Nation

Vertical-launch version of BrahMos testfired

megha — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:40:16 +0530

The vertical-launch version of supersonic BrahMos cruise missile was on Sunday successfully test-fired by the navy from a warship in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Orissa.

"The missile was launched at 1130 hours on Sunday from Indian Navy ship INS Ranvir and it manoeuvred successfully hitting the target ship. It was a perfect hit and a perfect mission," BrahMos aerospace chief A Sivathanu Pillai told PTI.

After Sunday's test, India has become the first and only country in the world to have a "manoeuvrable supersonic cruise missile in its inventory," he said in New Delhi.

Pillai said the software of the missile, which has a range of 290 kms, was improved and Sunday's test proved its capability of manoeuvrability at supersonic speeds before hitting the target.

"During the test, the missile hit a free-floating ship piercing it above the waterline and destroying it completely," BrahMos officials said.

The test-firing was part of the pre-induction tests by the Navy as moves are afoot to deploy the vertical-launch version of the missile in ships. The weapon system has been designed and developed by the Indo-Russian joint venture company.

In separate messages, President Pratibha Patil and Defence Minister A K Antony congratulated the BrahMos
scientists and the navy for the successful test-launch.

All the three Indian Navy's Talwar class ships, under construction in Russia, have been fitted with vertical launchers and many other ships will also be equipped with them, officials said.

The navy had earlier carried out several tests of the BrahMos but most of them had been done from inclined launchers abroad INS Rajput. The missile is already in service with the Navy and its Shivalik class frigates have been equipped with it.

BrahMos has also been inducted into the Army and preparations are on to develop its air-launched and the submarine-launched versions, officials said.

'India not squeezed out of Afghanistan'

megha — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:19:06 +0530

Refuting reports that it has been "squeezed out" of Afghanistan, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has said India was playing a "stellar role" in rebuilding the war-torn country, which was acknowledged by the people and the legitimate government there.

He also said India has taken note of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's statement that it was a friend, and Pakistan a conjoined twin.

"I do not think that India has been squeezed out. I think India is playing a stellar role in rebuilding Afghanistan which has been acknowledged by the people of Afghanistan and by the legitimate Government of Afghanistan, and that is what matters," Krishna said in an interview to an Indian TV channel.

He was asked about the media reports that whilst Pakistan's influence was growing, India was either left out of the loop or is being squeezed out. On Karzai's statement, the minister said "In President Karzai's assessment, I think that is the scheme of things."

"We take note of that", was his reply when asked if it worried India.

About attacks on Indians, Krishna noted that those, who have gone there on humanitarian purposes are unarmed which makes them "easy and soft targets", but he said Afghanistan government has assured that they will be able to protect the Indian personnel who have gone there on call of duty.

He said "apart from what the Afghanistan government is doing, India will have to take some additional measures ourselves."

The minister also rejected the reports that the US Administration was trying to minimise India's presence in Afghanistan.

"We have in our interactions with the US Administration at various levels not got the impression that the United States is trying to convey directly or indirectly to the Indian Government that our presence in Afghanistan should be minimised. That is not my impression," he said.

Crude bomb discovered on Kingfisher flight

megha — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:57:13 +0530

A country-made bomb was found onboard the Bangalore-Thiruvananthapuram Kingfisher flight on its arrival at the international airport Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday morning, putting security agencies on alert.

The bomb, about the size of a cricket ball, was found during a security check of the cargo section of the ATR-72 aircraft after 27 passengers, coming from Bangalore, had deplaned, airport security sources said.

It was wrapped in a Malayalam newspaper, they said.

The aircraft was immediately moved to the isolation bay and the package containing the explosive material was removed and defused by putting it in water, the sources said.

A thorough check of the aircraft was carried out by security agencies with the help of local police.

The plane, which landed at 8 am here after taking off from Bangalore at 6.25 am, had 27 passengers and four crew. The ATR-72 has a capacity of 48 passengers.

An airline spokesman told PTI the "unclaimed" package was found during security check after the passengers had deplaned.

"Shortly after Kingfisher flight IT-4731 landed at Thiruvananthapuram and after all 27 passengers onboard had deplaned, a routine security check was being carried out. During this check, an unclaimed package was found.

"The matter was immediately reported to the authorities who removed the package from the aircraft," the spokesman said.

The return flight with 29 passengers, scheduled for take off from here at 8.25 am, was delayed due to the detection of the package and subsequent security checks, the sources said.

Ticketless traveller thrown to death by TC

megha — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:48:38 +0530

In a shocking incident from Gujarat, a passenger was thrown out of a running train by the on-duty ticket checker on Saturday.

The person was traveling in the Badodra-Mumbai Express, and did not have a traveling pass on him. On discovering the same, the TC threw the man out of the running train.

The person died on the spot.

The gruesome incident soon created a furore inside the train, and other passengers went on a rampage to beat the ticket checker.

Govt ready to look into genuine issues on N-Bill

megha — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 10:09:18 +0530

Government is ready to "look into" any genuine and sincere issues the opposition may raise over the Nuclear Liability Bill which it wants to be passed urgently, failing which the entire atomic power generation programme would be delayed.

Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who is in-charge of Department of Atomic Energy, said the country lacks a law under which compensation could be awarded in the case of a nuclear accident.

This is particularly important considering the fact that India is gearing up for a massive expansion of its nuclear-power sector and is in talks with US, Russia and France for setting of their reactors here.

"They (opposition parties) have the draft Bill. Let them suggest, we will look at it," Chavan told PTI when asked whether the government was ready to revisit the proposed legislation in view of stiff opposition by BJP and the Left.

The two parties had forced the government to decide against introduction of the Bill in Lok Sabha on March 15.

The Opposition parties are objecting to the compensation cap of Rs 500 crore on the operator and allege the government is letting the foreign suppliers off-the-hook.

Pvt players to enter?

BJP also apprehends that through the legislation, the government is trying to enable foreign private companies to enter India's nuclear market.

On behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon has already met BJP leaders to clarify any doubts regarding the Bill.

Asked the reason for the urgency to get the Bill passed by Parliament, Chavan said "the nuclear power programme will be delayed" if the proposed legislation is deferred.

Official sources maintained the Bill had been drafted after careful consideration of all aspects and studying such laws prevalent in other countries.

The government wants the Bill to be tabled in Parliament so that any genuine and sincere issues could be addressed, either in the Standing Committee or during the debate.

"The Bill has been drafted after careful study of global nuclear compensation conventions. Basic principle in all these conventions is that there is strict liability on the operator only," they said.

Officials said the Bill also secures the nuclear power plant operator's right to recourse if a nuclear accident has resulted from wilful act of gross negligence on part of the supplier of the material or equipment or his services.

The BJP has been contending that since the government would be the operator there should be no cap on compensation. It also wants the 10-year limit within which the victim of an accident has to make the compensation claim.

The government maintains that these cannot be changed. On the cap issue, the officials noted that compensation limit is even lower in China as also in France.

The Bill proposes to make the operator liable for any nuclear damage caused in a nuclear accident. It also seeks to cap the compensation to be paid by an operator at Rs 500 crore.

The second tier of compensation amounting to Rs 2,100 crore is to be met by the government. If more compensation is to be paid, the government can tap into an international fund set up under the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) under the aegis of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The passage of the Bill is a pre-requisite for India to be part of the CSC.