SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a significant step toward enhancing India’s indigenous defense capabilities, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is gearing up for the first live firing test of the Astra Mk1 Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) from the Tejas Mk1A platform, scheduled for early August 2025. HAL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) DK Sunil confirmed this milestone, highlighting the progress in integrating advanced weaponry with the upgraded Tejas Mk1A, a cornerstone of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program.
The Astra Mk1, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has already proven its mettle in combat scenarios, having been successfully test-fired from the earlier Tejas Mk1 variant equipped with the ELTA Systems Ltd.’s ELM-2032 Multi-Mode Fire Control Radar (FCR).
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a significant development following the India-Pakistan aerial clashes during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, India has decided to transfer debris from Chinese-supplied PL-15E Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles (BVRAAMs) to a friendly nation upon its request.
According to Sources close to rethe Indian Defence Research Wing (idrw.org), Indian authorities recovered at least eight PL-15E missile remnants in Indian side after the conflict, with two found in near-intact condition. While countries such as the United States, Japan, and France have expressed keen interest in accessing the missile data for analysis, one unidentified nation is set to receive broken but not completely damaged missile debris for further study. This move underscores India’s growing role in defense intelligence sharing and highlights the strategic significance of the recovered Chinese weaponry.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
China’s reported offer to supply 40 J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighter jets to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) at a heavily discounted price has hit a roadblock, with Beijing seeking a U.S.-style monitoring system to prevent potential access by American personnel, according to an intelligence source cited by the Indian Defence Research Wing (idrw.org). The move, driven by Chinese concerns over Pakistan’s deepening defense ties with the United States, reflects Beijing’s unease about the PAF’s American-supplied F-16 fleet, which is monitored by U.S. ground staff to restrict Chinese access and ensure compliance with U.S. end-use agreements.
Reports from June 2025, including a now-deleted Pakistani government post on X, indicated that China offered 40 J-35A jets, alongside KJ-500 AWACS and HQ-19 air defense systems, with deliveries potentially starting in August 2025 at a near 50% discount, valued at approximately $4.6 billion.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, a leading Israeli defense contractor, has proposed its cutting-edge Sky Sting 6th Generation Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile to India for integration with the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su-30 MKI and other combat aircraft. The offer, confirmed by a senior Rafael official, aims to enhance the IAF’s aerial combat capabilities with a missile designed for unparalleled performance in modern warfare.
The Sky Sting missile, powered by a three-pulse rocket motor, boasts an impressive range of up to 250 kilometers, enabling engagement of targets at extreme distances. This extended range is achieved through a combination of enhanced kinematic power and aerodynamic lift, allowing the missile to outrange adversaries and strike before they can respond.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a stunning display of military precision and strategic dominance, Indian fighter jets operated a mere three kilometers from Pakistan’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to a report published in The Sunday Guardian. The operation, coupled with missile strikes targeting key facilities in Punjab, laid bare critical vulnerabilities in Pakistan’s defense apparatus, leaving the nation’s skies uncontested and its sovereignty exposed.
On May 10, 2025, India achieved what can only be described as total air dominance over Pakistan. The Pakistan Air Force, unable to mount an effective response, failed to contest the skies, allowing Indian forces to operate with near impunity. The proximity of Indian jets to Pakistan’s military nerve center in Rawalpindi underscored the audacity and precision of the operation, while the missile strikes in Punjab further exposed gaping blind spots in Pakistan’s air defense systems.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
As India’s indigenous fighter development matures, concerns over supply chain disruptions—especially in engine procurement—have become more pressing. The Tejas Mk-2, which is poised to replace legacy platforms such as the Mirage 2000, Jaguar, and MiG-29 in the Indian Air Force (IAF), simply cannot afford to face the kind of delays currently affecting the Tejas Mk-1A program, says Pathikrit Payne, Senior Research Fellow at the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation.
