Boeing delivers 12th P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to Indian Navy
The Indian Navy has received the 12th anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from the US-based aerospace company Boeing. This is the fourth of four additional aircraft, for which the contract was signed in 2016. The Ministry of Defence had signed a contract for eight P-8I aircraft in 2009. However, later in 2016, it signed a contract for four additional P-8I aircraft.
In May 2021, the US State Department approved the proposed sale of six P-8I patrol aircraft and related equipment, a deal estimated to cost 2.42 billion dollars.
About P-8I maritime patrol aircraft:
P-8I is a long-range maritime reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft, and a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used by the US Navy. India was the first international customer of Boeing for this aircraft. The Indian Navy inducted the first P-8I aircraft in 2013. The P-8I aircraft is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft that Boeing developed as a replacement for the US Navy’s ageing P-3 fleet.
P-8I aircraft is equipped for long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of the broad area, maritime and littoral operations. Its communication and sensor suite includes indigenous equipment developed by defence PSUs and private manufacturers. With its high speed and high endurance of about 10 hours, the aircraft is capable of thrusting a punitive response and maintaining a watch over India’s immediate and extended.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral R Hari Kumar;
- Indian Navy Founded: 26 January 1950.
NATO | Founders, Members, Countries List & Objectives
NATO is one term that is widely used when we talk about geopolitics around the world. It stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is also known as North Atlantic Alliance. In simple words, we can say that it is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 countries. In these 30 countries, 28 are European countries and 2 are North American countries.
If you are a student preparing for the civil services exam then you are expected to have good knowledge of this organization. It is so because questions like what is NATO, List of NATO countries 2022, etc. are often asked in competitive exams. Go through this post to get the complete details about NATO forces 2022 and how they work.
Why NATO was created?
There were various reasons due to which North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created in the year 1949. Some of these reasons are as follows.
- Its main purpose was to secure peace in Europe and promote mutual co-operation.
- Another motive was to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union which had become a superpower after World War II.
- Initially, the treaty was signed by 12 European and 2 North American (Canada and USA) countries. The aim was to ensure the peaceful resolution of disputes.
- Most importantly, the treaty has a clause of collective defence, meaning that an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies. This clause provides a great sense of security amongst the member nations.
List of NATO Members 2022
The member countries of NATO play the most important role in the functioning of the organization. The list of NATO members as of 2022 is given below along with the year in which they joined NATO.
- Belgium – 1949
- Canada – 1949
- Denmark – 1949
- France – 1949
- Iceland – 1949
- Italy – 1949
- Luxembourg – 1949
- Netherlands – 1949
- Norway – 1949
- Portugal – 1949
- The United Kingdom – 1949
- The United States – 1949
- Greece – 1952
- Turkey – 1952
- Germany – 1955
- Spain – 1982
- Czech Republic – 1999
- Hungary – 1999
- Poland – 1999
- Bulgaria – 2004
- Estonia – 2004
- Latvia – 2004
- Lithuania – 2004
- Romania – 2004
- Slovakia – 2004
- Slovenia – 2004
- Albania – 2009
- Croatia – 2009
- Montenegro – 2017
- North Macedonia – 2020
Note: As you can see in the above list 28 countries in NATO are European and only two countries are North American.
What are the objectives of NATO?
The main objectives of NATO are discussed below.
- Political And Military Alliance – NATO always promotes democratic values. The member countries can consult and co-operate in their defence and security related issues. One of NATO’s main aims is to protect the freedom of each of its members through political and military measures.
- Collective Defence – This is the most important job of NATO. According to the principle of NATO, an attack on any member of NATO is considered as an attack against all. This principle is enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. Article 5 is invoked only once so far when the USA was attacked in September 2001 by terrorists.
- Boost Transatlantic Link – NATO also provides an amazing link between the continents of Europe and North America. This organization enable countries in Europe and North America to cooperate and consult in the field of defence and security.
