Asianet Newsable

Peace By Panic: How Operation Sindoor Turned Pakistan’s Ceasefire Into A Confession

Anish Kumar — Sun, 10 May 2026 11:59:36 +0530

When Pakistan's generals agreed to a ceasefire on 10 May 2025, they called it statesmanship. What followed in procurement orders, constitutional amendments, and emergency capability programmes told a rather different story.

It had begun three days earlier, when precision strikes destroyed nine terrorist-linked targets across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India had launched Operation Sindoor. The strikes were as significant for their restraint as their precision--military installations were deliberately spared, and India said so publicly. It was an off-ramp. Pakistan did not take it.

Between 08 and 10 May, Pakistani commanders ordered drone strikes, rocket salvos, and artillery barrages. The calculation was badly misjudged. The drone fleet proved largely ineffective against Indian air defences, the artillery accomplished little, and the response it invited was something Pakistan's planners had not prepared for.

India struck eleven Pakistani air bases in a single coordinated operation, including Nur Khan--sitting in the shadow of GHQ, barely outside the Islamabad Capital Territory.

The message was unmistakable: India could reach Pakistan's most sensitive command nodes, at a time of its choosing, and what came next could be worse. The ceasefire request came within hours.

A ceasefire sought in the immediate aftermath of strikes on your air bases, near your military headquarters, is not a diplomatic achievement. It is a calculation of survival.

What followed was a confession written not in words, but in contracts — each one a precise echo of a specific failure.

On the ground, the Pakistan Army Rocket Force Command was stood up around the FATAH-series Guided Multi-Launcher Rocket System, with artillery divisions at Gujranwala and Pano Aqil restructured into ARF Division (North) and ARF Division (South), and additional missile regiments placed under direct GHQ control. A new 155mm artillery ammunition production facility was fast-tracked — shortages during sustained engagements had concentrated minds sharply.

Also Read: ‘Why Speak English?’ Pakistan Army’s Strange Op Sindoor Remark Sparks Massive Troll Fest

Over 25 regiments' worth of Chinese SH-15 Mounted Gun Systems were contracted in phases, acknowledging gaps in artillery mobility and survivability. That some SH-15s were reportedly deployed from civilian areas during the conflict itself, apparently to shield them from Indian targeting, added a grim footnote to the story of operational stress.

In aviation, Chinese Z-10ME attack helicopters were rushed into service with No. 31 Attack Helicopter Squadron by August 2025, filling gaps in close air support that the conflict had exposed. A dedicated UAV force was simultaneously established, centred on ISR drones and targeting UAVs under the Bahawalpur Corps, after Pakistan's own drone strikes had failed almost entirely against Indian air defences. Contracts for Chinese CH-4 and CH-5 UCAVs and SA-180 loitering munitions followed.

Turkish KORKUT Air Defence Systems were acquired to address low-level aerial vulnerability, while Turkish OMTAS anti-tank missiles and ERYX ATGMs addressed anti-armour deficiencies identified in operational assessments. VT-4 tanks, rebranded as the MBT Haider, were contracted to address armour modernisation gaps.

At sea, MILGEM-class corvettes from Turkey and Hangor-class submarines completed a procurement sweep that spanned every domain of warfare. An electronic warfare cooperation agreement with Turkey was signed within days of the ceasefire itself, suggesting that electromagnetic vulnerabilities had been among the most acute surprises of the conflict.

Most dramatically, Pakistan's constitution was reportedly amended, the 27th Constitutional Amendment, abolishing the office of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and replacing it with a Chief of Defence Forces and a Commander, National Strategic Command.

The nuclear command architecture was restructured and authority centralised under Army leadership, a tacit admission that inter-services coordination had failed and that crisis management structures had buckled under pressure.

Restructuring your nuclear signalling posture immediately after a conflict is not an act of confidence. It is an attempt to restore credibility to a deterrence narrative that India had visibly punctured by demonstrating willingness to strike despite nuclear overhang.

Pakistan's leadership presented the ceasefire as a parity arrangement, two nuclear powers stepping back with equal dignity. But an establishment that emerges from a conflict with its deterrence intact does not simultaneously place emergency orders across every domain of warfare, rewrite its constitution, and restructure its nuclear command.

The procurement lists, the FATAH rockets, the Z-10ME helicopters, the drones, the guns, the missiles, the corvettes, the electronic warfare agreements, and the ammunition factories are a detailed map of everything that went wrong. Pakistan's generals know what the ceasefire agreement is. The rebuilding effort that followed is the proof.

Also Read: Operation Sindoor: Indian Army marks 1st anniversary in Agartala

India Inches Toward Rs 70,000 Crore Submarine Deal as Pakistan Expands Underwater Fleet

Anish Kumar — Tue, 19 May 2026 08:14:44 +0530

New Delhi: India is set to conclude negotiations for one of its most significant naval acquisitions in decades, with a contract for six advanced conventional submarines under Project 75 India (P-75I) expected to be finalized by September. Valued at approximately Rs 70,000 crore (roughly $8.4 billion), the programme has moved closer to fruition after an inter-ministerial group is scheduled to clear the process by the end of this month.

Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) will serve as the Indian strategic partner for the project, working in collaboration with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). Under the arrangement – structured within the defence ministry’s Strategic Partnership model, which requires an Indian firm to co-produce with a foreign original equipment manufacturer – TKMS will transfer submarine design and technology to India, with production facilities to be established domestically.

A defining feature of the programme is the mandatory inclusion of air-independent propulsion (AIP) technology in all six submarines. AIP allows a conventional submarine to remain submerged far longer than conventional diesel-electric boats, which must periodically surface or raise a snorkel to recharge batteries – a vulnerability that AIP largely eliminates.

The first submarine is to be delivered seven years after signing, with one additional boat to follow each year thereafter.

The programme carries firm indigenous content requirements: the first vessel must incorporate a minimum of 45% locally sourced components, rising to 60% by the sixth. This escalating threshold reflects New Delhi’s broader push to build a self-sustaining defence manufacturing base under its ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ framework.

AIP gap

The strategic urgency behind P-75I is sharpened by a stark capability deficit. India currently does not operate a single submarine equipped with AIP technology. Its existing fleet of 16 conventional submarines includes 10 ageing boats approaching the end of their service lives – a situation that defence planners regard with growing unease.

Pakistan, by contrast, is moving rapidly. On April 30, 2025, it commissioned its fourth AIP-capable submarine at a ceremony held in China. The vessel is the first of eight Hangor-class boats being built with Chinese assistance.

Pakistan is expected to field up to 11 AIP-equipped submarines within the next few years, giving it a qualitative edge in underwater endurance over the Indian Navy in the near term.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been developing an indigenous AIP capsule to address this gap. The system is expected to be ready by June 2026 and is planned for integration with INS Khanderi, the second of the Navy’s six Kalvari-class diesel-electric submarines, which is scheduled to dock for maintenance by the end of 2026.

The programme has, however, run behind schedule. The AIP module was originally intended for INS Kalvari, the lead boat of the class, built at MDL with technical assistance from France’s Naval Group. Since the system was not ready in time, Kalvari proceeded with its refit without AIP.