In a recent commentary, Payne emphasized the strategic vulnerability stemming from engine dependency, particularly following recent delays in the delivery of GE F404 engines for the Tejas Mk-1A. These delays—blamed on global supply chain constraints—have already impacted production timelines and raised questions about long-term reliability.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The recent India-Pakistan conflict, dubbed Operation Sindoor (May 7–10, 2025), has exposed significant vulnerabilities in Chinese-supplied military hardware, casting a shadow over China’s aspirations to dominate the global arms market and its strategic plans for a potential invasion of Taiwan. Pakistan, heavily reliant on Chinese weapons, including J-10C fighters, PL-15E missiles, and HQ-9P air defense systems, faced a decisive defeat against India’s advanced Western and indigenous systems, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) penetrating deep into Pakistani territory.
This poor showing, highlighted by analysts and social media posts, raises serious questions about the combat readiness of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and its ability to execute a complex operation like a Taiwan invasion, where it would face superior U.S. and allied forces. The implications of this failure could reshape regional security dynamics and challenge Beijing’s military credibility.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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ndia’s nuclear regulator AERB has granted operation license for two indigenously developed 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in Gujarat.
The KAPS-3 reactor was commissioned at full power in August 2023, while the KAPS-4 unit followed the same month a year later. “The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has concluded the Design and Commissioning Safety Reviews and issued the License for Operation of Units 3 and 4 of KAPS-3&4, the country’s first 700 MWe indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs),” a statement from the regulator said.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
Policy dialogue, strategic review, and institutional innovation are expected to dominate discussions at the Controllers’ Conference 2025 of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) that will be inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday, an official said.
The conference, to be held here from July 7 to 9, aims to bring together top leadership from the DAD, civil services, academia, think tanks, and stakeholders across the defence and finance sectors.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
In what is being viewed as a major diplomatic success for India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of the BRICS countries on Sunday strongly condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack while reaffirming their commitment to combatting cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and terrorist safe havens and also taking concerted actions against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities.
As many as 26 innocent tourists were massacred in the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, a heinous act condemned throughout the world.
Continue readingSOURCE: REUTERS
The Dalai Lama marked his 90th birthday with supporters from around the world on Sunday, after earlier countering China’s insistence that it will choose his successor. The Nobel laureate is among the world’s most influential religious leaders, with a following that extends well beyond Buddhism.
But Beijing calls him a separatist and has sought to bring the faith under its control. The Dalai Lama spoke on Sunday at a temple in the small Indian hill town of Dharamshala, where he lives. “As a follower of the Buddha and as a monk, to serve people and to serve the teaching of the Buddha are my main practices”, he said.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a session on ‘Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance’ during the 17th annual BRICS Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo credit: X/@MEAIndia Victims and supporters of terrorism cannot be weighed on the same scale and there should be no hesitation in imposing sanctions against terrorists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the BRICS Summit on Sunday (July 6, 2025).
In an address at a session on peace and security, Mr. Modi said the “cowardly” Pahalgam terror attack was a direct strike on the “soul, identity and dignity” of India as he called for united efforts to combat the challenge of terrorism.
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Describing former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as an “immature political child,” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has slammed him for suggesting that Islamabad could extradite “individuals of concern” to India as a confidence-building measure.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Friday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said, “As part of a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan, where terrorism is one of the issues that we discuss, I am sure Pakistan would not be opposed to any of these things.” He was responding to a question about extraditing Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as possible concessions and good-faith gestures to India.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome from President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he arrived at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro to attend the 17th BRICS Leaders Summit on Sunday. During the Summit, Prime Minister Modi will exchange views on key global issues, including reform of global governance, peace and security, strengthening multilateralism, responsible use of artificial intelligence, climate action, global health, and economic and financial matters.
PM Modi had arrived in Brazil earlier in the day on the fourth leg of his five-nation visit, after wrapping up a historic trip to Argentina on Saturday.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
A militant suspected to be associated with the NSCN (K-YA) outfit was killed on Sunday in an encounter with the Assam Rifles in Arunachal Pradesh’s Longding district, an official said. A police officer said that Assam Rifles troops effectively foiled a surprise ambush by suspected insurgents affiliated with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K-YA) faction.
According to the official, the militants attacked the Assam Rifles patrolling party when the para-military forces were conducting routine patrolling between Khogla and Lyangche close to the India-Myanmar border.
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