A Scientific Law is the description of an observed phenomenon.

It doesn't
explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it. The explanation of the
phenomenon is called a Scientific Theory.

List Of Scientific Laws and Theories

1. Archimede's principle - It states that a body when wholly or partially
immersed in a liquid experience an upward thrust which is equal to the
weight of the liquid
displaced by it. Thus, the body appears to lose a part of its weight. This
loss in weight is equal to the weight of the liquid displaced by the body.
2. Aufbau principle - It states that in an unexcited atom, electrons reside
in the lowest energy orbitals available to them.
3. Avogadro's Law - It states that equal volumes of all gases under
similar conditions of temperature and pressure contain an equal number
of molecules.
4. Brownian motion - It is a zigzag, irregular motion exhibited by small
solid particles when suspended in a liquid or gas due to irregular
bombardment by the liquid or gas molecules.
5. Bernoulli's principle - It states that as the speed of a moving fluid,
liquid or gas, increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases. The
aerodynamic lift on the wing of an aeroplane is also explained in part by
this principle.
6. Boyles's Law - It states that temperature remaining constant, the
volume of a given mass of a gas varies inversely with the pressure of
the gas. Thus, PV = K (constant), where, P = Pressure and V = Volume.
7. Charles's Law - It states that pressure remains constant, the volume of
a given mass of gas increases or decreases by 1/273 part of its volume
at 0-degree Celsius for each degree Celsius rise or fall of its
temperature.
8. Coulomb's Law - It states that the force of attraction or repulsion
between two charges is proportional to the amount of charge on both
charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them.
9. Heisenberg principle (uncertainty principle) - It is impossible to
determine with accuracy both the position and the momentum of a
particle such as an electron simultaneously.
10. Gay-Lussac’s Law of combining volumes - Gases react
together in volumes which bear simple whole number ratios to one
another and also to the volumes of the products, if gaseous — all the
volumes being measured under similar conditions of temperature and
pressure.
11. Graham’s Law of Diffusion - It states that the rates of diffusion
of gases are inversely proportional to the square roots of their densities
under similar conditions of temperature and pressure.
12. Kepler's Law - Each planet revolves around the Sun in an
elliptical orbit with the Sun at one focus. The straight line joining the Sun
and the planet sweeps out
equal areas in equal intervals. The squares of the orbital periods of
planets are proportional to the cubes of their mean distance from the
Sun.
13. Law of Floatation - For a body to float, the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
o The weight of the body should be equal to the weight of the water
displaced.
o The centre of gravity of the body and that of the liquid displaced
should be in the same straight line.
14. Law of conservation of energy - It states that energy can
neither be created nor destroyed but it can be transformed from one
form to another. Since energy
cannot be created or destroyed, the amount of energy present in the
universe is always remain constant.
15. Newton's First Law of Motion - An object at rest tends to stay at
rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion, with the same
direction and speed in a
straight line unless acted upon by some external force.
16. Newton's Second Law of Motion - The rate of change of
momentum of a body is directly proportional to the force applied and
takes place in the direction in which the force acts.
17. Newton's Third Law of Motion - To every action, there is an
equal and opposite reaction.
18. Newton's Law of Gravitation - All particles of matter mutually
attract each other by a force directly proportional to the product of their
 masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them.
19. Ohm's Law - It states that the current passing through a
conductor between two points is directly proportional to the potential
difference across the two points provided the physical state and
temperature etc. of the conductor does not change.
20. Pauli exclusion principle - It explains that no two electrons in
the same atom or molecule can have the same set of quantum
numbers.
21. Raman effect - It is the change in wavelength that occurs when
light is scattered by the atoms or molecules in a transparent medium.
22. Tyndall effect - The scattering of light by very small particles
suspended in a gas or liquid.

Parts of the Body Affected by Diseases

Disease Affected Body Part
Arthritis Joints
Asthma Bronchial Muscles
Cataract Eyes
Diabetes Pancreas
Diphtheria Throat
Eczema Skin
Glaucoma Eyes
Goitre Thyroid Gland
Jaundice Liver
Leukemia Blood
Malaria Spleen
Meningitis Brain and Spinal Cord
Otitis Ears
Paralysis Nerves
 Pneumonia Lungs
Polio Legs
Pyorrhoea Teeth and Gums
Rheumatism Joints
Inflammation
Sinusitis
of sinus linings
Tonsillitis Tonsils
Trachoma Eyes
Tuberculosis Lungs
Intestines
Typhoid

Diseases and Causative Agents

Causative Agent Disease

Bacteria Diphtheria, Gonorrhoea, Meningitis,
Cholera, Leprosy, Typhoid, Tetanus,
Tuberculosis, Plague, Whooping Cough,
Pneumonia
Virus Chicken Pox, Small Pox, Measle,
Mumps, AIDS, Yellow fever, Influenza,
Dengue fever, Rabies, Polio-meritis
phelebotomus
Protozoans Malaria, Sleeping sickness, Kala-azar,
Leishmaniasis, Amoebic dysentery
Fungus Athlete's foot, Ringworms, Madura foot,
Dhobi's itch
Helminths Filaria, Tapeworm and Hookworm
transmission
Diseases and its Affected Area

Important Information about Human Body

• Biggest Organ: Liver
• Heart Beat: 72 times in a minute
• Master Gland: Pituitary
• Number of Bone: 206
• Number of Muscles: 640
• Number of chromosomes: 46 or 23 pairs
• Normal Blood Pressure: 80 to 120
• Teeth: 32
• The volume of Blood: About 7 litres in normal body or about 7% of
the total body weight.
• Largest; Part of human Brain: Cerebrum

Introduction

It is the application of science in which we study the use of organisms,

biological processes, or systems to manufacture products aims to improve the
quality of human life.