The Kalvari class – known internationally as the Scorpene class – currently forms the backbone of India’s conventional submarine capability and represents the country’s most significant step toward domestic submarine construction in recent decades.

Effect in IOR strategy

The pressure on India’s submarine programme is not limited to Pakistan. China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA Navy), now the world’s largest by hull count with approximately 355 warships and submarines, has substantially increased its presence in the Indian Ocean region in recent years.

The PLA Navy is projected to operate 65 submarines in 2025, with plans to grow that number to around 80 by 2035. Beijing’s expanding underwater reach into what New Delhi considers its strategic neighbourhood has added urgency to India’s own force-building timeline.

India’s total naval fleet currently numbers over 130 vessels. The Navy has set a target of expanding this to between 170 and 175 ships and submarines within five years – an ambitious goal that places P-75I at the heart of long-term maritime planning.

AIP technology is now standard in most modern conventional submarine fleets. A small group of nations – among them Germany, France, Sweden, Japan, South Korea, and China – possess mature, operationally proven AIP systems. India’s reliance on a foreign partner for this technology in the near term, while its indigenous programme matures, underscores both the complexity of the task and the scale of the catch-up required.

If the September timeline holds, the P-75I contract will mark a turning point for the Indian Navy – one that has been in the making for well over a decade.

Indian Air Force To Procure Advanced AGNI Multi-Domain Combat Simulator For Rafale, Sukhoi And Joint Warfare Training

Anish Kumar — Mon, 18 May 2026 12:28:07 +0530

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is procuring a next-generation combat simulation system, designated AGNI – air combat, ground planning and network integrated that marks a significant departure from conventional single-platform flight simulators. The AGNI simulator system is intended to replicate the complexity of modern, multi-domain warfare and will be open to personnel from all three services.

The move reflects a broader recognition within the Indian defence establishment that aerial combat has evolved well beyond the cockpit.

Radar networks, satellite data links, electronic jamming, drone swarms and cyber operations now shape the outcome of air battles as decisively as the aircraft themselves. Existing training infrastructure, designed largely around individual pilot proficiency, has struggled to keep pace.

AGNI framework

Under the AGNI framework, a fighter pilot in a simulated cockpit, an air defence controller tracking hundreds of targets on a panoramic display, and a ground commander coordinating assets from all three services will operate simultaneously on a single integrated network, each affecting the others' environment in real time.

The system is structured around four components. The fighter controller section will feature large panoramic displays capable of rendering more than a thousand tracks at once, covering the full range of aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, helicopters, drones, transport aircraft and missiles. Controllers will train on threat prioritization and intercept decisions under simulated electronic warfare conditions, including jamming and spoofed signals.

Four high-fidelity cockpits will replicate the flight characteristics and weapons systems of aircraft currently operated by the IAF, including the Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage 2000 and Rafale, as well as adversary platforms such as the F-16, F-22 and China's J-10 and J-11.

The cockpits will incorporate motion feedback to simulate takeoff, manoeuvres and weapons release, and will use virtual and mixed-reality technology overlaid on high-resolution satellite imagery. Pilots will train across degraded visibility conditions, cloud, rain, fog and night operations.

The ground environment section, described in the request for proposals as the most technically complex element, will integrate platforms from the army, navy and air force on a single three-dimensional display.

Tanks, missile batteries, radar installations, warships, submarines, aircraft carriers and ballistic missile defence systems will all be represented.

The section will also simulate the effects of smoke, explosions, missile trails and electronic interference.

A dedicated supervisor section will allow instructors to modify scenarios in real time, introducing additional threats, degrading communications or worsening weather and will record all audio and video for post-exercise analysis.

Who Is Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, India’s New Navy Chief?

Anish Kumar — Sat, 09 May 2026 10:13:14 +0530

The government has appointed Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Indian Navy chief, who will be replacing Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi.

Admiral Tripathi will be retiring from service on May 31, 2026.

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan assumed charge as the 34th Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command on July 31, 25.

The Flag Officer was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 01, 87 and is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla; the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom; the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja; and the United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode lsland.

A recipient of Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, the Admiral has held several key operational, staff and training appointments in his naval career including the Command of missile vessels INS Vidyut and Vinash; the missile corvette INS Kulish; the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

On promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, he served as the Chief Staff Officer (Training) at Headquarters, Southern Naval Command, Kochi and played a key role in the conduct of training across the Indian Navy.

He was also instrumental in raising the Indian Naval Safety Team that oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy.

He then went on to head the Work Up Organisation of the Navy as the Flag Officer Sea Training after which he was privileged to be appointed as the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet.

After commanding the Sword Arm, he was appointed as the Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Advisor, Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India.

On promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral, the Flag Officer was Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command, Controller of Personnel Services and Chief of Personnel at NHQ.

Prior to his current assignment, he served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff at Naval Headquarters.

Vice Admiral Swaminathan's educational qualifications include a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology. Kochi; MA in Defence Studies from King's College, London; MPhil in Strategic Studies from Mumbai University: and PhD in International Studies from Mumbai University.

Tonbo Imaging Wins Indian Navy Contract To Build High-Power Microwave Anti-Drone Weapon

Anish Kumar — Tue, 19 May 2026 16:59:23 +0530

New Delhi: Bengaluru-based defence technology company Tonbo Imaging has secured a contract from the Indian Navy to develop and deploy a high power microwave (HPM) system under the ADITI 3.0 innovation scheme. The contract is backed by iDEX (innovations for defence excellence) and the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), both operating under the ministry of defence.

Under the agreement, Tonbo will handle system integration and commissioning, with multiple production units to follow once the system clears development, validation, and acceptance trials.

HPM systems are classified as directed-energy weapons — a category that uses focused electromagnetic energy rather than conventional munitions to disable or degrade targets.

The technology is considered strategically sensitive; only a small number of countries, including the United States, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom, are known to operate advanced HPM systems.

These weapons are capable of frying the electronics of unmanned aerial vehicles, sensors, and communications equipment without causing physical destruction, making them an increasingly studied solution to the tactical problem of drone swarms.

The threat of drone swarms — large numbers of inexpensive, coordinated unmanned systems, has become a pressing concern for navies worldwide, particularly following their battlefield use in Ukraine and in conflicts in the Middle East.

Conventional air defence systems, including missiles and guns, are ill-suited to economically counter such threats at scale.

Directed-energy weapons, including HPM systems and high-energy lasers, offer a low cost-per-shot alternative, though they remain technically demanding to develop.

Vacuum tubes at the core

The managing director and chief executive of Tonbo Imaging India Limited, Arvind Lakshmikumar, said the company had invested over several years in building indigenous HPM technology, including vacuum tube sources — the high-power RF emitters at the heart of HPM weapons.

Lakshmikumar said Tonbo holds core intellectual property in vacuum tube technologies and described this as a decisive factor in winning the contract.

He added that vacuum tube-based sources remain the only practical path for generating the extreme peak power and pulse energy levels required for HPM systems to effectively engage targets, and that solid-state RF alternatives — widely used in radar and communications — cannot currently meet those thresholds within feasible size and weight constraints for field deployment.

