Exercise Rahat Concluded in __________.

Ministry of Defence, India has signed the U.S. for 72,400 SIG716 assault rifles for front-line soldiers deployed in operational areas. Of the 72,400 rifles, 66,400 are meant for the Army, 2,000 for the Navy and 4,000 for the Air Force. The broad parameters for the weapon are an effective range of 500 m and a weight of less than 3 kg. The new rifles will replace the Indian National Small Arms System (INSAS) rifles.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation organised a conclave on the theme 'flying for all' where more than 200 delegates including industry leaders and regulators deliberated on issues and opportunities in the sector. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu stated that the Conclave was about the future of Indian aviation, bringing together industry leaders, government and regulators for setting the tone and propelling us to realize our Vision-2040.

Directorate of Indian Defence University (IDU) is organizing a 2-day workshop on Space Warfare and Technology on 2-3 May,19 in New Delhi. It is being held for senior and middle-level officers from the three Services. The workshop intends to cover Weaponisation and Militarisation of Space, preparation for Absorption of High-End Technology for Self-Sustenance in Space Operations, and more.

The Civil Aviation ministry launched the country's first Geographical Indication (GI) store at Dabolim International Airport in Goa. Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu stated that the GI stores will promote local products made by the artisans and handicrafts at the airport. The store is set up by Airports Authority of India in partnership with The Cashew Export Promotional Council of India.

Chinese Navy commissioned two new Type 052D guided missile destroyers in Dalian, a coastal city. They are the 19th and 20th ships in the class and are named as Tangshan and Suzhou. China, at present 20 Type 052Ds either in active service or to be launched for service soon. The destroyers are fast and warships are operated for long distances. It is used to accompany the aircraft carriers. The newly developed Type 052D destroyers are the upgrades of its previous version Type 052C.

The 10th Edition of the bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) started at Visakhapatnam. The Maritime exercise will conclude on December 16. The Primary aim of the exercise is to increase interoperability amongst the two navies, develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations. This Year's edition of exercise would be held in two phases, The Harbour phase would be held at Visakhapatnam from 9-12 December and the Sea phase would be held from 13-16 December in the bay of Bengal. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Air Defence Drills, Surface firings, Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations and tactical procedures will be the thrust of exercises at sea.

Indian Navy Ships (INS) Kolkata and Shakti carried out Group Sail with naval ships of Japan, Philippines and the United States of America in the South China Sea from May 03 to May 09, 2019. This week long military exercise had a participation of six combatants from the four participating countries - India, USA, Japan and Philippines. The ships undertook various exercises enroute which included formation manoeuvering, underway replenishment runs, cross-deck flying and exchange of Sea Riders. The Group Sail exercise with naval ships of Japan, Philippines and United States showcased India's commitment towards operating with like-minded nations to ensure safe maritime environment through enhanced interoperability.

Russia has successfully tested the world's first floating nuclear power plant (NPP), Akademik Lomonosov. Reactors of the floating atomic block were launched in November 2018. The tests confirmed the operational stability of the main and auxiliary equipment for the plant will be the world's first fully commercial operational floating nuclear power plant. All automatic process and control systems were tested successfully.Akademik Lomonosov was built at a shipyard in St.Petersburg since 2008 and was last summer towed around Scandinavia to Murmansk where the uranium fuel elements were loaded into the two reactors and testing now has been going on for nearly a year.

Africa-India Joint Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-19) between the Indian Army and 16 African nations will be conducted in Pune from March 18 to 27. The joint exercise would be held at Pune's Foreign Training Node at Aundh Military Station and College of Military Engineering in Kirkee. Features of AFINDEX-19: 10 personnel, each from the participating nations from the African continent and personnel of Maratha Light Infantry of the Indian Army will participate in the joint exercise.

The Indian Navy's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Training Facility (NBCTF) was inaugurated at INS Shivaji by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba in Lonavala, Maharashtra. The NBCTF, christened 'Abhedya', Sanskrit for impenetrable, will help train personnel of naval ships fitted with nuclear, biological and chemical detection and protection systems. Admiral Lanba also launched the INS Shivaji's website on the Indian Navy portal and released the platinum jubilee logo, with the theme 'Propelling the Indian Navy since 1945'. INS Shivaji is celebrating its platinum jubilee in 2019-20.