SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
In a landmark demonstration of technological prowess and strategic coordination, India’s air defense units, comprising the indigenous Akash, Indo-Israeli MR-SAM, and Russian S-400 systems, have proven their mettle during Operation Sindoor on May 8–9, 2025. This operation, launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, showcased India’s ability to integrate diverse air defense systems into a robust, multi-layered shield, neutralizing over 500 Pakistani swarm drones and missiles targeting 15 military and civilian locations. This seamless interoperability between Indian, Israeli, and Russian systems marks a global first, establishing India as a leader in advanced air defense capabilities.
Operation Sindoor, executed with surgical precision, highlighted India’s multi-tiered air defense architecture, which effectively countered a complex, multi-directional assault. The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Army deployed a combination of the Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM), Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM), and the S-400 Triumf, integrated through the IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) and the Army’s Akashteer network. This layered defense system neutralized threats ranging from low-flying drones to high-speed missiles, ensuring zero damage to critical assets.
Continue readingSOURCE: IDRW.ORG
MDSL (Mahindra Defence Systems Limited) has recently introduced a new 4×4 bulletproof platform, leveraging the robust Ford F-Series heavy-duty chassis. This unveiling marks a significant step in MDSL’s ongoing efforts to bolster its portfolio of armored vehicles, aligning with its history of developing specialized military platforms like the Armored Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV) and Light Bullet Proof Vehicle (LBPV).
The new platform is likely an evolution of the Medium Bullet Proof Vehicle (MBPV) that MDSL has been developing for some time. While specific details about the new platform’s designation remain unclear, its foundation on the Ford F-Series heavy-duty chassis—a line known for its durability and versatility—suggests a focus on rugged performance and adaptability.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Tejas MkII, an advanced variant of India’s homegrown Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), has recently been showcased with striking new graphics, highlighting its integration with a formidable array of modern weaponry. This development marks a significant milestone in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defense technology, with the aircraft now equipped to handle a diverse set of missions, from precision strikes to air superiority. The new weapons suite includes the Tara PGM, Rudram-II, Astra Mk1, ASRAAM, and a Quad Rack for the Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW), showcasing the jet’s enhanced combat capabilities.
The Tejas MkII, designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is an evolution of the Tejas Mk1, featuring improved aerodynamics, a more powerful engine (the GE F414), and an upgraded avionics suite.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is grappling with significant vulnerabilities following a series of precision strikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Operation Sindoor, conducted from May 7 to May 10, 2025. Reports circulating on X and various media outlets indicate that the IAF has degraded or destroyed 20-30% of Pakistan’s early warning capabilities, exposing wide-open gaps in its air defense network. This strategic setback has not only compromised Pakistan’s ability to detect and respond to aerial threats but also raised questions about the effectiveness of its heavily Chinese-supported military infrastructure.
Operation Sindoor was launched in retaliation for the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, primarily tourists, in Indian-administered Kashmir. India attributed the attack to Pakistan-based terror groups, prompting a swift and coordinated military response. Over four days, the IAF targeted key PAF airbases, radar systems, and command centers, including Nur Khan in Rawalpindi, Bholari in Sindh, Sargodha, and Jacobabad, among others. The operation utilized advanced weaponry, such as BrahMos and SCALP cruise missiles, alongside loitering munitions and dummy pilotless aircraft to overwhelm Pakistani defenses.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) is set to mark a significant milestone in India’s indigenous aviation journey with the inauguration of the Saras MkII Iron Bird test facility tomorrow, May 30, 2025. The event will be officiated by Minister of State (MoS) Dr. Jitendra Singh at the NAL Wind Tunnel Centre (NWTC), located at the Belur Campus in Bengaluru. This development underscores India’s commitment to advancing its civilian aerospace capabilities through the Saras MkII, a 19-seater light transport aircraft designed to meet regional connectivity needs.
The Iron Bird facility, a critical component in aircraft development, is a ground-based testing platform where all systems and line-replaceable units (LRUs) of the Saras MkII will be integrated and rigorously tested. This setup ensures that the aircraft’s systems—ranging from avionics to flight controls—meet stringent safety and performance standards before flight testing, a key step toward certification. The facility, first conceptualized in 2019 when its foundation stone was laid, builds on CSIR-NAL’s legacy of aerospace innovation, following years of challenges and revival efforts for the Saras program.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
In the midst of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, a wave of misinformation has emerged, largely driven by accounts allegedly backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Despite India’s successful interception of most Fatah-I and Fatah-II missile launches during recent military exchanges, ISPR-linked accounts have been circulating old videos of fires in India—originally caused by unrelated incidents like stubble burning or industrial accidents—as supposed “visual proof” of successful Pakistani strikes. This deliberate disinformation campaign aims to undermine India’s defense achievements and project a false narrative of Pakistani military success, even as evidence suggests otherwise.
