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The treasures inside the <keyword id="3368480" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force-museum-in-Shillong">Indian Air Force museum in Shillong</keyword>, <keyword id="210482" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Eastern-Command">Eastern Command</keyword>, reveal IAF’s might and grit. 
 
The museum, which houses aircrafts, technology and machines used by the Indian Air Force Eastern Command, also tells stories of valour and sacrifices. 
 
The moment you enter the museum, you are greeted by a dummy man sitting on an aircraft-ejection seat to your left. Behind it, photos of aircrafts in the skyline adorn the walls, while a dummy aircraft sits right below them. 
 
As you move deeper inside the museum, there is a history section, proud moments of air operations in the eastern sector, heroic stories of people, portraits of air chiefs from 1947, uniforms, artefacts, et al. 
 
The outside section of the museum will leave you in awe as the life size aircrafts on the ground will leave you feeling more patriotic than ever. 
 
Here’s a complete look of the museum.

This is what the Indian Air Force Museum in Shillong looks like

Indian Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> announced that New Delhi will donate military equipment used the country's in the 1971 Liberation War to be displayed in museums in <keyword id="6354759" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</keyword>. Modi made the <keyword id="6367000" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="announcement">announcement</keyword> on Saturday in <keyword id="6381819" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="dhaka">Dhaka</keyword> on the last day of his two-day official visit to Bangladesh, which was his first trip abroad after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. On Saturday evening, Modi met his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina for one-on-one talks at the latter's office in Dhaka after which the two sides signed five MoUs, inaugurated and launched eight projects and made 10 announcements. During his visit, he also laid the foundation stone for a memorial honouring martyrs from the <keyword id="112134" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Armed-Forces">Indian Armed Forces</keyword> who were killed during the Liberation War. It will be built at Ashuganj, near Dhaka. This is the first memorial in Bangldesh exclusively honoring the Indian martyrs. Modi arrived in Dhaka and participated in a gala event commemorating the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, as well as the celebrations marking golden jubilee of Bangladesh independence. On Saturday evening, the Indian head of state announced a Bangabandhu Chair at the Delhi University to facilitate Bangladesh studies aimed at increasing mutual understanding. After visiting the historic Jeshoreshwari Temple in Shyamnagar, Satkhira, Modi announced that India will build a community hall-cum-cyclone shelter under a grant funding of the government for the benefit of all at the district. At Orakandi, Modi announced that India will build a primary school for children and upgrade a middle school for girls under government of India funding. He announced that to commemorate 50th year of Liberation of Bangladesh and 75th year of India's Independence, ï¿½Best of India, Best of Bangladesh Exhibition' and business meet will be held. He also announced that India will participate in the first-ever air dhow to be held in Bangladesh in 2022. Modi left Dhaka for New Delhi on Saturday night. Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen saw him off with an album of the photographs of all memorable moments in Bangladesh during his two day state visit. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/asteroid-apophis-wont-be-hitting-earth-for-at-least-another-century/articleshow/81719171.cms">‘God of Chaos’ asteroid Apophis won’t be crashing into Earth for at least another century</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/making-vaccines-available-to-indians-may-not-be-enough-it-depends-on-how-judiciously-we-employ-them/articleshow/81720507.cms">Making vaccines available to Indians may not be enough, it depends on how judiciously we employ them</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/article/madhya-pradeshs-kanha-national-park-hosts-a-special-guest-and-no-its-not-the-tiger/articleshow/81721513.cms">Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha National Park hosts a special guest. And, no, it’s not the tiger</a>

PM Modi announces India will donate military equipment used in 1971 for museums in Bangladesh

<ul><li>An Indian Air Force(IAF) An-32 plane flying from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh went missing on Monday with 13 people onboard. </li><li>Despite massive search operations, the aircraft has not been located yet. </li><li>Indian Navy’s Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8i and ISRO satellite — CARTOSAT and RISAT — had been trying to locate the plane by locating all the possible crash sites.</li></ul>Despite massive search operations, the Indian Air Force(IAF) An-32 plane has been missing since Monday. According to the latest update, the tribal villagers from Arunachal Pradesh witnessed ‘thick black smoke’ across the mountains near the Molo village, IANS reported. The aircraft, which has 13 people onboard, had taken off from Assam on Monday. However, the ground authorities were not able to make contact with the plane after 1 pm on Monday. Come Tuesday, IAF launched C-130J, AN-32 and Mi-17 of IAF and Indian Army ALH helicopter to locate the missing aircraft. In efforts to locate the aircraft, a search operation using Indian Navy's Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8i and ISRO satellite — CARTOSAT and RISAT — was put into action for capturing images from the dense forest cover in Assam screening all possible crash sites. "There is no sign of the aircraft. Search and rescue operation is on full swing," IAF spokesman Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh told IANS in Shillong. The latest incident comes after the IAF lost an AN-32 in Bay of Bengal when the flight from Chennai to Port Blair went missing with 29 onboard was never found. However, the search operation was called off after there was no wreckage reported. With inputs from IANS

