SOURCE: PTI
In a joint operation, police’s special commando unit C-60 and the CRPF killed four Maoists in an encounter along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border in Gadchiroli district on Friday, a senior official said.
The official, in a statement, informed that based on credible intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists formations on the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border near a recently opened FOB (Forward Operating Base) in Kawande area, an operation was launched on Thursday afternoon. A dozen C-60 parties (300 commandoes) and a component of the CRPF launched the operation from Kawande and Nelgunda areas towards the banks of the Indravati river amidst heavy rains, it said.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW.ORG
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has announced after securing a landmark deal for the supply of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), named Prachand, along with associated training and equipment, valued at Rs. 62,700 crore (excluding taxes), earlier this year. HAL has confirmed that the first batch of LCH Prachand helicopters will be delivered to the Indian Armed Forces starting March 2028.
The contract, a significant boost to India’s indigenous defense manufacturing, is divided into two segments: 66 LCHs for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and 90 LCHs for the Indian Army.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW.ORG
According to informed sources close to idrw.org, Indian-manufactured drones, including Johnnette Technologies’ JM-1, Solar Industries’ Nagastra-1, and Tata Advanced Systems’ ALS-250, have demonstrated superior performance compared to both imported drones and those developed locally through technical collaborations. These indigenous unmanned aerial systems (UAS) were deployed in a recent conflict with Pakistan, showcasing their advanced capabilities and reliability under combat conditions.
While foreign drones and those developed through technical collaborations have been integral to India’s defense capabilities, the indigenous systems stood out in several key areas. Sources highlighted that imported drones, though equipped with cutting-edge technology, often faced challenges related to maintenance, compatibility with local conditions, and high operational costs. Similarly, drones developed through collaborations, while benefiting from foreign expertise, sometimes lacked the customization required for India’s unique operational needs.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has confirmed that it expects to receive orders for 143 Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)-Dhruv units in the coming months from the Indian Armed Forces’ Tri-services (Army, Navy, and Air Force). This development follows HAL’s successful resolution of technical issues associated with the wheeled variant of the ALH-Dhruv, boosting confidence in the platform’s reliability and performance.
The ALH-Dhruv, a versatile multi-role helicopter designed and developed by HAL, has been a cornerstone of India’s indigenous defense manufacturing efforts. With these anticipated orders, the total number of ALH-Dhruv helicopters entering production is set to surpass the significant milestone of 500 units. As of June 2024, HAL had already produced 345 ALH-Dhruv helicopters, with an additional order for 34 units placed in March 2024, bringing the current tally to 379 units either delivered or under production.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a significant boost to India-Malaysia defense cooperation, Delhi-based Samtel Avionics has signed a strategic collaboration and exclusivity agreement with Malaysia’s Aerospace Technology Systems Corp (ATSC) to provide comprehensive avionics support for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) fleet, with a particular focus on the Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets. The agreement, announced on May 22, 2025, aims to deliver cutting-edge avionics systems, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, and post-sales support, reinforcing India’s growing stature as a global defense technology provider.
Under the terms of the agreement, Samtel Avionics, a leading Indian aerospace and defense firm, will collaborate with ATSC, a key MRO provider for the RMAF, to enhance the operational capabilities of Malaysia’s Su-30MKM fleet. The partnership leverages Samtel’s expertise in advanced avionics, including Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) and Head-Up Displays (HUDs), which are already integrated into the Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKI fleet. This collaboration builds on Samtel’s earlier contract with the RMAF in October 2024 to equip all 18 Su-30MKM jets with MFDs and HUDs, further modernizing Malaysia’s air combat capabilities.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), a leading Government of India undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the lowest bidder (L1) for the construction of eight Next Generation Corvettes (NGC) for the Indian Navy. The announcement was made in a regulatory filing to the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) and BSE Limited on May 22, 2025.
In a meeting convened by the Commercial Negotiation Committee (CNC) of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on May 21, 2025, in New Delhi, GRSE emerged as the L1 bidder for the prestigious NGC project. The company will be awarded the contract to build five of the eight corvettes at an estimated value exceeding ?25,000 crores. This development underscores GRSE’s growing prominence in India’s defence manufacturing sector and its expertise in delivering advanced naval vessels.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
China’s Jiutian SS-UAV, heralded as the world’s first “drone mothership,” has been pitched as a revolutionary leap in aerial warfare, promising to unleash swarms of drones from high altitudes to dominate battlefields. But before we get swept up in Beijing’s bold claims, let’s take a hard, critical look at this so-called game-changer. Is the Jiutian truly a paradigm shift in military technology, or is it an overhyped, oversized target waiting to be obliterated by modern air defenses? Spoiler alert: the latter seems far more likely.
