
Army to get 7,000 more 'Made in Amethi' AK-203 rifles in 2-3 weeks
The AK-203, a modernised version of the legendary Kalashnikov series, not only has superior accuracy, its improved ergonomics and adaptability make it ideal for counterterrorism operations and high-altitude warfare.India signed a contract with Russia in July 2021 worth Rs 5,000 crore for over 6 lakh AK-203 rifles, which are to be manufactured in the country with technology transfer from Russia.Licenced production of the rifles officially commenced in January 2023.The upgradation has been fast-tracked in light of India's twin threats along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and persistent cross-border activities from Pakistan.The rifles have also seen export enquiries from African and Middle Eastern countries. "The demand for the AK-203 has surged, especially in regions where Russian arms have long been the preferred choice," a defence official told India Today.- EndsTrending Reel
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Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Moscow airports temporarily shut amid Ukraine's drone attack on Russia
Ukraine's sustained drone attack on Russia led to airports in Moscow to be temporarily shut which caused at least 140 flights to be canceled, authorities said. The Russian defence ministry stated that more than 230 Ukrainian drones were destroyed in the country since Saturday morning, including 27 over the capital Moscow. Russia's aviation watchdog stated that more than 130 flights had to be diverted as flight operations at four major airports serving the capital were disrupted. However, the airports have since resumed normal operations. Meanwhile, regional officials said that at least three people were killed in Ukraine during Russian air strikes on Kyiv overnight. According to Russia's Association of Tour Operators (Ator), the airports in the country had to be shut at least 10 times in 24 hours due to the strikes. The Ukrainian drone attacks also affected Russia's Kaluga region, situated southwest of Moscow as the Russian defence ministry stated that they intercepted 45 Ukrainian drones since Saturday morning, which led to Kaluga International Airport being temporarily shut. The defence ministry added that drones were shot down in the region near Ukrainian borders including Rostov, Bryansk and over Black Sea. The authorities said that no fatalities were reported in the attacks. Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force said it shot down 18 of 57 Russian drones overnight on Sunday and seven other drones were lost after their radars got jammed. The retaliation by Russia led to attacks in Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia. Amid the latest round of attacks, Kremlin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for a peace settlement with Ukraine but Moscow's priority lies in achieving its goals. 'President Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,' Peskov said in an interview, reported BBC. (with inputs from BBC)


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Victoria hall to be opened to public on Aug 15, three-month-long expo planned
Chennai: After a prolonged restoration delay, colonial-era landmark Victoria Public Hall is set to reopen its doors to the public on Aug 15. The project, undertaken under the Singara Chennai 2.0 initiative at 32.62 crore, is set to bring the historic Town Hall back to life — this time, as a vibrant cultural hub blending heritage with modern utility. "Nearly 99% of the work has been completed. The hall will be inaugurated by chief minister M K Stalin next month. Exhibitions and other events will soon be conducted in the hall," said minister K N Nehru. As part of the inauguration, a three-month-long exhibition will be held on the premises. Photo exhibitions tracing the history of Tamil civilization and Chennai's place in it will be part of the programme. It will also outline the social revolutions that the city bore witness to. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai "Galleries on the evolution of cinema and sports in Chennai will also be featured. Events will be held in the auditorium on the first floor, while the food and art festival will take place on the lawn. We will turn the place into a vibrant hub for families and tourists. A consultant is already working on the programmes," said a senior GCC official. J Kumaragurubaran, GCC commissioner, said the interior works have been completed. "Work on the lawn and greenery is underway. We have tied up with the tourism department to include Victoria Hall in the city attractions. The public can also book halls for programmes after the inauguration," he said. The Victoria Public Hall, commonly known as town hall, was built to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. Designed by Robert Chisholm (1840-1915) and built by Namberumal Chetty, it adopts the Indo-Saracenic architectural style. The DMK govt had announced a 32.62-crore plan under Singara Chennai 2.0 to revitalize the hall. Work started in March 2023. Though it was slated to be completed mid this year, it was delayed. "We had to carry out stormwater drain work. Procuring Damask silk cloth for the interiors and covering acoustics, was a challenge as we did not get the required quantity. Rain also played spoilsport," said Krishna Iyer, director of Abha Narain Lambah Associates. As part of the restoration, the building was strengthened with a seismic retrofit so as to withstand earthquakes and enhance its capacity to hold more visitors. "The wooden stairs have been fixed, and plaster work completed. The structural work on the roof, work on the main hall, restoration of the external brickwork, doors, and windows have also been completed," said Krishna Iyer.


Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
To boost surveillance, Govt taps global firms for high-resolution satellite imagery
With high-resolution satellite imagery proving to be indispensable in evolving battlefield situations, the government is learnt to have reached out to multiple global commercial earth-observation satellite players for sourcing it. The initiation of talks with these satellite imagery providers comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor in May, where it has been inferred that China provided live inputs through satellite support to Pakistan. Senior Army officials have since said that when the DGMO-level talks were on, Pakistan flagged information about 'specific vectors' on the Indian side that were being primed and readied for action, likely from satellite inputs facilities by China. 'We are in talks with commercial satellite imagery providers. We have to deepen our surveillance measures,' an official told The Indian Express. The objective of these discussions is to extend the surveillance envelope and be able to do real-time surveillance at the time of conflicts for more efficient military actions, officials said. The move likely includes Maxar Technologies, which operates some of the world's most advanced Earth observation satellites that can capture images with 30-centimetre resolution, detailed enough to discern targets such as infrastructure, buildings, artillery gun systems and even vehicles. When contacted by The Indian Express, Maxar's spokesperson said they 'don't comment on contract negotiations'. While India's satellites, including the Cartosat and RISAT, have played a big role in helping defence forces to strategise, track enemy mobilisation and confirm strike impact, while maintaining real-time situational awareness which prevented any major damage to the country's military assets, these domestic satellites face some limitations in their capabilities. The Cartosat-3 satellite was designed to offer resolution of up to 30-centimetre, but is claimed to provide good quality imagery at about 50 centimetres. Also, Cartosat-3 operates alone, which limits how frequently it can scan the same area, something that is crucial during fast-paced military engagements where the battlefield is limited to a specific sector. Visibility is crucial, which the Pakistanis are believed to have with Chinese inputs. India's satellites, including the Cartosat and RISAT, have played a big role in helping defence forces to strategise and maintain real-time situational awareness, but there are some limitations in their capabilities. The move to rope in global players is aimed at plugging these gaps. India is already working on upgrading its satellite capabilities and has fast-tracked deployment of 52 surveillance satellites under the SBS (Space Based Surveillance)-III programme after Operation Sindoor, to enable efficient and enhanced monitoring of land and sea borders, with stronger imaging and all-weather functionalities. 'They will start launching the satellites from next year onwards and the deployment of all satellites will be completed by 2029,' the official said. In October last year, the Union Cabinet approved $3.2 billion for the SBS-III programme to develop next-generation satellites over the next decade. Under the programme, ISRO will manufacture and launch the first 21 satellites, while private companies will handle the remaining 31. The Defence Space Agency will oversee the operation of the newly launched satellite system. Aanchal Magazine is Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and reports on the macro economy and fiscal policy, with a special focus on economic science, labour trends, taxation and revenue metrics. With over 13 years of newsroom experience, she has also reported in detail on macroeconomic data such as trends and policy actions related to inflation, GDP growth and fiscal arithmetic. Interested in the history of her homeland, Kashmir, she likes to read about its culture and tradition in her spare time, along with trying to map the journeys of displacement from there. ... Read More Anil Sasi is National Business Editor with the Indian Express and writes on business and finance issues. He has worked with The Hindu Business Line and Business Standard and is an alumnus of Delhi University. ... Read More