FORCE Sector 3, Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Philadelphia: As part of the Boeing India Media tour 2012, FORCE was invited to visit the company’s rotary wing production facilities at its ‘Mobility’ headquarters in Philadelphia. It is here where the revolutionary Bell Boeing V-22 ‘Osprey’ tiltrotor and CH-47 Chinook tandem rotor, medium-lift helicopter are built. This year, the Chinook celebrated 50th anniversary of the 1st CH-47 Delivery (A model) to the Indian Army. The other place visited was Boeing’s Mesa, Arizona facility where the AH-64D Apache Longbow is produced. The AH-64D Apache Block III has already been selected as the winner of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) requirement for 22 next generation attack helicopters and the CH-47 Chinook is in the running for 15 heavy-lift helicopters for the IAF. Keeping this in mind, the visit was an exciting opportunity to meet with the teams who build these helicopters and also take a look at the production facilities.

India successfully test-fired surface-to-air missile Akash with indigenous radio frequency seeker from the Launch Complex-III at Integrated Test Range in Odisha on December 5. “The radars, telemetry and electro-optical systems along the coast have tracked and monitored all the health parameters of the missile,” said a statement. The supersonic missile is the first surface-to-air missile with indigenous seeker to be test fired and is being inducted into the Army as short range surface to air missile. “With the successful test firing, India has achieved the capability of making any type of surface to air missile,” the statement said.

The country’s first indigenously built Floating Dock, FDN-2 for the Indian navy was launched on June 20 by Anjali Deshpande, wife of Vice Admiral DM Deshpande, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition. In keeping with the Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, the complete design and built of FDN-2 has been done in house by Larsen & Toubro Shipyard at Kattupalli, Chennai Speaking on the occasion, Vice Admiral DM Deshpande commended L&T for their efforts in the design and construction of FDN-2. He brought out that launching of the indigenously built Floating Dock, bears testimony to the capabilities available in India for realising the ‘Make in India’ vision. He extended warm felicitations to the entire team of the L&T for the achievement.

A ministry of home affairs order worth 120 crore for the installation of five x-ray based full body truck scanners (FBTS) at India’s borders has been awarded to Punj Lloyd. The company will become the first private sector company in India to supply and commission the FBTSs. The scanners are capable of detecting concealed arms, ammunition, explosives, detonators, IEDs, narcotics and fake currency.

As the mass exodus of Rohingyas from Myanmar has turned into a humanitarian disaster, Indian government has decided to assist Bangladesh by sending relief material to the country to deal with the heavy influx of Rohingya refugees. The government has tasked Indian Air Force with airlifting the relief material from India.