The Navy today successfully test-fired the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg, from a warship off the Goa coast. According to Defence sources, the missile, performing high-level manoeuvres successfully hit the target ship. The INS Teg, which has been built at the Yantar shipyard in Russia, had fired the missile successfully during pre-induction trials in Russia last year. The two remaining warships of the project namely INS Tarkash and INS Trikand will also be armed with the lethal missile in vertical launch mode.The two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant, has already been inducted into the Army and Navy, and the Air Force version is in final stage of trial.

While induction of the first version of Brahmos missile
system in the Indian Navy commenced from 2005 with INS Rajput, it is now fully operational with two regiments of the Army.The air launch version and the submarine launch version of the missile system are in progress. The Defence Ministry has also given a go-ahead to Army to induct a third regiment equipped with the missile system to be deployed in Arunachal Pradesh.

Air Marshal D C Kumaria will be the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff . Mr Kumaria, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, the most vital Operational Command of the IAF, would assume his new charge at Air Headquarters on Friday.

Having done his early schooling from Rashtriya Indian Military College(RIMC), Dehradun he went on to join the Khadakwasla, located National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned into the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force in 1973.

AIR correspondent reports, early in his career he flew all variants of the MiG-21 aircraft. A graduate of Defence Services Staff College(DSSC), Wellington, he has held various important Field and Staff appointments.

He was awarded Vayu Sena Medal in 1983, Vishisht Seva Medal in 1996, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in Jan 2007 and Param Vishisht Seva Medal in Jan 2012 .

The Indian Air Force has signed an agreement with BSNL and MTNL under which the two players would provide Air force a host of services at concessional rates. In a statement issued in New Delhi today, the BSNL said the objective is to enable BSNL and MTNL to provide IAF full gamut of telecom services, including basic telephony, mobile telephony, broadband and internet services and leased lines. 

With the agreement coming into effect, the two public sector units will get the status of most Preferred Service Provider by Indian Air Force . 

The joint agreement with IAF is also a step towards synchronising their businesses as the Department of Telecommunications is examining the feasibility of merging telecom PSUs ITI and MTNL with BSNL in line.

he Defence Minister A K Antony today assured that the government will provide all assistance to the Indian Air Force, IAF, to meet its rapid modernisation plans for capacity building. Addressing the bi-annual IAF Commanders' Conference in New Delhi today, Mr Antony said, the government will continue to support the modernisation process during the next three Five Year Plan periods. Mr Antony said, the air defence system of the IAF is being further strengthened with new inductions and integration of weapons and modern sensors.

The Defence Minister reiterated the need for indigenisation in defence procurement to achieve the goal of self reliance in defence production. He said, it will not ony help in domestic economy but will also reduce excessive dependence on foreign countries.

Terming flight safety as the key to success, the Defence Minister said that he has instituted a Ministerial-level Committee to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the IAF 'Court of Inquiry' with regard to civil agencies.

Lauding the contribution of IAF in disaster mitigation, he said, the creation of Rapid Action Medical Teams and their deployment in the wake of natural calamities is a welcome move by the Air Force. Mr Antony said that the Centre is aware of the need to enhance the quality of life of air warriors. He said the first phase of Air Force Married Accommodation project is nearing completion. It will reduce hardships being faced by some families of Air Force personnel to quite an extent.