MilMat: INS Teg visits Nacala, Mozambique; Russian Air Force Chief in India

Bengaluru, Nov 17: Indian Naval Ship Teg, a stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, made a port call at Nacala, Mozambique on Monday. Navy Spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said that the ship is on a goodwill visit aimed at strengthening the existing bonds of friendship between the two nations.

India and Mozambique have traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations. The two countries are also members of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a voluntary initiative between 35 countries of the Indian Ocean Region, which has served as an ideal forum for sharing information and co-operation on maritime issues.

"The visit seeks to underscore India's solidarity with countries of the Indian Ocean Region. During the stay in harbour, various activities are planned including official calls and a reception onboard the ship," the naval official said. INS Teg had left her base port Mumbai on 1 October 2014 as part of a four-ship Task Group headed by Rear Admiral R Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet.

Russian Air Force Chief in India

Colonel Gen Viktor Nikolaevich Bondarev, Commander-in-Chief of Russian Federation Air Force (RFAF) called on Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at Air Headquarters on Monday. According to IAF officials, the bilateral ties of India and Russia are a key pillar of Indian foreign policy, since the signing of the "Declaration on the India-Russian Strategic Partnership'' in 2000.

In the next three days, Colonel General Nikolaevich will be visiting the National Defence Academy followed by a visit to the Su-30 Squadron. "The RFAF Chief is planned to visit the Air Force Academy at Hyderabad to get a firsthand account of the training being carried out on the PC-7 Simulator and the Virtual Tower Simulator," IAF officials said.

Some of the major procurement contracts signed with Russia for the Indian Air Force in the last decade have been IJT Engines, MiG-29 Upgrades, Mi-17 V5 and Medium Lift Helicopters (MLH). Besides these, contracts for Joint Production of Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft and Multi Role Transport Aircraft have been signed.

Indo-Russian Avia-Indra exercise set to begin

An 18 member Russian Air Force team arrived on Monday at the Air Force Station Halwara in Punjab to participate in Phase II of the Indo-Russian bilateral exercise ‘Avia-Indra.' A Western Air Command official said that the Russian delegation is headed by Major General Alexander N Lyapkin and consists of fighter, helicopter aircrew and Air Defence crew. The Russian team will be in India up to 28 November. The first Phase of this exercise was held at Russia for two weeks during August-September 2014.

During the exercise, Russian aircrew would be flying the Su-30 MKI, Mi-17 & Mi-35 aircraft with the IAF, at Air Force Station Halwara. The joint exercise will further strengthen the relations between the two air forces taking forward the India - Russia strategic partnership.

Sitting of Armed Forces Tribunal

The next sitting of Armed Forces Tribunal, Regional Bench Kochi in Circuit Bench will be held at Parachute Regimental Training Centre (PRTC), near Doordarshan Kendra, JC Nagar, Bengaluru from 24-28 November. Litigants from Karnataka will be able to make full use of the facility being offered on regular basis.

According to Sub-Area Command officials, the Armed Forces Tribunal has been set up under the provisions of Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007. It is aimed at the adjudication or trial of disputes and conditions of service in respect of persons subject to the Army Act, the Navy Act and the Air Force Act.

HAL's MiG Complex turns 50

The famed MiG Complex of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Nasik is celebrating 50 years of establishment. One of the major centers of HAL, the complex played a key role in ensuring the upkeep of the MiG variants of the Indian Air Force. In the last decade, the complex has been actively engaged in the licensed production of Su-30 MKIs.

As part of celebrations, the Aeronautical Society of India, Nasik Branch, recently organized a two-day seminar on the theme "Self-Reliance in Aerospace Sector. Speaking on the occasion, Air Marshal Sukhchain Singh of IAF's Maintenance Command said that aerospace might can only be achieved by becoming self-reliant the sector.

[#MilMat or Military Matters will bring to you aerospace and defence happenings in brief on a regular basis. #MilMat is compiled by OneIndia Defence Desk]