With the twin objective of promoting self-reliance and exports, the Defence Budget has touched ₹ 6,21,540.85 crore in the Financial Year 2024-25. This comes out to be 13.04 per cent of total Union Budget, which was presented by Union Finance Minister— Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on 01 February 2024.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to receive the highest allocation among the Ministries. The budgetary allocation to Defence for FY 24-25 is higher by approx. one lakh crore (18.35 per cent) over the allocation for the FY 2022-23 and 4.72 per cent more than allocation of FY 23-24. Of this, a major share of 27.67 per cent goes to capital, 14.82 per cent for revenue expenditure on sustenance and operational preparedness, 30.68 per cent for Pay and allowances, 22.72 per cent for defence pensions and 4.11 per cent for civil organisations under MoD. Click here to read… [2]
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 48th Raising Day on 01 February 2024, in New Delhi, commemorating its remarkable journey from a modest beginning in 1977 to becoming a formidable force in maritime security. With 152 ships and 78 aircraft in its arsenal, the ICG is on track to achieve its targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 100 aircraft by 2030. Under the motto “Vayam Rakshamah” (We Protect), the ICG has saved over 11,554 lives since its inception, including 200 lives in the year 2023. This commitment to safety and security has positioned ICG as one of the renowned Coast Guards globally. Maintaining a 24x7 vigil in the Maritime Zones of India, the ICG deploys 50 to 60 ships and 10 to 12 aircraft daily, contributing to the nation’s goal of ensuring free and secure seas for sustainable progress in the blue economy and safe maritime transportation. Click here to read… [3]
The INS Sandhayak (Yard 3025), the first Survey Vessel Large (SVL) ship, was commissioned into the Bharatiya/Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha Mantri— Rajnath Singh at an impressive ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam on 03 February 2024. The primary role of the ship is to carry out full scale hydrographic surveys of ports, harbours, navigational channels/routes, coastal areas and deep seas, towards enabling safe marine navigation. In its secondary role, the ship will be capable of undertaking a range of naval operations. In his address, the Raksha Mantri said that “from being dependent on the family in the formative years, a child gradually becomes independent before he/she starts to spread knowledge in the society. Similarly, a country, in the initial stage of its development, depends on other countries for security, before it starts developing the capability to protect itself. Then comes the third stage when it becomes so powerful that it not only safeguards its own interests, but also becomes capable of protecting its friendly nations.” Click here to read… [4]
Four flight trials of High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT)— ‘ABHYAS’ were successfully carried out by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha during 30 January to 02 February 2024. The trials were conducted with four different mission objectives in a revised robust configuration using a single booster designed by Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad to provide reduced launch acceleration. The objectives like safe release of booster, launcher clearance and attaining the required end of launch velocity were achieved. During the flight trials, various parameters like required endurance, speed, manoeuvrability, altitude, and range were successfully validated. Click here to read… [5]
Inaugurating ‘DEFSAT’, a three-day Space Seminar and Exhibition at the Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantt, on 07 February 2024, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan underlined that from space augmentation to exploration, the Government has envisioned big targets for the nation. Gen Chauhan has emphasised that as the country is going through Amrit Kaal, it is time for building a highly capable Atmanirbhar defence space ecosystem. Highlighting the vitality of Space for the mankind and also for the armed forces engaged in combat, CDS said that Space can be used as a force multiplier to enhance combat capabilities in traditional domains of land, air, sea and even cyber. He called upon all the stakeholders of defence space ecosystem to work on bolstering the Counter-Space capabilities as deterrent for safeguarding country’s space assets. Click here to read… [6]
The 17th Bharatiya/Indian Navy–French Navy Staff Talks was held from 06-07 February 2024 at New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by RAdm Nirbhay Bapna, ACNS (FCI) of Bharatiya/Indian Navy and RAdm Jean Marc Durandau, Director International Engagements, French Navy. The Talks witnessed active participation from both sides. Major discussions included operational, training, SME exchanges, etc. Both sides also acknowledged the growing cooperation between the two Navies and agreed to enhance collaboration and interoperability in the maritime domain. Click here to read… [7]
Bharat and Rwanda held the first edition of Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting in Kigali, Rwanda on 08 February 2024 to discuss a wide range of opportunities to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries. Detailed discussions were held in areas like training cooperation, joint military exercises, defence industrial cooperation etc. The Bharatiya delegation highlighted the growing prowess of Bharatiya defence manufacturers to export to friendly countries. The Rwandan side evinced keen interest in augmenting training cooperation, expressing confidence in the growing capabilities of the Bharatiya defence industry. The Rwandan side highlighted areas where the Bharatiya Armed Forces and industry could collaborate with their Defence Forces under the aegis of the Defence MoU signed between the two countries during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rwanda in 2018. Click here to read… [8]
Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS),visited Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) from 06 to 09 February 2024. The CNS was received in Port Blair by Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command. The CNS visited HQ ANC and was briefed on the role and significance of Bharat’s only operational Joint Services Command (JSC). Air Marshal Balakrishnan highlighted the geo-strategic potential of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands emphasising ANC’s role in supporting military operations and contributing to ‘Act East’ Policy. The CNS inaugurated the Precision Approach Radar (PAR) at INS Utkrosh. This facility will enable highly accurate horizontal and vertical guidance to land an aircraft safely in low visibility conditions, such as heavy rain and fog. The CNS also inaugurated the IUHDSS (Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System) at Naval Jetty, Port Blair thereby enhancing security of Port Blair harbour. Click here to read… [9]
