SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a linchpin of India’s defence manufacturing, finds itself at a crossroads as it grapples with the fallout from the grounding of over 330 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) following a fatal Indian Coast Guard crash in January 2025. The incident, which claimed lives and exposed potential flaws in the ALH platform, has sparked widespread concern among the armed forces, the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and the domestic defence community.
Yet, HAL’s response—a mix of defensiveness, deflection, and disdain for its critics—has done little to inspire confidence. Instead, it reveals a troubling organisational hubris that threatens to undermine India’s self-reliance in defence.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In the late 1990s, India embarked on a landmark defence deal with Russia to acquire 272 Su-30 MKI multirole fighter jets, a cornerstone of the Indian Air Force (IAF) that remains its backbone today. Valued at approximately ?55,000 crore ($6 billion at the time), the agreement aimed to bolster India’s airpower amid regional threats from China and Pakistan.
However, the deal, which involved assembling aircraft in India using Russian-supplied kits, lacked provisions for technology transfer (ToT), leaving Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) unable to manufacture the jets independently. Dubbed the “Su-30 mistake,” this experience has profoundly shaped India’s defence procurement strategy, driving its insistence on complete ToT and local manufacturing under the “Make in India” initiative to ensure self-reliance and avoid repeating costly errors.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In a significant development underscoring geopolitical sensitivities in the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan-based drone manufacturer DronesVision has categorically denied any collaboration or ongoing talks with a Pakistan military-backed company, dispelling reports of a potential deal to supply combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The Keelung City-based firm, a key supplier of militarized drones to India, issued a firm statement to The Sunday Guardian, emphasizing its adherence to Taiwan’s strict export regulations and national policy, which restrict dealings with certain countries, including Pakistan. The rebuttal, reported on April 20, 2025, highlights the complex interplay of defence technology proliferation, Taiwan’s strategic partnership with India, and Pakistan’s alignment with China, Taiwan’s principal adversary.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), India’s largest paramilitary force, is set to hold fresh trials for the procurement of 200 sniper rifles and 20,000 rounds of .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition following a Delhi High Court ruling on April 8, 2025. The decision comes after Bengaluru-based SSS Defence, one of three bidders, challenged the tender process, alleging that competitors used non-compliant ammunition during trials, violating tender specifications.
The court’s intervention has quashed the CRPF’s rejection of SSS Defence’s bid and mandated a retrial within 45 days, highlighting the importance of transparency and fairness in defence procurement. This development, reported exclusively by ThePrint, underscores India’s push for indigenous defence manufacturing while exposing challenges in ensuring equitable tender processes.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Recent claims by Pakistani YouTube channels and defence enthusiasts, hyping the prospect of Pakistan acquiring China’s elusive sixth-generation fighter jets by 2030, have been met with a reality check from Chinese-affiliated handles on X. Following reports of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar’s visit to Beijing, where he allegedly secured assurances for these advanced jets, sources close to China’s defence establishment have dismissed the possibility of exports, likening the sixth-generation platforms to the closely guarded J-20 stealth fighter, which remains off the export list.
With two sixth-generation prototypes—the Chengdu J-36 and Shenyang J-50—spotted in test flights since December 2024, China’s focus appears to be on domestic deployment, leaving Pakistan’s ambitions to counter India’s airpower in question. This development, covered by South China Morning Post and Indian Defence Research Wing, underscores the strategic and technological constraints shaping Sino-Pakistani defence ties.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
A viral image of a Mahindra XUV3OO bearing the tag “Ex-Balakot Air Strike Team” on its rear windshield has taken social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by storm. The photo, which appears to have been clicked on an Indian street, has led to a wave of admiration, curiosity, and caution among netizens.
While many users expressed pride and reverence for the individual associated with one of India’s most significant military operations in recent history—the 2019 Balakot air strikes—others raised concerns about the implications of publicly flaunting such a sensitive affiliation.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
In a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft was escorted by F-15 jets of Saudi Arabia when his special flight entered the airspace of the Gulf nation on Tuesday, officials said.
