SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has significantly ramped up the production of the Astra MkI Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), aiming to ensure rapid replenishment capability for the Indian Airforce in the event of a conflict. With a strike range exceeding 110 kilometers, the Astra MkI BVRAAM provides India’s air power with a potent indigenous solution for air dominance at extended ranges.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy have already begun the induction of the Astra MkI into operational service. The Su-30MKI and Tejas Mk1 fighter jets have been cleared to fire the Astra MkI, bolstering their long-range engagement capabilities. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K fleet has commenced in-flight trials of the Astra MkI, paving the way for its full operational deployment in the naval aviation wing as well.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a development that has caught the attention of regional defense watchers, flight tracking data has revealed an Indian Air Force (IAF) Ilyushin Il-76MD transport aircraft (registration K12879) landing in Manila, Philippines earlier today. The flight, IFC485, departed to Angeles City, has fueled speculation that it could be linked to the delivery of additional BrahMos supersonic cruise missile systems to the Philippine military.
The flight path, captured by Flightradar24, shows the IL-76 aircraft traversing Southeast Asia before touching down in Manila. While no official announcement has been made yet by either Indian or Philippine defense authorities, the timing and nature of the movement align closely with ongoing defense cooperation between New Delhi and Manila.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Dr. S.V. Ramanamurthy, Director of the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), has confirmed that India is actively pursuing a joint design and co-development model with an international engine manufacturer for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)’s next-generation engine. Speaking on the sidelines of a recent event, Dr. Ramanamurthy emphasized that while global collaboration is on the cards, significant groundwork in advanced technologies is already underway domestically.
“We’ll be going ahead with maybe co-design and co-development with an international engine house,” said Dr. Ramanamurthy, adding that India has already initiated work in parallel on advanced propulsion technologies. “From our side, we have already started R&D work in collaboration with institutes and academia. The advanced technologies are being worked on—those efforts have already been initiated,” he stated.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
On April 25, 2025, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieved a groundbreaking milestone by conducting a scramjet combustor ground test for over 1,000 seconds at its Scramjet Connect Test Facility in Hyderabad. This test, the longest reported scramjet engine run to date, marks a pivotal moment for India’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme and positions the country as a leader in hypersonic technology.
But how significant is this achievement compared to global developments in scramjet technology? This article explores the implications of the 1,000-second test and benchmarks it against international efforts.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In the high-stakes arena of modern warfare, cruise missiles like the Indo-Russian BrahMos and the French SCALP-EG (Storm Shadow) represent two distinct philosophies of precision strike capability. The BrahMos, a supersonic beast, roars with speed and power, daring air defenses to challenge its dominance. In contrast, the SCALP-EG, a subsonic, stealthy predator, slips through defenses undetected, striking with surgical precision before the enemy knows it’s coming.
As India, a user of both missiles, bolsters its arsenal amid escalating tensions with Pakistan and China in April 2025, the contrasting strengths of these systems highlight their complementary roles in rattling adversaries and reshaping regional deterrence. Here’s a deep dive into the BrahMos and SCALP, two missiles that embody the art of war in starkly different ways.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In late April 2025, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has significantly ramped up Combat Air Patrols (CAPs) over Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Skardu, signaling heightened alertness in response to escalating tensions with India following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed 26 tourists. Concurrently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has launched a large-scale military exercise named Aakraman (Attack), involving its top-tier fighter jets and pilots, as reported by India Today on April 25, 2025.
Social media posts on X, including those from @OSINTWarfare and @PakSword313, indicate that the PAF has operationalized forward airbases like Saidu Sharif and Skardu, deploying JF-17C Block III fighters armed with PL-10 and PL-15 missiles. This flurry of aerial activity, set against the backdrop of India’s aggressive military drills and diplomatic retaliation, underscores a precarious standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbors, raising concerns about potential escalation.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) announced a groundbreaking initiative to engage private companies in designing and developing small satellite bus platforms, aiming to reduce India’s reliance on imported space technology. The program, dubbed ‘Satellite Bus as a Service’ (SBaaS), invites Indian non-governmental entities (NGEs) to indigenously create modular satellite bus platforms for hosted payload applications, marking a significant step toward fostering innovation and self-reliance in India’s burgeoning space sector.
