NEW DELHI: Continuing with India’s push towards indigenous production of military equipment and systems, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched Dunagiri (Yard- 3023), Project 17A frigate built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited (GRSE) in Kolkata.
While the construction of the surface ships is going fine, the Indian Navy faces delays in its submarine construction programme. P17A frigates are a follow-on class of the P17 (Shivalik Class) frigates with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems. Seven P17A frigates are under various stages of construction at Mazagaon Dock Limited (MDL) and GRSE which will have multidimensional capabilities to destroy enemies from sea, sky, and underwater.
Speaking on the occasion, the defence minister stressed on the need to increase our infrastructure and assets in the changing scenario of the world, as “economic, political and trade relations between countries are constantly evolving. Security challenges in the Indian Ocean region and Indo-Pacific are constantly increasing.”
Dunagiri, named after a mountain range in the state of Uttarakhand, is the fourth ship of Project 17A frigates. It was approved in 2015 with a total Project cost of `45,000cr at that time. These are follow on of the P17 Frigates (three ships of Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
A total of seven ships, with 04 at MDL and 03 at GRSE are under construction.But things for India’s Submarine Programme 75 (India), the underwater combat arms are not going as per the plans. The Project 75 I slated to cost `43,000 cr as part of the 30-year submarine building programme is facing delays. This is at the time when Indian submarines are more than 25 years old and both Pakistan and China are building their underwater capabilities.
WHATSAPP MALWARE TARGETING ARMY PERSONNEL DETECTED
New Delhi: Indian Defence persons are on target of enemy intelligence agencies and the messaging application WhatsApp is being used often. After the detection of a similar breach in April this year another case has been detected where a malware is being circulated using WhatsApp. Intelligence agencies have detected a malicious malware file ‘CSO_SO on Deputation DRDO.apk’ said to have originated from a suspicious WhatsApp No is being forwarded on WhatsApp to target Indian Defence Persons.As per the sources “the .
APK file is a decoy copy of a genuine DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) letter issued on 26 May 2022 on the same subject i.e., calling for application for deputations to DRDO.” “Pakistan has used an innovative social engagement theme and explosive vulnerability in the cyber domain to target defence persons through click-bait method to steal their digital credentials and elicit sensitive info.” Told the sources. The infected devices were analysed by the agencies and the findings indicate that “on clicking the malicious file it compromises the digital artefacts and connection with servers based in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany.”