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SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

In a significant development for India’s defence manufacturing ambitions, a senior official from Russia’s state-owned Rostec corporation has revealed that converting Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Nashik plant into a production line for the Su-57E stealth fighter jet would require minimal new investment.

Speaking exclusively to idrw.org, the official highlighted that less than 30% of new tooling would be needed to refurbish the facility, thanks to the existing infrastructure, ground machinery, and equipment already in place from the production of Su-30MKI fighters for the Indian Air Force (IAF) over the past two decades.

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SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

India’s intelligence services are accelerating their push to acquire a fleet of cutting-edge spy planes, signaling a strategic shift toward bolstering airborne surveillance and signals intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities. Authorities in New Delhi have initiated discussions with leading Western industrial groups, with U.S.-based L3Harris Technologies and France’s Thales emerging as frontrunners to equip these advanced platforms. This move, reported by Intelligence Online on March 21, 2025, underscores India’s urgency to close the gap with regional powers like China and enhance its defense posture amid rising geopolitical tensions.

The project, driven by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF), aims to develop three signals intelligence and communications jamming (COMJAM) aircraft based on the Airbus A319 platform. With approvals expected as early as February 2024, the initiative prioritizes indigenous technology, though the integration of sophisticated Western systems has drawn global players into the fray. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a domestic defense PSU, is also in contention, reflecting India’s dual focus on self-reliance and leveraging international expertise.

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SOURCE: IDRW.ORG

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has issued a call for industrial collaboration to develop an air-transportable starting aggregate designed to support the operations of its Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters at altitudes up to 16,000 feet. This initiative aims to address the logistical challenges of operating advanced helicopters in high-altitude environments, such as the mountainous regions along India’s northern borders, where the Apache is expected to play a critical role in combat and reconnaissance missions. The starting aggregate, a vital ground support system, must deliver electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic outputs to ensure the Apache can be started and maintained in austere conditions, enhancing the IAF’s operational flexibility and readiness.

The IAF currently operates 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters, inducted between 2019 and 2021 under a $1.1 billion deal with the United States. These helicopters, stationed with the IAF’s 104 Helicopter Squadron in Jodhpur and the 125 Helicopter Squadron in Pathankot, are among the most advanced attack helicopters in the world, equipped with Hellfire missiles, a 30mm chain gun, and advanced avionics for day-night operations. The Apache has been deployed in high-altitude areas like Ladakh, where it has conducted operational sorties along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, demonstrating its ability to operate in extreme conditions. However, the lack of a dedicated, high-altitude-capable starting aggregate has posed challenges for sustained operations in such environments, prompting the IAF to seek a tailored solution.

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SOURCE: AFI

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has issued a clarion call for the development of an advanced autonomous interceptor system to counter the growing threat posed by long-range drones to vital installations across the country. In a recent statement, the IAF highlighted the urgent need for a cost-effective and efficient solution to detect, identify, and neutralize hostile drones, particularly in light of their increasing use in modern warfare. The proposed system, a tube-launched counter-swarm drone, is envisioned as a versatile platform capable of being deployed from helicopters, ground vehicles, or static installations, offering a robust defense against drone threats at a minimum operating altitude of 8,000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL).

The IAF’s concerns stem from the evolving nature of aerial threats, with long-range drones emerging as a significant risk to critical infrastructure such as air bases, radar stations, power plants, and other strategic assets. “Long-range drones are a threat to vital installations,” the IAF stated, noting that traditional methods of interception—such as using missiles—require large infrastructure and come with a high per-weapon cost. This approach is not only resource-intensive but also impractical for countering the sheer volume of drones that could be deployed in a swarm attack, a tactic increasingly employed by adversaries to overwhelm defenses.

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SOURCE: AFI

After months of speculation and fleeting glimpses, aviation enthusiasts and defense analysts alike are buzzing with excitement over newly emerged images offering the clearest look yet at the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation’s (SAC) latest creation: the J-50, tentatively dubbed “Shengad” by observers. Spotted in flight testing over Shenyang, Liaoning, China, in December 2024, this sixth-generation stealth fighter is shaping up to be a technological marvel, blending cutting-edge design with features that signal China’s bold ambitions in military aviation. With its tailless configuration, advanced electro-optical systems, and innovative aerodynamics, the J-50 is poised to redefine air combat capabilities for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).

The J-50’s design breaks from convention, most notably with its lack of vertical tails—a hallmark of sixth-generation fighters prioritizing stealth and agility over traditional stability mechanisms. Instead, it relies on advanced flight control systems to maintain maneuverability. Paired with this tailless, lambda-wing planform are movable wingtips, a feature visible in recent imagery where the right wingtip appears deflected. These articulating surfaces likely serve as control mechanisms, enhancing the jet’s agility while preserving its low-observable profile. Adding to its futuristic silhouette are two-dimensional (2D) thrust-vectoring control (TVC) nozzles, a detail that suggests superior maneuverability at both subsonic and supersonic speeds, rivaling the likes of the American F-22 Raptor.

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SOURCE: AFI

In a forward-looking move to enhance operational stealth and efficiency, India’s elite Special Forces are set to integrate electric motorcycles and explore electric manned Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into their arsenal. This development, announced in early 2025, reflects the Indian military’s growing emphasis on cutting-edge, sustainable technology to meet the demands of modern warfare, particularly in covert and high-stakes missions.

