SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a conversation with idrw.org, a Lockheed Martin official confirmed that no formal offer has been made to the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the sale of the F-35A fifth-generation fighter jet, despite ongoing speculation following the fighter’s appearance at Aero India 2023. Instead, the company is concentrating on promoting its F-16 variant, now rebranded as the F-21, which includes significant upgrades tailored for India.
The F-21 has been enhanced with a revised glass cockpit, advanced avionics, and features like the Triple Pylon Rail, allowing it to launch multiple AIM-120 air-to-air missiles—a feature not commonly seen on other fighter jets in its class. Lockheed Martin hopes the F-21 will be a strong contender in India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition, which seeks to procure 114 aircraft for the IAF, potentially valued at up to $18-20 billion.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Army, which has received an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to procure the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV), is set to conduct a rigorous evaluation of potential bidders. The FRCV, which will replace the T-72 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) in the Army’s fleet by 2030, is a significant acquisition program that will see intense scrutiny from domestic and international companies.
To ensure that the FRCV program aligns with the government’s “Make in India” initiative, the Indian Army and DRDO will conduct a special audit of all proposals submitted by public and private sector companies. This audit will focus on verifying the indigenous content of the proposed tanks, preventing the introduction of rebadged foreign MBTs into the Indian market.
Continue readingSOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a significant move towards enhancing the Indian Army’s reconnaissance and support capabilities, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reissued the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of 198 Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (WH AFV Recce & Support). The project falls under the Buy Indian – IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) category, reaffirming the government’s commitment to boosting Indigenous defence manufacturing under the “Make in India” initiative.
The MoD has retained the “Buy Indian – IDDM” category as per the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016, emphasizing the need for Indian vendors and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to supply indigenously developed platforms.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
India’s Tata Motors has signed a significant agreement with the Moroccan government to establish a factory for the production of military equipment. This factory will primarily focus on manufacturing the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WHAP) 8×8 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), which will be used to equip the Moroccan Land Forces.
This marks a major expansion of Tata’s presence in the African defense market. Last year, the Royal Moroccan Army received 90 units of 6×6 trucks from India, manufactured by Tata. The new factory, to be located in Casablanca, will be India’s first overseas defense manufacturing plant.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Indian government’s plans to jointly manufacture Stryker eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles in India have ignited a heated debate within the country’s defense community. Critics argue that the decision to import a foreign-made vehicle, despite the availability of local alternatives like the WHAP developed by DRDO, is a flawed strategy that undermines India’s self-reliance in defense manufacturing.
The government and the armed forces have yet to provide a clear explanation for their decision to opt for the Stryker. While the opposition parties raised concerns about the inflated cost of the Rafale fighter jet deal, they have curiously remained silent on the Stryker procurement. This lack of scrutiny from both sides of the political spectrum has raised eyebrows and fueled speculation about the underlying reasons for the decision.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Indian Army has placed a significant order for nearly 700 Trinetra drones, an indigenized version of a popular American drone used by the US Department of Defense.
Originally developed by the Silicon Valley startup Skydio, the drones have been adapted for Indian requirements by the Coimbatore-based firm AeroArc. The Trinetra drones are based on the Skydio Scout, an autonomous flight system that offers operators enhanced situational awareness without requiring manual control.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, the Chief of the South African Navy, expressed keen interest in the BrahMos Weapon System during a recent visit to the BrahMos Pavilion at the Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (AAD) held at Air Force Base Waterkloof, Tshwane, South Africa.
The South African Navy chief was briefed on the diverse capabilities of the BrahMos, a versatile missile system known for its long range and high speed. The BrahMos Aerospace team provided detailed insights into the weapon system’s key milestones and advancements over the years.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The Indian Army is enhancing the combat prowess of its artillery units along the frontier with China by procuring an array of weapons systems, including an additional batch of 100 K9 Vajra howitzers, swarm drones, loitering munitions and surveillance systems.
