu conducted the drill in the waters of the western Indian Ocean, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The fleet carried out strikes against “enemy” surface ships and completed transverse replenishment of fuel and drinking water during an exercise that lasted for several days, the report said without disclosing the exact location.

The drill is aimed at improving the ships performance under real combat circumstances, said Chen Denan, chief of staff of the Chinese fleet.

The fleet is on a half-year friendship visit to Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania and has conducted joint exercises with foreign navies from 10 countries since it started its voyage on April 23, the report said.

Since the standoff with India at Doklam in the Sikkim section, China has been flexing its military muscle by holding several publicised live-fire exercises in Tibet. This is the first-time in recent years, the Chinese navy has conducted the naval exercise in the Indian Ocean. The exercise followed the recent Malabar Naval exercises held in the Indian Ocean by the navies of India, the US and Japan.

China, which has been ramping up its naval power to enhance its global reach, recently operationalised its first overseas logistics naval base at Djibouti at the Horn of Africa in the Indian Ocean and signed a 99 year lease to acquire the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.

China has also acquired the strategic Gwadar port in Pakistan which is being linked to Chinas Xinjiang province through the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor traversing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Source:
Indian Defence News