India's push for indigenous directed-energy capability

The ADITI framework — Advanced Defence Technology Incubation — is a government initiative designed to bridge the gap between laboratory-stage research and operational induction.

ADITI 3.0 represents the latest iteration, with a focus on pushing private industry deeper into high-end defence technology development.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been developing directed-energy weapons independently for years, including laser-based systems for counter-drone applications.

However, the decision to bring in a private company through a structured innovation framework signals a broadening of the approach. It is consistent with the government’s emphasis on private sector participation under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

The company has more recently moved into loitering munitions and counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), and the navy contract further cements its repositioning as a systems integrator for complex defence platforms.

The Indian navy has been increasing its investments in non-kinetic and electronic warfare capabilities as part of a broader modernization programme.

China Admits Its Engineers Were Inside Pakistan Air Base During Conflict With India

Anish Kumar — Fri, 08 May 2026 20:43:44 +0530

New Delhi: In what amounts to a stunning admission, China has officially confirmed for the first time that its engineers provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during last May's military conflict with India – a claim India had repeatedly made. China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute – the very facility that builds China's most advanced fighter jets. Zhang was stationed at a Pakistani air base during the conflict.

India Said It. China Confirmed It.

India had on multiple occasions asserted that China was actively involved in supporting Pakistani operations during the May conflict.

For months, those claims were brushed aside. Now, straight from Beijing's own state media, comes the confirmation India had been waiting for.

Zhang himself described the conditions on the ground: “At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically.”

That's not a support role from thousands of kilometres away. That's boots on the ground.

The J-10CE Factor

Pakistan's Chinese-supplied J-10CE fighters – the export variant of the 4.5-generation J-10C – are now at the centre of the story.

During the conflict, at least one of these jets is reported to have shot down a French-made Rafale fighter operated by India, the Chinese engineer claimed.

It was a historic first on two counts – the J-10CE's first confirmed air combat kill, and the first time a Rafale had ever been downed in combat.

AVIC engineer Xu Da, who was also embedded with Pakistani forces, called the J-10CE their “child.” He said: "We nurtured it, cared for it, and finally handed it over to the user. And now, it was facing a major test."

He added: "As for the outstanding results the J-10CE achieved, we weren't very surprised... it felt inevitable."

The Numbers Tell the Story

Pakistan is the only known foreign operator of the J-10C. It ordered 36 of the jets along with 250 PL-15 air-to-air missiles back in 2020.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a staggering 80 per cent of Pakistan's arms imports between 2021 and 2025 came from China.

In other words, Pakistan didn't just fly Chinese jets in that conflict. It flew Chinese jets, armed with Chinese missiles, with Chinese engineers on standby at the base.

India’s Assertion Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh, the deputy chief of Indian Army made the most direct statement at the FICCI 'New Age Military Technologies' event on July 4, 2025. He had said: “We had one border and two adversaries, actually three. Pakistan was in the front. China was providing all possible support... When DGMO-level talks were on, Pakistan had the live updates of our important vectors, from China.”

His revelations were described as the first public official acknowledgment of China's real-time support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

DRDO Hunts for Compact Turbojet Engine to Power Next-Generation Missiles and Drones

Anish Kumar — Fri, 22 May 2026 10:09:46 +0530

New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has floated an Expression of Interest (EoI) inviting domestic and international aerospace manufacturers to supply a compact turbojet engine in the 130–180 kilogram-force (kgf) thrust class, intended for integration into advanced air- and ground-launched platforms. One kgf equals to ~9.807 newtons.

Exacting Specifications

The engine must be flight-proven and must operate within a tightly constrained physical envelope: no more than 275mm in diameter, 540mm in length, and under 25kg inclusive of all accessories.

Thrust output must fall between 130 and 180 kgf at sea level under Indian standard atmospheric conditions, delivered without installation losses.

The structural demands are equally stringent. The engine must withstand high inertial loading – axial forces of ±10G and lateral forces of ±8G – conditions characteristic of agile, fast-manoeuvring platforms such as cruise missiles, loitering munitions, and high-speed target drones.

Critically, the engine must also demonstrate reliable air-start capability above 5,500 metres altitude across a velocity band of Mach 0.3 to 0.6, a requirement that narrows the field to designs with proven high-altitude restart credentials.

Vendor Obligations

RCI-DRDO will develop the fuel tank independently. However, shortlisted vendors will be required to supply the complete propulsion system stack, encompassing the fuel pump, fuel and drainage lines, engine control unit, valves, and a dedicated ground test system. Integration responsibility, in other words, falls substantially on the supplier.

Strategic Context

DRDO has not formally linked the EoI to any named programme, but the specifications align closely with propulsion requirements for several categories of systems already in or approaching development.

DRDO’s ‘Abhyas’ high-speed aerial target – a subsonic expendable drone used for weapons evaluation – currently relies on a small turbojet in a comparable thrust class.

An upgraded or alternative engine could extend its performance envelope or reduce dependence on foreign supply chains.

The Russia-Ukraine war and ongoing West Asian conflicts have demonstrated that small jet-powered cruise weapons and loitering munitions can reshape battlefield dynamics at relatively low cost.

From Bengaluru to Lisbon: How India’s First AI Combat Aircraft ‘Kaal Bhairava’ Aims For NATO Markets

Anish Kumar — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:51:58 +0530

New Delhi: Bengaluru-based Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA) and European major SKETCHPIXEL LDA forged partnership to manufacture AI (Artificial intelligence) combat aircraft – Kaal Bhairava in Portugal, for the first time. Portugal is a NATO member state.

SKETCHPIXEL LDA is known for building advanced fighter jet simulation systems for aircraft like the F-16.

All about Kaal Bhairava

Known as India’s first AI combat aircraft, Kaal Bhairava is a MALE (medium altitude long endurance) autonomous combat aircraft with 3000-km range and 30+ hours endurance.

The platform features AI-driven target recognition, swarm coordination capabilities, and encrypted communication systems.

“Kaal Bhairava represents FWDA’s broader focus on combining intelligence, scalability, and cost-efficiency in defence systems. Unlike traditional aerospace models centred on high-cost platforms, the AI warfare company is building an ecosystem of autonomous airpower, swarm systems, and next-generation air defence, aligned with the global shift toward scalable, cost-efficient warfare systems,” the company said.

Equipped with swarm warfare capabilities, the Kaal Bhairava platform enables multi-angle precision strikes and saturates enemy air defence systems by deploying coordinated autonomous swarms making it a force multiplier for future warfare.

The company claimed that 10 Kaal Bhairavas can match the reconnaissance power of a single Predator at a fraction of the cost.

Under the agreement, SKETCHPIXEL will contribute simulation technologies, AI integration, communications systems, and interoperability capabilities for the platform while FWDA retains intellectual property rights to the core autonomous systems and airframe design.

The Portugal hub is said to represent the first international node under Operation 777, a long-term strategic initiative envisioned by Suhas Tejaskanda, Founder and CEO of Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace.

First announced during the unveiling of the Kaal Bhairava platform in 2025, the initiative aims to establish international manufacturing, integration, and deployment partnerships for Indian-origin autonomous warfare systems across seven continents and seventy-seven countries. Asianet Newsable had reported then.

