Latest news with #TurkishSongar
News18
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Aamir Khan Supports 'Boycott Turkey' Calls For Backing Pakistan: 'Bahut Galat Kiya'
Last Updated: Aamir Khan addressed backlash over meetings with Turkish leaders, criticising Turkey for supporting Pakistan during Op Sindoor despite India's aid during the 2023 earthquake. Turkey and Azerbaijan strained ties with India and faced boycott calls for backing Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. This was around the same time that Bollywood actor Aamir Khan's photos from his past meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan emerged, leading to massive backlash. Aamir finally addressed the pictures and slammed Turkey for siding with Pakistan even after India was one of the first ones to help the country during the 2023 earthquake. Aamir Khan, who seldom makes a political comment, spoke about Turkey's alleged backing to Pakistan by supplying combat drones during Operation Sindoor. Speaking to Rajat Sharma on Aap Ki Adalat, the actor said, 'Turkey has done the wrong thing (Turkey ne bahut galat kiya), and every Indian is hurt. During the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, the Indian government was the first to send humanitarian aid. At that time, neither I nor our government knew what Turkey would do later." Khan clarified that his meetings with the Turkish leaders in 2017 and 2020 were held in good faith, at a time when there were no signs of the geopolitical shifts that would later unfold. 'When I met President Erdogan, I did not know that his country would support actions against India seven years later," he said. When asked about a viral photo of him meeting Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan, Aamir said, 'As a public figure representing India abroad, it is customary to accept diplomatic courtesies. When invited for tea, I couldn't refuse. But let me reiterate — what Turkey has done now is completely wrong, and it has deeply hurt us. I was angry too." Aamir Khan also spoke about India's rising boycott calls for Turkey. 'They are doing the right thing. We must not support a country that is siding with those who attack us. We extended friendship during their time of need, and in return, they supported Pakistan. Bahut hi galat baat hai," he said in the same interview. All you need to know about 'Boycott Turkey and Azerbaijan' movement While the rest of the world condemned the heinous terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam on April 22, 2024, Turkey not only sided with Pakistan, but Turkish Songar drones were also deployed by the Pakistan Army to target India's military bases and civilian infrastructure. This support from Turkey came after the global condemnation of the terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam, with Turkish Songar drones being used by the Pakistan Army against India's military and civilian targets. Shiv Sena UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi posted a video on X, urging citizens to boycott Turkey and Azerbaijan for their support of Pakistan after the Kashmir attack. She also advised against visiting these two countries, which heavily rely on tourism, and suggested travelling to nations that support India in its fight against terrorism. First Published:
The Print
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
How upgraded L/70 guns, or ‘original Bofors', became India's frontline defence against Pakistan UAVs
Their aim, as pointed out by Colonel Sofiya Qureshi during a press briefing last week, was to test India's air defences and conduct reconnaissance following Indian armed forces' precision strikes on nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor. In what officials described as the largest drone incursion ever in the region, Pakistan deployed between '300-400 drones' on the night of 8–9 May to target Indian installations. Forensic analysis of the wreckage confirmed use of Turkish Songar drones , officials said. New Delhi: When Pakistan launched a coordinated drone offensive across 36 locations along India's western border last week, India's air defence grid snapped into action, with the upgraded L/70 guns playing a key role in thwarting the incoming danger. Among the systems that responded to the drone threat were the upgraded 40-mm L/70 anti-aircraft guns, originally developed in the aftermath of World War II, that have since undergone a transformation through extensive upgrades. From Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh to Sir Creek in Gujarat, these guns, along with other elements of the Indian air defence grid, played a crucial role in tracking and taking down incoming enemy drones. Also Read: Pokhran resident shrugs off drone incursions from Pakistan—'we're from land where nuclear tests happened' Legacy system with post-modern lineage The L/70 guns were originally developed in the late 1940s by Sweden's AB Bofors as a successor to the widely used L/60. These two versions of the anti-aircraft guns earned the moniker 'original Bofors'. Inducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) first in 1952, it quickly became the NATO's standard for a medium-calibre air defence platform, known for its high-velocity 40-mm rounds, a longer barrel and a faster cyclic rate. Each 40-mm air defence gun fires around 300 rounds per minute with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 metres per second and has an effective range of three to four kilometres. India inducted the L/70 guns in the early 1960s, first through imports and later via licensed production at the Gun Carriage Factory in Jabalpur. Over time, it became the backbone of India's short-range air defence grid, with over a thousand guns deployed across