Biotechnology and Its Applications

Types of Biotechnology

Green Biotechnology

• Applied to agricultural processes.

• Three main areas of application are Plant tissue culture; Plant genetic
engineering and plant molecular marker-assisted breeding.
• Biotech is used to make plants pest and drought tolerant.
• BT Cotton is an example of bollworm tolerant plant. It is also a
transgenic plant.
Red Biotechnology

• Concerned with medical sciences, development of innovative drugs and

treatment.
• Application: Productions of vaccines and antibiotics, regenerative
therapies, gene therapy, stem cell therapy etc. are few applications of
Red biotech.

Blue Biotechnology

• Use of sea resources marine and freshwater organisms to create

products and industrial applications.

White Biotechnology

• Applied to industrial processes.

• Using enzymes as industrial catalysts, usage of moulds, bacteria, yeast
etc to produce various goods are few examples of White biotechnology.

Yellow Biotechnology

• Biotechnology with insects.

• It also refers to the use of biotechnology in food production.

Gray Biotechnology

• Application of Biotechnology to environmental applications,

maintenance of biodiversity and removal of pollutants.

Brown Biotechnology

• Related to the management of Arid Zone and Deserts

• Creation of drought-resistant seeds, natural resources management, the
creation of agricultural techniques suited to arid landscape etc. are few
examples of Brown biotech.

Violet Biotechnology

• Related to law, ethical and philosophical issues around biotechnology

Dark Biotechnology

• Related to bioterrorism, biological weapons and biowarfare which use

microorganisms and toxins to cause diseases, death and disability.

Application of Biotechnology
• Medicine
1. Biopharmaceuticals
2. Gene Therapy
3. Pharmacogenomics
4. Genetic testing
• Agriculture
1. Genetically modified crops
2. Biofuels
3. Plant and animal reproduction
4. Biofortification
5. Antibiotics
6. Abiotic Stress Resistance
• Environment
1. Biomarker
2. Bioenergy
3. Bioremediation
1. Mycoremediation
2. Phytoremediation
3. Microbial remediation

4. Biotransformation

• Industry
• Food Processing
1. Fermentation process
 2. Protein engineering

Recent Developments

• Human Genome Project

• Three parents baby
• GM Mustard
• Gene Therapy
• Stem Cell Therapy

Government Policies
• National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-2020 (NBDS)
• National Biopharma Mission

Missile Technology in India

HISTORY

• The use of missiles in India began in the Ancient period, where the
missile was called as ASTRA.
• The scriptures and epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata have
mentioned about the missiles which are controlled by mantras, which
can be related to modern day missile’s mission control software.
• The world’s first rocket was used by Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore
war against the British in 18th century AD.
• The missiles/rockets used by Tipu Sultan were made of Bamboo or
steel spears, cast iron chamber as propellant and gunpowder as the
warhead.
• During British rule, the missile development technology was left behind
due to various factors like colonialism, lack of resources, lack of
research capabilities, etc.,
AFTER INDEPENDENCE

• The development of anti-tank missiles and sounding rockets had started

from Hyderabad based Defence R & D Lab (DRDL) in the 1960s.
• The anti-tank missile prototypes flight tested by the army, which is built
by the lab to counter the Cobra missiles of Pakistan Army supplied by
the US, which took a heavy toll of Indian tanks in 1965 war.
• In 1969, the Indian Air Force initiated a project to reverse engineer the
Soviet Union's SA-75 SAM, because the Soviet Union was not
supplying spares in adequate quantities. This venture, called "Project
Devil", never came to production, but allowed the DRDL to build the
know-how that eventually gave birth to the Akash missile.
• The indigenous missile development post-independence started with
the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). This
programme was headed by former President and Scientist Dr APJ
Abdul Kalam. The main focus was to build an indigenous capability
ballistic missile and launch vehicle Technology.
• Under Integrated Guided Missile Development programme the first
missile test-fires was Prithvi in 1988 and Agni in 1989.
• To develop the technologies, the materials, the sub-systems, the testing
facilities public sector firms with independent research laboratories were
set up throughout the country to become self-reliant.
• In 1983, The semiconductor complex limited (SCL) was established
in Chandigarh with its research lab. This reduced the import of
Guidance chip which are used in missile technology development.
• Both Strategic and tactical range of missiles have been developed
under the IGMDP and was delivered to the military.
• The development of Ballistic Missiles was started with Prithvi, Agni,
Dhanush and continued further to Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles
(ICBM) in the Agni Series (AGNI – V; AGNI – VI).
• This intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), with a range of over
5000 km, will carry a massive three-tonne payload.
• It will consist of several multiple, independently targetable re-entry
vehicles (MIRVs), each one capable of being aimed at a different
target.
 • Each warhead - termed manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle (MARV) - will
perform evasive manoeuvres as it hurtles down towards its target,
making it difficult for enemy air defence systems to shoot it down.
• The subsidiary missile development along with the Tactical Nuclear
Weapons (TNWs) started with K – Series Missile development
programme which delivered the Submarine Launch Ballistic
Missiles(SLBM).
• The missiles developed under this programme were Sagarika (K-15),
K-4 and K-5. The missile Shaurya which is a hybrid missile that has
both Ballistic and Cruise missile profile.
• The development of anti-ballistic missiles was started with the Indian
Ballistic Missile Development Programme (IBMDP), which developed a
series of missiles like Prithvi Air Defence(PAD), Advanced Air Defence
(AAD), etc.,
• The development of cruise missile was started with BrahMos which is a
Collaborative project with the Russia.

CLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN MISSILES

Based on Type
• Cruise missile
• Ballistic Missile
• Quasi-Ballistic Missile
(a) CRUISE MISSILE

• Cruise missiles are guided unmanned missiles and are used against the
targets within atmosphere i.e. terrestrial targets. Jet Engine is mostly
used for the aerodynamic lift.
• They are low-level flights which can be launched from land, air and
water.
• Based on speed the cruise missiles are classified into – Subsonic,
Supersonic and Hypersonic.
• Example: BrahMos, Nirbhay
• SUBSONIC
 o These missiles travel at the speed of less than 1 Mach number,
less than the speed of sound.
o Example: Nirbhay
• SUPERSONIC
o These missiles travel at the speed between 2 – 3 Mach Number
o Example: Brahmos
• HYPERSONIC
o These missiles at a speed more than 5 Mach Number. They travel
5 times more than the speed of sound.
o Example: Brahmos II (not yet launched)

Note-

Mach number- It is the ratio of the speed of a body to the speed of sound in
the surrounding medium.
(b) BALLISTIC MISSILES

• The flight path of the ballistic missile is characterised with Ballistic

trajectory.
• Ballistic missiles can be launched from land and sea-based systems.
• During the ascend it takes high arch trajectory and falls freely during
descend.
• Example: Agni, Prithvi, etc.

Based on Launch Mode

• Surface to Surface
• Surface to Air
• Air to Air
• Air to Surface
• Surface to Sea
• Anti-tank missiles
Based on Range
• Short range missiles
• Medium range missiles
• Intermediate range missiles
• Inter-Continental ballistic missiles

Based on Propulsion
• Solid propulsion
• Liquid propulsion
• Hybrid propulsion
• Ramjet
• Scramjet
• Cryogenic

Based on warhead
• Conventional
• Strategic (Nuclear)

Based on Guidance System

• Wire guidance
• Command Guidance
• Inertial Guidance
• Terrestrial Guidance
• Laser Guidance
• RF and GPS guidance
IMPORTANT MISSILES OF INDIA
GUIDAN
PROJEC LAUNCH PROPULS
MISSILE TYPE RANGE CE WARHEAD
T MODE ION
SYSTEM
Integrated
Ring
Guided
Laser
Missile Surface Medium Conventiona
1 stage – Gyro –
Developm Ballistic to Range l and
AGNI I Solid Inertial
ent Missile Surface (700 – Nuclear
Propellants Navigati
Program Missile 1250) km warhead
on
me
System
(IGMDP)
Ring
Intermedi Laser
Surface ate 2 stage – Gyro – Conventiona
Ballistic
AGNI II IGMDP to Range Solid Inertial l and
Missile
Surface (2000 – Propellants Navigati Nuclear
2500) km on
System
Ring
Intermedi Laser
Conventiona
Surface ate 2 stage – Gyro –
Ballistic l,
AGNI III IGMDP to Range Solid Inertial
Missile Thermobaric
Surface (3000 – Propellants Navigati
and Nuclear
5000) km on
System
Ring
Intermedi Laser
Conventiona
Surface ate 2 stage – Gyro –
Ballistic l,
AGNI IV IGMDP to Range Solid Inertial
Missile Thermobaric
Surface (4000) Propellants Navigati
and Nuclear
km on
System
Ring
Inter- Laser
Surface Continent 3 stage – Gyro –
Ballistic
AGNI V IGMDP to al (5000 all Solid Inertial Nuclear
Missile
Surface – 8000) Propellants Navigati
km on
System
Surface Short 1 stage – Strap- Chemical,
PRITHVI Ballistic
IGMDP to Range – liquid down – Nuclear
I Missile
Surface 150 km Propellant Inertial (interchange
 Guidanc able
e warheads)
Strap- Chemical,
Short
Surface 1 stage – down – Nuclear
PRITHVI Ballistic Range
IGMDP to liquid Inertial (interchange
II Missile (150 –
Surface Propellant Guidanc able
350) km
e warheads)
Strap- Chemical,
Short
Surface 1 stage – down – Nuclear
PRITHVI Ballistic range
IGMDP to Solid Inertial (interchange
III Missile (350 –
Surface Propellant Guidanc able
650) km
e warheads)
Comman
Surface Short Integral
d
AKASH IGMDP Ballistic to Air Range – Rocket Explosive
Guidanc
(mobile) 30 km motor
e
Short
Surface 1 stage –
TRISHUL IGMDP Ballistic range – Explosive
to Air Solid
10 km
Anti – 500 m to Active
Tandem
Tank 4 km (air- imaging Tandem
NAG IGMDP Solid
Guided launched Infrared warhead
Propulsion
missile ) Seeker
Anti –
AMOGH Short Tandem
Tank
A Range warhead
missile
Surface Short Inertial
PRAHAA Solid Conventiona
Ballistic to range – navigatio
R Propellant l or Nuclear
Surface 150 km n
Strap Chemical,
Naval Surface 1 stage – Down - Nuclear
DHANUS
variant of Ballistic to 350 km liquid inertial (interchange
H
Prithvi Surface propellant Guidanc able
e warheads)
Hybrid
Ballistic Short Thrust
SHAURY missile Surface Terminal Conventiona
and range (25 Vector
A developm to Air guidance l or Nuclear
Cruise – 30) km Control
ent
Submari
Short
SAGARI ne Submarin 2 – stage
K– range
KA (K- Launch e Solid IRNSS
Series 700 –
15) ed launched propellant
1000 km
Ballistic
 Missile
(SLBM)
Ring
Submarin Intermedi Laser
K– e ate Solid Gyro Nuclear
K -4 SLBM
Series Launche Range – Fuelled Inertial warhead
d 3500ckm navigatio
n system
Submarin
K– e
K- 5 SLBM 5000 km Solid Fuel Nuclear
Series Launche
d
2 stage –
BARAK – India – Surface Long pulsed Conventiona
Ballistic RF/IIR
8 Israel to Air range rocket l or Nuclear
motor
Beyond
Short Inertial Directional
Visual Solid Fuel
ASTRA DRDO Air to Air range – Guidanc (fragmented)
range Rocket
80 km e system warhead
missile
Indian
Ballistic 2 stage;
PRITHVI Inertial
Missile Exo-
AIR Anti- Navigati
Defence Atmosph 2000 km 1st – liquid;
DEFENC Ballistic on
Program eric
E System
me 2nd – Solid
(IBMDP)
ADVANC Inertial
Endo-
ED AIR Anti- Altitude – 1 stage – Navigati
IBMDP Atmosph Explosive
DEFENC Ballistic 120 km solid on
eric
E (AAD) System
PRITHVI
Inertial
DEFENC Exo-
Anti- Altitude – 2 stage – navigatio
E IBMDP Atmosph
Ballistic 30 km Solid n
VEHICLE eric
System
(PDV)
2 stage;
INS
Surface Superson st
BRAHM India – Cruise 1 – Solid; terminal Conventiona
to ic – 290
OS Russia Missile Guidanc l or Nuclear
Surface km
2nd – e
Liquid;
 INS
Surface
BRAHM India – Cruise 400 – terminal Conventiona
to Scramjet
OS – II Russia Missile 650 km Guidanc l or Nuclear
Surface
e
Subsonic
NIRBHA Rocket INS Conventiona
Cruise – 1000
Y Booster IRNSS l or Nuclear
km

