Defence Minister AK Antony visits China; C-17 Globemaster-III makes its maiden flight to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
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    • (JULY 1-7)

    In a significant development, Defence Minister, Shri AK Antony, paid an official visit to China from 4-7 July 2013. Shri Antony held talks with his counterpart Gen Chang Wanquan and also called on Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. He also met State Councillor Yang Jiechi. The Joint Statement issued at the end of talks with Chinese leaders noted that “peace and tranquility on the border was an important guarantor for the growth and development of bilateral cooperation...” The two sides stressed the importance of “enhancing mutual trust and understanding between the two militaries”. The joint statement said that the two ministers agreed on “an early conclusion of negotiations for the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement between the two governments”. The two ministers also discussed ongoing and proposed bilateral exchanges and welcomed the holding of the counter-terrorism bilateral joint exercise between their armies in China in 2013. 1

    In another development, according to reports, the Indian Air Force’s latest acquisition C-17 Globemaster-III made its maiden flight to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands on 30 June 2013. The aircraft flew to an altitude of 28,000 feet with an unrefueled range of 2400 nautical miles.
    The aircraft is manufactured by Messrs Boeing of the United States. The C-17 Globemaster-III is a heavy-lift transport military aircraft, developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). India has become the largest customer of this sophisticated aircraft after the United States. C-17 Globemaster-III is 174 feet in length, with a wing span of 170 feet. The maximum all up weight is 2,65,350 kg, with an ultra modernized palletized cargo handling capability. 2

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