Tejas Mark-2 project (GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has cleared the Tejas Mark-2 project, a more capable version of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA).
- This is an important move not only towards the significant capability enhancement of IAF but a move closer to the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant) campaign.
About the Tejas Mark-2 project:
- The Tejas Mark-2 is believed to be a more potent version of the indigenous Tejas multirole combat jet. Tejas is a single engine and highly agile multi-role supersonic fighter manufactured by the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
- The government has sanctioned around Rs 10,000 crore for the project, and the LCA Mk-2 is likely to take first flight in two years, setting the stage for its production and subsequent operational availability around 2028.
Salient features:
- The Tejas Mark-2 has been described as a 4.5-generation machine that will not only have 70 per cent indigenisation (as opposed to the 62 per cent of the Mark IA), but will incorporate more advanced technologies to be built in India.
- The jet will be fitted with more powerful GE-414 engines, giving it a longer combat range and greater capacity to carry weapons than the existing Tejas Mark-1 (GE-404 engines).
- While there is no change in the size of the wings, they have been pushed outwards, effectively increasing the fighter’s wingspan by 300 mm.
- Additionally, the Tejas Mark-2 has a 21st century look. Ahead of the wings, a canard has been added, creating a resemblance with contemporary fighters such as the Rafale, Eurofighter or the Sukhoi-30MKI.
- The canard provides an additional control surface that creates a vortex, increasing the lifting capability and agility of the aircraft.
Weapon system:
- The Tejas Mark-2 will be equipped with superior radar, better avionics and electronics, and will be capable of carrying a higher weapons payload.
- Besides the weapon payload and the engine, the Tejas Mark-2 would have its internals rearranged, to make it more accessible and maintenance friendly.
- The jet will carry the indigenous Astra Mark 1 and Mark 2 missiles. It would also carry Rudram anti-radiation missiles.
Why the Tejas Mark-2 is important?
- The clearance for the Tejas Mark-2 comes as a huge boost for the Indian Air Force.
- The IAF currently has 30 fighter squadrons as against the sanctioned strength of 42, which is insufficient at a time when the country faces threats from both China and Pakistan.
- The LCA Mark-2 fighter will replace the Jaguar and Mirage 2000 fighters when they are phased out after 10 years.
Way Forward:
- The first high-speed trials of the jet will start in 2023 and its production is likely to start somewhere around 2025.
India submits updated NDCs to United Nations
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- Ahead of the 27th International Climate Conference, India has reiterated its commitment to adopt a climate-friendly and cleaner path to combat climate change.
- Recently, India’s environment ministry submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) on climate change under the Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- India made the updates to the NDCs which were last submitted to the UNFCCC in 2015, for the period up to 2030.
Key Highlights:
- India has updated three out of eight NDCs.
- One of them is reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030, from 2005 level.
- India said that it will put forward and further propagate a healthy and sustainable way of living based on traditions and values of conservation and moderation, including through a mass movement for ‘LIFE’– ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ as a key to combating climate change.
- The third update is to achieve about 50 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030, with the help of transfer of technology and low-cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund (GCF).
- Other NDCs include adopting a climate-friendly and a cleaner path than the one followed hitherto by others at corresponding level of economic development; creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030; mobilizing domestic and new and additional funds from developed countries to implement the above mitigation and adaptation actions in view of the resource required and the resource gap.
- India also aims to better adapt to climate change by enhancing investments in development programmes in sectors vulnerable to climate change, particularly agriculture, water resources, Himalayan region, coastal regions, health and disaster management.
- To build capacities, create domestic framework and international architecture for quick diffusion of cutting-edge climate technology in India and for joint collaborative R&D for such future technologies, is another NDC of India.
Net Zero:
- India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in COP26 in Glasgow announced that the country will become net zero by 2070.
- Recently, former United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon had said that 2070 is too far and that India should aim to become net-zero by 2050.
What’s next?
- UNFCCC COP27 is scheduled to be held in November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
A small box sent with the Perseverence rover of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has produced oxygen in Mars with components from the planet’s atmosphere, according to a new report.
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Details:
- The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) works like a tree, splitting carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere to produce pure oxygen.
- The first successful conversion was two months after the rover landed on Mars in April 2021. Since then, seven rounds of experiments were successfully conducted with Moxie in various times of the day and year.
Why it matters?
- This is the first time material needed for human missions on Mars was generated with resources from the planet and not those carried from Earth.
- The instrument produced 6 grams of oxygen per hour, similar to a moderate-sized tree.
- The project can be scaled up ahead of human missions to continuously produce oxygen at the rate of several hundred trees.In this scale, it can also fuel the rocket to bring the astronauts back home.
How MOXIE works?
- Inside Moxie, Martian air is first filtered in and pressurised.
- It is then sent through the Solid OXideElectrolyzer (SOXE), an instrument developed and built by OxEonEnergy, that electrochemically splits the carbon dioxide-rich air into oxygen ions and carbon monoxide.
- The oxygen ions are isolated and recombined to form breathable, molecular oxygen (O2).
- Finally, the gas is measured and tested for purity before being released into the atmosphere.
Way Forward:
- The atmosphere on the Red Planet varies greatly through the day and in different seasons. The density of the air can vary by a factor of two through the year, and the temperature can vary by 100 degrees.
- It is important to get a complete overview of Moxie’s performance and damage assessment before it can be flagged off for use, the scientists wrote.
- They are yet to test the machine at dawn and dusk as well as in certain times of the Martian year.
Vostok-2022
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- An Indian Army contingent comprising troops from 7/8 Gorkha Rifles is participating in the multilateral strategic and command exercise ‘Vostok-2022’.
The exercise is scheduled to be held from Sept. 01 to 07 at the training grounds of the eastern military district in Russia.
Aim:
- The exercise is aimed at interaction and coordination amongst other participating military contingents and observers.
Participating nations:
- Russia has stated that Vostok-2022 will be conducted in two phases.
- Participating contingents include observers from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and other partner states including Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria and Tajikistan.
US criticism:
- The Indian Army contingent will undertake joint manoeuvres to include field training exercises, combat discussions, and firepower exercises.
- The U.S. has concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages an unprovoked brutal war against Ukraine.
- India also defended its participation in the exercises in response to U.S. criticism.
India has been regularly participating in multilateral exercises in Russia, along with a number of other countries.
