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- Sweden has made a significant advancement in enhancing its air force’s long-range strike capabilities by selecting the Taurus KEPD-350 air-launched cruise missile for integration with its Gripen fighter aircraft.
- About the Taurus KEPD-350:
- The Taurus KEPD-350 is a versatile, air-launched, long-range, precision-guided cruise missile. It is developed and manufactured by Taurus Systems GmbH, a collaboration between Germany’s MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Sweden’s Saab Bofors Dynamics. The missile is capable of penetrating advanced air defense systems and targeting hard, deeply buried, or stationary military structures on the ground. It has been operational since 2005. Countries such as Germany, Spain, and South Korea are among its current users.
- Key Features:
- The missile measures 5 meters in length and has a wingspan of 2.1 meters, with a total weight of around 1,400 kilograms. It boasts a range exceeding 500 kilometers. Powered by a turbofan engine, it achieves a cruising speed of Mach 0.6 to 0.95, even at very low altitudes. The Taurus KEPD-350 features modular components, allowing for mission-specific configurations. Its electronic systems are also designed to be modular for enhanced flexibility. It is capable of operating in all weather conditions, both day and night. Navigation is managed by the Tri-Tec system, which integrates data from the inertial navigation system (INS), military-grade GPS, terrain reference navigation (TRN), and infrared seeker-based image navigation (IBN) sensors.
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- The Gujarat High Court recently requested responses from a power distribution company, the Ahmedabad district collector, and a residential society after 95 families from the Rajgond tribe petitioned the court for directions to secure electricity connections for their homes.
- About the Gond Tribe:
- The Gond or Gondi (also known as Koitur) are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group. They are among the largest tribal communities in India, with a population of nearly 11 million according to the 2001 census.
- Distribution:
- The largest populations of Gonds are found in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Odisha. Smaller communities of Gonds are also present in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Gujarat. The Gond community is divided into four primary sub-groups: Raj Gonds, Madia Gonds, Dhurve Gonds, and Khatulwar Gonds.
- History:
- The Gonds established their presence in the Gondwana region between the 9th and 13th centuries AD. In the 14th century, they ruled various regions in central India. Under Gond dynasty rule, numerous forts, palaces, temples, tanks, and lakes were constructed. The Gondwana kingdom persisted until the late 16th century. The Gonds ruled over four major kingdoms: Garha-Mandla, Deogarh, Chanda, and Kherla, located in central India. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Gonds expanded their control over Malwa, particularly after the Marathas in 1690. During British rule, the Gonds fought numerous battles against the British forces.
- Language:
- The majority of Gonds speak dialects of Gondi, a Dravidian language that remains unwritten. Some Gonds have shifted to speaking Hindi, Marathi, or Telugu, depending on the dominant language of their region.
- Economy:
- The primary source of livelihood for the Gonds is agriculture, though they also engage in animal husbandry. Some also gather wild plants for sustenance.
- Religion:
- The Gonds follow a religious system centered around worship of clan and village gods, along with ancestor veneration.
- Customs and Festivals:
- The Gonds celebrate important festivals such as Keslapur Jathra and Madai. In addition, they also observe the Hindu festival of Dusshera.
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