- The 2010 Strategic Concept – This concept defines the core motives/ tasks as collective defence, crisis management and cooperative security.
List of Major Operations by NATO Forces so far
Here is the list of the major military operation conducted by NATO as of now.
| Name of the operation | Dates | Details |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1992 to 2004 | Bombing of Bosnian Serb military commands, Attacking the Army of the Republika Srpska, after the Srebrenica genocide. |
| Operation Allied Force | 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999 | 3 month long bombing campaign against Serbian forces in Kosovo |
| KFOR | 12 June 1999 to Present | Peacekeeping force for the establishment of a peaceful environment in Kosovo to enforce UNSC resolution 1244. |
| Disarmament of the Macedonian UÇK fighters | 27 August 2001 to 26 September 2001 | To disarm the Macedonian UCK fighters. |
| Operation Eagle Assist | 9 October 2001 to 16 May 2002 | Aerial petrol over the USA to protect against an attack similar to that of 11 September 2001 |
| International Security Assistance Force | 20 December 2001 to 28 December 2014 | Peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan |
| Pakistan earthquake relief | 8 October 2005 to 9 February 2006 | Providing Aid in the wake of the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake in Pakistan |
| Operation Ocean Shield | 17 August 2009 to 15 December 2016 | Counter the problem of piracy near the coasts of Africa |
| Operation Unified Protector | 27 March 2011 to 31 October 2011 | To enforce a no-fly zone in Libya to protect citizens from Muammar Gaddafi. |
| Operation Active Fence | December 2012 to present | Installing MIM-104 Patriot system air defence system in Turkey |
| Resolute Support Mission | 1 January 2015 to 12 July 2021 | Train and support Afghan Security Forces and Institutions |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question – 1: When NATO was formed?
Answer: NATO was formed on 4th April 1949.
Question – 2: Where are the headquarters of NATO?
Answer: The headquarters of NATO is in Brussels, Belgium.
Question – 3: What are official languages of NATO?
Answer: The official languages of NATO are English and French.
Question – 4: How many countries are there in NATO?
Answer: There are 30 members in NATO as of 2022.
Question – 5: NATO currently recognizes which three countries as aspiring members?
Answer: NATO currently recognizes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine as aspiring members.
Rakesh Sharma again appointed as MD & CEO of IDBI Bank
Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI Bank) has informed the stock exchanges that its board has approved the reappointment of Rakesh Sharma as the managing director and chief executive officer of the bank for a period of three years, effective March 19, 2022. Sharma’s reappointment as the MD&CEO of the bank has received the banking regulator, Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) nod.
Previous experience of Rakesh Sharma:
Sharma was previously the MD&CEO of Canara Bank and retired from this position in July 2018. Prior to that, he served as the MD&CEO of Laxmi Vilas Bank from March 2014 to September 2015. He was previously associated with the State Bank of India (SBI).
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- IDBI Bank Owner: Life Insurance Corporation;
- IDBI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai.
India’s NIUA and WEF to collaborate on sustainable cities development programme
World Economic Forum (WEF) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a jointly designed ‘Sustainable Cities India program’. The program aims to create an enabling environment for cities to generate decarbonization solutions across the energy, transport, and built environment sectors.
This initiative is particularly noteworthy as it comes after the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated India’s commitment to turn net-zero by 2070 as a climate mitigation response at COP26.
Key points:
- The ‘Sustainable Cities India program’ intends to enable cities to decarbonize in a systematic and sustainable way that will reduce emissions and deliver resilient and equitable urban ecosystems.
- The Forum and NIUA will adapt the Forum’s City Sprint process and Toolbox of Solutions for decarbonization in the context of five to seven Indian cities across two years.
- The City Sprint process is a series of multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder workshops involving business, government, and civil society leaders to enable decarbonization, especially through clean electrification and circularity.
- The outcome of the workshop series will be a shortlist of relevant policies and business models, which not only reduce emissions but also maximize System Value, such as improved air quality or job creation.
