
Army Air Defence College
in Gopalpur conducted a firepower demonstration with weapons ranging from
medium and short-range missile systems to guns. As many as 330 student officers,
including 30 from abroad, witnessed the exercise. Lieutenant general B.V. Nair,
who is the commandant of Defence
Services Staff
College, and chief
instructors from the air force and navy attended the event. The missile systems
that were fired included the OSA-AK weapon system, Strella 10-m missile and
Igla-1M shoulder fired missile. The anti aircraft guns demonstrated included
the Schilka weapon system, L/70 gun and ZU-23mm twin barrel gun, which play a
major role in the air defence of the Indian Army. The state-of-the-art Inter
Services Pilotless Target Aircraft, Lakshya, produced indigenously by the
Defence Research and Development Organisation, provided the aerial target
support. The officers were taken around the military station and shown various
training facilities and the set-up at the host college. Commandant of the
college, lieutenant general Vijay Kumar Saxena, said: “A similar demonstration
will be conducted on January 12 for another 250 officers of Defence Services
Staff College.”
Senior dignitaries and officers
of DSSC witnessed this fire power demonstration. They were in the AADC on a
study tour. Lieutenant General B. V. Nair, the commandant of DSSC was also
present along with chief instructors from Air Force and Navy. A total of 330
student officers witnessed this fire power demonstration. They included 30
officers from friendly foreign countries. The visiting officers were also taken
round the AADC and were shown the state of the art training and infrastructure
in this military establishment. Commandant of AADC, Lieutenant General Vijay
Kumar Saxena also addressed the visiting officers. A similar fire power
demonstration will be held at AADC on Jan. 12 for 250 officers of Defence Staff College.
Spread over more than 2,700 acres
by the Bay of Bengal, Army
Air Defence
College is a training
institution. It dates back to the pre-Independence era, when the School of Artillery
was located at Quetta and the anti-aircraft wing,
at Karachi. But
after Independence, both were shifted to Deolali
in Nasik. In 1955,
it was decided to relocate the air defence wing. Eight years on, the state
government offered 3,000 acres at Gopalpur-on–sea along with seaward firing
range, which was accepted in 1968. The Centre sanctioned the establishment of
Air Defence and Guided Missile School and Centre here and it was finally
shifted to Gopalpur in 1989, redesignated as Army Air Defence College
in November 1998.
Sources: The Telegraph, The
Hindu