VIF Information Alerts - 20 January 2020

Eye on China, South gets 1st Sukhoi squad with BrahMos
Published: The Economic Times

20 Jan 2020

India now has a new lethal weapons platform to keep a ‘strategic eye’ over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), especially the Bay of Bengal, as well as carry out ‘long-range precision strikes’ against hostile aircraft carriers or other high-value targets by day and night in all-weather conditions in the region.
The IAF will commission a squadron of Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets, especially modified to carry the 2.5-tonne air-launched supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles, at its Thanjavur airbase in Tamil Nadu on Monday. Primarily tasked with a maritime strike role, these Sukhois will be “a huge addition to IAF’s operational capabilities”, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria said.Click here to read... [2]

50% jump in people held for illegally entering Bangladesh
Published: Hindustan Times

20 Jan 2020

The number of people caught while trying to cross over to Bangladesh from India increased by over 50% with a total of 2,971 people arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) in 2018 as compared to 1,800 in 2017, according to latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
On the other hand, “inward movement” from Bangladesh came down marginally to 1,118 in 2018 in comparison to 1,180 in 2017. The NCRB data does not explain the motives of those arrested by BSF, which manages the international borders in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Assam.Click here to read... [3]

India successfully test-fires 3,500-km range submarine-launched ballistic missile K-4
Published: The Hindu

19 Jan 2020

India on Sunday successfully test-fired the 3,500-km range submarine-launched ballistic missile, K-4, official sources confirmed. The test was carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organsiation (DRDO) from a submerged pontoon off Visakhapatnam coast around noon.
“The test was conducted from a submerged pontoon and has met the desired parameters. A pontoon simulates the situation of a launch from a submarine,” an official source said on condition on anonymity.Click here to read... [4]

Trump Marks U.S.-Japan Security Pact With Call for Stronger, Deeper Alliance
Published: The New York Times

18 Jan 2020

U.S. President Donald Trump marked the 60th anniversary of the signing of the current U.S.-Japan security treaty with a call for a stronger and deeper alliance between the two countries, despite criticizing the pact six months ago.
"As the security environment continues to evolve and new challenges arise, it is essential that our alliance further strengthen and deepen," Trump said in a statement dated Jan. 18.Click here to read... [5]

India, Sri Lanka seek closer military ties as China clout grows
Published: livemint

19 Jan 2020

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Saturday with recently elected Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and discussed setting up a maritime research coordination centre, Rajapaksa's office said in a statement. It did not give details of the proposed centre, but said other nations in the region should be included as observers. It said the two countries also discussed closer military and coastguard cooperation.Click here to read... [6]