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Hyderabad on 13 February 2024 in New Delhi, for procurement of 11 Shakti Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems along with associated equipment/accessories for Bharatiya/Indian Navy under Buy (Indian- IDDM) category at a total cost of ₹2269.54 Cr. The Shakti EW System is indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured. The Shakti EW System is capable of accurately intercepting electronic emissions and implementing counter measures in dense electromagnetic environment. The Shakti EW System will be installed on-board capital warships of Bharatiya/Indian Navy. The project will generate employment of 2.5 lakh man-days over a period of four years with participation of more than 155 industry partners including MSMEs, thus furthering the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. Click here to read… [10]
On 17 February 2024, the Bharatiya/Indian Air Force showcased its offensive capabilities through an enthralling and formidable display of its firepower. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The event began with three Chetak helicopters trooping the National Flag and the Air Force ensign, flying past the grandstand with the National Anthem playing in the background. This was followed by a perfectly timed ‘Sonic Boom’ created by a Rafale aircraft. Two Jaguar aircraft flying at low levels followed the Rafale, taking high fidelity reconnaissance images of the area. In keeping with this year’s theme of the exercise, ‘Lightning Strike from the Sky’, over 120 aircraft displayed the lAF’s offensive capabilities by day as well as by night. Fighter aircraft of the Bharatiya/Indian Air Force including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and Hawk attacked and destroyed simulated enemy targets on ground and in the air with precision. Click here to read… [11]
Al-Qa’ida affiliated group— al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for an attack on, 10 February, on a training mission at a military base in Mogadishu. At least five security personnel, including four Emiratis and a Bahraini officer, have been martyred in the attack. In the claim, al-Shabaab described the UAE as an ‘enemy’ of Islamic law for its backing of Somali government in fight against terrorist group. Click here to read… [12]
On 07 February, twin blasts targeted election offices in Baluchistan province in which at least 30 people were killed and over 40 others injured. The explosions took place a day before General Elections 2024. In first incident, a blast took place outside the office of an independent candidate— Asfandyar Khan Kakar, in Pishin district, in which 20 people were killed and 30 others were wounded. An hour later, another blast was triggered outside the election office of a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan in Killa Abdullah area, in which 10 people lost their lives, and 22 others were injured. No group claimed responsibility for the twin blasts. Click here to read… [13]
The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police, on 13 February, arrested Adil Manzoor Langoo, a terrorist involved in the killings of two labourers from Amritsar, Punjab. On 07 February, Adil killed two woodwork labourers from Punjab— i) Amritpal Singh, and ii) Rohit Masih, at their residence in Shalla Kadal area in Shahed Gunj, Srinagar. The attack was first terror attack on non-locals in J&K this year. Click here to read… [14]
As part of operation against Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 15 locations across the Union Territory, in connection with a terror-funding case. The NIA team searched premises of various JeI members at 05 locations in Srinagar, 03 in Budgam, 02 in Kulgam, 01 in Anantnag, and 04 in Jammu. Click here to read… [15]
On 02 February, the NIA filed chargesheet against two Maoists— i) Rohit Rai, and ii) Pramod Yadav, in the case relating to revival of Naxalism in Magadh Zone, Bihar. According to the NIA investigations, Rohit was a Sub Zonal Commander, and was motivating the cadres in his area for furthering Maoist ideology. He was involved in collection of ‘tax’ and also trying to recruit youth for the CPI (Maoist) in his area. He has been charge-sheeted under sections 120B, 121A of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 25(1-b) a, 25(1-A), 26 & 35 of Arms Act, and sections 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], 1967. Click here to read… [16]
On 12 February, the NIA court in Chhattisgarh sentenced four Maoists— i) Mahadev Nag, ii) Dayaram Baghel, iii) Mani Ram, and iv) Kawasi Joga, to life imprisonment in connection with the 2014 Maoist attack in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, in which 15 security personnel attained Veergati and a civilian were killed. “While over 100-150 Maoists were involved in the attack, the local police arrested four of them and registered an FIR,” said the NIA official. Click here to read… [17]
On 11 February, a self-styled Maoist Zonal Commander— Laldeep Ganjhu, carrying ₹ 10 lakh bounty, surrendered before police in Latehar district in Jharkhand. Laldeep was wanted in eight cases in two police stations of Latehar district, and one in Bihar. Click here to read… [18]
On 28 January, a clash erupted between two rivalry groups, i) Major Singh Nijjar’s gang, and ii) Gurpatwant Singh Pannu-backed Sabi gang, during Khalistan referendum in San Francisco, California, US. Click here to read… [19]
On 15 February 2023, the NIA arrested an operative— Mohammed Zoheb Khan, following raids at nine locations in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (formerly Aurangabad), Maharashtra. The raids were in connection to Islamic State (IS) Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar module conspiracy case. As pertain to the case, Zoheb Khan and his associate had taken Bayath (pledged alliance) to IS leader/emir and had planned to attack various establishments. The duo was involved in radicalising and recruiting Muslim youth, both in-person and over social media. Click here to read… [20]
The NIA, on 03 February, filed a chargesheet against three Burmese/Myanma— i) Rabi Islam aka Rabiul Islam, ii) Shafi Alam, and iii) Mohammad Usman, in a major international human trafficking case, involving the illegal infiltration and trafficking of foreign nationals, mainly of Rohingya origin, into Bharat across the Bharat-Bangladesh border. All three Myanma are residents of Maungdaw district in Myanmar.