The decision to equip Special Forces with electric motorcycles marks a significant shift toward quieter, more agile platforms for rapid insertion and extraction in sensitive operations. These motorcycles, likely sourced from indigenous manufacturers or international partners, promise near-silent operation—a critical advantage for reconnaissance, border patrols, and counter-insurgency missions where stealth is paramount. Drawing inspiration from global trends, such as the U.S. Special Operations Command’s use of Zero MMX electric bikes or the UAE’s trials with helicopter-mounted Zero FX models, India’s Special Forces aim to leverage similar capabilities.

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SOURCE: AFI

In a significant milestone for India’s defense manufacturing sector, Mahindra Defence Systems Limited (MDSL) has successfully delivered 50 Vehicle Mounted Infantry Mortar Systems (VMIMS) to the Indian Army. This cutting-edge system, a collaborative effort between Mahindra and UK-based Milanion NTGS, integrates the advanced Alakran mortar system with Mahindra’s rugged Armoured Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV), known in Indian service as the “Armado.” The delivery of this initial batch, completed by late 2024 as scheduled, underscores India’s growing prowess in indigenous defense production under the “Make in India” initiative.

The Mahindra VMIMS is a specialized mortar platform mounted on a 4×4 Armado vehicle, designed to enhance the Indian Army’s mobility, firepower, and precision on the battlefield. Available in configurations featuring either an 81mm or 120mm mortar, the system employs an electromechanical or hydraulic deployment mechanism for rapid setup and firing. This design enables the VMIMS to excel in “shoot and scoot” operations—a tactical approach where the system can unleash a barrage of eight rounds in under two minutes before swiftly relocating to evade counterattacks. With a maximum firing range of 6.5 to 8.2 kilometers, depending on the mortar caliber, the VMIMS provides a versatile and lethal capability for engaging targets at a distance.

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SOURCE: PTI

The Indian Navy ensures that “no nation suppresses another” in the Indian Ocean Region on the basis of overwhelming economy and military power, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. The remarks, made while addressing an event at the strategic Karwar naval base in Karnataka, comes in the backdrop of China’s increased military muscle-flexing in the region.

Singh flagged off Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR — carrying crew members from India and nine other countries — that set sail on a nearly month-long deployment in the south-west Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

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SOURCE: PTI

From carrying rocket parts on bicycles and satellites on bullock carts in the 1970s, India has become one of the world leaders in the space sector through its successful Mars orbiter and Chandrayaan missions, which have also made several world records, ISRO chairman V Narayanan said here on Saturday.

Speaking at the 27th convocation of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) – Kozhikode, Narayanan said the country has come a long way from when it launched its first satellite – Aryabhata — on a Soviet rocket.

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SOURCE: PTI

Describing India and China as rich countries, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said while America is willing to continue to help those affected by the Myanmar earthquake, other countries should also pitch in to provide humanitarian assistance during such crises worldwide.

“Well, we’re not the government of the world. No, we will provide humanitarian assistance just like everybody else does and do it the best we can. But we also have other needs we have to balance that against. We’re not walking away from humanitarian assistance, Rubio told the media at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Friday.

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SOURCE: PTI

A para jump instructor from the Indian Air Force’s Akash skydiving team succumbed to injuries suffered during a “demo drop” in Agra on Saturday, the IAF said.

The force shared the information in a post on X. Sources, said the instructor, an officer in the air force, died at a military hospital after suffering the injury. “A Para Jump Instructor from the IAF’s Akash Ganga Skydiving Team succumbed to injuries sustained during a Demo Drop at Agra today. The IAF deeply mourns the loss, and extends heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, standing firmly with them in this hour of grief,” the IAF posted on X.

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SOURCE: PTI

 A Bangladeshi version of a meeting between chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “mischievous and politically motivated”, especially the aspects relating to attacks on minorities and Dhaka’s request for extraditing former premier Sheikh Hasina, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.

Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam in a Facebook post on Saturday said the chief adviser raised with Modi in the meeting in Bangkok Bangladesh’s request for the extradition of Hasina and the “response was not negative”.

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SOURCE: PTI

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation between India and Sri Lanka, signed Saturday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the island nation, will remain in force for five years, the country top defence official Sampath Thuiyakontha said.

“India annually trains around 750 Sri Lankan military personnel. This defence partnership continues to be an invaluable asset,” Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Thuiyakontha told a press briefing here. The MoU on defence cooperation will remain in force for five years, he said, adding that the decision to formalise the MoU was reached during the 2023 defence dialogue between the two nations, with the Sri Lankan cabinet approving the agreement in January this year.

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SOURCE: PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from Sunday, during which he will tour a forward post along the India-Pakistan border and review the security situation and development initiatives in the Union Territory.

Officials said Shah will reach Jammu on Sunday evening and attend a meeting of BJP MLAs and office bearers. The next day, he will visit the BSF Border Out Post Vinay in Kathua and assess the ground situation there.

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SOURCE: PTI

Tension flared up between two tribes in Manipur today after a village chief was allegedly assaulted by suspected militants over a land dispute, officials said. The incident took place at 12.15 pm when dozens of armed militants came to Konsakhul village in Kangpokpi district and assaulted several residents, including village chief Aimson Abonmai, they said.

The residents of Naga-dominated Konsakhul said the militants, allegedly belonging to the Kuki community, were from neighbouring Haraothel village.

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