Suggested Weekend Reading

A collection of writings related to India's socio-political issues that made headlines this week.

Submarine INS Sindhurakshak [S63] On Its Way Back Home [Photographs]

The Indian Navy's recently upgraded INS Sindhurakshak, a modified Kilo-class submarine, making port calls at different countries on its way back to India from Russia.

INS Vikramaditya Out At Sea

Extended video footage showing the Soviet Aircraft-carrying Cruiser 'Admiral Gorshkov' turned Indian Navy Aircraft Carrier 'INS Vikramaditya' on its first sea trial, last year.

As scathing & hurtful as the tone of this article is, there is great merit to what has been said in it,

"....it’s time we woke up to the fact that though we claim to have pride as Indians, we don’t have the courage to uphold it or fight for it, just like how while we claim to have come from a bi-zillion years of culture loaded with morals we ever so rarely display them."

"Now let us look at how the Italians have handled their marines. The day the marines were arrested, the Italian government made sure they got bail, they were put up in a guest house instead of jail, they were well-fed and of course in keeping with their Italian need for fashion, well-clothed and well-cooled with fancy sunglasses."

"Our leaders are so used to cutting deals and compromising within the nation and in corridors of power that they use the same methodology in international politics, embarrassing themselves and us."

- ‘India never had guts; so will never be glorious’

Prototype French Rafale A01 Fighter Aircraft At The 1988 British Farnborough Airshow [Photographs]

It was the second consecutive appearance of this Dassault-built Technology Demonstrator aircraft at the iconic British air show.

Weekend Linkages [Suggested Reading]

A mixed bag of interesting topics to spend time on a weekend, reading.

Spotted: China's First Aircraft Carrier At Its New Homeport [Image Of The Day]

Satellite image showing the sole Aircraft Carrier China operates, a Russian-origin Kuznetsov-class vessel, recently christened Liaoning, berthed at what has been said to be its home base in China's North-East.

HAL Looking For Partners To Develop And Build Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAV]

With an already over-flowing work-order, delayed projects & running an operation that, in general, doesn't evoke enough confidence in collaborators, the state's sole Aerospace manufacturer is set to dip its fingers in yet another pie - UAVs.

Solar Electric Propulsion [SEP] - Ion Propulsion [IP]

An alternative to chemical combustion propulsion for Space travel.

Pilatus PC-7 Basic Trainer Aircraft Of The Indian Air Force [IAF] [Photographs]

112 of these Swiss-built aircrafts would eventually be in service with the Indian Air Force [IAF], serving as the Stage-I aircraft to train its cadets, replacing the current HPT-32 Deepak aircraft.

Sindhughosh-Class Submarine INS Sindhurakshak [S63] In The UK [Indian Navy]

The recently upgraded Russian-origin Kilo-Class derivative submarine stopped at the Portsmouth port in the UK, in February, on its way back to India, upon completions of its upgrades in Russia.

DRDO Seeks Indian Industry Participation To Develop SATCOM Data Link For The Rustom-II UAV

"The Data Link System is one of the major systems of UAV that is based on Digital Communications Techniques and provides full duplex communication between UAV & Ground Control Station."

Life At The Officers Training Academy [OTA], Chennai [Suggested Weekend Reading]

Coffee table picture book capturing life at one of the most well-respected training institutions in the country, grooming cadets to join the Indian Army as Short Service Commissioned [SSC] officers.

"During one trip, [NSA Chief] Jones went completely off script and promised Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan's top military man, a civilian nuclear deal in exchange for Pakistan's cooperation. Panic struck the White House."

- The Inside Story of How the White House Let Diplomacy Fail in Afghanistan

Whatever may have been the merit, or lack of it, going by the article above, to Obama's undermining of Richard Holbrooke's efforts in the Pak-Af region, India quite rightly & skilfully torpedoed his yearnings to become a player in resolving the issue involving the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir.

Godspeed

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle [PSLV] - How It Functions

An interactive, animated model, highlighting important sub-systems of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle [PSLV] & their operations.

Foreign Satellite Launch & Construction by Indian Space Research Organisation [ISRO] [UPDATED: 2015.10.14]

List of Satellites that India has launched or built, so far, for International customers, through the Indian Space Research Organisation [ISRO].

Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Flanker Fighter Of The Indian Air Force [IAF] [Photographs] - 02 Of 02

Indian Air Force's [IAF] most advanced fighter aircraft, to date.

Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Flanker Fighters Of The Indian Air Force [IAF] [Photographs] - 01 Of 02

Indian Air Force's [IAF] Russian-origin Su-30 MKI 'Flanker' all-weather, Air Dominance Fighter Aircraft.

India's Radar Imaging Satellite Programme - The Complete Lowdown

Significance of the development & launch of a Synthetic Aperture Radar [SAR]-based satellite, one that India has developed itself, can't be stated enough - India entered an all new realm of Space-based surveillance.