UPSC-Relevant News Items

1. Navy inducts second MH-60R Seahawk squadron to boost anti-sub combat capability

Page: 4

Summary:

• • Indian Navy commissioned its second MH-60R Seahawk helicopter squadron, INAS 335 'Ospreys,' at INS Hansa, Goa. The first squadron, INAS 334 'Seahawks,' was commissioned earlier in Kochi.
• • The multi-role US-origin maritime Black Hawks significantly boost India's anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), surveillance, and search and rescue (SAR) capabilities in blue waters.
• • 24 of these helicopters, acquired via Foreign Military Sales (FMS) for over Rs 15,000 crore, are replacing the aging British-origin Sea King fleet.

Additional Facts:

• • Defense acquisitions like the MH-60R deal are managed under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP), with the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by the Defence Minister, serving as the principal institutional mechanism for vetting requirements.
• • Strategic defense modernizations and approvals for high-value contracts are ultimately sanctioned by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), the apex mechanism responsible for key national security policies and large-scale military inductions.

Linkage with UPSC course:

• • General

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