SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a significant revelation, Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has stated that India’s indigenous Project Kusha air defence initiative is not merely comparable to the Russian S-400 Triumf system but is instead aligned with the capabilities of the next-generation Russian S-500 “Prometey” system.
Speaking to media and defence officials, Dr. Kamat clarified that Project Kusha is being designed as a cutting-edge long-range air and missile defence system that will rival some of the most advanced systems in the world. “It would not be accurate to compare Kusha with the S-400. It is closer in technological scope and operational intent to Russia’s S-500,” he said, underscoring the ambition and strategic depth of the Indian program.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a significant revelation, sources within the Indian Air Force (IAF) have confirmed to idrw.org that a precision strike conducted during Operation Sindoor on Pakistan’s Bholari Airbase resulted in the destruction of a hangar housing critical assets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The targeted hangar contained a Saab 2000 Erieye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and four fighter jets, at least three of which were F-16A/B Block-15 multi-role fighter aircraft recently acquired from Jordan.
The strike, executed on the night of May 9–10, 2025, was part of India’s retaliatory operation following Pakistan’s failed missile attacks on Indian military targets. The Bholari Airbase, located less than 100 miles from Karachi in Sindh province, is one of Pakistan’s most advanced operational bases, housing the 19 Squadron and the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), which operate F-16A/B Block-15 ADF aircraft.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a significant milestone for India’s indigenous defense aviation program, the Tejas MkII, also known as the Medium Weight Fighter (MWF), is on track for its first prototype rollout by the end of 2025, with production slated to commence by early 2029. According to sources close to the Indian Defence Research Wing (idrw.org), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plans to deliver an initial order of 120 Tejas MkII aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by the end of 2034, achieving an annual production rate of approximately 24 units. This ambitious timeline underscores India’s commitment to bolstering its air combat capabilities and achieving self-reliance under the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative.
The Tejas MkII is a 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with HAL. Building on the success of the Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A, the MkII features significant upgrades, including a larger airframe, close-coupled canards, a more powerful General Electric F414-INS6 engine, and advanced avionics such as the indigenous Uttam GaN-based Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and an Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system. These enhancements make the Tejas MkII a versatile fighter capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, designed to replace aging IAF aircraft like the SEPECAT Jaguar, Dassault Mirage 2000, and Mikoyan MiG-29.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
A recent Chinese video circulating on social media platforms, including X, showcases a simulation depicting the downing of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale fighter jet using the “A-shoots-B-guides” concept, a networked warfare tactic emphasizing coordination between fighter jets and Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
The video, touted as a demonstration of advanced Chinese military technology, has sparked debate due to its bold claims and apparent inaccuracies regarding equipment and missile capabilities.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a startling and controversial statement, Barrister Muhammad Raza Hayat Hiraj, a Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from NA-144 (Khanewal-I), has claimed that Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, the Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), personally flew a combat mission into Indian airspace for approximately 18 minutes, during which he allegedly participated in bombing Indian military sites. The claim, made during a recent session, has sparked skepticism and debate, given the lack of corroborating evidence and the administrative nature of the PAF chief’s role.
According to Hiraj, the alleged incursion occurred during the heightened tensions following India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7–10, 2025, a retaliatory strike targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The operation saw the Indian Air Force (IAF) deploy 15 air-launched BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missiles from Su-30MKI fighters, striking key PAF airbases, including Bholari, Nur Khan, Murid, and Rafiqui.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
India’s ambitious Project Kusha, a cornerstone of its indigenous air defense strategy, is making significant strides toward bolstering the nation’s multi-layered air defense architecture. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Samir V. Kamat, has confirmed that the first development trial of the M1 interceptor missile, a key component of the Extended Range Air Defence System (ERADS) or Programme Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (PGLRSAM), is scheduled for 2025.
Dr. Kamat announced that the full development of Project Kusha is expected to be completed by 2028, paving the way for its induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy by 2028–2029. This development marks a significant step toward India’s goal of achieving self-reliance in advanced air defense systems, positioning Project Kusha as a rival to global systems like Russia’s S-400 and potentially the S-500.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a significant move to counter the growing threat of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Indian Army has initiated the integration of 16 ft x 9 ft anti-drone wire mesh “cope cages” on its fleet of Ashok Leyland Stallion (ALS) vehicles. This strategic upgrade aims to bolster the protection of these critical logistical assets against drone-based attacks, reflecting the Army’s proactive approach to modernizing its defense capabilities in response to evolving warfare dynamics.