An Indian fighter jet has been missing for over four days now

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12500522" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aircraft-carriers" source="Orion">Aircraft carriers</keyword> have been a dominant naval asset for nearly a century.</li><li>Their high cost and sturdy construction means those flattops often serve for decades.</li></ul>Since World War II, aircraft carriers have been one of the most important weapons in a military's arsenal.A nation with flattops can influence affairs far from its shores, and the more of them it can deploy, the farther it can project force around the world.The financial and technological requirements to build and deploy carriers means only a few countries can develop and maintain them. That barrier to entry means only few countries can field even one carrier.The US can deploy <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-us-navy-aircraft-carriers-supercarriers-to-ford-class-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers</a>, reflecting its superpower status. China is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-chinas-aircraft-carriers-compare-to-us-navy-flattops-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">building or testing three flattops</a>, and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-uk-aircraft-carrier-ends-first-deployment-with-milestones-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK has two new carriers</a>. Several other countries, including France, Russia, and India, have at least one.But carriers, once built, can serve for a long time. One of the longest-serving was <keyword id="13638258" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hms-hermes" source="Orion">HMS Hermes</keyword>, which spent a total of 58 years in the British and Indian navies.<h2>HMS Hermes</h2><div type="image" title="UK British aircraft carrier Hermes" height="1371" width="1828" msid="90901032" hostid="261"></div>HMS Hermes was a conventionally powered Centaur-class flattop that was laid down in 1944. Construction was paused for several years and the carrier wasn't launched until 1953. It entered service with the <keyword id="12018460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="royal-navy" source="Orion">Royal Navy</keyword> in 1959.The flattop began its career as a CATOBAR <keyword id="11898296" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aircraft-carrier" source="Orion">aircraft carrier</keyword> and could carry up to five fixed- and rotary-wing squadrons.Catapult Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery, or CATOBAR, carriers use catapults to launch aircraft and arresting wires to recover them, allowing planes to take off and land on a deck that's only a few hundred feet long instead of a mile or longer.But in the early 1970s, the Royal Navy decided to convert Hermes to support operations by Royal Marine Commandos — like the amphibious assault ships of the US Navy. Berthing space for 800 troops was added, and helicopters became Hermes' primary aircraft.Hermes was refit again in the early 1980s, when the threat from Soviet submarines prompted the Royal Navy to repurpose the ship for anti-submarine warfare. This modification also converted Hermes into a Short Take-Off, Barrier Arrested Recovery, or STOBAR, carrier.A ski jump was added to Hermes' bow and it once more hosted fighter jets, namely the Sea Harrier, which was designed for short and vertical takeoffs and landings.<div type="image" title="Royal Navy crewmen aboard aircraft carrier HMS Hermes" height="1278" width="2000" msid="90901033" hostid="261"></div>During the Falklands War in 1982, the HMS Hermes was the flagship of the British armada, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/falklands-war-almost-had-first-aircraft-carrier-battle-since-wwii-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leading more than 100 ships to the South Atlantic</a> to reclaim the islands from the Argentines.Hermes' sister ship and fellow STOBAR carrier, HMS Invincible, were crucial to the UK's success. Sea Harrier fighter jets operating from the two flattops gave the British air dominance and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sas-revisited-wwii-roots-in-daring-raid-during-falklands-war-2021-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ensured that ground troops could land on</a> and retake the Falklands.The Argentines recognized the importance of the British aircraft carriers and tried to sink them multiple times with daring air attacks. They sunk several escort ships and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/31/world/argentines-assert-they-hit-a-carrier.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed to have hit</a> Invincible, but the flattops emerged from the conflict unscathed. (The British armada <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/british-navy-used-impromptu-aircraft-carriers-to-recapture-falklands-2021-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">included two improvised carriers</a>, one of which was sunk.)Hermes' post-Falklands life was brief. After a refit and an exercise, the carrier was decommissioned in 1984, but that wasn't the end of its career.The British had previously tried to offload Hermes — including a mid-1960s offer to Australia that fell through because of the high cost to man and operate the carrier — and in 1983, they again offered to sell it to Australia, which once more turned them down.<div type="image" title="Indian navy sailor on aircraft carrier Viraat" height="1154" width="2000" msid="90901034" hostid="261"></div>The carrier was sold to India in 1986. After undergoing a refit, the carrier was commissioned into the <keyword id="11895652" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="indian-navy" source="Orion">Indian navy</keyword> as <keyword id="13638259" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ins-viraat" source="Orion">INS Viraat</keyword> in a ceremony held in the UK in May 1987.It became the flagship of the Indian Navy and participated in a number of operations, including in the Indian peacekeeping mission in Sri Lanka in 1989 and in the Indian blockade of Pakistani ports during the Kargil War in 1999. Viraat als took part in exercise Malabar, an annual exercise involving the US, India, and other navies.After almost six decades in service, the Hermes was finally decommissioned by the Indian Navy in 2017. In 2019, the Indian government <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/economy-politics/story/goodbye-ins-viraat-after-33-years-of-serving-indian-navy-warship-put-to-rest-274220-2020-09-29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decided</a> to scrap the carrier.After years of attempts by state governments and private actors to preserve the carrier as a museum, including a last-minute <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ins-viraat-now-private-property-sc/article34244872.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal effort</a> to prevent it from being totally dismantled, the carrier was broken up in 2021.Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.

