Kalvari Submarine Escape Training Facility

♦ The Kalvari Submarine Escape Training Facility (Vinetra) was commissioned by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, at INS Satavahana, Visakhapatnam. The facility aims to enhance the escape capabilities of crew from a distressed Kalvari-class submarine, and has been indigenously designed and developed, keeping in line with the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative, highlighting India's focus on self-reliance in defence capabilities.

♦ Constructed by M/s L&T Defence as a turnkey project, the Kalvari Submarine Escape Training Facility is equipped with a five-meter escape tower integrated with an adjacent diving basin. 
 

Dr. Jitendra Singh virtually launched dedicated web-portal

♦ Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh virtually launched dedicated web-portal (https://scdpm.nic.in/specialcampaign4/) for monitoring progress of Special Campaign 4.0 for Swachhata and reducing pendency on 13 September 2024.

♦ The Special Campaign aims to institutionalize Swachhata in all central government offices using a saturation approach.

♦ The Special campaign 4.0 will be held from 2nd October-31st October, 2024, and will be preceded by preparatory phase from 16th September 2024 to 30th September, 2024.  

♦ The Special Campaign 4.0 will focus on saturation approach in all field/ outstation offices responsible for service delivery or having public interface, in addition to the Central Ministries/ Departments and their attached/ subordinate offices.
 

Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Surface Air Missile

♦ India successfully test-fired the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Surface Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the test facility off the Odisha coast on 12 September 2024. The indigenously built short-range surface-to-air missile was test-fired from the launchpad of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district off the coast of Odisha this afternoon. 

♦ The test was conducted jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy. 

♦ The missile test reportedly met all necessary performance parameters. The VL-SRSAM, a ship-borne weapon system, is designed to neutralise various aerial threats at close ranges, including sea-skimming targets.
 

National Health Authority

♦ The National Health Authority (NHA) and IIT Kanpur have inked an MoU for development of digital public goods for Artificial Intelligence in healthcare on 11 September 2024.

♦ Under this MoU, a federated learning platform across a variety of machine learning model pipelines, a quality-preserving database, an open benchmarking platform for comparing & validating AI models, and a consent management system for research under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) would be developed by IIT Kanpur.
 

240 AL-31FP aero engines for Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft

♦ The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for 240 AL-31FP aero engines for Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft at a cost of over 26 thousand crore rupees. These aero engines will be manufactured by the Koraput Division of HAL and enhance the operational capability of the Sukhoi-30MKI fleet for defence preparedness. 

♦ HAL will supply 30 aero engines annually, with the supply of all 240 engines expected to be completed over the next eight years. 

The Agni missile

♦ India has successfully launched the intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni 4 on 7 September 2024. This test was held at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.  The launch successfully validated all operational and technical parameters. It was conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.

♦ The Agni missile is a ballistic missile developed by India. The Agni missiles are long-range, nuclear weapons capable, surface-to-surface ballistic missiles.

Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA)

♦ Bengaluru-based Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace (FWDA) company successfully launched India’s first indigenous unmanned bomber aircraft, the FWD 200B on 3 September 2024. The bomber FWD 200B is classified as a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) and represents India's increasing self-reliance in defence technology. 

♦ The FWD 200B boasts a wingspan of 5 metres (16.4 feet) and a length of 3.5 metres (12.1 feet). It has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 102 kg and can carry a payload of 30 kg. 

♦ The UAV operates at a cruising altitude of 12,000 feet and can reach up to 15,000 feet. It has a cruise speed of 152 km per hour and a maximum speed of 250 km per hour, with an endurance of 7 hours and a range of 800 km. The drone also requires a runway of just 300 metres, making it versatile for shorter airstrips.