Formed in June 2020 under the Department of Space (DOS), IN-SPACe serves as a single-window nodal agency to promote, authorize, and supervise space-related activities by private players in India. The SBaaS initiative aligns with the Indian government’s broader push to open the space sector to non-governmental entities, encouraging private companies to participate in satellite manufacturing, launches, and ground systems development.
Continue readingSOURCE: REUTERS
Pakistan’s defence minister said on Monday that a military incursion by India was imminent in the aftermath of a deadly terrorist attack on tourists in Kashmir last week, as tensions rise between the two nuclear-armed nations.
The terror attack killed 26 people and triggered outrage in India, along with calls for action against Pakistan. India has accused Pakistan of backing the attack, the worst in years on civilians on April 22. Pakistan has rejected the charge.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
Three-time Pakistan Prime Minister and founder of the ruling political party, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif has advised his younger brother and current Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, to utilise all available diplomatic resources to restore peace with India, insisting that he is against taking an aggressive position.
Both brothers met in Lahore on Sunday evening, with Shehbaz briefing Nawaz Sharif about the decisions taken by his government against India after the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, especially in the wake of India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following the Pahalgam attack.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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Union Power Minister Manohar Lal on Monday said that measures such as faster land acquisition and securing diversified uranium fuel sources are crucial in scaling up domestic nuclear energy capacity. He said broader participation from private and state sectors is needed to promote nuclear energy, Lal said while chairing a meeting of Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Power.
“(The) minister outlined the key challenges and strategic steps required for scaling up nuclear energy, including Amending the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 to enable broader participation by private and state sectors and Strengthening public perception and enhancing awareness about nuclear energy’s safety and benefits,” the Power Ministry said in a statement.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, people familiar with the matter said.
The briefing came as India mulled its options to punish those behind the terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 civilians. Citing “cross-border linkages” to the horrific incident, India has promised severe punishment to those involved in the strike that triggered widespread outrage within India and abroad.
Continue readingSOURCE: REUTERS
China’s foreign ministry announced on Monday that Indian pilgrims would be able to travel to holy sites in Tibet for the first time in five years this summer, in the latest sign of warming relations between the two regional superpower.
Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in China’s Tibet region are important in many religions, including Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism, but Indian pilgrims had been unable to cross the border since 2020 owing to the COVID pandemic and geopolitical tension between the two countries.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday promised to take all appropriate steps to protect its right under the Indus Waters Treaty that was suspended by India after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Dar chaired a high-level meeting on the Indus Waters Treaty, attended by the Minister for Law and Justice and Water Resources Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, senior officials and technical experts, according to a statement by the Foreign Office.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The Jharkhand government on Monday said it has intensified efforts to bring back five migrant workers from the state who have been kidnapped in the West African country of Niger, and was working with the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard.
The five workers were kidnapped by armed men on April 25, a statement said. After being informed about the incident, the State Migrant Control Room contacted the company that employed them, it said.”According to the information, all the workers were working in the Telabari area, 25-30 km away from the company site. It was a complete military operation, in which 26 locals and 12 workers from other countries were involved. 12 people have also been reported dead in this incident,” it added.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Directing its leaders to either toe the party line or refrain from commenting on the Pahalgam attack, the Congress on Monday asserted that only the recent CWC resolution along with the views expressed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and authorised AICC office-bearers represent its position on the sensitive issue.
The opposition party’s assertion comes in the wake of remarks by leaders like Vijay Wadettiwar, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Shashi Tharoor, Tariq Hameed Karra and Saifuddin Soz that have triggered a row, with the BJP alleging that some from the opposition party were speaking “Pakistan’s language”.
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