58 years, 2 navies, one war: A short history of one of the world's longest-serving aircraft carriers

<ul><li>The Indian army has started an online registration for recruiting <keyword id="7127917" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-in-military-police">women in military police</keyword> as soldiers. </li><li>The recruitment drive will fill nearly 100 vacancies. </li><li>The women candidates need to qualify a Common Entrance Exam (CEE) post which they will have to appear for the Physical Endurance Test(PET).</li></ul>While Indian women are already making strides in the Air Force, flying fighter jets and as officers in the Navy, the Indian army has started an online registration for recruiting women in military police as soldiers, aiming to fill nearly100 vacancies. Soon after General Bipin Rawat took over the charge as the Army Chief, he raised the matter for approval from the Defence Ministry. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The recruitment rally will be conducted at Ambala, Lucknow, Jabalpur, Bangalore and Shillong. Once the registration of candidates is over, a cut off list will be generated for further rounds of selection, according to the official notification. So far the Indian army recruited women only as officers and not as soldiers, making this move significant. The Indian army has put it out on its official website (joinindianarmy.nic.in.) notifying openings for the post of Soldier General Duty. The application process starts today, and will end on 8 June, 2019. In order to qualify for the post, the women candidates need to qualify a Common Entrance Exam post which they will have to appear for the Physical Endurance Test(PET). Information on the complete selection and application procedure <a href="http://joinindianarmy.nic.in/writereaddata/Portal/BRAVO_NotificationPDF/AMDT_RALLY_NOTFN-_WOMEN_MP.pdf">here</a>. Separately, the Defence Ministry has been taking necessary initiatives to boost women empowerment. Recently, the Indian government <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/after-air-force-indian-army-open-to-permanent-commissions-for-women/articleshow/68279717.cms">announced</a> that the women officers can get permanent commissions in the armed forces. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-uae-government-is-wooing-indian-teachers-offering-10-times-higher-pay-than-their-current/articleshow/69021762.cms">The UAE government is wooing Indian teachers — offering 10 times higher pay than their current</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/after-air-force-indian-army-open-to-permanent-commissions-for-women/articleshow/68279717.cms">After Air Force, Indian Army open to permanent commissions for women</a>

In a first, Indian Army launches a recruitment drive for women soldiers

<ul><li><keyword id="66" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi" source="Orion">Delhi</keyword> offers diverse attractions for kids: National Zoological Park with a variety of animals, Adventure Island with thrilling rides, and water slides.</li><li>Engage kids with science: National Science Centre for interactive exhibits, Shankar's Doll Museum for cultural exploration.</li><li>Explore the universe: Nehru Planetarium for astronomy education. KidZania for role-playing careers. Fun N Food Village for water slides. Indian Air Force Museum for aviation history.</li></ul>Delhi offers a range of exciting and educational attractions for children. From the National Zoological Park to Adventure Island, National Science Centre, Shankar's Doll Museum, Nehru Planetarium, KidZania, Fun N Food Village, and the Indian Air Force Museum, there is something for every young explorer in the capital city of India. <h3>National Zoological Park</h3>Located near the Old Fort, the zoo is home to a wide variety of animals, including tigers, lions, elephants, giraffes, and more. It offers an educational and fun experience for children. <h3>Adventure Island</h3>This amusement park in Rohini offers a range of thrilling rides, water slides, and entertainment options for kids of all ages. It also has a separate section called "Metro Walk," which features shopping and dining options. <h3>National Science Centre</h3>Situated near Pragati Maidan, the National Science Centre is a science museum that engages children with interactive exhibits, science shows, and educational displays. It aims to foster scientific curiosity and learning. <h3>Shankar's Doll Museum</h3>Located in Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, the museum houses an extensive collection of dolls from across the world. It showcases various traditions, cultures, and historical periods through the art of doll-making. <h3>Nehru Planetarium</h3>Situated in Teen Murti Bhavan, the planetarium offers educational shows and presentations about astronomy, space exploration, and the universe. It is an excellent place for kids to learn about celestial bodies and scientific concepts. <h3>KidZania</h3>Located in Noida, just outside Delhi, KidZania is an interactive and educational indoor theme park where children can role-play various professions. It allows kids to explore different careers and learn about teamwork and decision-making. <h3>Fun N Food Village</h3>This water and amusement park in Kapashera offers a range of water slides, pools, rides, and entertainment options for kids. It is a popular destination for families looking for a day of fun and excitement. <h3>Indian Air Force Museum</h3>Situated in Palam, the Air Force Museum showcases a collection of vintage aircraft, weapons, and aviation memorabilia. Kids can learn about the history of the Indian Air Force and get a glimpse into the world of aviation.

