INS Brahmaputra Severely Damaged In Fire, Lying On Its Side

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, July 22: An Indian Navy warship which was undergoing maintenance at the naval dockyard in Mumbai caught fire today. The navy said a junior sailor is missing and rescue teams are looking for him. All other personnel have been accounted for, the navy said.

The fire broke out on board the multirole frigate INS Brahmaputra on Sunday evening while she was undergoing refit at the Mumbai naval dockyard, the navy said, adding the ship is lying on its side.

"... The fire was brought under control by the ship's crew with assistance of firefighters from Naval Dockyard, Mumbai and other ships in harbour, by [Monday] morning. Further, follow-on actions including sanitisation checks for assessment of residual risk of fire were carried out," the navy said in a statement.

The navy said that subsequently, in the afternoon, the ship started listing to one side. "Despite all efforts, the ship could not be brought to an upright position. The ship continued to list further alongside her berth and is presently resting on one side," the navy said.

"All personnel have been accounted for except one junior sailor, for whom the search is in progress. An inquiry has been ordered by the Indian Navy to investigate the accident," the navy said.

The INS Brahmaputra is the first of the indigenously built 'Brahmaputra' class guided missile frigate. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in April 2000. The ship is manned by a crew of 40 officers and 330 sailors.

The ship is fitted with a medium range, close range and anti-aircraft guns, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and torpedo launchers. The ship has a wide array of sensors covering all facets of maritime warfare and is capable of operating Seaking and Chetak helicopters.

The INS Brahmaputra has a displacement of 5,300 tonnes, a length of 125 metres, a beam of 14.4 metres and is capable of speed in excess of 27 knots.

Army Inducts Indigenous Nagastra-1 Precision 'Kamikaze Drones'

NAGPUR, June 14: Indian Army has inducted indigenous Loiter Munition, Nagastra-1, developed by Nagpur-baser Solar Industries.

The Indian Army has placed an order with Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries, for the supply of 480 Loiter Munitions under an emergency purchase agreement, signaling the readiness of Indigenous defence capabilities, Defence Industry officials said.

Following the successful completion of Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) between May 20th and 25th, EEL delivered an initial batch of 120 Loiter Munitions to the Ammunition Depot at Pulgaon, affirming the readiness of the system for deployment.

Nagastra-1, operating in a "kamikaze mode," boasts the capability to neutralize hostile threats with GPS-enabled precision strikes, exhibiting an impressive accuracy of 2 meters.

Weighing 9 kilograms, this man-portable fixed-wing electric UAV offers an endurance of 30 minutes, a man-in-loop range of 15 kilometres, and an autonomous mode range of 30 kilometres. Its electric propulsion system ensures a low acoustic signature, rendering it undetectable by adversaries at heights exceeding 200 meters.

Equipped with day and night surveillance cameras and a 1-kilogram High Explosive Fragmenting Warhead, the Loiter Munition stands ready to combat soft-skin targets effectively. Notably, its ability to abort missions and execute soft landings with a parachute recovery mechanism allows for multiple reuses, setting it apart from similar systems developed by advanced nations.

Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), in collaboration with Z-Motion Autonomous Systems Pvt Ltd, Bangalore, has spearheaded the development of Nagastra-1, with over 75 per cent indigenous content. This man-portable system, weighing 30 kilograms in two rucksacks, comprises essential components such as the Ground Control Station, Communication Control, Payload, and Pneumatic Launcher, defence industry officials said.

The advent of drone technology has proven to be a force multiplier in military operations globally, as evidenced by its successful application in recent conflicts worldwide, including the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, events in Syria, strikes on oilfields in Saudi Arabia, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The rise in drone-related incidents along India's Northern borders underscores the urgent need for indigenous capabilities in utilising drones and UAVs for combat applications. Solar Industries has taken proactive steps to address this need by developing weaponized drones capable of neutralizing various targets, whether through gravity drop bombs, guided missiles, or drones in a kamikaze mode, as exemplified by the Nagastra-1 Loiter Munition.

The successful development and deployment of Nagastra-1 mark the first step in a journey towards enhancing India's indigenous capabilities in utilizing drones and UAVs as crucial components of warfare machinery, promising a brighter future for the nation's defence technology sector, defence industry officials said.

Lt General Upendra Dwivedi Named New Army Chief

NEW DELHI, June 11: One of the world's largest armies is set to get a new chief with the government announcing that Lt General Upendra Dwivedi will take over as the Chief of the Army Staff from General Manoj C Pande on June 30.

Lt General Dwivedi, who has been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, is currently the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and will take charge on the afternoon of June 30, the day General Pande demits office.

Born in 1964, Lt General Dwivedi was commissioned into the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, an infantry regiment of the Indian Army on 15th December, 1984. In his 40 years of service, he has held a wide variety of roles. His Command appointments include Command of Regiment (18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), DIG, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps, a government release said on Tuesday.

As Lt General, Dwivedi has held important posts, including those of Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Northern Command from 2022 to 2024, before being appointed the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

Having studied at the Sainik School Rewa, National Defence College and US Army War College, Lt General Upendra Dwivedi has also undergone courses at the DSSC Wellington and Army War College, Mhow. He was conferred 'Distinguished Fellow' in the coveted NDC equivalent course at the US Army War College in Carlisle.

The officer has an M Phil in Defence And Management Studies and two Master's Degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science. He has also been decorated with three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.

General Pande, who was scheduled to retire at the end of May, was given a one-month extension of service. He was appointed the Army chief on April 30, 2022.