Good news to the Indian Air Force as the first batch of 4 Chinook Helicopters
arrived on 11th Feb at Mundra Port, Gujarat. This seems like a positive sign
for the Air Force who is struggling with equipping itself adequately with time.

Boeing CH-47 Chinook Helicopter

The Deal:

The Indian Air Force has been struggling with logistical supply and support,
with its ailing Russian build Mi-17 medium-lift helicopters, Mi- 26 & Mi- 35
attack helicopters. With an increase in tensions across borders against
Pakistan and China, India rapidly scaled up its defence purchases.

India signed the $ 3 billion dollar deal with the USA for the purchase of 15 CH-
47 Chinook and 22 AH-64 Apache helicopters in 2018, a decision taken after
3 years of thought.

The Helicopter:

Named after American Indian tribe, the CH-47 F(I) “Chinook” is an advanced
multi-mission helicopter that was manufactured by Boeing. It was introduced
in 1962 and took part in many operations in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iran. It
is said to be one of the most advanced heavy-lift helicopters of the world.

Boeing has strengthened its supply chain & has nearly 160 partners in JV to
manufacture large sections of Chinook helicopters.

Strengths:
The helicopter can carry a payload of 9.6 tonnes including heavy machinery
such as artillery guns, howitzers, and even light armored vehicles. This
capacity can also be utilized for rescue operations, disaster relief, aircraft
recovery, and parachute drops.

It can also help the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to complete long-
pending road building projects and provide better connectivity to North-East
India.

Clash of the heavy lifters: Mi-26 Vs Chinook

The Russian made Mi-26 has been a part of India since ages, but the Indian
Air Force is facing many issues, the most prominent is spare parts. It is often
seen that the Mi-26 spends most of its time on land than in air. To add to its
woes the operational cost of the helicopter is also huge. So purchasing the
Chinook is a better option.
Source: Tribune India

Around the world:

More than 1100 Chinooks have been manufactured by Boeing and nearly 19
countries around the world are using Chinooks. India is the 9th Non-Nato
countries that have received Chinook helicopter before India did.

Here is a list of Non-Nato countries: Libya, Iran, Morocco, South Korea,

Thailand, China, Japan and Singapore.

Air Base and Establishments:

The helicopter will be stationed in Chandigarh Air Force Station as well as

Mohanbari in the North East. The IAF has already trained its pilot on new
helicopters since October 2018 in Delaware, USA.

Conclusion:
The Chinook is one of the most important things in IAF’s arsenal which would
boost its military capability to a vast extent.

Important detail on Dassault Rafale, an Indian Air Force Aircraft. The

recent skirmish between India and Pakistan post-Pulwama that resulted in
shooting down of an F-16 fighter plane of Pakistan by an Indian aircraft MIG-
21 has established the might of Indian Air Force.

The Prime Minister has lauded the Indian Air Force but at the same time, this
also reflects the ageing fleet of aircraft that India has. To tackle this India is
inducting two new aircraft - the Indigenous Tejas and the French
Manufactured Dassault.

Let's know a little about the French Rafale

Dassault Rafale: Indian Air Force Aircraft

The Rafale is manufactured by French Company Dassault Aviation, the same

company that manufactured Mirage 2000.