Best places to visit in Delhi for kids

The Goldman prodigy behind Silicon Valley's glorious city of the future

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The swastika is now an infamous sign of hatred, extremism, and genocide. </li><li>But it has a long history and has been used by cultures worldwide to signify good fortune and luck. </li></ul>Last week, historians in Denmark announced they had discovered<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/a-golden-swastika-disc-oldest-known-reference-odin-valhalla-2023-3?r=US&amp;IR=T"> the oldest evidence of people worshipping the Norse god of war and death, Odin.</a>Next to the portrait of Odin was a small swastika-like sign, once a signifier of peace, wealth, and fortune.Today, the swastika is seen by many as a symbol of hatred, extremism, and danger. But it has a long and diverse history that stretches way beyond its cruel co-option by Adolf Hitler and the German Nazi party a century ago.<h2>The origins of the swastika</h2>The word swastika comes from the Sanskrit word svastika, which translates to "good fortune" or "wellbeing."The oldest known use of the swastika is seen on a 15,000-year-old mammoth ivory bird statue discovered in 1908 by Ukrainian scientist Federik Volkov.On the chest of the bird, held in The National Museum of the History of Ukraine, Kyiv, is an engraving of joined-up swastikas, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210816-the-ancient-symbol-that-was-hijacked-by-evil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the BBC.</a> The statue was discovered alongside a range of "phallic objects," suggesting the swastika was used as a good luck symbol to invite fertility.<h2>The swastika in Asia</h2>Today, the swastika is still widely used in a number of Indian religions.In Jainism, the swastika represents the four states of existence: Heavenly beings, Human beings, Hellish beings, and subhuman life.In the Zoroastrian faith, one of the world's oldest religions, the four prongs of the swastika represent water, fire, air, and earth.And in Buddhism, the sign is used to represent Buddha's footsteps, known as manji.<div type="image" title="Rangoli art on Diwali festival, India" height="3594" width="4792" msid="98756162" hostid="261"></div>Across India, the symbol is seen on shop doors, vehicles, food packaging, and at festivals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-germany-race-and-ethnicity-europe-2c28b5892381cd4148dfde5bc4fbb004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to AP</a>.It has also been adopted in other parts of Asia. In China, the symbol is known aswàn and was declared the "source of all good fortune" by Empress Wu in 693. The use of the swastika alongside a wish multiplies that wish 10,000 times, according to the <a href="https://pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu/exhibitions/past/exhibitions-at-usc-pam-prior-to-2011/rank-and-style-power-dressing-in-imperial-china/index-to-resources/symbols/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pacific Asia Museum.</a><h2>Swastika in Europe</h2>Worshipers of the Norse religion used the swastika symbol as early as 401 AD.Most commonly, the symbol is seen next to depictions of Thor, the Norse god of thunder, the sky, and agriculture. It is also seen next to his father, Odin.But it wasn't just Nordic people that were using the swastika. The symbol is known to have been used by Celts, Druids, and Vikings.US art director Steven Heller, author of "Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption?" told the BBC that the swastika was used in Europe to manifest good luck until the early 20th century. "The sign was used in many ways before Hitler adapted it. A sign of good fortune, fertility, happiness, Sun, and it was given spiritual import as well as commercial value when it was used with or as a brand or logo," said Heller.<div type="image" title="An old bottle of Carlsberg with a swastika logo" height="2591" width="3455" msid="98756163" hostid="261"></div>Less than 100 years ago, many companies used the symbol in their branding. The beer company Carlsberg had it on its logo, as did the Finnish Air Force and even the British Boy Scouts.However, that all started to change in the 1920s.<h2>Co-opted by the Nazis</h2>Some researchers believe that people of Aryan culture used the symbol as a sign of luck and prosperity. Aryanism is often linked to a belief in racial purity, but "Aryans" were originally Indo-European or Indo-Germanic people who settled throughout India, Iran (then known as Persia), and Europe, according to the United States Holocaust Museum. The classification of Aryanism was often used to refer to the shared languages used within the culture, but later it shifted to be used as a racial categorization.The BBC reports that the similarity in these languages to German is thought to have influenced Hitler's belief that the Aryans – especially those from India – and Germans had a "pure" lineage. Another theory is that Hitler would have simply seen the symbol repeatedly growing up. After Hitler's Nazi Party chose the swastika as its official symbol in 1920, it slowly became identified with racial purity, extremism, and totalitarian terror, a long way from its roots as an emblem of good fortune. When the Nazi Party took power over Germany in 1933, Hitler decreed that the German state flag had to be flown alongside the now-infamous red flag that boasts a huge black swastika.Today, the once-innocent swastika is now considered an incarnation of evil representing genocide, gas chambers, and the millions murdered in the Holocaust.But some are trying to change that. They don't want people to forget the atrocities of Hitler's Third Reich but do want to revive the wide cultural significance of the swastika.<div type="image" title="Sheetal Deo and her husband, Sanmeet Deo, hold a Hindu swastika symbol in their home in Syosset, N.Y., on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022." height="4170" width="5561" msid="98756164" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-germany-race-and-ethnicity-europe-2c28b5892381cd4148dfde5bc4fbb004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In 2022, Sheetal Deo, from New York – which has a population of 1.6 million Jews – told AP</a> that she was asked to remove her Diwali decor, the Hindu festival of lights, displayed at her Queens apartment building, which had a swastika on it. She told AP that she does not believe she should have to apologize for a sacred symbol simply because it is often conflated with its tainted version, saying doing so is "intolerable."But Steven Heller told AP, "A rose by any other name is a rose. In the end, it's how a symbol affects you visually and emotionally. For many, it creates a visceral impact, and that's a fact."