While speaking on the partnership, he said, “This collaboration reflects growing international interest in Indian-designed autonomous systems and demonstrates the potential for Indian warfare technologies to participate in global manufacturing ecosystems.”

“Operation 777 is about taking our systems beyond borders with an aim to build a globally distributed defence technology network originating from India.”

“Portugal’s strategic location and access to the NATO ecosystem strengthen our access into European defence networks, collaborative opportunities, and global deployment pathways. The larger vision is to help position India among the world’s top defence exporters”, he further added.

Miguel Abrue, CEO, SKETCHPIXEL, mentioned, “Each step of FWD's deep engineering, cutting-edge electronics, AI and chip analysis will be brought together with KEYDEF's simulation, AI, interoperability, and military integration capabilities. From the structural design, board design, and construction, firmware development, communications, control, and validation are performed under complete control, ensuring maximum standards of safety, resilience, and technological sovereignty.”

“The new communication systems, LVC interoperability, and AI modules will be coded together in KEYDEF's laboratories in Portugal and FWD's in India. The key to this development is a regular exchange of teams and knowledge. We will start with the FWD Kaalabheirav project for Portugal and NATO countries.”

History In The Skies: IAF Officer Saanya Becomes First Woman To Earn Top Flying Instructor Rank

Anish Kumar — Mon, 18 May 2026 18:41:52 +0530

New Delhi: An Indian Air Force officer, Squadron Leader Saanya has scripted history by becoming the first woman officer to earn the Category-A (Cat-A) Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) qualification. It is the highest instructional rating awarded to military aviators in India.

Based at Air Force Station Tambaram near Chennai, the Flying Instructors School (FIS) is tasked with imparting quality training to experienced pilots and moulding them into dedicated and extremely skilled flying instructors.

QFIs are entrusted with the responsibility of training ab-initio pilots during basic, intermediate, and advanced flying training, and moulding them into Air Warriors.

The FIS has successfully integrated the training of officers from the sister services and friendly foreign nations, reflecting the global standard of excellence that every graduating QFI must meet. Saanya’s achievement clears that bar with distinction.

“Her feat builds upon a proud lineage of trailblazing women in the IAF,” an official said.

In October 2025, Rafale fighter pilot Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh made history as the first Indian woman fighter pilot to receive the QFI badge.

Now, Sqn Ldr Saanya has raised the bar even further, becoming the first to reach its highest rung.

The Indian Air Force in a post on X said: “Her achievement embodies dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence.”

“A proud milestone for the IAF and an inspiration for aspiring aviators across the nation,” it added.

All about Qualified Flying Instructor

A Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) is a pilot of the Air Force, Army, Navy, or Coast Guard who has passed the appropriate course before being allowed to instruct flying of an aircraft. Pilots are trained at the Flying Instructors School of the Air Force.

QFI instructional categories are awarded by the Flying Instructors School (FIS) of the Indian Air Force, which is based at Air Force Station Tambaram and trains operational pilots of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, paramilitary forces, and friendly foreign countries to become flying instructors.

The IAF uses a grading system to rank instructors by their skill and experience. In the early 2000s, the IAF simplified its system to have only C, B, and A categories.

The current Cat-A, which Sqn Ldr Saanya earned, is the top tier under the modern system.

Candidates earn their QFI badges after successfully completing 22 weeks of rigorous training.

It encompasses 10 phases of flying training and more than 200 hours of ground training.

Only the most accomplished pilots, assessed across flying skill, instructional ability, and professional knowledge, reach the Cat-A grade.

India’s New ULPGM-V3 Missile Clears Final Trials, Boosts Indigenous Drone Warfare Capability

Anish Kumar — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:16:40 +0530

New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has completed final configuration development trials of its unmanned aerial vehicle-launched precision guided missile, the ULPGM-V3, testing it in both air-to-ground and air-to-air modes at the National Open Area Range (NOAR) near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.

The V3 is an upgraded version of the ULPGM-V2, an earlier DRDO variant that had already been developed and delivered.

Weighing 12.5 kg, the missile uses a passive homing system with an imaging infrared seeker that enables fire-and-forget targeting in both day and night conditions.

It is powered by a dual-thrust solid motor, giving it a range of up to 4 km by day and 2.5 km at night, and supports two-way datalink communication for post-launch target updates.

Defence Research and Development Organisation Successfully Tests ULPGM-V3 Drone-Launched Missile in Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground Modes pic.twitter.com/BaQuAr6Iss

— Anish Singh (@anishsingh21) May 19, 2026

The missile carries three modular warhead options — an anti-armour warhead designed to defeat modern armoured vehicles fitted with rolled homogeneous armour and explosive reactive armour; a penetration-cum-blast warhead for use against bunkers; and a pre-fragmentation warhead offering a high-lethality zone.

Also referred to as the ULM-ER, or unmanned launched munition – extended range, the system was first publicly displayed at Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru in February.

The trials were conducted using an integrated ground control system designed to automate readiness checks and launch operations.

The missile was launched from a UAV developed by Newspace Research Technologies, a Bengaluru-based start-up, though DRDO is pursuing integration with longer-range, higher-endurance unmanned platforms from other Indian companies as well.

The ULPGM-V3 was developed by Research Centre Imarat in Hyderabad as the lead laboratory, with contributions from the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, also in Hyderabad; the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh; and the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory in Pune. Production partners Adani Defence and Bharat Dynamics Limited, both based in Hyderabad, along with around 30 MSMEs and start-ups, were involved in building the system.

“The successful trials signal that the domestic supply chain for the missile is ready for serial mass production without further development work.”

The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, described the outcome as evidence that the Indian defence industry is capable of absorbing and producing critical technologies at scale.

The trials come as part of a wider push by the Indian armed forces to accelerate domestic defence capability, with capacity development exercises under way at Pokhran, Babina, and Joshimath, covering loitering munitions, runway-independent drones, counter-UAS platforms and next-generation infrared missile systems.

The DRDO chairman, Samir V. Kamat, congratulated the teams involved in the trials.

Who Is Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani? Meet India's New Chief of Defence Staff

Anish Kumar — Sat, 09 May 2026 09:59:47 +0530

The government has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the new Chief of Defence Staff, who shall also function as the Secretary Department of Military Affairs, with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders.

The present CDS Anil Chauhan will complete his tenure on May 30, 2026.

Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani is currently Military Adviser, National Security Council Secretariat.

Prior to that, he was the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from July 01, 2024 to July 31, 2025 and was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command from March 2023 till June 2024.

The General Officer is a Graduate of the National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy.

He was commissioned into the 8th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles on December 14, 1985. He is an alumnus of Joint Services Command Staff College, Bracknell (UK), and National Defence College, New Delhi.

He holds a Master of Arts Degree from King’s College London and an M Phil in Defence Studies from Madras University.

In his illustrious career spanning over 40 years, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani has served across a wide spectrum of conflict and terrain profiles and tenanted a host of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.

He commanded 16 Garhwal Rifles in Counter-Insurgency in Assam as part of Operation Rhino, 168 Infantry Brigade in Jammu & Kashmir and 17 Mountain Division in the Central Sector during a challenging operational environment. He also has the distinction of having commanded 2 Corps, the premier strike Corps of the Indian Army on the Western Front.

