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- The Trajan 155 mm towed artillery gun system, a collaborative development between India and France, has secured an export contract from Armenia.
- About the Trajan Gun:
- The system is a 155 mm towed artillery piece.
- It has been jointly developed by India and France.
- The gun is a product of collaboration between Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and KNDS France, having undergone thorough testing by the Indian Army, fulfilling all qualitative standards.
- The 52-caliber towed artillery system is manufactured in India.
- Key subsystems, such as the auxiliary power unit, control panel, and rolling gear assembly, are indigenously designed.
- Built to meet the challenges of modern warfare, it offers a firing range of over 40 kilometers, depending on the ammunition used.
- The Trajan's modular construction makes it highly portable and easy to deploy, while its automated loading system ensures efficient and rapid fire rates.
- It is capable of operating in various terrains, from marshy lowlands to high-altitude, frigid desert environments.
- The system is equipped with advanced targeting and fire-control systems, integrating seamlessly with contemporary military networks.
- The Forest Department has initiated efforts to encourage residents of Sheribikanahalli Tanda (a hamlet) in the heart of Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary, located on the Karnataka-Telangana border, to relocate due to the area's ecological sensitivity.
- About Chincholi Wildlife Sanctuary:
- Situated in the Kalburgi District of North Karnataka.
- Declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2011, covering an area of 134.88 sq.km.
- It holds the distinction of being the first dry land wildlife sanctuary in South India.
- Often referred to as the "Ooty of Telangana."
- In addition to the Chandrampalli dam, the sanctuary houses four smaller dams within its boundaries.
- The sanctuary is home to the Lambani Tandas, a protected tribal community that resides in the forested areas.
- Flora:
- The sanctuary is characterized by dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests at its core, with Acacia and Teak plantations on its outskirts.
- It also harbors medicinal herbs, sandalwood, and red sanders trees.
- Fauna:
- The sanctuary is inhabited by wildlife species such as the Black Buck, Common Fox, Four-horned Antelope, Fruit bat, Hyena, and Indian Wolf.
- More than 35 bird species, including the Black Drongo, Black-winged Kite, Blossom-headed Parakeet, Blue Pigeon, Black-headed Oriole, and Grey Partridge, also thrive here.
- The Prime Minister recently praised the Indian space startup Digantara for the success of its SCOT Mission.
- About the SCOT Mission:
- SCOT (Space Camera for Object Tracking) is Digantara's first mission focused on space surveillance.
- It is one of the world’s pioneering commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites.
- The mission was launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission.
- SCOT is designed to track Resident Space Objects (RSOs).
- Built specifically to monitor smaller RSOs, it offers higher revisit rates and enhanced tracking accuracy, addressing gaps in existing systems.
- Positioned in a sun-synchronous orbit, SCOT will be able to track objects in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with greater efficiency compared to traditional sensors, which are often limited by fields of view (FoV), weather conditions, and geographical constraints.
- Unlike conventional systems, SCOT can monitor objects as small as 5 cm orbiting Earth, ensuring safer space operations.
- Supported by Aditya Birla Ventures and SIDBI, the mission is aimed at bolstering national security and space operations.