The history of the swastika: From a sign of luck and fortune to a symbol of evil

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="685666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Soviet-navy">Soviet navy</keyword> was never known for its <keyword id="413144" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Aircraft-carriers">aircraft carriers</keyword>, and the few it operated weren't meant for the same kind of operations as their US counterparts.</li><li>While those carriers didn't do much for the Soviets, a few of them have lived on and are now important naval assets for two of the world's biggest military powers.</li></ul>After World War II, there was no question that aircraft carriers were the dominant naval asset.American, British, and Japanese carriers were decisive in the largest naval battles of the war, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-us-navy-aircraft-carriers-supercarriers-to-ford-class-2020-10" target="_top">the US's dominance in carrier development</a> during the Cold War solidified their importance.Soviet carriers, on the other hand, have received much less attention.In all, seven carriers from three different classes served in the Soviet Navy between 1967 and 1991. Unlike their Western counterparts, Soviet carriers were not designed to support long-range offensive operations. Rather, they were meant to be defensive surface combatants and relied on their massive missile inventory more than their aircraft.<h2>The classes</h2><div type="image" title="Russia Soviet aircraft carrier Leningrad" height="950" width="1266" msid="79848438" hostid="261"></div>Soviet naval officials had long wanted a carrier in their inventory, but Soviet leaders chose to prioritize the army and air force instead.At least five different carrier projects were proposed or canceled between 1927 and the completion of the first carrier in 1965. That carrier, commissioned in 1967, was one of two Moskva-class helicopter carriers.The vessels were intended to hunt nuclear submarines and did not have long flight decks for fixed-wing aircraft. Instead, their air wings were made up of 14 helicopters, primarily Kamov Ka-25s or Ka-27s.The Moskvas were followed eight years later by the first real carriers - the Kiev-class. The Kievs featured an angled flight deck and an air wing of 12 helicopters and 12 <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/russias-yak-38-fighter-the-failed-jump-jet-helped-inspire-19320" target="_top">Yak-38</a> vertical take-off and landing fighters. Four Kiev-class carriers were built, the last commissioned in 1987.The Kuznetsov-class was the last class, and only one was completed before the dissolution of the <keyword id="6365126" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="soviet-union">Soviet Union</keyword>. <keyword id="3767269" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Admiral-Kuznetsov">Admiral Kuznetsov</keyword> featured a ski-jump and an angled flight deck. Its air wing comprised 18 Su-33 fighters and 12 helicopters.<h2>Armed to the teeth - with missiles</h2><div type="image" title="Russia Soviet aircraft carrier Leningrad" height="1091" width="1455" msid="79848439" hostid="261"></div>Soviet carriers had much smaller air wings than their NATO counterparts, This was by design, as their primary armament was their massive missile arsenals.As they were intended for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and submarine-support, both Moskva-class carriers had one <a href="http://militaryrussia.ru/blog/topic-365.html" target="_top">RPK-1 Vikhr</a> system capable of launching two FRAS-1 nuclear anti-submarine missiles, each of which had a yield up to 10 kilotons and could detonate some 650 feet below the surface. They were stored in a rotating magazine that held eight missiles.Moskva-class carriers were also armed with two RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers and 48 anti-air missiles that could be launched from two twin M-11 Shtorm launchers.The first three Kiev-class carriers had an RPK-1 Vikhr system with 16 FRAS-1 missiles. They were also armed with eight <a href="https://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/missile-threat-and-proliferation/todays-missile-threat/russia/ss-n-12-sandbox/" target="_top">P-500 Bazalt</a> supersonic cruise missiles in four twin launchers. With a range of over 300 miles, these missiles could be armed with a 2,000-pound conventional warhead or a 350-kiloton nuclear one. Over 100 anti-aircraft missiles made up their air defense.<div type="image" title="Russia Soviet Minsk aircraft carrier" height="889" width="2000" msid="79848440" hostid="261"></div>The last Kiev-class ship, Baku (later renamed Admiral Gorshkov), carried 12 P-500s, almost 200 anti-air missiles, two RBU-6000 launchers, and two 100 mm guns.The final carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, was armed with 12 radar-guided <a href="https://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/missile-threat-and-proliferation/todays-missile-threat/russia/p-700-granit-ss-n-19-shipwreck/" target="_top">P-700 Granit</a> anti-ship cruise missiles in vertical launchers just in front of the ski-jump on its bow. With a range of almost 400 miles, Granit missiles could carry a 1,600-pound warhead or a 350-kiloton nuclear one. The carrier also had 190 anti-aircraft missiles and one UDAV-1 anti-submarine rocket launcher.The weaponry fit squarely within Soviet Navy defensive doctrine, which was to destroy US surface ships - especially carriers - in engagements in Soviet home waters. The missiles also allowed the Soviet Union to send its carriers on operations abroad.All Soviet carriers were built in what is now Ukraine and had to pass through the Turkish Straits to go anywhere. The <a href="https://cil.