HYDERABAD: Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Defence, based in Hyderabad, unveiled three new missiles in addition to its existing range of products.
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World’s ‘most lethal’ fighter jets are here! F-35s debut at Aero India 2023
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<p> The US Air Force’s newest fifth-generation fighters — the stealthy, supersonic, multirole F-35A Lightning II and F-35A Joint Strike Fighter — made their debut at Aero India 2023 on Monday, with a swift flypast before landing. </p>
<p>The US Air Force’s newest fifth-generation fighters — the stealthy, supersonic, multirole F-35A Lightning II and F-35A Joint Strike Fighter — made their debut at Aero India 2023 on Monday, with a swift flypast before landing. Photo source: Twitter</p>
<p>TOI had reported in its February 13 edition that the US was likely to spring a surprise by bringing the F-35. Photo source: Twitter</p>
<p>The two aircraft — F-35A Joint Strike Fighter from Hill Air Force Base, Utah and F-35A Lightning II from the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska — arriving in India also assumes strategic importance in the backdrop of growing ties between India and the US and the geopolitics in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Photo source: Twitter</p>
<p>Major General Julian C Cheater, assistant deputy under secretary of the US Air Force, international affairs, said on Monday: “The F-35 represents the leading edge of US fighter technology. Aero India is an ideal forum to showcase the most advanced, capable, lethal and interoperable weapon systems the US has to offer. This system and others are designed to penetrate and defeat advanced adversary air defences. ” Photo source: Twitter<br /></p>
<p>India’s defence exports are primed to more than treble from the current $1. 5 billion to $5 billion by 2024-25, building on the journey from being the world’s largest importer to exporting equipment to 75 countries, PM Narendra Modi said Monday at the inauguration of Aero India’s 14th edition.<br /></p>
<p>From here, India will take rapid strides to be counted among the largest defence manufacturers, and our private sector and investors will play a big role in that,” Modi said, urging industry to invest and create opportunities within the country and beyond. </p>
<p>Modi cited the homegrown fighter jet Tejas, the first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, Asia’s largest helicopter factory in Tumakuru and the country’s first armoured systems complex builtby a private company in Surat as reflecting the potential of a self-reliant India eager to spread its wings and tap global opportunities.</p>
<p>The PM said he was confident that after decades of dependence on imports, the transformation in the country’s defence sector over the past eight to nine years had set it up for a big leap.</p>
<p>Defence minister Rajnath Singh attributed the growth of the country’s defence sector to PM Modi’s leadership. He said Aero India, too, had played a role in furthering India’s defence capabilities.</p>
The three new products were launched at the ongoing Aero India –2023 in Bengaluru.
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This BJP MP flew Rafale at Bengaluru aero show
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<p>BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy has achieved another unique feat in his aviation career by flying in a Rafale fighter jet for the second time.</p>
<p>The Saran MP holds a world record for being the only licensed commercial pilot parliamentarian.<br /></p>
<p>He did a sortie of 40 minutes in the fighter jet in the ongoing Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru on Tuesday.<br /></p>
<p>Rudy had flown in the Rafale for the first time in 2017 in the same Aero India event in Bengaluru.<br /></p>
<p>Rudy did different kinds of mid-air manoeuvres sitting in the twin-seater fighter aircraft during the air-show in Bengaluru.<br /></p>
<p>Rudy, who is a licensed pilot on board IndiGo airlines, has earlier flown several other fighter jets, including Sukhoi-57, American aircraft F-35, F-16 and MIGs.<br /></p>
BDL has launched the ‘Vertical Launched – Short – Range Surface- to- Air Missile or VL SR SAM’, ‘Semi-Active Laser Seeker Homing Anti-Tank Guided Missile for BMP – II’ and ‘Drone Delivered Missile’ (JISHNU).
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, BDL CMD Commodore Siddharth Mishra (Retd), BDL Director (production) P Radhakrishna, Director (Production), BDL and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence were present at the event on February 15.
Commodore Siddharth Mishra said BDL was constantly striving to offer new products and new product variants to the Indian Armed Forces in its endeavor to make the Indian Armed Forces ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant).
Vertical Launched – Short – Range Surface to Air Missile Systems or VL – S R SAM is designed and developed by DRDO with BDL as the development cum production partner. The system is a next – generation, ship-based, all-weather, air defense weapon, which can be used by Navy as a quick reaction point defense against supersonic sea skimming targets. The system includes Missile (Canisterized), Weapon Control System (WCS), Vertical Launcher Unit (VLU), Multi-Function Radar (MFR), Launcher Control System (LCS), Data Link Transciever (DLX) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) – Ship application.
Semi-Active Laser Seeker Homing Anti-Tank Guided Missile for BMP – II has been jointly designed and developed by ARDE of DRDO and the in-house R & D Division of BDL to enhance the capability of Infantry and Mechanized Infantry. It is a subsonic missile with a range of 4000 metres and flight time of 25 seconds and can be fired from a tripod or a BMP.
Drone Delivered Missile has been designed and developed by the in-house R & D Division of BDL. The missile is light weight and miniaturized for soft skinned targets. It has a range of 1.5 km with a flight time of nine seconds.