The General Officer’s staff and instructional assignments include Divisional Officer at National Defence Academy, Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, Defence Attache in Kazakhstan, Assistant Military Secretary in the Military Secretary’s Branch, Colonel General Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Eastern Command, Deputy Commander of a Rashtriya Rifles Sector in Jammu & Kashmir, Deputy Director General of Military Intelligence in the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army), Brigadier General Staff (Operations) in the Eastern Command, Chief Instructor (Army) at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Chief of Staff, Headquarters Northern Command.

The General Officer has insightful knowledge and a deep understanding of operational dynamics on both the Western and Northern Borders.

For his distinguished service, the General Officer has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

Tejas-Mk1A: HAL Pledges Deliveries By September As IAF Patience Wears Thin

Anish Kumar — Mon, 18 May 2026 12:50:38 +0530

New Delhi: The newly appointed chairman and managing director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Ravi Kota, met the chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, to present a revised delivery schedule for the long-delayed Tejas-Mk1A light combat aircraft.

According to sources in the defence establishment, the meeting, held recently in New Delhi, underscored the urgency that now surrounds a programme that has missed successive milestones since a landmark 2021 contract was signed. HAL has committed to beginning deliveries between August and September this year. Under the original schedule, the IAF was to have had two fully equipped squadrons of Tejas-Mk1A jets by now.

The delay stands at over two years, and not a single aircraft has been handed over to the force as of mid-May, despite HAL reportedly holding more than 20 airframes and six GE F404 engines in inventory.

New Chief, Old Problem

Kota is widely known within the defence establishment as the “LCA Man” for his long association with the Tejas programme. Yet his elevation to the top post at HAL comes with an immediate credibility test: the organisation he now leads has failed to deliver on commitments made to the country’s primary air arm for the better part of three years.

A formal programme review between senior HAL and IAF officials – including the vice chief of air staff, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, and test pilots – is rescheduled for June 2026. The meeting was scheduled to take place last month.

The agenda will centre on the integration of the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with the aircraft’s electronic warfare suite, the completion of missile-firing trials, and validation of the full weapons package. The IAF has made clear that none of these can be treated as optional: all must be certified before any aircraft is accepted into operational service.

How Deadline Kept Slipping

The IAF signed a ₹48,000-crore contract in February 2021 for 83 Tejas-Mk1A fighters – the largest indigenous defence procurement in India’s history at the time. Deliveries were to begin by March 2024. The first slip came when supply disruptions at General Electric held up delivery of the F404-IN20 engines, pushing the start date to March 2025.

Software validation challenges and incomplete radar trials caused a second slip, moving the target beyond March 2026. Full delivery of the 83-unit order has now been extended to 2031. Engine availability remains a live concern. GE missed a key delivery milestone for the F404-IN20 batch due in March 2026, directly affecting HAL’s production line.

Compounding this, engineers encountered significant software integration problems between the aircraft’s radar system and the indigenous Astra beyond-visual-range missile, requiring extensive rework before flight trials could resume.

IAF’s Shrinking Combat Edge

The delays carry a strategic cost that is difficult to overstate. The IAF currently operates just 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42 – a shortfall that defence planners describe as a serious operational gap given India’s two-front security environment.

The force has decommissioned ageing MiG-21 variants in recent years without adequate replacements entering service, leaving it increasingly reliant on platforms such as the Sukhoi-30MKI and the Dassault Rafale to maintain its deterrent posture.

The IAF has been categorical that it will not accept aircraft that do not meet all mandatory operational benchmarks. The force’s insistence on full certification before induction is non-negotiable, according to sources familiar with its position.

Indigenous Radar

On the technology development front, flight trials of the indigenously developed Uttam AESA radar are actively underway. The current Tejas-Mk1A production batch is equipped with the Israeli Elta EL/M-2052 AESA radar, which provides advanced target-detection and tracking capability. Plans exist, however, to switch to the Uttam system in future production lots, a move that defence planners regard as essential for reducing India’s dependence on foreign avionics suppliers.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has described the Uttam programme as being at an advanced stage of maturation, though integration with a production aircraft remains a step away.

Larger Tejas Road Map

The IAF has separately placed an order for 97 Tejas-Mk1 with trainer variants in a deal that is also being processed. The original single-engine Tejas LCA, which entered limited service with No. 45 Squadron and No. 18 Squadron of the IAF, demonstrated that the platform could fly and fight – but also exposed the yawning gap between a prototype-led development culture and the discipline of series production.

The Tejas-Mk1A sits in the middle of a broader, more ambitious road map. HAL is simultaneously developing the Tejas-Mk2, a heavier and more capable variant powered by the GE F414 engine, which is intended to fill the medium-weight fighter role. The IAF has separately placed an order for 97 Tejas LCA Mk1A variants in a deal that is also being processed.

CDS General Anil Chauhan's Rise And How He Became The Face of India’s Military Reform

Shweta Kumari — Sat, 16 May 2026 13:26:17 +0530

By Vinayak Kumbar: General Anil Chauhan has emerged as one of the most influential military leaders in modern Indian defence history, playing a central role in reshaping the country’s military structure, strategic thinking, and future warfare preparedness.

Early Life and Military Education

The foundations of General Chauhan’s military career were built at the prestigious National Defence Academy and later at the Indian Military Academy, where he underwent specialised officer training before being commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles in June 1981.

His early years in the Army reflected a strong commitment to combat excellence. He successfully completed the Young Officers Course and the elite Commando Course in Belagavi, establishing himself as a highly skilled infantry officer. As his career progressed, he underwent advanced military education at the Army War College and the College of Defence Management, later also qualifying as a United Nations Military Observer, gaining exposure to international military cooperation and peacekeeping operations.

Rise Through the Ranks

General Chauhan steadily climbed the ranks of the Indian Army, beginning as a young Lieutenant and eventually commanding major operational formations across some of India’s most sensitive regions.

He commanded an 11 Gorkha Rifles battalion before serving as Brigadier and Commandant of the 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre in Lucknow, where he supervised the professional training of future Gorkha soldiers.

As a Major General, he served as Chief of Staff of the Chinar Corps in Kashmir, handling complex counter-insurgency and security operations. He later commanded the 3 Corps in Dimapur, overseeing operations across the Northeast and managing both border security and internal stability challenges.

His operational leadership reached a significant milestone when he became General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command in Kolkata, where he supervised strategic military responsibilities along the Line of Actual Control with China and the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Key Role in National Security Operations

General Chauhan played a crucial role as Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) during a critical phase in India’s security landscape. Following the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, he was involved in coordinating India’s military response and strategic planning connected to the Balakot airstrikes, marking a shift in India’s counter-terror doctrine.

He also contributed significantly to Operation Sunrise, a coordinated India-Myanmar military operation targeting insurgent camps operating along the Northeast border. The operation disrupted several anti-India militant groups and highlighted his ability to combine military precision with diplomatic coordination.

The ‘Thinking General’

Beyond operational command, General Chauhan gained recognition as a strategic thinker and reformist military leader. During his tenure at the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans, he helped modernise welfare frameworks for retired soldiers, focusing on long-term socio-economic support for veterans.