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/formidable/18/1936-Convention-Regarding-the-Regime-of-the-Straits.pdf" target="_top">1936 Montreux Convention</a> prevented carriers from passing, but the Soviet designation of "heavy aircraft carrying cruiser" was an acceptable loophole for Turkey.<h2>Post-Soviet life</h2><div type="image" title="INS Vikramaditya" height="826" width="1240" msid="79848441" hostid="261"></div>Soviet carriers made a number of overseas trips and participated in a few exercises but never saw action. Admiral Kuznetsov was plagued with problems - so much so that it was always accompanied by a cargo ship with extra pipes for repairs, as well as a special <a href="https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/you-may-puke-watching-this-tug-boat-attempt-to-tow-russ-1742392802" target="_top">tugboat</a> in case of breakdowns.All carriers except Admiral Kuznetsov were decommissioned between 1991 and 1996. Two Kiev-class carriers (Kiev and Minsk) were eventually sold to Chinese companies and became a <a href="https://www.wired.com/2011/12/china-aircraft-carrier-hotel/" target="_top">hotel</a> and <a href="https://www.visionsoftravel.org/minsk-world-military-park-shenzhen/" target="_top">museum</a> respectively.Admiral Gorshkov was sold to India in 2004. After a <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/india-would-love-return-aircraft-carrier-it-bought-russia-164194" target="_top">painfully long major refit</a> that included adding a ski-jump and proper flight deck, it was commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS <keyword id="171280" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vikramaditya">Vikramaditya</keyword> in 2013. The Vikramaditya's air wing is made up of 26 Russian-made MiG-29K fighters.<div type="image" title="Liaoning Aircraft Carrier" height="613" width="1240" msid="79848442" hostid="261"></div>In 1998, Admiral Kuznetsov's unfinished sister ship, Varyag, was sold to China in a <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1779703/unlucky-guy-tasked-buying-chinas-aircraft-carrier-xu" target="_top">shady deal</a> to supposedly turn the carrier into a casino. After a massive refit that involved removing its missile launchers, it was commissioned into the Chinese Navy as the <a href="https://chinapower.csis.org/aircraft-carrier/" target="_top">Liaoning</a> in 2012, becoming China's first aircraft carrier.Now considered an entirely new class (dubbed the Type 001), <keyword id="265798" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Liaoning">Liaoning</keyword>'s air wing is made up of 24 J-15 fighters - Chinese copies of the Russian Su-33 - and 16 helicopters.Seven years later, China commissioned a slightly larger second carrier in a spinoff class (dubbed the Type 002) called the <a href="https://chinapower.csis.org/china-aircraft-carrier-type-001a/" target="_top">Shandong</a>. Its larger size means it can fit more aircraft.Unlike their Soviet predecessors, the Chinese carriers are intended to operate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-chinas-aircraft-carriers-compare-to-us-navy-flattops-2020-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more like their American counterparts</a>, focusing on offensive operations with their air wings.<h2>A problem child</h2><div type="image" title="admiral Kuznetsov" height="1141" width="1701" msid="79848444" hostid="261"></div>Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's only aircraft carrier, continues to be a problem for the <keyword id="46942" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Russian-Navy">Russian Navy</keyword>.During its only combat deployment in 2016 to Syria, Kuznetsov's aircraft conducted 420 sorties, but two aircraft were lost because of issues with the carrier's arresting cables, which forced the entire air wing to be <a href="https://www.defenseworld.net/news/17876/Russian_Combat_Jets_To_Operate_From_Syria_Airbase_Following_Carrier_Landing_Malfunction#.WEdGaFKsBZE" target="_top">transferred</a> to one of Russia's air bases inland in order to continue conducting airstrikes.The carrier has been going through a refit since 2017 that is intended to extend its life for at least another two decades. The refit is expected to remove its missile silos, give the ship a new suite of electronics and anti-aircraft systems, and enable it to carry 50 aircraft.But the refit has also had problems. In 2018, the floating dry dock holding the ships <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46030113" target="_top">sank</a>, and a 70-ton crane crashed into the flight deck. A year later, a major fire <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-aircraft-carrier-fire-133530727.html" target="_top">broke out</a> aboard, killing two workers and injuring at least 11 more.The refit continues, however, and Russian sources <a href="https://tass.com/defense/1231271" target="_top">say</a> the carrier will undergo sea trials in 2022.

