Indian Defence News

Indian Navy unveils marching contingent, heritage tableau and 80-member band for Republic Day 2026, highlighting Aatmanirbharta, Mahila Sashaktikaran and indigenous maritime power at Kartavya Path.

Indian Army signs ₹62-crore deal for 18 indigenous Fire Fighting Robots, adopting a Navy-tested iDEX system to speed induction and enhance safety at ammunition depots and high-risk installations.

India has moved closer to acquiring 114 Rafale fighter jets after the Defence Procurement Board granted initial approval, including mandatory access to the aircraft’s source code. The proposal will now go to the Defence Acquisition Council.

India has cleared the development of a solar-powered high-altitude pseudo satellite for IAF with full government funding and private sector innovation. The system will boost long-duration surveillance, border monitoring and communication capabilities

Army has signed first procurement contract for fire-fighting robot under iDEX programme, aligning with Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat @2047. The vehicle, developed by Swadeshi Empresa, allows firefighters to tackle blazes from safe distance.

Indian Army made public its new and reorganised formations — such as Ashni platoons, Bhairav battalions, Shaktibaan regiments, and Rudra Brigades — created to enhance battlefield effectiveness and position the Army as a future-ready force.

IIT Madras developed ramjet-assisted artillery shells, a significant defence technology breakthrough. This innovation embeds a ramjet engine into standard shells, increasing the range of existing gun systems by nearly 50% without reducing lethality.

Germany will station a Liaison Officer at India's Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) by June, highlighting growing maritime security cooperation. 

Indian Navy plans to lease four amphibious aircraft for coastal surveillance, SAR, and maritime security, enabling rapid response across island territories without long-term infrastructure delays.

Navy clarified that Admiral Tripathi's remarks on HAL's LUH were taken out of context. LUH was never designed or evaluated for naval use due to its single-engine design. Instead, Navy is pursuing HAL's twin-engine UH-M to replace Chetak helicopters.