New Delhi, Sep 9 :
To enhance the skills and capability building of their personnel, the Indian Army and Indian Air Force on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, Vadodara.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw here, an official statement said.
The MoU will enable the two services to acquire higher expertise on logistics. It will ensure development of in-house expertise on various facets of logistics operations and contribute effectively towards the national development plans – PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan 2021 and National Logistics Policy 2022.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajnath described the collaboration as a monumental partnership towards further strengthening the logistics backbone of the Armed Forces in sync with the vision of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence.
He emphasised that logistics is no longer just a support function of the Armed Forces, but is emerging as an important factor in military operations and national security.
“An efficient logistics system plays a key role in quickly mobilising the forces and delivering resources to the right place in less time. Keeping in mind the conditions in which our forces operate, we need a seamless movement of troops, equipment and supplies. The MoU will prove to be very important in terms of how the needs of our forces can be fulfilled through knowledge, innovation and collaboration,” Singh said.
Asserting that the MoU will prove to be beneficial in achieving self-reliance in defence sector, Rajnath said, “If we need expertise in logistics, we should get its training from our own resources like Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. If we need equipment, we should get it manufactured in India itself. The foundation of a strong India can be laid only by being Aatmanirbhar”.
On the MoU’s provision of experiential learning through real-world case studies, the Defence Minister exuded confidence that Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, through the leadership, management, and operational experience of the Armed Forces personnel, will help shape a new generation of logistics experts and managers who will fulfil the dynamic needs of modern warfare.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed confidence that the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya will serve as a vital partner in empowering the Armed Forces with cutting-edge logistics education, research, and innovation.
The event was attended by senior officers of Ministries of Defence and Railways, including CDS, Air Force Chief, Army Chief, Defence Secretary, Chairman, Railway Board and Vice Chancellor, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.
In a major boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for manufacturing of 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines for Su-30MKI fighter jets at a cost of over Rs 26,000 crore.
The contract was inked by senior officials of MoD and HAL in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari here, an official statement said.
These aeroengines will be manufactured by the Koraput division of HAL and are expected to fulfil the need of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet for the defence preparedness of the country.
HAL would supply 30 aero-engines per annum as per the contractual delivery schedule. The supply of all 240 engines would be completed over the period of next eight years.
During the manufacturing, HAL plans to take support from the country’s defence manufacturing ecosystem, involving MSMEs and public and private industries. By the end of the delivery programme, HAL would enhance the indigenisation content up to 63 percent to achieve an average of over 54 percent. This would also help increase the indigenous content of repair and overhaul tasks of the aero-engines.