The Soviet Union is long gone, but its aircraft carriers live on

Full text of President Ram Nath Kovind's first address to the Parliament as the 17th Lok Sabha gets underway

The Best Airline Captain Announcement Ever Came On A British Airways 747 After All Four Engines Failed...

Let's start with God. The answers are always easier that way. Someone I am most fond of once told me, "I pity atheists you know. Because they can't ever blame God. They don't have the privilege to ask 'why God, why did you do this to me'." 
 

	When the greater religions put a gun to our head and threatened us to jump in its well, we jumped. Who knew at the bottom of that well, we would find our superhero who went by the name Evolution? 
 

	Dismissing the need for any probation, evolution soon became the king of the jungle. When it roared, the jungle went into submission. But as we all know, no jungle worth its salt ever came without its poachers. The poachers came in the avatars of kings, queens, ministers, presidents, governors, and most importantly, our parents and communities. They drew the lines. The ones we were strictly told not to cross. 
 

	But, the thing is, our DNA came with an eraser, pencil, canvas, and a grave full of imagination. So even when we were put to rest, we dreamt. Our dreams made love to our mother earth, who politely went ahead and conceived the future of tomorrow. 
 When the tomorrow came, a man was born. He was named <keyword id="2898267" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="William-Bruce-Jenner">William Bruce Jenner</keyword>. Six and a half decades later, in June 2015, he stood on top of the world and announced that he had changed his name to Caitlyn. <keyword id="2879531" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Caitlyn-Jenner">Caitlyn Jenner</keyword>. The world stood back in the stands and cheered him from all corners. Before the announcement, William had made all the required configurations in his physical geometry to align his chemistry to the integrity his new name would demand. "I am so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. Welcome to the world Caitlyn. Can't wait for you to get to know her/me." Caitlyn posted on her <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">twitter</keyword> handle @Caitlyn_Jenner, which, along with the first tweet of her <keyword id="5962" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vanity-Fair">Vanity Fair</keyword> cover went on to get a record-setting 1 million fans in less than 4 hours and 3 minutes straight. Whereas the most powerful man on earth, <keyword id="15962" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Barack-Obama">Barack Obama</keyword> had taken 5 hours to pull the hanky 1 million in his Presidential twitter followers basket, last month. 

	Wish Dora was here now to shower under the petals from the high gardens of Twitter. Dora, born as Rudolph R, was the first person to have gone under the knife in the first-ever recorded sex reassignment surgery (SRS) in 1931. 
 

	Long before Dora or Caitlyn, the mythologies blow mighty trumpets of accounts concerning legends who were both man and woman in one form. There was the blind prophet, Tiresias, who constantly interchanged in his genders and said to have compelling wisdom for this very reason. Then we have the famous Cupid, the God who is responsible to make or break our hearts with our better halves, apparently, is a unisex God. Born to high-profile parents Hermes and Aphrodite, Cupid's father, Hermes, is the inspiration for the term 'hermaphrodite' - used to describe a being with both male and female sexual characteristics and organs. 
 

