Southern Command Exercise ‘Drad Sankalp’ Under Way in Rajasthan

Southern Command Exercise ‘Drad Sankalp’ Under Way in Rajasthan

The Southern Command of the Army is undergoing a Command level exercise ‘Drad Sankalp’ in the deserts of Rajasthan, wherein capabilities of the Army in a Tri-Service environment are being practiced and validated on a Capability based approach ,while relying on the adoption of new age technologies, transformed war fighting and integrated theatre battle concepts. The exercise is also focusing on the aspect of jointsmanship between the three services and in developing the required synergy in order to achieve operational effectiveness.

The exercise has commenced with an aim to achieve perfection in basic battle drills & procedures with emphasis on exceptional standards of training and exploiting our doctrine through Manoeuvre Warfare and Directive Style of Command. The scope of the exercise includes decisive manoeuvres by mechanized forces on ground in harmony with utilization of the Third Dimension to ensure complete dominance of the battlefield.

This training exercise is also being used as a test bed to validate synergetic application of all forces in a tri services environment, enhancing Jointsmanship. Indian Army undertakes exercises at regular intervals at different levels to ensure that the forces are given a real war like situations and the equipment is kept in battle readiness state. The formations and units have been undergoing this exercise for over two months now and the final phase of the exercise along with the validation is underway.

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Indian Air Force Conduct Relief and Rescue Operations in Rain Ravaged Areas

Following incessant rains in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and in large parts of Tamil Nadu, requests from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Governments for positioning of helicopters at Tirupati and Tambram for relief and rescue were received by Indian Air Force. The IAF promptly responded to this call for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and has positioned two Mi 17 helicopters of Southern Air Command at Tirupati. Two Mi 17 helicopters are at Bangalore and Thanjavur for onward move to Chennai for aerial dropping of food packets, water and medicines and for evacuating stranded people to safe areas. As soon as the weather is fit for helicopter operations, these helicopters will move to Chennai, from where they will be assisting the State Disaster Management authorities in their efforts to provide succour to the stranded population.

One C-17 had taken off from Chandigarh via Bhubaneswar and landed at Tirupati with three teams of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF). One C-17 took off from Palam with three teams of NDRF and one C-130 J has got airborne to Tambaram for reconnaissance and assessment of the flood affected areas.

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GRSE pays Rs. 24.77 crore Dividend to the Government for 2014-15

A cheque for Rs 24.77 crore towards Dividend for the Financial Year 2014­15 was handed over to Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar by Chairman and Managing Director, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata, Rear Admiral (Retd) AK Verma here yesterday. Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Ashok Kumar Gupta, Joint Secretary (Naval Systems) Shri B Harbanslal Khera, and Director (Finance), GRSE Shri SS Dogra were also present on the occasion.

GRSE, Kolkata, a Mini-Ratna Defence PSU, has been a profit making PSU which is regularly paying dividend to the Government exchequer continuously since 1993­94. The cheque handed over yesterday is the 22nd consecutive year in which GRSE has paid dividend to the Government Exchequer.

In March 2015, CGS Barracuda, an Offshore Patrol Vessel built by GRSE was commissioned at Port Louis, Mauritius by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India in the presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Mauritius. This being the first ever export of warship built by India, was a historic achievement by GRSE.

Recently, on 26 November 2015, GRSE delivered Kadmatt, the second of the four Anti­Submarine Warfare stealth Corvettes being built for Indian Navy. The 1st of this Class of ship, INS Kamorta was commissioned in August 2014 at Visakhapaatnam, by the then Defence Minister Shri Arun Jaitley.

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Three Army Rescue Columns reach out to People affected by Floods in Chennai

On being requisitioned by the State Government, Two Indian Army’s Flood Rescue and Relief Columns comprising of troops from the Garrison Infantry Battalion and Army's Engineer elements were activated and have begun Flood Rescue and Relief operations in in Tambaram, Mudichur, Manipakam, Guduvancheri and Urapakkam areas of Chennai since evening of 01 Dec 15.

At 2230h on 01 Dec 2015, an Army column was able to rescue about 15 trapped civilians in a bus affected by flood waters. The rescue teams have till 1100h today succeeded in rescuing and bringing over 50 marooned civilians to safety in Gudvancheri and Mudichur. The third Army Rescue Column was effective from 1000h today. The fourth column is being rushed in from Bangalore by road.

Additional Army resources are being mobilized for providing assistance to flood affected areas