SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
In a significant step toward bolstering India’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities, a team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently visited a factory near Munich, Germany, to gain insights into the Eurodrone Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). According to sources close to idrw.org, the DRDO delegation, representing India’s interests as an observer in the Eurodrone program, received a comprehensive briefing on the system’s advanced capabilities.
India, alongside Japan, was granted observer status on January 21, 2025, by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), marking a new chapter in India’s defence collaboration with Europe. With the Indian tri-services—Army, Navy, and Air Force—jointly requiring 97 MALE UAVs, the Eurodrone’s cutting-edge technology could shape India’s indigenous and procurement strategies, with its prototype first flight expected by mid-2027.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW.ORG
On the sidelines of the Paris Air Show 2025, Dr. DK Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), provided a significant update on the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval variant, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH). Speaking to Atul Chandra, Editor at GBP Daily News, Dr. Sunil revealed that HAL is actively progressing with the design and development of these indigenous rotorcraft using internal funding, while awaiting formal government approval.
He emphasized that long-lead activities have been identified and are being executed in parallel to ensure the project remains on track for timely completion.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a significant development for India’s indigenous defence technology ecosystem, Paninian India Pvt Ltd, a Hyderabad-based defence tech firm, has unveiled the concept of its Svayatt TD-1 — an Autonomous Target-Decoy (ATD) System designed to support realistic, flexible, and multi-role training and evaluation scenarios for armed forces.
The Svayatt TD-1, showcased with its Ground Control Station (GCS), marks a promising step in enhancing India’s capability to simulate sophisticated aerial threats, enabling more precise and cost-effective training, weapons testing, and countermeasure evaluation.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a significant boost to India’s defense manufacturing sector, Reliance Infrastructure and France’s Dassault Aviation have partnered to locally produce Falcon 2000 jets in India. According to reliable sources cited by idrw.org, the Indian Navy has been offered a specialized maritime variant of the aircraft, the Falcon 2000 MRA (Maritime Multi-Role Aircraft), tailored for maritime reconnaissance and patrol missions.
The Falcon 2000 MRA, also known as the Falcon 2000 Albatros, is a versatile platform designed to perform a wide range of maritime operations. Equipped with advanced systems, including a multifunction radar under the fuselage, a high-performance optronic turret, observation windows, a Search and Rescue (SAR) kit release system, and dedicated communication systems, the aircraft is optimized for surveillance, reconnaissance, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare, and fleet training.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a significant update on India’s advanced defense programs, Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), announced that trials for the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRAShM), a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), are expected to conclude within the next two to three years.
Speaking to NDTV on the sidelines of a defense technology review in June 2025, Dr. Kamat highlighted the rapid progress of India’s hypersonic missile program, positioning the country among global leaders in cutting-edge military technology. The LRAShM, successfully tested on November 16, 2024, from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha’s coast, is set to enhance the Indian Navy’s maritime strike capabilities and provide a multi-role platform for all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
On the sidelines of the Paris Air Show 2025, a high-level meeting between France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and representatives of the Indian Navy @indiannavy) marked the formal launch of the Rafale Marine programme for India. This milestone, announced on June 20, 2025, via posts on X, underscores India’s deepening defense ties with France and its adoption of the Dassault Rafale as a cornerstone of its air and naval forces.
With this development, India becomes the only country besides France to operate all three variants of the Rafale—single-seater (Rafale C), two-seater (Rafale B), and the carrier-based Rafale Marine (Rafale M)—cementing its long-term commitment to the 4.5-generation multirole fighter. The programme, valued at ?63,887 crore ($7.4 billion), will equip the Indian Navy with 26 Rafale M jets, enhancing its maritime strike capabilities amid growing regional challenges in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
A British Royal Navy F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, one of the world’s most advanced and expensive combat aircraft, has been grounded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala, India, since June 14, 2025, following an emergency landing due to low fuel and a subsequent hydraulic system failure. Despite the incident’s significance, there has been a conspicuous lack of coverage in British media, prompting speculation about deliberate suppression by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Guy Gratton, a Chartered Aeronautical Engineer with qualifications as a commercial pilot, test pilot, and current flying instructor, has suggested that this silence may stem from the MoD’s efforts to downplay an “embarrassing” situation for the Royal Navy.
