Exercise Sahyog Kaijin began in Chennai port:
Indo-Japan joint-exercise Sahyog-Kaijin began on 16 January 2020 at the Chennai port. This is the 19th edition of the exercise that is being conducted between the two Coast Guards.
Aim:
The exercise is aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties and mutual understanding between the two coast guards. It also aims to enhance interoperability in communication, search and rescue procedures and sharing of best practices.
Key highlights:
♦ During the exercise, various activities including official calls reciprocal visit onboard ships, sporting events like basketball matches, cultural interactions will be carried out.
♦ Professional interactions between personnel of both the coast guards will be organized.
♦ The exercise mainly focuses on search and rescue, anti-piracy and pollution response.
Participants:
From the Japanese side, Japanese Coast Guard Patrol Ship Echigo and a 60-member crew and from the Indian side, a total of four ICG ships, their aircraft and a vessel from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) are participating in the exercise.
Exercise Sahyog-Kaijin:
The exercise Sahyog-Kaijin is in line with the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between the Indian Coast Guard and Japan Coast Guard in 2006. Since then, there have been regular interactions including high-level visits, training exchanges, annual joint exercises, workshops, and seminars.
Rajnath Singh flagged off 51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun from Larsen and Turbo Armoured System Complex in Gujarat:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off 51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Armoured System Complex at Hazira, Gujarat on 16 January 2020. The participation of the private sector in defence manufacturing is toward fulfilling the government`s commitment to make India an arms manufacturing hub and net defence exporter.
51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun:
♦ 51st K9 VAJRA-T gun weighs 50 tonnes
♦ It can fire 47kg bombs at 43 kilometre distant targets
♦ It can also turn around at zero radius.
♦ In 2017, L&T won the Rs.4,500 crore contract from the Ministry of Defence to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra-T 155 mm/52 calibre tracked self-propelled gun systems to the Indian Army.
♦ The K9 Vajra contract involves the delivery of 100 such systems in 42 months. This is the largest contract awarded to a private company by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
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