Modi is paying a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also released a video of the Saudi jets escorting Modi’s aircraft. The gesture is being seen as deepening of defence cooperation between the two countries.
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Kash Patel, FBI Director, has assured that justice will be done following the arrest of Gangster-turned-terrorist Harpreet Singh in the US.
Singh alias Happy Passia alias Jora, wanted in connection with multiple terror attacks across Punjab and who is alleged to have collaborated with Pakistan’s ISI and Khalistani group BKI, was arrested in the US on April 18 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Sacramento.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Bangladesh has rejected New Delhi’s charge that the recent killing of a Hindu leader was part of a “pattern of systematic persecution” of minorities in that country. Body of Hindu community leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 58, a resident of Basudebpur village of Dinajpur district in north Bangladesh, was recovered on Thursday night. His son has claimed Roy was allegedly abducted from his home in the village, about 330 kilometres northwest of Dhaka, and beaten to death.
“It is unfortunate that the death of Mr Bhabesh Chandra Roy has been described as part of a ‘pattern of systematic persecution’ of Hindu minorities under the interim government,” interim government chief Muhammad Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam told the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency late Monday.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
US Vice-President JD Vance on Tuesday called on India to give greater access to its markets, buy more American energy and defence hardware as he outlined the vision for stronger ties between the two countries.
In an address at an event here, Vance said there is much that the US and India can accomplish together in diverse areas including high technology, defence, trade, and energy. Both India and US are working towards a bilateral trade agreement based on shared priorities, he said.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
A trainee pilot was killed when a trainer aircraft belonging to a private aviation academy crashed in a residential area in Gujarat’s Amreli district on Tuesday afternoon and caught fire, a police official said.
The plane fell on a tree before crashing into an open plot. The aircraft crash-landed into a residential area in the Giriya Road area of Amreli town at around 12:30 pm due to unknown reasons, killing the trainee pilot on the spot, said Amreli Superintendent of Police, Sanjay Kharat.
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Several tourists were injured in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, police said. “My husband was shot in the head while seven others were also injured in the attack,” a woman survivor told PTI over phone.
The woman did not identity herself but pleaded for help in evacuating the injured to hospital.
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A 32-year-old Bangladeshi national was arrested at the Indo-Nepal border here for allegedly trying to cross over to India without visa and passport, a senior official said on Tuesday. Superintendent of Police Somendra Meena said that the Bangladeshi national was arrested on Monday night while allegedly trying to infiltrate illegally.
Pradeep Kumar Roy, who was on his way to India from Nepal, was arrested by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in the Nichlaul area. Officials did not find visa papers and passport with him, Meena said.
Continue readingSOURCE: UNI
Four militants were apprehended in two separate incidents and arms recovered during various operations in the last 48 hours. Two persons kidnapped by militants were also rescued, police said. Sources said security forces arrested a militant from Imphal East district. In another operation, the state police arrested three militants from Sagolmang-PS, Imphal East district.
Police said the accused were involved in kidnapping of two persons for ransom. One .32 pistol along with one magazine loaded with five rounds were recovered from the accused. Four IED-making material were recovered from Yangoubung and T Bongmol village, Morehpolice station, Tengnoupal district .
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), a leading Indian public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, has launched a significant initiative to jointly develop a Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicle (WhAFV) and Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) category. This move, announced via an Expression of Interest (EoI) referenced as CTP&AM/EoI/SM/2025, aligns with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives, aiming to bolster the Indian Army’s capabilities with cutting-edge, domestically produced defense systems
The Indian Army’s modernization drive seeks to replace aging platforms and enhance mobility, firepower, and survivability in diverse operational environments. The Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicle (WhAFV) is envisioned as a highly mobile, 8×8 platform capable of operating across varied terrains, from deserts to high-altitude regions. Paired with an advanced ATGM system, the WhAFV will provide the Army with a versatile, lethal combination to counter armored threats and fortified positions, particularly in the context of tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.
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