As per NIA investigations, trio entered Bharat illegally and without travel documents. They were also involved in facilitating the infiltration of several Rohingyas through unauthorised border routes. Rohingya women, smuggled into Bharat on false promise of marriage to Rohingya men. These women were then sold for forced marriages across various States, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Haryana, and the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Click here to read… [21]
Uttar Pradesh (UP) Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), on 06 February, arrested the masterminds— i) Ankur Maurya, and ii) Vipin Gupta, of the syndicate engaged in supply of the Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs). The syndicate was in contact with a gang in West Bengal and were bringing fake notes printed in Bangladesh via West Bengal to different districts of UP. The ATS officials also recovered FICN worth ₹1,42,500 from their possession. Click here to read… [22]
The NIA, on 01 February, arrested Lalngaihawma, a key operative in ‘cross border arms and explosives trafficking’ case. Lalngaihawma is a resident of Mamit area and was arrested from Aizwal in Mizoram. Lalngaihawma, along with other associates, was engaged in trafficking of arms, ammunition, and explosive materials not only in North-Eastern States but also across the border. Click here to read… [23]
The NIA, on 31 January, filed two chargesheets against three Bangladeshis— i) Babu S K, ii) Shahabuddin Hossain, and iii) Noor Karim aka Munna, in ‘Tamil Nadu Human Trafficking’ case, involving trafficking of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis into Bharat, as a part of large-scale syndicate of traffickers. As per NIA investigations, Shahabuddin Hossain and Munna, both residents of Chittagong district (Bangladesh), had entered Bharat unlawfully with support of traffickers and touts. They had procured Aadhaar cards by submitting forged documents, besides getting other identity documents, such as PAN card. They had also purchased SIM cards and opened Bank accounts with the help of the fraudulently obtained documents. Click here to read… [24]
[28]
Links:
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2024/february/21
[2] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2001375
[3] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2001583
[4] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2002179
[5] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2002709
[6] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2003444
[7] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2003843
[8] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2004555
[9] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2004689
[10] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2005641
[11] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2006811
[12] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/11/al-shabab-kills-three-emirati-troops-one-bahraini-officer-in-somalia
[13] https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-balochistan-blast-explosion-many-killed/article67820930.ece
[14] https://www.livemint.com/news/india/jammu-and-kashmir-police-arrests-terrorist-adil-manzoor-killed-two-labourers-from-punjab-11707818219630.html
[15] https://www.greaterkashmir.com/front-page-2/nia-raids-15-locations-across-jk-in-terror-funding-case/
[16] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1651_1_Pr.pdf
[17] https://indianexpress.com/article/india/four-maoists-life-sentence-10-years-sukma-attack-killed-16-9158070/
[18] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/cpi-maoist-zonal-commander-carrying-rs-10-lakh-bounty-surrenders-in-latehar/articleshow/107595061.cms
[19] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/international/violent-clashes-erupt-during-khalistan-referendum-in-san-francisco-as-rival-gangs-clash/videoshow/107383619.cms
[20] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1655_1_Pr.pdf
[21] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1654_1_Pr1.pdf
[22] https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/state-editions/ats-arrests-kingpin--of-ficn-racket.html
[23] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1652_1_Pr1.pdf
[24] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1648_1_Pr.pdf
[25] http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?title=VIF News Digest : National Security- Defence Studies & Terrorism (01-15 February 2024)&desc=&images=&u=https://www.vifindia.org/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2024/february/21
[26] http://twitter.com/share?text=VIF News Digest : National Security- Defence Studies & Terrorism (01-15 February 2024)&url=https://www.vifindia.org/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2024/february/21&via=Azure Power
[27] whatsapp://send?text=https://www.vifindia.org/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2024/february/21
[28] https://www.vifindia.org/author/anurag-sharma