His intellectual contributions extended to defence studies as well. His publication, Aftermath of a Nuclear Attack: A Case Study on Post-strike Operations, examined the strategic and operational consequences of nuclear conflict and civil-defence preparedness.

He later authored the Ready, Relevant, and Resurgent (RRR) series, where he outlined a roadmap for transforming the Indian Armed Forces into a technologically advanced, theatreised, and future-ready force capable of handling multi-domain warfare.

From Gorkha Rifles to CDS

In September 2022, General Chauhan became India’s second Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), succeeding the late General Bipin Rawat.

As CDS and Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs, he has led one of the most ambitious military reforms in India’s history — the push for Integrated Theatre Commands and “Jointness 2.0.” His vision focuses on creating seamless coordination between the Army, Navy, and Air Force while integrating emerging domains like cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, space technology, and electronic warfare into India’s defence framework.

Under his leadership, institutions like the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) have evolved into key centres driving military integration and interoperability. He has also strongly advocated for Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing and indigenous military technology.

Legacy and Contribution to the Indian Armed Forces

General Chauhan’s four-decade military career reflects a blend of battlefield experience, strategic foresight, and institutional reform. From commanding infantry units in high-altitude conflict zones to driving India’s future warfare strategy as CDS, his leadership has significantly shaped the modernisation of the Indian Armed Forces.

His decorated career includes prestigious honours such as the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Sena Medal (SM), and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM).

Today, General Anil Chauhan stands as one of the leading architects of India’s evolving defence doctrine, steering the Armed Forces toward a future built on integration, technological advancement, and strategic autonomy.

One of the defining moments of General Anil Chauhan’s tenure came during Operation Sindoor, where he emerged as the strategic fulcrum of an intense 88-hour military engagement. Serving as the principal architect of the operation, General Chauhan demonstrated the effectiveness of integrated military planning and joint operational coordination across the Armed Forces.

As Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), he played a crucial role in bridging military strategy with government decision-making, ensuring seamless coordination between the Army, Navy, and Air Force during high-pressure operational scenarios. His leadership during the operation reinforced the importance of tri-service integration and rapid decision-making in modern warfare.

Through multiple high-level “Op Tiranga” meetings and continuous coordination among the Chiefs of Staff, General Chauhan helped push the Indian military closer toward a fully integrated warfighting structure. Operation Sindoor became a major example of his broader vision for “Jointness 2.0” — a military culture where all three services operate as a unified force across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains.

The operation also highlighted his emphasis on technology-driven warfare, intelligence fusion, and real-time battlefield coordination, further strengthening India’s evolving defence doctrine amid complex regional security challenges.

(The author is Head of Space cell at CENJOWS)

The Age of Agni: Inside The Mysterious Launch That Set The World on High Alert

Girish Linganna — Mon, 11 May 2026 12:35:14 +0530

On the evening of May 8, something extraordinary happened in the skies over eastern India. A powerful long-range missile roared into the air from the Odisha coast, leaving behind a glowing trail that was seen by thousands of people across Odisha, West Bengal, and even faraway Bangladesh. Within hours, defence experts across the world started talking about it, governments in Beijing and Islamabad went on high alert, and one big question began echoing everywhere — was this India's mysterious Agni-6 making its first appearance in the shadows?

The launch took place from the Integrated Test Range near Chandipur and Abdul Kalam Island, which has long been India's main testing ground for the Agni-series missiles. But this was not a normal test. The Indian government, DRDO, and Ministry of Defence stayed completely silent. No press release, no photographs, no official briefing. This silence itself became the loudest message. In the world of strategic warfare, sometimes saying nothing speaks louder than a thousand statements.

What made experts immediately sit up was the unusually huge restricted zone declared over the Bay of Bengal. The danger area stretched almost 3,500 to 3,560 kilometres deep into the sea. Such massive zones are never declared for normal short-range or battlefield missile tests. They are only used when India is testing long-range strategic ballistic missiles meant for nuclear deterrence missions. In simple words, this missile was built not for small skirmishes but for sending a serious warning to powerful enemies.

To understand why this is important, let us look at what people actually saw in the sky. Eyewitnesses from Sitakunda, Cox's Bazar, and several parts of eastern India reported long white smoke lines, called contrails, at very high altitudes. Some videos even showed the missile slightly changing direction while moving at extreme speed. The glowing effect in these videos is usually linked to hypersonic or advanced ballistic missiles re-entering the atmosphere at speeds above Mach 5 — meaning more than five times the speed of sound. To put it simply, the missile was travelling so fast that it was lighting up the air around it like a fireball falling from space.

This is where the hypersonic angle becomes very exciting. Modern hypersonic missiles are not just about extreme speed. They are about unpredictability. Unlike old missiles that travel in a fixed curved path, hypersonic glide vehicles can change direction during flight. This makes them almost impossible to detect, track, or intercept by enemy radar and missile defence systems. Many defence analysts strongly believe that India may have quietly tested technologies connected to its future hypersonic glide vehicles or maneuverable warheads during this launch.

The big debate now is whether this was an upgraded version of the famous Agni-5 or an early secret test of the much-awaited Agni-6 programme. The Agni-5 already gives India the ability to strike deep inside China from safe locations within Indian territory. But the Agni-6 is expected to be in a completely different league. Open-source discussions suggest it may have a range of 8,000 to 10,000 kilometres, which means it can reach almost any corner of Asia, parts of Europe, and even beyond. Some Indian political and military figures have hinted that most of the technology is already ready, and only the final government approval is pending.

What makes Agni-6 especially powerful is the MIRV technology. In simple words, MIRV means one single missile can carry multiple nuclear warheads, each capable of hitting a different target. So one Agni-6 launched from India can attack many cities or military bases at the same time. Combined with maneuverable re-entry systems, this gives India a strong second-strike capability — meaning even if India is attacked first, it can still hit back with devastating force. This is the ultimate insurance policy in modern warfare.

The timing of the launch was also no accident. It happened during the first anniversary period of Operation Sindoor, India's bold joint military operation carried out on May 7, 2025. During that operation, the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force together carried out precision strikes on terrorist camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, following the brutal Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025 in which 26 innocent civilians were killed. By testing a powerful long-range missile during this anniversary, India sent a clear message that its precision strike capability is now fully backed by long-range strategic deterrence power.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent statement that terrorism and peaceful talks cannot go together added more weight to this message. The May 8 missile test was therefore not just a technical event. It combined political messaging, military deterrence, and defence modernization into one carefully timed strategic move. Pakistan is the immediate target audience because India can now strike important targets deep inside Pakistan from safer launch locations within its own territory.

But the bigger picture goes far beyond Pakistan. The real strategic focus is China. For years, Indian defence leaders have warned about the growing risk of a two-front war, where India might have to face both China and Pakistan at the same time. China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, building its own hypersonic weapons, and increasing its naval presence in the Indian Ocean through warships, surveillance ships, and dual-use infrastructure projects. In such a situation, long-range Agni missiles give India the power to strike major Chinese cities and military bases even from deep within Indian territory.

