Exercise Kakadu
Quad group of countries take part in back-to-back naval war games
- Hosted by – Australian Navy
- Held biennially (every two years)
- Participants – Ships and maritime aircraft from 14 navies including India
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
Bomb threats wreak havoc; 25 Sunday flights affected
- Established in – 1987
- Works under – Ministry of Civil Aviation
- Headquarters – New Delhi, India
- Responsibilities –
- Lays down standards and measures for the security of civil flights at international and domestic airports in India.
- Ensuring implementation of Aviation Security (AVSEC) measures in accordance with Chicago Convention of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
- Organizes mock exercises to test the efficacy of contingency plans and operational preparedness of various agencies
Blue Washing
A recent report showed that the world will not achieve pledges of 30×30 due to blue washing.
- A situation where marine areas are labelled as protected but do not truly safeguard marine life.
- Report states that 8.3% of ocean is designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), however, only 2.8 % of oceans are effectively protected.
Yars Missile
Russia recently tested readiness of Yars nuclear missile unit.
- Modified version of the Topol-M missile system
- An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with range upto 11,000 km.
- Equipped with MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle) technology which enables it to deliver multiple nuclear warheads, each capable of targeting different objectives.
Moonlight Programme
Moonlight Lunar Communications was launched recently
- Launched by – European Space Agency
- Objective – To provide services for moon missions planned by space agencies and private companies over the next 2 decades.
- Will be a constellation of 5 lunar satellites.
- Benefits – Enable precise, autonomous landings and surface mobility, facilitate high-speed communication and data transfer between Earth and Moon, offer coverage at the Moon’s South Pole, etc.