Category: Defence

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is poised to significantly enhance its coastal defence, maritime surveillance, and search-and-rescue capabilities by wet-leasing four fixed-wing amphibious aircraft for a period of four years. The move, reported by defence sources, is aimed at rapidly addressing critical operational gaps across India’s vast maritime domain. To this end, the Ministry of Defence has issued a Request for Information (RFI) inviting responses from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or authorised lessors. Under the wet lease model, the selected vendor will provide not only the aircraft but also trained…

Read More

New Delhi: In debates on military aviation acquisitions, attention often centres on induction timelines—the moment an aircraft formally enters service. However, defence experts note that induction is only the first step. The real measure of combat effectiveness lies in operational maturity, a phase that determines whether an aircraft can be deployed seamlessly, sustained over time, and fully integrated into combat doctrine. Operational maturity typically takes years after induction, encompassing pilot and ground crew proficiency, stable supply chains, weapons integration, software refinement, and tactical evolution. While induction marks formal acceptance, maturity…

Read More

New Delhi: India is set to procure around 1,000 Rafael SPICE air-to-surface precision-guided missiles, significantly strengthening its aerial strike capabilities amid evolving regional security challenges. The acquisition reflects New Delhi’s continued focus on enhancing standoff precision warfare and reducing vulnerability to electronic jamming. The SPICE (Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) missile family is known for its advanced autonomous navigation and homing technology. Unlike GPS-dependent systems, SPICE uses an electro-optical seeker combined with real-time image-matching algorithms, allowing it to accurately strike targets with a circular error of less than three metres, even…

Read More

New Delhi: The fifth edition of Project Veer Gatha, a joint initiative by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education, has recorded an unprecedented participation of 1.92 crore students from approximately 1.90 lakh schools across India, marking the highest turnout since the project’s inception in 2021. The initiative, aimed at celebrating India’s military heritage and valor, also saw 28,005 students from 91 CBSE-affiliated schools across 18 countries participate for the first time, reflecting its expanding international reach. Launched on September 8, 2025, Veer Gatha 5.0 introduced innovative short-video…

Read More

Chilka: The Passing Out Parade (POP) of the 02/25 batch of trainees was held at INS Chilka on January 8, marking the successful culmination of 16 weeks of ab-initio training. The ceremonial parade, held post-sunset, celebrated the transformation of trainees into disciplined, resilient, and combat-ready naval personnel. The batch comprised 2,172 trainees, including 2,103 Agniveers (113 women Agniveers), 270 SSR (Medical Assistants), 44 Sports Entry personnel, and 295 Naviks of the Indian Coast Guard. Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, served as the Chief Guest and…

Read More

New Delhi: General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of India, successfully concluded an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sri Lanka from January 5 to 8, 2026, strengthening India’s defence cooperation, military-to-military engagement, and strategic partnerships in West Asia and the Indian Ocean Region. Visit to the UAE During his UAE visit (January 5–6), General Dwivedi held extensive discussions with senior officials of the UAE Armed Forces, including the Commander of the UAE Land Forces, focusing on enhancing defence collaboration, interoperability, and joint training…

Read More

New Delhi/Hyderabad: The Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has successfully conducted a long-duration ground test of its Actively Cooled Scramjet Full-Scale Combustor, marking a major milestone in India’s hypersonic missile development programme. The test, carried out at DRDL’s advanced Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility in Hyderabad, achieved a run time of over 12 minutes, validating the design and performance of the air-breathing scramjet engine under extended operating conditions. This builds on the earlier subscale test conducted on April 25,…

Read More

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is participating in the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, a nine-day cultural and literary extravaganza organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) under the Ministry of Education. The fair was inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister of Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan. At the event, the Naval History Division (NHD), the Navy’s premier research institution, has set up dedicated stalls at Hall No. 5, offering visitors a deep dive into India’s maritime legacy. Displays include seven volumes of the official history of the Indian Navy (1945–2021), histories…

Read More

Washington: Tensions between the United States and Russia have escalated after Moscow reportedly deployed a submarine and other naval assets to escort an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, amid concerns over possible US interception. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the move has emerged as a new flashpoint in already strained US–Russia relations. The report states that Russia acted to safeguard an ageing oil tanker that had become stranded near Venezuela after failing to load crude. US officials claim the tanker has now become the…

Read More

New Delhi | The Passing Out Parade (POP) of the 02/25 batch of trainees will be held at INS Chilka on January 8, 2026, marking the successful completion of 16 weeks of intensive ab-initio training. This rigorous training programme equips recruits with the discipline, resilience, and professional competence required to meet the demands of modern naval operations. The passing-out batch comprises around 2,700 trainees, including approximately 2,100 Agniveers, of whom over 110 are women. The ceremony represents a significant milestone as the Agniveers and other trainees formally begin their journey…

Read More