The development of MIRV-capable and maneuverable missiles makes life extremely difficult for China's missile defence planners. Multiple warheads moving in unpredictable paths overwhelm any layered defence system. No matter how advanced the shield, some missiles will always get through. This is exactly the kind of psychological pressure India wants to create.

By keeping all technical details secret, India has cleverly built what experts call strategic uncertainty. Rival nations do not know the missile's exact range, payload, maneuverability, or survivability. So they are forced to prepare for the worst-case scenario. This uncertainty itself becomes a powerful weapon, because fear of the unknown is often stronger than fear of known weapons.

The global hypersonic race is heating up fast. Countries like the United States, Russia, and China are pouring billions into hypersonic weapons because these systems reduce decision-making time during a war and make traditional missile defences almost useless. With the May 8 launch, India has clearly signalled that it is no longer just a regional player but is stepping into the league of top global military powers.

For Indians, this event matters more than it appears. It means our borders are safer, our deterrence is stronger, and our neighbours will think ten times before any misadventure. The glowing trail seen over Odisha that evening was not just hot gas and smoke. It was the burning signature of a rising India — quietly, confidently, and unmistakably announcing that the age of Agni has fully arrived, and the Indo-Pacific will never be the same again.

DGCA Clears ideaForge Q6 V2 GEO Drone For Mapping, Survey And Surveillance Operations

Anish Kumar — Fri, 22 May 2026 19:47:05 +0530

New Delhi: ideaForge Technology has obtained type certification from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its Q6 V2 GEO drone. Now, the platform is cleared for commercial deployment in surveying, mapping, and aerial surveillance operations across India.

The certification, issued under the Drone Rules, 2021, places the aircraft in the “small” category, defined as unmanned aircraft weighing between 2 kg and 25 kg.

Q6 V2 GEO configuration

The Q6 V2 GEO is configured for five payload types: LiDAR-only, LiDAR combined with RGB imaging, high-resolution photogrammetry, three-dimensional oblique imaging, and dual-sensor day-and-night operations.

The aircraft is rated for flight times exceeding 45 minutes, a figure that matters in large-area survey missions where frequent landings to swap batteries add cost and time.

The platform targets applications including terrain modelling, corridor mapping, volumetric analysis for mining, infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, and heritage documentation.

The company also lists glacier and avalanche mapping, river basin surveys, and rural land digitization — areas where the government agencies have been seeking scalable aerial solutions, particularly under programmes such as the Survey of India’s national mapping mission and state-level land records digitization drives.

The co-founder and chief executive, Ankit Mehta, said the drone had been built for “demanding environments” and was intended to serve both enterprise clients and government agencies involved in safety, security, and governance operations.

“With support for advanced payloads including LiDAR, Q6 V2 GEO is designed to enable high-quality data capture for a wide range of surveying, mapping, and inspection workflows,” he said.

The Q6 V2 GEO was first displayed publicly at PRAGYA 2025, an Indian geospatial technology conference.

Its DGCA type certification is a prerequisite for commercial sales in India; without it, operators cannot legally fly the aircraft for hire or reward under current regulations.

India Breaks Ground On Fifth-Generation Fighter Hub, Defence Plants In Andhra Pradesh

Anish Kumar — Fri, 15 May 2026 18:47:28 +0530

New Delhi: India laid the foundation stone on Thursday for a core integration and flight-testing centre at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, the facility that will drive development of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), the country’s first fifth-generation stealth fighter.

The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, and the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu, presided over groundbreaking ceremonies for a cluster of strategic projects spanning fighter aviation, naval systems, energetics, and drone manufacturing.

The AMCA programme

The Puttaparthi centre, being built at an estimated Rs 2,000 crore as part of a broader Rs 15,000-crore programme, will be operated by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), a DRDO affiliate.

The AMCA is a twin-engine, multirole platform designed to compete in the class of the American F-35, Russia’s Su-57, and China’s J-20.

India currently operates no fifth-generation aircraft; its most capable indigenous jet, the Tejas, is a fourth-generation platform that entered limited service in 2016.

Cabinet Committee on Security approved the AMCA programme in March 2024, with initial operational clearance targeted for the early 2030s.

Naval and undersea systems

A second foundation stone was laid for a naval systems manufacturing facility at T Sirasapalli in Anakapalli district.

The Rs 480-crore plant, being built by the state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), will produce autonomous underwater vehicles, underwater countermeasure systems, and next-generation torpedoes — systems India has largely imported until now.

Energetics and ammunition

At Madakasira, two further projects were inaugurated.

Agneyastra Energetics Limited, a subsidiary of Bharat Forge, will invest Rs 1,500 crore in a defence energetics facility.

HFCL Limited will invest around Rs 1,200 crore in an ammunition and electric fuses plant. Electric fuses — precision detonation components critical to artillery shells, bombs, and missiles — have long been an import-dependent vulnerability in India’s ammunition supply chain.

Drone manufacturing

A consortium of eight drone companies also signed an agreement to establish a manufacturing cluster in Kurnool.

“The push reflects a broader government effort to build a domestic drone industry, a priority sharpened by the decisive role of low-cost unmanned systems in recent conflicts,” an official said.

The bigger picture

Singh said defence production had grown from Rs 46,000 crore in 2014 to approximately Rs 1.54 lakh crore today, while exports had risen from around Rs 600 crore to roughly Rs 40,000 crore.

India has historically ranked among the world’s largest arms importers; successive policy reforms, including a positive indigenisation list barring import of specified items and a raised FDI ceiling in defence manufacturing, have sought to reverse that dependence.

Besides, several other companies also signed memoranda of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government to establish defence units in the state.

Rajnath Singh To Visit Vietnam, South Korea To Boost Defence Ties And Indo-Pacific Strategy

Anish Kumar — Wed, 13 May 2026 20:29:11 +0530

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting to Vietnam and South Korea from May 18 in a push to deepen New Delhi’s strategic footprint across the Indo-Pacific.

The visit comes at a moment of quickening momentum on two fronts – a near-finalised supersonic cruise-missile deal with Hanoi, and the launch of a new bilateral defence innovation platform with Seoul.

Vietnam: BrahMos deal at advanced stage

The centrepiece of his Hanoi leg is the prospective sale of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, jointly developed by India and Russia, which has been in active negotiation for several years. Talks have gathered speed following the Vietnamese president, To Lam’s, visit to New Delhi just days before the minister’s departure. Sources said that the negotiations are “at advanced negotiation stages,” with the prospective contract valued at approximately ₹5,800 crore.

If the deal concluded, Vietnam would become the third country to procure BrahMos, after the Philippines and Indonesia.

The Philippines signed a $375 million agreement in 2022, while Indonesia moved to finalize a deal worth at least $340 million earlier this year.

The BrahMos system, capable of travelling at nearly three times the speed of sound and striking targets up to 300 kilometres away in its standard export configuration, is one of India’s most sought-after defence exports.

For Vietnam – which has long-running territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea – the acquisition would represent a significant upgrade to its coastal-defence capabilities. Beyond missiles, India has offered technical cooperation covering the maintenance, repair, and modernization of Vietnamese military platforms, including Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft and Kilo-class submarines – hardware originally acquired from Russia that India is well-positioned to service.