forward air bases, cantonments and high-value infrastructure sites. But its original configuration with manual aiming and optical sights made it ill-suited to face modern threats like supersonic jets, rotary-wing drones and later, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The L/70 upgrade journey The L/70s' real test didn't come from fighter jets or helicopters, but from a new class of threat—small, low-cost drones with minimal radar signatures. The sudden proliferation of quadcopters, commercial UAVs and compact fixed-wing drones, often deployed by both State and non-State actors, posed a unique challenge to traditional radar and missile-based air defence systems. Instead of retiring a platform with a vast existing inventory, the Army chose to extend the operational life of the L/70 anti-aircraft guns through an extensive upgrade programme. Subsequently, the defence ministry initiated a series of upgrade projects for the L/70 in the early 2010s, led by two major players—state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and private-sector giant Tata Advanced Systems. BEL secured the flagship contract in 2017 to upgrade 200 L/70 guns. The first set of these upgraded systems was inducted in 2021 and deployed to forward positions in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector, bolstering air defence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Upgrades included replacing old hydraulic drives with electric actuators, significantly enhancing accuracy, response speed and maintenance reliability of these machines. Additionally, a new Integrated Fire Control System (IFCS) was installed, incorporating a digital ballistic computer that calculates shell trajectory in real time. This system autonomously adjusts for factors such as barrel tilt, round velocity, and atmospheric conditions, easing the load on gun crews. BEL has also equipped L/70s with an advanced electro-optical suite to ensure effective targeting in all weather conditions and at any time of day. The suite features a Daylight Television (DLTV) camera, an eye-safe Laser Range Finder (LRF), and a third-generation Thermal Imager (TI), enabling precise tracking and engagement even in low-visibility environments. In 2024, BEL further enhanced L/70s by integrating a radar- and Radio Frequency (RF)-based Drone Guard System (DGS), designed to detect, track and neutralise rogue drones. The system enables a layered response, including jamming the communications, spoofing GPS signals, and carrying out kinetic strikes when needed. The upgraded version is also capable of firing air burst ammunition, which detonates near the target rather than on direct impact. This feature significantly improves its effectiveness against small, agile drones by allowing it to engage multiple threats simultaneously. Also Read: Army Air Defence looks to procure surveillance systems for smallest drones, 'smart ammunition' How L/70s delivered against Pakistan To counter the influx of UAVs, India leaned on the Air Force's Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), a robust network linking long-range surveillance radars, signal intelligence nodes and ground-based air defence platforms for real-time threat assessment and response. The upgraded L/70 guns, equipped with electric drives, electro-optical sensors, and fire control computers, were integrated into this network as a responsive short-range layer. Real-time data fusion enabled these systems to receive cueing from surveillance radars optimised for low-Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets, allowing rapid orientation and engagement. Sources indicate L/70s deployed across forward zones, particularly in Jammu, Samba, and segments of Punjab, were pivotal in countering the 8–9 May drone swarms. Their electric drive mechanism enhanced not only the target acquisition speed but also reduced acoustic signature (sound patterns), preventing early detection by drones reliant on an audio-visual feedback loop. Upon target designation via the IACCS, the L/70s used their onboard third-generation thermal imagers and laser rangefinders to track and engage multiple aerial objects under low-visibility and night-time conditions. The integrated Drone Guard System (DGS) supplemented this capability by detecting drone-specific RF emissions, enabling electronic countermeasures such as jamming and GPS spoofing, followed by kinetic engagement using proximity-fused airburst ammunition. The result—a legacy system reborn as a precision counter-drone weapon, capable of taking out low-RCS targets, precisely the kind Pakistan employed during its drone offensive. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: It doesn't end here. India must prepare for mightier neighbours
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Express News Quiz: Op Sindoor, a new Pope & the Met Gala
Welcome to The Indian Express' weekly news quiz. You know the drill — there are 10 quiz questions below, woven around major events from India and the world. Your job is to sniff out the answers while being mindful of the timer. Any score above 80 will be commendable, earning you a shoutout on @iepuzzles, our hub for brainteasers on Instagram. Good luck, and see you on the other side! Before you try our other games, a look at the rich stories that couldn't make it into the quiz this week: Vanishing voices of the mountains: The struggle to preserve Pahari languages | What are Turkish Songar drones, used by Pak to attack India? More from Express Puzzles & Games BEGINNERS | The IE Mini Crossword, made with Indian English MEDIUM | Digital Sudoku with pen, pencil and checking tools EXPERT | Chess strategy puzzle: find best moves, solve trivia Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