	Even though the hand holding the umbrella for transgenders is the same, all five fingers of that hand are not. The race to attaining transgender nirvana has been chalked with 5 different tracks. The tracks are identified as transexual, transvestite, genderqueer, androgene, and bigender. 
 

	Writing about transgenders is hard. Being them is even harder. A left-hand car comes straight from the factory and claims that it feels very much right-handed. And without a steering or permit, the car just drives along pretending the car is indeed right-handed. Then, there is the car that feels that it is neither right-handed nor left-handed, but centre-handed. It's complicated. The transgenders don't have it easy. 
 

	Harry Benjamin, the famous German-American sexologist and chief medical advisor to Christine Jorgenson (the ex G.I. who, before Caitlyn Jenner, 60 years ago, became the pioneer in America for stealing all shows concerning her sex reassignment surgery), said, "Our genetic and endocrine equipment constitutes either an unresponsive/fertile soil on which the wrong conditioning and a psychological trauma can grow and develop into such a basic conflict that subsequently a deviation like transsexualism can result." 
 

	Let me give you an example. When androgen receptors (a nuclear receptor that regulates gene expression) is said to have a firm handshake with testosterone or dihydrotestosterone (sex steroid), it will lead to the formulation of primary and secondary male sex characteristics. Whereas, instead of a handshake, if the androgen receptors and testosterone have a face-off with each other, their alliance will be broken. Meaning, a person who is assigned as 'male' at birth will come to feel and identify that he belongs to the opposite sex. 
 

	Again, it will be a blasphemy to summarise the identity of one's gender purely by a single theory alone. There are potent men with healthy-sized penis who feel that they should be women, just as there are women who are attractive, wear feminine clothes, and are perfectly capable of conceiving, yet feel the urge to be in a man's shoe. 
 

	Going by the biological complexity and psychological curiosity, it is evident that Agent X and Agent Y from the Sperm Maker Inc., when it comes to adjudicating the gender of a person, are futile as a burp in a storm. 
 

	Oppression, degradation, prejudice - a staple diet in the menu of transgenders, have been pricked with brutal attacks for holding a balloon called 'me'. 
 

	In 1513, when the Spanish conquistador - Vasco Nunez de Balbao, found that a village in Panama had men who dressed as women, and ordered 40 of them to be "torn to pieces by dogs". 
 

	In 2008, Larry King was shot twice in the head by a fellow student at his school in Oxnard, California. Larry had come out as gay. He was 15 when he was killed. The guy who shot him was 14 years old. 
 

	Last week, Stephanie McCarthy, a transgender musician, who was just about to play her gig, was assaulted by five men at the Newtown Town Hall Hotel in Sydney. 
 

	Then again, we have come nowhere as close as today, when it comes to fighting for transgender rights. With Poland's Anna Grodzka, becoming the first transexual MP in Europe to Donald Trump changing the rules in Miss Universe pageant that allowed Kylan Arianna Wenzel, the first transgender to participate in a Miss Universe competition to Madame Tussauds, San Francisco, recently announcing that it will feature a wax figure of Laverne Cox on June 26 during the Pride Week, the world of transgenders is on a progressive track. Laverne became the first ever transgender to star in the prestigious museum. 
 

	From the Indian wave, we have Manobi Bandopadhyay, who became India's first transgender college principal when she took charge of Krishna Women's College in West Bengal earlier this month. In 2014, the Supreme Court of India validated 'transgender' as the third sex. 
 

	With Caitlyn Jenner's announcement, the transgender community in America and around the world are positive that going forward, they will be able to see better days. 
 

	Obama, the first African-American to hold the office, was the first chief executive to inculcate the word 'transgender' in a speech, also openly prohibited job bias against transgender government workers, replied to Caitlyn's second-ever tweet when she expressed her joy about finally being able to come out, "It takes courage to share your story." 
 

	History is an ambitious gold digger eager to marry the most sought-after bachelor 'first-ever'. This century, we have had the privilege to see the changes the yesteryears had been begging and crying and hopelessly getting whipped, just so they could be somewhere around the aroma of this day. Now we are finally here. 
 

	Just as Mr Obama praised Caitlyn, yes, while it takes courage to share the story, it takes more courage to live the story, and it takes greater courage for us to let them live their story. 
 

	Whether it is through God, or evolution, when you let them be, they let us be. Because we need to be. 
 

	So a transgender - Warden of all the Nations and saluted by Air Force One? I don't see why not. 
 
 
(image credits: Alberto Frank- Flickr)

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