The Ashok Leyland Stallion, manufactured under license by the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, is a cornerstone of the Indian Army’s logistical framework. With over 60,000 Stallion trucks in service, these medium-duty defense vehicles are renowned for their reliability and versatility across diverse terrains, from deserts to high-altitude regions up to 5,500 meters. The Stallion, available in 4×4 and 6×6 configurations, has been a trusted workhorse since replacing the Shaktiman trucks in the 1990s, notably proving its mettle during the Kargil War of 1999 with a 95% operational availability rate.
Continue readingSOURCE: QuBeats
2025-QulBeats, a pioneering Indian quantum deeptech startup at the forefront of quantum sensing technologies, is proud to announce that it has won the prestigious ADITI 2.0 Defence Challenge to develop an indigenous Quantum Positioning System (QPS) for the Indian Navy. The award, which comes with a grant of 25 crore (-USD 3 million), will enable Qußeats to build next-generation high precision quantum sensors that promise accurate navigation in GPS-denied or spoofed environments-a critical capability for modern military operations.
In an era heavily dependent on satellite-based navigation like GPS, QuBeats is disrupting coriventional paradigms with its innovative quantum magnetometer technology. These high-precision sensors detect the Earth’s unique magnetic anomaly signatures, enabling navigation that is entirely independent of GPS systems-reliable by day or night, in any condition.
Continue readingSOURCE: UNI
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will conduct seven microgravity research experiments during the upcoming Axiom-4 AX-4 Axiom International Space Station (ISS) mission to be piloted by Indian astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla. The mission is scheduled for June 10 t 0612 hrs IST from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
ISRO said the field of microgravity research with potential applications in diverse areas such as human health, physical/ life sciences, material research, novel pharmaceutical development and biotechnology offers significant opportunities to the national scientific community. ISRO has shortlisted seven microgravity research experiments proposed by Indian Principal Investigators (PIs) from various national R&D laboratories/ academic institutions for implementation on International Space Station (ISS) during the upcoming Axiom-4 mission with ISRO’s Gaganyatri.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
India is the fifth largest economy in the world and it is central to a number of critical global supply chains, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said, arguing that the leadership of the country must be part of discussions at the upcoming G7 summit.
Carney’s comments came after some of his political opponents in Canada criticised him for inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in view of a probe into allegations of Indian links to the killing of a Khalistani separatist in 2023.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are set to embark on the Axiom Space’s fourth human spaceflight from National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on June 10 and are likely to dock at the International Space Station on June 11 at about 10 pm IST, after a nearly 28-hour journey.
Shukla, the mission pilot of the Axiom-4 (Ax4) commercial mission to the ISS, will be accompanied by mission commander Peggy Whitson and specialists Tibor Kapu from Hungary and Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
An Apache helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) made a “precautionary landing” in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur on Friday due to a technical issue while on a routine sortie, officials said.
Both the pilot and the co-pilot are safe, they said. An IAF Apache helicopter made a “precautionary landing” in Saharanpur around 11 am due to a technical issue, a senior IAF official said.
Continue readingSOURCE: UNI
NIBE Limited has received Transfer of Technology (ToT) from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for indigenous “Modular Bridging System”. This achievement reinforces NIBE’s commitment towards “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives of Government of India in the defence sector, NIBE Limited said in a release.
The Modular Bridging System is a state-of-the-art, mechanically launched mobile bridge developed by DRDO. It is a complex, multi-disciplinary engineering solution capable of rapidly deploying bridges up to 46 metre spans to enable crossing of tracked and wheeled vehicles.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Pro-Khalistan slogans were on Friday raised by supporters and activists of radical Sikh outfits at the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, while a peaceful bandh was observed around the Golden Temple and the interior walled city on the 41st anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
Breaking a 40-year-old tradition of the annual address on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj did not deliver the customary message to the Sikh community this time as he concluded his message in the ‘ardas’ (prayer according to Sikh rituals) ceremony from the Akal Takht to avoid any controversy.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
Five Maoists were killed in two encounters with security forces in an ongoing operation in the Indravati National Park area of Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police officials said on Saturday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has hailed the success and expressed his wish to meet the brave soldiers who are engaged in anti-Maoist mission.
With the latest casualties, seven Maoists, including top leaders Sudhakar and Bhaskar, were neutralised in the operation in the last three days, they said.
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