It is a multi-role fighter aircraft which is intended to perform aerial

reconnaissance, ground support, air supremacy. It is also called “Omnirole
aircraft” due to its versatile capability.
The Need of Rafale in India:

Due to difficult neighbors, the Indian Air Force needs a minimum of 42

squadrons to protect its borders. Lack of finances & sluggish approach in
aircraft manufacturing technology has caused the Indian Air Force to manage
the borders with a mere strength of 31 squadrons.

These pressing situations prompted the government to induct more fighter

jets. After years of pondering the UPA govt finally gave assent to the
acquisition of 126 Rafale aircraft. But at that time the bone of contention
became the responsibility of 108 aircraft which were to be manufactured by
Hindustan Aeronautical Limited.

In 2015, the NDA government finally inducted acquisition of 36 Rafale in

flyaway condition and withdrew the earlier deal. Many acquisitions were made
by the opposition regarding corruption in the above deal as it was observed
that in 2016 Reliance & Dassault both went into a joint venture. Finally, with
recent information in light, the CAG finally said that there was no corruption in
the deal and the increased cost is due to the inflation plus the purchase or
certain high-end equipment and missiles like Meteor BVRAAM which was also
accepted by the Supreme Court of India.
The IAF has proposed the deployment of the Rafale jets in Ambala, Haryana
& Hashimara, Bengal. This would counter both Pakistan and Chinese borders.
Features of Dassault Rafale Aircraft

The 4++ (or 4.5) generation aircraft is equipped with state of the art avionics
and equipment. It also has integrated defensive aids system, SPECTRA,
which protects it against any missiles and ground threats.

Due to its smaller size as compared to its counterparts such as Russian SU-
30MKI the aircraft does not easily get detected. It also supports air to air
refuelling.

It also has a flight control system (FCS) that is much reliable and prevents the
chances of crashes. It is also equipped with Man to Machine interface
integrated with HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) allowing best
performance to Air Force.

The Difference between Rafale Vs Tejas:

The Indian Air Force is focussing towards multirole aircraft with putting stress
on Indigenous Tejas and Dassault’s Rafale.

Let’s compare both aircraft:

Dassault
Characteristics HAL Tejas
Rafale
Medium Multi- Light
Type
role Combat Combat
 Aircraft Aircraft
(MMRCA) (LCA -
Multi-role)
Max Weight 24,500 Kg 13,500 Kg
Max Speed 1.8 Mach 1.8 Mach
Range 3700 Km 850 Km
Combat Radius 1852 km 500 Km
Surface ceiling 15.2 Km 16 Km
Hardpoints (for
14 8
missile)

This clearly shows that Rafale is better than Tejas, but based on the various
operational costs and ease of flight, the Tejas aircraft is also a better
substitute to compensate the ailing squadrons of the air force.

Conclusion:

The Rafale aircraft would definitely prove to be an ace in the hole for India.
The Hindustan Aeronautical Limited has also started working on the AMCA
project and is also jointly developing FGFA with Russia which would
strengthen the Indian Air Force.

Glossary:

AMCA - Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft

FGFA - Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft

Surface Ceiling - It is the max altitude at which the aircraft can fly

Hardpoints - Points present in the aircraft where missiles can be attached

The helicopter is one of the most important pieces of equipment for a

country’s defence. Since its inception, helicopters have been used for various
purposes due to its versatile nature. Depending on the size, a helicopter is
used for transportation, attack, assistance in case of natural calamities etc.

The Indian Air Force had approved a procurement request for acquisition of
22 Apache attack helicopters from Boeing which is said to be inducted by July
2019.
Let’s read about this attack helicopter in detail.

Apache AH-64E: Indian Air Force Helicopter

What is Apache?

Apache is an attack helicopter which is regarded as the world’s most lethal

helicopter. The helicopter is manufactured by Boeing and was first introduced
in US army in 1986. Apache AH-64E is an upgraded version of the helicopter
which will be inducted into the Indian Air Force.

Why did IAF choose Helicopter over Aircraft?

The Indian Air Force is struggling for the newer acquisition of the aircraft, so
why did it prefer to choose a Helicopter over Aircraft?

It is no doubt an aircraft has an edge over a helicopter when it comes to

destroying the resources behind enemy lines, but the helicopter has their
advantage too:

1. Helicopters can hover and can precisely target and mow down even ma
n-sized targets with things like millimetre radar and night vision
2. Helicopters can also hug the ground, making them much more difficult
to spot by air defences, RADAR and enemy troops. Therefore, the first
wave of air attacks conducted in the 1st Gulf War was led by AH-64s
(destroying radar sites).
 3. Lastly, most attack helicopters are armoured. On the other hand, most
fixed-wing aircraft are not (including all the ones you mentioned). So, if
they take fire, they’re less likely to go down.
4. Attack helicopters can land and take-off from small pads and ships
whereas fixed-wing aircraft require a runway or special aircraft carrier.
5. India has a very difficult terrain where there are important passes and
ranges which are difficult to target from an aircraft, hence helicopters
gain an advantage.

The Helicopter is going to be a joint venture of US company Boeing & Indian

company Tata under Make in India initiative.

Technical Specifications:

Here are some technical specifications of the aircraft:

Characteristics Specifications
Crew 2
Operational Speed 158 Knots (293 Km/h)
Range 476 Km
Service Ceiling 21000 ft (6.1 Km)
Hardpoints 4

Why Apache Ah-64E?

India Chose the Apache helicopter due to the following reasons:

1. FIM 92 Stinger Missile:

This missile is notorious for its impact in the Soviet-Afghan war. Mujahideen
armed with these Stingers brought down jet fighters to transport aircraft to
helicopters.

