The Air Force will raise the first squadron — Flying Daggers 45 — of home-grown Light Combat Aircraft Tejas  in Bengaluru on Friday with the induction of two aircraft Squadron will be based in Bengaluru for the first two years before being moved to Sulur in Tamil NaduIAF will induct six craft this financial year and eight in the next; Tejas squadrons will have 20 planes in all 

Surface-to-air missile test-fired successfully

Balasore (Odisha), June 30India today successfully test-fired a surface-to-air missile, developed jointly with Israel, from Chandipur off the Odisha coast.“The test launch of the medium-range missile was carried out at 08.15 hours. It was a grand success and met all targets,” a Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) official said.The missile positioned at the launch pad-3 of the integrated test range swung into action after getting a signal from the radars to intercept a moving aerial target supported by an unmanned air vehicle “Banshee” over the Bay of Bengal, officials said.Apart from the missile, the system includes a multi-functional surveillance and threat alert radar (MF STAR) for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile, they said.“The missile along with MF-STAR will help in neutralising aerial threats,” a DRDO scientist said.The Research Centre Imarat, a laboratory of DRDO based at Hyderabad, has jointly developed the missile in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries, he said.A new production facility to deliver 100 missiles a year has been established for such type of long-range and medium-range surface-to-air missiles at Bharat Dynamics Limited, India.The missile, which was initially proposed to be tested yesterday, was deferred in the last moment for today. PTI