The offer fits within New Delhi’s broader strategy of converting defence sales into longer-term strategic partnerships.

South Korea: innovation accelerator and expanded co-production

In Seoul, the agenda shifts toward defence industrial collaboration and emerging technologies. The two governments used their summit on April 20, 2026, attended by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the South Korean president, Lee Jae Myung, to announce the Korea-India Defence Accelerator, known as KIND-X.

KIND-X is designed to connect defence companies, start-ups, incubators, investors, and universities from both countries, with the aim of co-developing technologies in areas such as unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced materials.

The initiative draws on the template established by the K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzer, which India and South Korea already co-manufacture under a technology-transfer arrangement, and seeks to replicate that model across a broader range of futuristic military systems.

South Korea has emerged as one of the world’s more aggressive arms exporters in recent years, with its defence industry securing deals worth tens of billions of dollars with Poland, Australia, and several other countries. For India, which is trying to build a robust domestic defence-manufacturing base under its “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) policy, Seoul’s experience in scaling industrial production is a practical asset.

BEL Awards RRP Defense a ₹29.8 Crore Order for Germanium Lenses Used in Thermal Imaging Systems

Anish Kumar — Thu, 21 May 2026 15:30:39 +0530

New Delhi: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has placed an order worth about ₹29.8 crore with RRP Defense, a Goa-based private manufacturer of electro-optical and thermal imaging equipment, for the supply of high-precision germanium lenses intended for infrared and thermal imaging applications in defence platforms.

The lenses, which RRP Defense will design, engineer, and customize to BEL’s technical specifications, form a core optical element in electro-optic systems that include thermal cameras, surveillance equipment, weapon sights, and target acquisition platforms.

Germanium is preferred over conventional optical glass in these applications because of its efficiency in transmitting infrared radiation, a property that makes it difficult to replace in night-vision and low-visibility defence systems.

BEL, a Navratna defence public sector undertaking under the ministry of defence, is one of India’s largest manufacturers of defence and communication equipment.

Its product range spans radar systems, electronic warfare equipment, communication systems, night-vision devices, and missile systems, among others. Germanium-based optics are an integral input for several of these product lines.

The order follows a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between BEL and the RRP Group that covered cooperation across semiconductors, electro-optics, unmanned systems, and related advanced defence technologies. The terms of that MoU, including its financial scope and timeline, have not been disclosed publicly.

RRP Group founder on defence deal

Rajendra Chodankar, founder and chairman of the RRP Group of Companies, described the contract as a validation of the firm’s precision optical engineering credentials.

“Germanium lenses are mission-critical components that define the performance and reliability of thermal imaging systems,” he said, adding that the company intended to build electro-optical solutions “designed and manufactured in India for strategic and global applications.”

RRP Defense, part of the broader RRP Group, has positioned itself within India’s expanding defence indigenization drive. The company’s product portfolio includes thermal imaging sights, thermal cameras, reflex sights, and surveillance systems. It has also declared investments in UAV platforms and semiconductor-linked technologies, though the scale and stage of those investments have not been independently verified.

India Floats Rs 290 Crore Tender For Next-Generation Mine Detectors To Counter Non-Metallic Explosives

Anish Kumar — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:26:42 +0530

New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence has floated a tender worth approximately ₹290 crore to procure 386 units of a new generation of mine detectors capable of identifying both metallic and non-metallic explosives, a capability gap that conventional equipment in service with the army has long been unable to address.

The procurement, formally described as “dual technology mine detectors,” signals a broader shift in how the Indian Army is equipping its combat engineering units to deal with evolving threats on its borders and in counter-insurgency environments.

The gap in existing capability

The army currently operates metal detectors, including the Schiebel and Metex models, which are designed to locate ferrous and non-ferrous metallic components buried underground.

These systems have served adequately in conventional scenarios but are increasingly ineffective against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and pressure mines constructed from plastic, wood, ceramic, or other non-metallic materials.

The widespread use of such devices by non-state actors and in asymmetric warfare — from the Kashmir valley to counter-insurgency operations in the northeast — has made the upgrade operationally urgent.

Globally, low-metal mines have posed acute problems for armies in conflict zones from Afghanistan to Ukraine, where adversaries have deliberately shifted to non-metallic construction to defeat standard detection equipment.

How the new system works

The dual technology detector combines a conventional electromagnetic metal detection system with either ground penetrating radar (GPR) or infrared (IR) technology.

The two sub-systems can function independently or in tandem, giving operators the flexibility to switch modes depending on terrain and threat type.

Specified technical requirements include detection of objects as small as six centimetres in diameter and four centimetres in height, with detection depth of up to 12 cm in dry laterite, soil, or sand, and up to 10 cm in snow, waterlogged conditions, or saline soil — terrain profiles that map directly onto the army’s operational zones from the Siachen glacier in the north to the Rann of Kutch in the west.

The equipment must function across temperatures ranging from -10°C to +42°C, be operable from standing, kneeling, and prone positions, and weigh no more than eight kilograms in operational mode.

The complete man-portable configuration with a rucksack must not exceed 12 kg, with transport mode capped at 20 kg.

Audio and visual alarms with distinct tones for each detection technology are required, along with selective muting to filter out signals from irrelevant metallic clutter.

Delivery and procurement timeline

The selected vendor will be required to deliver all 386 units within 540 days of receiving the supply order, with a contractual deadline of June 5.

Strategic context

Combat engineering units are tasked with clearing routes for infantry and armoured columns — a mission in which undetected mines and IEDs represent the primary threat.

India’s two active fronts — the Line of Actual Control with China and the Line of Control with Pakistan — both present mine and IED risks, as do internal security operations.

The new detectors are intended to reduce casualties among soldiers performing route-clearance tasks in precisely the kind of varied and hostile terrain that has historically stretched the limits of single-technology detection systems.

Exercise CINBAX-II 2026 Concludes in Cambodia: Indian Army and Royal Cambodian Army Strengthen Interoperability

Anish Kumar — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:32:01 +0530

New Delhi: Indian Army and Royal Cambodian Army have concluded their second edition of 14-day joint military exercise CINBAX-II 2026 at Techo Sen Phnom Thom Mreas Prov Royal Cambodian Air Force Training Centre, Kampong Speu Province, Kingdom of Cambodia. The exercise which lasted on May 16 involved joint coordination in planning and execution of tactical operations in a sub-conventional, semi-urban environment.

Skill-based activities during exercise

The training included Command Post Exercise, Field Training Exercise and specialised skill-based activities such as sniper training, mortar drills, tactical drone employment, combat first aid, multi-domain operations and disaster relief.

During their 14-day exercise, the troops of two countries enhanced interoperability through exchange of tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as sharing of best practices.

The contingents from both sides were trained on firing, urban operations, tactical drone employment, mortar and sniper drills. These activities enabled both armies to refine their operational responses in complex scenarios.

An Indian Army official stated that both contingents displayed a high degree of professionalism, commitment and operational synergy while executing tactical drills, which culminated in a comprehensive validation exercise.

“CINBAX-II 2026 further strengthened bilateral military relations, fostered mutual understanding and reinforced the growing defence cooperation between India and Cambodia.”