Continue readingSOURCE: PIB
“Operation Sindoor sent a powerful message to terrorists and their patrons that New India is assertive, resolute and will no longer be a victim of terrorism, but respond with strength & strategy,” said Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh while interacting with soldiers at Northern Command, Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir on June 20, 2025. He commended the precision, coordination & courage of the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies in destroying terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan & PoK, asserting that India’s change in policy towards terrorism is a result of this unmatched valour and dedication.
Raksha Mantri described Operation Sindoor as not just a military action, but a warning to the terrorists across the border and those who support them that India will no longer tolerate terrorism & give a befitting reply if its unity and integrity is harmed. “Operation Sindoor is not over yet. This is just a pause. I want to tell this to my neighboring country,” he added.
Continue readingSOURCE: REUTERS
India will never restore the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Islamabad, and the water flowing to Pakistan will be diverted for internal use, Home Minister Amit Shah said in an interview with Times of India on Saturday.
Delhi unilaterally suspended its participation in the 1960 IWT, which governs the usage of the Indus river system, on April 23, shortly after 26 civilians were killed in India-held Kashmir. Delhi, without evidence, blamed Islamabad for the attack. The latter has denied the allegations and called for a neutral probe.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
The British F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet, which made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport last Saturday, remains grounded even after a week.
The aircraft is now awaiting a team of engineers from Lockheed Martin, the jet’s American manufacturer, to resolve a persisting technical snag. The advanced fifth-generation fighter, part of the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, currently deployed in the Indo-Pacific, was returning to its base after completing joint maritime exercises with the Indian Navy when it made an emergency landing at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
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Government-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has dug 578 wells in the year 2024-25, which is the highest in 35 years, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday. According to the minister, the bold decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the ‘No Go’ area is giving new impetus to India’s journey towards energy self-reliance.
“Giving new strength and direction to the exploration of oil and natural gas in India under the leadership of PM Modi, ONGC has dug 578 wells in the year 2024-25, which is the highest in 35 years,” Puri posted on X social media platform.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have held the inaugural session of their trilateral meeting of foreign ministry officials, Beijing’s new strategic initiative to promote closer ties between two estranged South Asian countries in India’s immediate neighbourhood.
It is the second such trilateral that China has established in India’s neighbourhood after its foreign ministers’ mechanism with Pakistan and Afghanistan last month.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday strongly criticised India’s silence on Israel’s devastation in Gaza and Iran as “not just a loss of its voice, but also a surrender of values”. In an article – “It is still not too late for India’s voice to be heard”, she accused the Narendra Modi government of abandoning India’s long-standing and principled commitment to a peaceful two-nation solution envisioning an independent Palestine along with Israel.
Gandhi, in the article, was also critical of US President Donald Trump for following a “destructive path” in West Asia, after having spoken against America’s endless wars. “New Delhi’s silence on the devastation in Gaza and now on the unprovoked escalation against Iran reflects a disturbing departure from our moral and diplomatic traditions. This represents not just a loss of voice but also a surrender of values,” the Congress leader said in her article in ‘The Hindu’.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
As India presses ahead with Operation Sindhu to evacuate its citizens from Iran amid intensifying hostilities in the Middle East, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has announced that, upon formal requests from the governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the evacuation operation will now also include nationals from these two neighbouring countries.
In a post on X, the Indian Embassy stated, “On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy’s evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka.”
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
More than 500 Indian nationals have returned home from Iran under Operation Sindhu so far, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday. The MEA shared the update about the status of the evacuation operation in a post on X. More Indian nationals, including students, arrived in Delhi late Friday night and in the early hours of Saturday after being evacuated from Iran as its military confrontation with Israel intensified.
India announced the launch of Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from Iran on Wednesday. “#OperationSindhu flight brings citizens home. India evacuated 290 Indian nationals from Iran, including students and religious pilgrims by a charter flight. The flight arrived in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 20 June and was received by Secretary (CPV& OIA) Arun Chatterjee,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X.
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