One of the worst helicopters to be affected by this missile was the MI-35 that
India already has. These missiles form a large part of Pakistan’s arsenal (350
missiles) so we had to have a helicopter which would have better survivability
rate.

2. AGM-114 Hellfire Missile:

This is a revolutionary Air-to-Surface and Surface-to-Surface missile

specifically intended for an Anti-Armor role.
This missile is tailor-made for low-intensity conflicts where surgical removal of
Armor is required.

These missiles come specially equipped with the Apache helicopters and
make a lethal combination of speed & strength.

Fully armoured Fuselage:

The helicopter is also known as the flying tank as it is so secure that it can
take multiple bullets & still perform well in the battlefield.

Hence, it can be deduced that the Apache was the best choice for
India. Apart from that India wanted to strengthen its friendship with the
USA.

Conclusion:

The stealthy, agile chopper is designed for missions of all kinds. In addition to
a 70 mm rocket arsenal and an automatic cannon, the Apache is equipped
with laser and infrastructure systems for day-to-day operability.

The Apache is going to be India's first pure attack helicopter. While the Mi 35
from Russia has been operating for years and is now about to retire, the two
pilot Apache is a dedicated attack chopper that experts believe will be a 'game
changer'.

Know about Technical specification of Sukhoi Su-30 MKI of the Indian Air
Force here. The Indian Air Force has one of the most well-trained pilots of the
world. When these pilots sit in one of the most fierce aircraft, they make the
enemy look back at its decision. This article will discuss all about the Sukhoi
Su-30 MKI aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

Sukhoi SU-30 MKI: Indian Air Force Aircraft

The Sukhoi Su30MKI was developed by the Russian Company Sukhoi Aviatio
n Corporation as a 4th generation multirole air superiority fighter aircraft. It is a
n air superiority fighter with multirole capabilities from
surface mission capabilities along with air to air & air.

India entered in an MoU with Russia in the year 2000 and permitted the
license production of Su-30MKIs at HAL’s plant. The Su-30MKI variant was
inducted into the Indian Air Force in the year 2002, while the first indigenously
assembled (at HAL facility) Su-30MKI was inducted in 2004.

The Indian variant of the aircraft was manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics

Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The MKI mentioned in Su-30 MKI
is an acronym for "Modernizirovannyi, Kommercheskiy, Indiski", which
means Modernized, Commercial, Indian.

There are a total of 240 Sukhoi's in service out of which, HAL has
manufactured 202 Su-30MKI fighter jets for the IAF making it the highest
number so far made under license from the Russian OEM.

Technical Specification:
Characteristics Technical Specification

Max Speed Mach 2

Range 3000 Km

Combat Radius 1300 Km

Service Ceiling 17.3 Km

Hardpoints 12

In addition to this, the Sukhoi Su-30 is well equipped with Brahmos Cruise
missile to deter any incoming enemy aircraft.
Comparison with Dassault Rafale
 • Top speed of Sukhoi 30mkiis 2,120km/h, while top speed of Rafale is
2,130km/h.
Rafale target up to a range of 3,700km. And Sukhoi can target up to a
range of 3,000km.
Rafale is 15m long, while Sukhoi is 22m long.
• There is a huge difference in the weight of both the aircraft while they
are empty and also during takeoff. Rafale is much lighter in both the
condition than Sukhoi which makes it better in manoeuvrability too and
hence better during dogfights.
• Due to small size Rafale is not easily detected on the RADAR which
makes it more stealthy than Sukhoi Su-30.
• Hence Rafale is a clear winner here.

Rafale is expensive but the reasons are diverse including a better range, a
wider range of weapons including cruise missiles, comprehensive support
infrastructure and its interconnecting technology to the Mirage 2000 that is
being upgraded and overhaul. The range is critical as well as employing long-
range cruise missiles and the French agreeing for India to develop and
integrate into the existing source code to deliver nuclear bombs.
The Rafale ups its game on its weapons capability to include nuclear delivery.
The training program attached to Rafale is more comprehensive than the Su-
30MKI support program. These are the real key over the Su-30MKI.

The Indian Air Force is currently working with equipping the Su-30MKI with
Israeli SPICE-2000 laser-guided bombs, to make it more deadly. Currently,
only the Mirage-2000s are fitted with the SPICE-2000 bombs & these aircraft
were successful in the pre-dawn strike mission done on the terror camp of the
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror outfit in Balakot, PoK.

Conclusions

Top Brass of Indian Air Force (IAF) is not fully convinced that additional
Sukhoi-Su-30MKI fighter jets will actually help gauge fall of the fighter fleet in
the force and Senior officials are also worried that IAF is already Top-heavy
and actually needs Light and Medium class aircraft to strike the right balance
in the force. Aircraft like Sukhoi-Su-30MKI have a higher operating cost when
compared with light or medium class fighter jets. Su-30MKI fleet also faces
routine spares and maintenance issues which have improved over the last few
years but still has not reached up to prudent levels.
Days after the Pulwama attack, the Indian Air Force has given a befitting reply
to Pakistan by carrying out an air strike targeting its terror camps across LoC.
The Indian Air Force chose 12 Mirage 2000 aircraft to carry out this operation
which launched a payload of 1000 Kg at the Balakot, Pakistan.

Let’s read about this mighty aircraft that has been in service with Indian Air
Force for more than three decades.

Mirage 2000: Indian Air Force

The Mirage 2000 is the French multirole aircraft manufactured by Dassault

Aviation in the 1970s as a replacement for the Mirage III of the French Air
Force.

