SOURCE: AFI

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has taken a significant step toward enhancing its aerial refueling capabilities by leasing one Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, a move aimed at addressing immediate operational gaps. Amid this development, reports are emerging that the IAF is poised to further expand its tanker fleet by wet leasing one Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft from France under a government-to-government (G2G) deal.

On March 28, 2025, India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Metrea Aerospace, a US-based private firm specializing in air-to-air refueling services, to wet lease a KC-135 Stratotanker. Under this agreement, Metrea will deliver the aircraft within six months, complete with crew, maintenance, and insurance—a turnkey solution tailored for immediate deployment. The KC-135, a four-engine tanker with a storied history in the US Air Force, offers a fuel capacity of over 90 tons and dual refueling systems: a flying boom for rapid transfers and a drogue for probe-equipped aircraft. This versatility ensures compatibility with the IAF’s diverse fleet, including Su-30 MKIs, Rafales, and Jaguars, as well as the Indian Navy’s MiG-29Ks.

SOURCE: AFI

In a significant development for India’s indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program, Dynamatic Technologies, a key supplier of airframe structures, has outsourced the production of composite materials for the aircraft’s front fuselage section to Azista Composites. This move, confirmed in late March 2025, highlights a strategic shift in the supply chain for the LCA, as Dynamatic—despite its established role in manufacturing metallic aerostructures—lacks in-house expertise in fabricating composite fairings and parts.

Dynamatic Technologies, based in Bengaluru, has been a cornerstone of the Tejas program, producing major airframe assemblies such as the front fuselage, wings, and control surfaces for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The company’s advanced facility in Bengaluru has delivered over 20 shipsets for the LCA Mk1 and is scaling up to meet the demands of the 83-aircraft LCA Mk1A contract signed in 2021. However, the increasing use of composites in modern aircraft design, including the Tejas, has exposed a gap in Dynamatic’s capabilities. Unlike metallic structures, which the company has mastered over decades, composite fabrication requires specialized processes, equipment, and expertise that Dynamatic has not developed internally.

SOURCE: AFI

India’s rapid advancements in ballistic missile defense (BMD) technology, coupled with its acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system, have sparked debates about their implications for regional security, particularly in the context of its rivalry with Pakistan. Abdul Moiz Khan, a research officer at the Center for International Strategic Studies in Islamabad, has voiced concerns that India’s indigenous BMD system—combined with the S-400—might foster a “false sense of security” among Indian policymakers, suggesting that it could effectively neutralize Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. However, this perspective has been sharply contested by Ranesh Rajan, a defense analyst, in an interview with idrw.org, who argues that Pakistan’s missile capabilities are overstated and outdated, while India’s BMD ambitions extend far beyond countering its western neighbor.

Khan’s critique hinges on the notion that India’s growing defensive capabilities could embolden it to underestimate Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent, potentially destabilizing the delicate balance of power in South Asia. He warns that such confidence might lead India to adopt a more aggressive posture, believing it can withstand a Pakistani counterstrike. However, Rajan dismisses this as a misreading of both India’s strategic intent and the reality of Pakistan’s missile technology. He contends that Pakistan’s perception of possessing “world-class ballistic missiles” is delusional, rooted in a reliance on aging Chinese and North Korean designs that have failed to keep pace with modern advancements.

SOURCE: AFI

X-post by user @JaidevJamwal ignited a spirited discussion about a seemingly mundane yet intriguing aspect of military aviation: the ladders used by Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots and weapon systems officers (WSOs) to board and disembark the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, a mainstay of India’s fighter fleet.

The post, which combined curiosity with a dash of humor, posed a question that resonated across the platform: why does the pilot’s ladder, weighing 18.5 kg and costing INR 40,000, differ so starkly in price from the WSO’s ladder, which weighs 21.5 kg and costs INR 60,000? This translates to a cost difference of approximately INR 600 per kilogram—a puzzling disparity that prompted both speculation and debate.

SOURCE: AFI

In yet another twist to the complex web of global arms supply chains, Indian-made ammunition has once again been spotted in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia. Recent footage circulating on social media platforms shows Ukrainian soldiers loading a 2S22 Bogdana self-propelled howitzer with 155mm shells bearing markings linked to Munitions India Limited (MIL), a state-owned Indian defense manufacturer. This development reignites speculation about India’s indirect role in arming Ukraine, despite New Delhi’s official stance of neutrality and denial of direct exports to the war-torn nation.

The 2S22 Bogdana, Ukraine’s first domestically produced self-propelled howitzer designed to NATO’s 155mm standard, has emerged as a cornerstone of Kyiv’s artillery capabilities. Mounted on a wheeled truck chassis, the Bogdana offers a firing range of over 40 kilometers with standard rounds and up to 50 kilometers with extended-range ammunition. Its recent upgrades, including an automatic loader, have boosted its rate of fire, making it a vital asset in Ukraine’s defense against Russian forces.