The Jiutian SS-UAV, developed by China’s state-owned AVIC, boasts an 82-foot wingspan and a 16-tonne frame, designed to operate at altitudes up to 15,000 meters and deploy swarms of smaller drones for reconnaissance, strike, or electronic warfare missions. On paper, it sounds formidable—a mothership soaring above conventional threats, releasing a cloud of drones to overwhelm adversaries. But in the real world, this concept is riddled with vulnerabilities that make it more of a liability than a battlefield dominator.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Top officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD), along with the Secretary of Civil Aviation, have conducted a high-level review of operational bottlenecks at the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) facility in Chitradurga, Karnataka. The delays, primarily attributed to the short-sighted stance of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), have significantly impacted critical flight trials of sensitive defense programs, raising concerns about India’s defense R&D timelines.
The ATR facility, established to support the testing and validation of indigenous defense platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other aerospace systems, has faced persistent challenges due to airspace restrictions and coordination issues with AAI. These bottlenecks have hampered the progress of key DRDO projects, critical to India’s self-reliance in defense technology under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
As “we navigate the stormy geopolitical arena” of the 21st century, there is a “rising” uncertainty in the nature, type and timing of future threats, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan says this in his new book. The book, titled “Ready, Relevant and Resurgent: A Blueprint for the Transformation of India’s Military”, was released by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh here on Thursday.
It is rare that a four-star general has written a book while in service.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that he played a role in mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan and clarified that the recent ceasefire was a result of direct dialogue between the two countries without any third-party intervention.
Speaking on the matter in the Netherlands during a media interview, EAM Jaishankar said, “This is something that only India and Pakistan need to settle directly.”
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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Bangladesh’s interim government chief Professor Muhammad Yunus mulls resignation as he finds it difficult to work because political parties failed to reach a common ground, BBC Bangla service reported at midnight on Thursday quoting student-led National Citizen Party CP party chief Nhid Islam.
“We have been hearing news of sir’s (Yunus) resignation since this morning. So I went to meet sir to discuss that issue . . . He said he is thinking about it. He feels that the situation is such that he cannot work,” Islam told the BBC Bangla.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
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The airspace over Andaman and Nicobar Islands was closed for three hours from 7 am on Friday for high altitude weapon test by the tri-services command, an official said.
A senior Andaman and Nicobar Command official said, “Like today, the airspace over and around Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be closed tomorrow for three hours (7 am to 10 am). We have already issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on May 16 and instructed that no civilian aircraft will be allowed to fly over Andaman on May 23 and May 24.” “Airspace over and around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with maximum corridor length of around 500 km will be restricted between 01:30 and 04:30 Universal Time Coordinated UTC (7 am and 10 am IST) on May 23 and 24,” the excerpts of the NOTAM said.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The 27 maoists, including 12 women, killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district were dreaded cadres carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 3.33 crore in the state, an official has said.
In one of the biggest strikes on maoists, security forces gunned down Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), and 26 other cadres during an encounter in the forested Abhujmad along Bijapur-Narayanpur inter-district border on Wednesday.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to significantly enhance its offensive capabilities with the integration of the BrahMos Next Generation (NG) missile, a lighter and more advanced variant of the renowned BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. Designed to be fitted onto aircraft such as the MiG-29, Mirage 2000, and the indigenous Tejas, the BrahMos NG is poised to become the IAF’s primary deterrent weapon, bolstering India’s aerial strike capabilities.
The BrahMos NG, developed by BrahMos Aerospace—a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya—represents a significant technological leap. Weighing approximately 1.3 tonnes, the NG variant is notably lighter than its predecessor, the BrahMos-A, which weighs around 2.5 tonnes. This reduced weight makes it compatible with a wider range of aircraft, including the lightweight Tejas, a cornerstone of India’s indigenous defense program.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a recent statement to idrw.org, a senior Indian Air Force (IAF) official has categorically refuted claims made by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) regarding an alleged voice transcript of an IAF Rafale pilot, call sign “Godzilla,” which the PAF claimed was shot down. The official described the PAF’s claims as “bogus” and emphasized that the PAF lacks the capability to intercept communications due to the IAF’s advanced secure network and the use of cutting-edge Software-Defined Radio (SDR) technology.
The controversy stems from the PAF’s alleged broadcast of a voice transcript purportedly belonging to an IAF Rafale pilot. The PAF claimed this as evidence of downing an Indian jet. However, the senior IAF official clarified that the Rafale’s communication systems are equipped with highly secure, encrypted SDR technology, which ensures robust protection against interception or jamming. “The PAF’s claims are baseless and lack technical credibility. Our communication networks are secure, and the SDR technology used in Rafale jets makes it virtually impossible for adversaries to intercept or manipulate transmissions,” the official told idrw.org.
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