Lieutenant General Adosh Kumar, the Director General of Artillery in the Army, said various futuristic platforms and equipment are being procured to bolster the capabilities of the artillery units considering national security challenges.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
The Indian Army has set up a new firing range, which is helping it to practice firing of howitzers and other important weapon systems, a top official from the Indian Army said. The Lieutenant General rank officer, who is the Director General of Indian Army’s Regiment of Artillery, said the force is also getting another range along the Northern borders with China.
“A new firing range has been opened in Arunachal Pradesh in the Tawang sector where we can fire our howitzers and test their capabilities This is the first high-altitude range and we are trying to find more ranges in other states,” the officer said in a briefing on the artillery modernisation plans of the force.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday once again raked up the Kashmir bogey in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He called on New Delhi to enter a dialogue with Islamabad for a peaceful resolution of the dispute. “Let me state in no uncertain terms, Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian aggression, therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5th of August 2019 and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” he claimed.
Shehbaz Sharif claimed that India was “engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities,” which are essentially deployed against Pakistan. “It (India) has engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities, which are essentially deployed against Pakistan. Its war doctrines envisage a surprise attack and a limited war under the nuclear overhang. Thoughtlessly, India spurned Pakistan’s proposals for a mutual strategic restraint to regime.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFP
strike, along with his deputy and several other leaders of the Iran-backed movement.
Israeli fighter jets killed “Muhammad Ali Ismail, the commander of Hezbollah’s missile unit in southern Lebanon, and his deputy,” the military said in a statement on Telegram, adding that “other Hezbollah commanders and terrorists were eliminated”.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh asserted that the partnership between India and the US is strong. She also said that the Quad alliance is built on the core principles of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. The remarks by Singh came during a news briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday. On a question about US-India relations, and the way forward after the conduct of 2+2 in New Delhi and the Quad Summit in the US, Singh emphasised that the Quad is a coalition of like-minded nations united by their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“The Quad is a group of like-minded nations coming together because they believe in a free and open Indo-Pacific. That is one of the many purposes of the Quad. So in terms of where does the relationship go from here, look at the extensive amount of details that the president and the White House announced just last weekend from those high-level meetings that happened in Wilmington.” She added, “… But I think the partnership between India and the United States is certainly strong.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar participated in the ministerial meetings with three regional groups on Friday to strengthen cooperation with India. He chaired the meeting of the BIMSTEC, the Bay of Bengal group, and co-chaired meetings with two groups in Latin America and the Caribbean.
He wrote on X the BIMSTEC meeting was held in preparation for the leaders’ summit to be hosted by Thailand and the ministers “took stock of our close cooperation in health, food security, trade, investment, economy, and energy”.
Continue readingSOURCE: ANI
The Hindu community in Bangladesh has been forced to change the venues of Durga Puja festival at some places due to repeated obstruction by the radical groups. Durga Puja is set to be celebrated from October 9 to 13. The celebrations will be held in 32,666 pavilions of Bangladesh, the police said. Though, majorly, there is no issue with organizing Durga Puja festival by the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh. But, Uttara, a suburb of the capital Dhaka, is one of those few places where there have been reports of obstruction.
A week ago, the radical Islamist groups organised several human chains in the name of local people against the Durga Puja in some sectors, including 11, 13 of Uttara, the witness said. When tension rose in the area, the army and police held a meeting with the local leaders from Hindu and Muslim communities, they said. Last year, the Hindu community performed Durga Puja in a field in Sector 11 of Uttara, but this time some worshippers of the nearby mosque and students of the madrasas formed a human chain there to stop the puja, they added.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Days after claiming that 900 Kuki militants were planning to attack peripheral villages of Imphal valley districts around September 28, the Manipur government retracted its statement asserting that the likelihood of “any such misadventures by armed groups is minimal and unsubstantiated”.
In a joint statement, Security Advisor Kuldiep Singh and DGP Rajiv Singh on Wednesday said, “In view of recent reactions from different communities regarding the input on the infiltration of 900 trained Kuki militants from Myanmar to carry out attacks on Meiteis on September 28, it is clarified that the input was verified from various sources but could not be substantiated on the ground. There is no current basis to believe in any such input.”
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