Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
- It is India’s next indigenous fighter and expected to make its first flight by 2032.
- It is built under India’s only fifth generation aircraft programme.
- The aircraft will feature geometric stealth which is different from material stealth feature.
- In material stealth, radar-absorbing materials are used to absorb the radio waves thus reducing the radar footprint.
- Whereas, in geometric stealth, the aircraft is designed at such angles to deflect away maximum radar waves to minimise radar cross section.
- Thus, the fighter will have low radar cross section, making it difficult for the enemy to spot it.
Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon
- It is an indigenously developed light weight glide bomb, capable of targeting large enemy infrastructure, like airfields.
- It was recently flight tested from Indian Air Force’s Jaguar aircraft successfully.
- It is an accurate bomb and is termed a precision-guided munition (PGM).
- It has “Inertial navigation system” which guides it precisely to its target, typically an enemy airfield up to 100 km away.
- This precisely guided one bomb is more economical than traditional free fall bombs which are less accurate.
- It has another advantage that it can release the bomb at a safer distance to enemy airfield and return without exposing itself to enemy anti-aircraft defences.
HELINA
- HELINA is an acronym for “Helicopter Launched Nag” missile.
- Nag is a third generation Anti-Tank guided missile indigenously developed under “Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)” of DRDO.
- Anti-Tank Guided Missiles are primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles.
- Helina is the helicopter launch variant of Nag, that can be fired from Dhruv advanced light helicopter and HAL Rudra attack helicopter.
- It is a heavier and longer-range version of the vehicle mounted Nag missile with a 7-km range.
- Typically, a land version of Nag missile has a range of only 4 km.
- The missile is guided by “infrared imaging seeker”, that homes in on the target’s heat signature.
- IGMDP involves the development of Agni, Akash, Trishul, Prithvi and Nag missiles.
Hilsa
- It is the most priced variety of fish, originates in the coastal waters of Myanmar.
- It travels to the mouth of the Ganga in West Bengal, Padma and Meghna rivers in Bangladesh to lay eggs in fresh water during the monsoon.
- It is a sensitive species and its breeding ground is mostly concentrated at the confluence of river and oceanic waters.
- After breeding in freshwater, the fish makes its way to seawater by undertaking a return journey to the confluence points.
- It belongs to the family of Clupeidae.
- It is known as “King of Fish” due to its soft oily texture and mouthwatering flavour.
Crypto-Pegged Forex rate
- Venezuela has recently announced a single exchange rate based on its cryptocurrency.
- Petro is a cryptocurrency launched by the government earlier this year.
- The President has effectively devaluated the petrocurrency by 96 per cent.
- Exchange rates, salaries, pensions and prices are pegged to Petro.
- Now, one petro would equal $60 and have the equivalent of 360 million bolivars (official currency of Venezuala).
- Since 2003 Venezuela has had strict currency controls, identified by economists as a major cause of its economic crisis.
- It has led to hyperinflation and rendered the bolivar currency near worthless.
- The International Monetary Fund has predicted that inflation in Venezuela would hit 1 million percent this year.
Source: The Hindu, PIB, Business Standard
