Category: Defence

New Delhi: India’s second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-2) is shaping up to cost somewhere between $300 million and $500 million more than its predecessor, INS Vikrant — and the reason largely comes down to drones. Sources familiar with the project say the additional funding is earmarked for design changes that will let the new carrier launch and recover unmanned aircraft, including Medium and High Altitude Long Endurance (MALE and HALE) drones as well as deck-based combat drones. The figures are still preliminary, and the project is waiting on final sign-off…

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New Delhi: In a significant push toward greater self-reliance in aviation, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are working on a joint proposal to develop a homegrown turboprop engine — one that would eventually power the indigenous Saras Mk2 light transport aircraft and lay the groundwork for India’s future High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles. The proposal is still at an early stage and will need funding approval from the Ministry of Defence. Whether that approval comes through will…

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New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) appears to have found real momentum in its long and often criticised effort to build India’s first indigenous turbofan engine. According to the company’s latest annual disclosures, the core of the HTFE-25 engine has now been put through rigorous testing — demonstrating reliable light-up, smooth acceleration, and reaching 99.5 percent of its maximum design speed. For a programme that has drawn nearly a decade of criticism over delays, hitting near-peak core speed is a strong signal that the underlying design is sound and that…

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New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has successfully extended the Total Technical Life (TTL) of the AL-31FP turbofan engine to 2,500 flying hours — a significant development for the Indian Air Force. The first engine to be overhauled under this life-extension programme was handed over to the IAF on January 8, 2026, marking an important step toward improving the long-term operational readiness of the Su-30MKI, India’s primary air superiority fighter. Manufactured at HAL’s Koraput facility in Odisha under a deep technology-transfer arrangement, the AL-31FP powers the Su-30MKI, the twin-engine fighter…

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Cairo / New Delhi: Egypt is reportedly evaluating India’s Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher system, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), as it looks to upgrade its military capabilities. For Cairo, the system offers an appealing mix of affordability, precision, and battlefield flexibility that fits well with where the Egyptian armed forces want to go. The move fits into a broader pattern for Egypt, which has spent the past decade actively diversifying its defence partnerships rather than depending heavily on a handful of traditional suppliers. That shift has…

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New Delhi: French aerospace major Dassault Aviation has signalled a growing reliance on Indian industry as part of its global operations, underlining its commitment to the “Make in India” push through a widening web of local partnerships. In its 2026 half-year financial report, the company revealed it is drawing up a comprehensive production plan — one that includes complete aircraft assembly and flight testing in India — as it prepares to bid for the Indian Air Force’s 114-jet Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) requirement. The filing makes clear that Indian firms…

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NEW DELHI — For most of India’s post-independence history, defence policy was largely about one thing: securing the country’s borders. That framing has changed substantially over the past decade. Today, defence has become one of the central pillars of how India tells its own story as a rising global power — tied as much to industrial growth, technological ambition and diplomatic leverage as it is to military security itself. The shift is closely bound up with the government’s twin push toward self-reliance, branded as Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the longer-term goal…

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Discipline, Leadership and Service Form the Foundation of India’s Future Armed Forces New Delhi: For thousands of young Indians, wearing the olive-green uniform of the Indian Armed Forces is more than a career aspiration—it is a lifelong dream of serving the nation. While rigorous preparation, physical fitness and academic excellence are essential to achieving that goal, institutions such as the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Bharat Scouts and Guides, and similar youth organisations play an equally significant role in preparing young minds for a life of discipline, leadership and national service.…

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