The Mirage 2000 is the deadliest and most versatile aircraft of the Indian Air
Force. It was commissioned in the year 1985 and was given the name ‘Vajra’
which meaning thunderbolt in Sanskrit.

The Mirage 2000 is a 4th generation multirole fighter aircraft, which means
that the aircraft is capable of performing air to air attack as well as support
ground troops. It can also perform as an interceptor to other aircraft.
Image: Indian Express

Features:

The Mirage was specially designed as a lightweight, highly maneuverable

fighter that was being originally being manufactured as an air superiority
fighter under the project “Delta 1000”. But due to changes in the role
demanded by the French Military it was later made into a multirole fighter.

It has a speed of 2.3 Mach and has a combat ceiling of 17Kms. It has a
climbing speed of 60,000 feet per min & designed for all-weather day & night
operations.

It has delta wings and fly-by-wire control systems.

It also has air to air refuelling technology that makes it possible to remain
airborne for a long period of time.
Mirage in India:

The first 7 aircraft which India received was named the ‘Battleaxes’, with this
India became the first country to use this aircraft.

The Indian Air Force used Mirage 2000s during the Kargil war when the made
MiG - 21, MiG-23 and MiG - 27 were unable to execute operation due to
difficult weather. These were remarkably successful in destroying the enemy
trenches and assisted in capturing Tiger Hill.

The IAF currently operates 49 Mirage 2000s aircraft that went under
maintenance upliftment and equipped it with Advanced Identification Friend or
Foe (IFF) system, integrated multi-mode multi-layered radar, a war suite
equipped with advanced beyond visual range missile system capability.
Legacy:

Mirage is widely used by many countries such as France, Egypt, India, Peru,
UAE, Greece, Taiwan, and Brazil. With increasing frequency in maintenance
and inception of new aircraft like Rafale, the Vajra is losing its sheen.
Nonetheless, the aircraft has time and again proved itself as an excellent
performer. The credit goes to the pilots and the support staff as well.

Team Gradeup

In the 21st century, technology is the oxygen of the modern age. Modern
pieces of equipment like satellites are boon for a country's progress.

Using force to impose demands is no solution in the world where nuclear

weapons exist, so the best approach is to gain an upper hand on the
adversary is keeping an eye on the enemy.

These types of equipment are also a bane when used by other countries.
Keeping these things in mind, Mission Shakti is adopted by India to combat
any satellites that are spying on its territory. Let's read more about this
technology in detail.
 Mission Shakti

The DRDO-developed Anti-Satellite system (A-SAT) successfully that

destroyed a live satellite in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). With this test, India is
only the fourth country after the U.S., Russia and China to have the
technology. The test was entirely successful and achieved all parameters as
per plans. The test required an extremely high degree of precision and
technical capability.

The test was conducted from the APJ Abdul Kalam island in Odisha.

The test implies that India has tested and successfully demonstrated its
capability to prohibit and intercept a satellite in outer space based on
indigenous technology.

What are anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons?

They are missile-based systems to attack moving satellites. So far, the United
States, China and Russia were the only ones who’ve reported the
technological ability to shoot down space objects from ground or airborne
sources.

The development of such systems has a long history — incited by the Cold
War rivalry between the United States and the former Soviet Union. There are
different kinds of networks — those that can be launched from the ground or
those which can be struck from planes.

In the Cold War/Space Race era, 1985 was the last time that the United
States had used an anti-satellite system to destroy its P-781 satellite that had
instruments aboard to study solar radiation.

Anti-satellite weapons came back into popular currency after China conducted
an anti-satellite missile test on January 11, 2007.

Why is Mission Shakti Pathbreaking?

The use of ASAT is seen as crossing new frontier just like India’s 1998
nuclear tests. Anti-satellite technology has so far been in the hands of very
few countries. The acquisition and demonstration of this technology make
India a member of an elite group of countries.

The fact that this anti-satellite technology is indigenously developed adds to

India’s credentials, given that for many decades India was kept away from
acquiring key technologies, forcing the country to develop its own space and
nuclear capabilities.
The anti-satellite space technology shows India’s focus on security
challenges, emanating beyond Pakistan. The ASAT weapon is likely to be the
most potent military tool for the armed forces over the next few decades,
notwithstanding a revolutionary technological breakthrough. It could help to
cripple our adversary’s communications and expose its ground assets if their
space assets were struck.

Why we did the test?

India has a long-standing and rapidly growing space programme that has
quickly expanded in the last five years. The Mangalyaan Mission to Mars was
successfully launched. After that, the government-sanctioned Gaganyaan
Mission, which will take Indians to outer space.

India has undertaken more than 102 spacecraft missions consisting of

communication satellites, earth observation satellites, experimental satellites,
navigation satellites, apart from satellites meant for scientific research and
exploration, academic studies and other small satellites. India’s space
programme is a critical backbone of India’s security, economic and social
infrastructure.

The test was done to verify that India can safeguard our space assets. It is the
Government of India’s responsibility to defend the country’s interests in outer
space.

Is India entering an arms race in outer space?

India has no intention of entering an arms race in outer space. India has
always maintained that the area must be used only for peaceful purposes.
India is against the weaponisation of outer space and supports international
efforts to reinforce the safety and security of space-based assets.

India believes that outer space is the common heritage of humankind and it is
the responsibility of all space-faring nations to preserve and promote the
benefits flowing from advances made in space technology and its applications
for all.
Conclusion

The ASAT test is not directed against any country. India’s space capabilities
do not threaten any country and nor are they directed against anyone.

