Ex Khaan Quest 2023 (GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- Multinational Peacekeeping Joint Exercise “Ex Khaan Quest 2023” featuring participation from military contingents and observers from over 20 countries has commenced in Mongolia recently.
Details:
- The exercise is co-sponsored by Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) and United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC).
- The Indian Army is represented by a contingent from the Garhwal Rifles.
Key Highlights:
- The 14-day exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability of the participating nations, for sharing experience and to train uniformed personnel for the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO).
- The exercise will prepare participants for future UN Peacekeeping missions, develop peace operations capabilities and enhance military readiness.
- The exercise includes Command Post Exercise (CPX), Field Training Exercises (FTX), combat discussions, lectures and demonstration.
Way Forward:
- The military exercise will enhance the level of defence co-operation between Indian Army and participating countries especially with the Mongolian Armed Forces which will enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.
Archaeologist finds Mesolithic era rock painting in Andhra’s Guntur
(GS Paper 1, Culture)
Why in news?
- A Mesolithic period rock painting depicting a person tilling a piece of land has been found in Orvakallu village in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh.
Details:
- While surveying the lower River Krishna Valley to ascertain the architectural features of shrines, a new prehistoric rock painting on the walls and ceiling of natural rock shelters on a hillock at Orvakallu was identified.
- After an intensive exploration, it was noticed that these were shelters for prehistoric humans who lived at this place.
Key Findings:
- Among these five naturally formed caves, two are embellished with distinguished depictions of rock paintings on the back walls and ceilings executed by people of Mesolithic Age, roughly from 5000 BC.
- The paintings were made with “natural white kaolin and red ochre pigments”, as well as that most of them had been “badly damaged” due to exposure to “air and wind”.
- Ochre is a pigment composed of clay, sand, and ferric oxide. Kaolinite is a soft, earthy, and usually white mineral produced by the chemical weathering of aluminium silicate minerals like feldspar.
Significance:
- The find throws light on aspects of the social life and culture of the people who lived in the area.
- One of the paintings depicted a man catching wild goat with his left hand while wielding a hook-like implement to control it. Another showed two couple standing with their hands raised while a child stood behind them.
India gifts indigenously built missile corvette ‘INS Kirpan’ to Vietnam
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- India gifted the indigenously-built in-service missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam to enhance its naval capabilities.
- Indian Defence Minister announced this after bilateral talks with his visiting Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Gang.
Bilateral Cooperation:
- Both Ministers identified means to enhance existing areas of collaboration, especially in the field of defence industry cooperation, maritime security and multinational cooperation.
- Vietnamese Minister also visited headquarters of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and discussed ways to enhance “defence industrial capabilities by cooperation in defence research and joint production”.
About INS Kirpan:
- INS Kirpan is a Khukri class missile corvette displacing 1,350 tonnes and was commissioned into the Navy on January 12, 1991.
- It has a displacement of close to 1,400 tonnes, a length of 91 metres, a beam of 11 metres and is capable of speed in excess of 25 knots.
- The ship is fitted with a medium range gun, 30 mm close range guns, chaff launchers and surface-to-surface missiles, according to the Navy.
Background:
- In June 2022, India and Vietnam signed an MoU on mutual logistics support.
- Both nations also signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam defence partnership towards 2030’.
- It has procured 12 high speed patrol boats for the Vietnamese border guard force under a $100mn Line of Credit (LoC) extended in 2014.