At the same time, the government is committed to ensuring the country’s

national security interests and is alert to threats from emerging technologies.
The capability achieved through the anti-satellite missile test provides credible
deterrence against threats to our growing space-based assets from long-
range missiles and proliferation in the types and numbers of missiles.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched Chandrayaan

2 on 22nd July 2019, India’s second mission to the moon. India will be the 4th
country after USA, Russia & China to land a rover on the moon. Let’s read
about this in detail.
 Chandrayaan-2 Space Mission

Chandrayaan 2 is India’s second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan

1 which is developed by ISRO. It is an indigenous mission of ISRO which
consists of an orbiter, lander and a rover.

The objective of Chandrayaan 2

1. Study the topography of the moon, explore elements & minerals such as
Helium, Iron etc.
2. Check for traces of water on the surface
3. Investigate the layers of the moon’s atmosphere

Chandrayaan 2: Launcher & Space Craft Details:

Chandrayaan
Details
2
Launch
GSLV MK III
Vehicle
Liftoff mass 3890 Kg
Satish Dhawan Space Station,
Launch Site
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh
South Side of Moon between
Landing Site craters - Manzinus C and
Simpelius N
Chandrayaan 2 Mission Details:

The Lander housing the Rover will be separated from the Orbiter after
reaching the distance of 100 km of moon’s orbit.

The Lander will softly land on the lunar surface at a designated location after a
controlled descent and deploy a Rover.

The Chandrayaan 2 consists of 3 basic components:

• Orbiter: It will orbit the moon from the lunar surface at a distance of 100
km. Payloads on the orbiter are Soft X-ray Spectrometer Large Area,
Synthetic Aperture Radar L and S-Band, IR Spectrometer Imaging,
Neutral Mass Spectrometer and Terrain Mapping Camera-2. Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) manufactured the orbiter structure.
 • Lander: The Scientist has been named ‘Vikram’ after the Scientist
Vikram Sarabhai, also known as Father of Indian Space Programme.
Before attempting to land on the surface, the lander will detach from the
orbiter & descend into a lunar orbit. It's going to make a soft landing and
deploy the rover. For about 15 days it will also carry out some scientific
activities. The payloads on the lander are: seismometer, thermal probe,
radio occultation and the Langmuir probe.
• Rover: The Rover is named ‘Pragyan’ which means ‘wisdom’ in
Sanskrit. The solar-powered rover moves on six wheels and performs
on-site chemical analyzes. It will then transmit the data to the orbiter
which will send this data back to the earth station. The payloads of the
rover include Laser Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) and Alpha Particle
Induced X-ray Spectroscopy (APIXS).

Why is Chandrayaan 2 Special?

Despite being India’s first attempt to land a rover on the moon, Chandrayaan
2 is special because unlike USA’s Apollo and Russia’s Luna Mission, ISRO
will land the rover near the south pole of the moon near craters Manzinus C
and Simpelius N.

According to ISRO, the south pole of the moon is an interesting surface area
that remains in shadow as compared to the north pole. There is a possibility of
water being present in permanently shaded areas around it, adding craters in
the south pole region, there might be cold traps and contain early solar
system fossil records.

Timeline of Chandrayaan 2:

ISRO has planned the timeline of Chandrayaan 2 which is shown below:

Planned Details Expected Date

Launch Date July 22 2019
Moon Orbiter Insertion August 20 2019
Moon Lander Landing September 7
Date 2019
ISRO’s Innovation:

ISRO wanted to test the lunar soil-like substance on the rover, Pragyaan so
that the Moon experiments would go without a hitch. The surface of the moon
is covered with craters, rocks and dust and distinct texture of its soil.
An IANS report clarified that it was an expensive affair to import lunar soil-like
substance from the USA. Then ISRO was searching for a local alternative
because it needed about 60-70 tons of soil.

Many geologists informed ISRO that there were "anorthosite" rocks close
Salem in Tamil Nadu that would be comparable to moon soil or regolith
characteristics. The ISRO finalized taking the "anorthosite" rocks for moon soil
from the villages of Sithampoondi and Kunnamalai in Tamil Nadu.

Challenges involved in Moon Landing:

Deep space communication; trans-lunar injection, orbiting around the moon,

smooth landing on the moon surface, and facing extreme temperatures and
vacuum are the challenges engaged in the moon landing.

About GSLV MK III:

The ISRO used GSLV Mk-III for Chandrayaan 2 which is as the Launch
Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) is a three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle.

It was designed in order to launch communication satellites into geostationary

orbit, it is also identified as the launch vehicle for crewed missions under the
Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.

About Chandrayaan 1:

The ISRO launched India's first Chandrayaan-1 lunar probe in October 2008
and operated until August 2009. The Chandrayaan-1 had verified the
hypothesis of the magma ocean, which indicated that the moon was once
totally frozen. Chandrayaan-1 had identified titanium and verified the
existence of calcium in its ten-month orbit around the moon. Chandrayaan-1
collected on the lunar surface the most precise measurements of magnesium,
aluminium and iron.

Rovers on the Moon:

Rovers Date Country
Lunokhod 1 10 Nov 1970 Russia
Lunar Roving
31 July 1971 USA
Vehicle
14 December
Yutu China
2013
Below is a list of the main researchers and technicians involved in
Chandrayaan-2 project construction and launch:

• Ritu Karidhal - Mission Director, Chandrayaan-2

• Muthaya Vanitha - Project Director, Chandrayaan-2