The recent flare-up between the two nuclear-armed neighbors began after the April 22, 2025, attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting alleged terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), resulting in 31 reported civilian deaths, according to Pakistani claims. Pakistan retaliated with Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos, launching a series of drone and missile attacks, including Fatah-I and Fatah-II ballistic missiles, targeting 26 locations across India. However, India’s advanced air defense systems, including the Barak-8, Akash, and S-400 Triumf, successfully intercepted most of these threats, notably neutralizing a Fatah-II missile aimed at Delhi over Sirsa, Haryana, on May 10. Despite these defensive successes, ISPR-backed accounts have resorted to fabricating evidence to claim otherwise.
Continue readingSOURCE: AFI
India is reportedly fast-tracking the revival of Kailashahar Airport, a long-defunct airfield in Tripura’s Unakoti district, as a strategic countermeasure to China’s involvement in upgrading a World War II-era airbase in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat district. The move comes amid growing concerns in New Delhi over the potential threat posed by the Chinese-backed project, located less than 20 kilometers from the Indian border and perilously close to the strategically vital Siliguri Corridor.
On May 26, 2025, senior officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) conducted a site visit to Kailashahar Airport to evaluate its infrastructure, land availability, and visibility conditions, according to a report by PTI. This visit marks the first tangible step toward reactivating the airfield, which has remained non-operational for over 30 years. The renewed interest in Kailashahar is driven by escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly following reports of China aiding the development of Lalmonirhat airbase in northern Bangladesh. The Lalmonirhat airfield, a relic of World War II, lies in close proximity to the Siliguri Corridor—often called the “chicken’s neck”—a narrow 22-kilometer strip of land that connects mainland India to its northeastern states. This corridor is a critical chokepoint, making it a potential vulnerability in India’s territorial integrity.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Thursday hailed Operation Sindoor as a “national victory”, and said all the Indian forces came together to execute it in a very professional manner.
In his address at the CII Business Summit here, he also said, “We were taking the path of truth, I think, God was with us also in this.” “This Operation Sindoor that we’ve been talking about, it’s a national victory. I thank each and every Indian. I am sure, every Indian wanted….was looking towards this victory,” the IAF chief said.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
People of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are part of the Indian family and the day is not far when they will return to India’s mainstream voluntarily, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday. Laying out India’s policy approach towards Pakistan, Mr Singh said New Delhi has “redesigned and redefined” its strategy and response to terrorism and that possible dialogue with Islamabad will be only on terrorism and PoK.
In an address at the CII Business Summit, the defence minister largely attempted to reach out to people of PoK, saying India considers them to be part of its “own” family.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Operation Sindoor was far from over, asserting that Pakistan had already been hit “three times” inside its home.
He warned that India would act decisively against all those who sponsor terror. Addressing a rally in West Bengal’s Alipurduar, the first one since Operation Sindoor, the PM said the country’s armed forces had avenged the “audacity of terrorists” who insulted the dignity of Indian women. The PM was referring to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists were killed.
Continue readingSOURCE: IANS
India on Thursday made it clear once again that any engagement with Pakistan will only be bilateral; terror and talks cannot go together; and, the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) will remain in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably abjures” its support for cross-border terrorism.
“We have been very clear and consistent in our position regarding any engagement with Pakistan – that it has to be bilateral. At the same time, we are clear that talks and terror don’t go together. On terrorism itself, we are open to discussing the handing over to India of noted terrorists whose list was given to Pakistan some years ago,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The Trump administration has told a New York court that India and Pakistan reached a “tenuous ceasefire” only after President Donald Trump “interceded and offered both nations trading access with the US to avert a full-scale war”.
Indian government sources have maintained that the two countries reached an understanding without any third-party involvement.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The Interpol has issued the first Silver notice on India’s request to track the global assets of former French Embassy officer Shubham Shokeen, who is wanted in connection with a visa fraud, officials said.
The Silver notice is a colour-coded notice introduced by the Interpol in January this year to track the movement of illicit assets across the globe. The pilot project, of which India is also a part, started with the issuance of the first Silver notice on the request of Italy.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
It was an emotional reunion for a teen student with her family as she walked out of jail on Tuesday night after having spent over a fortnight behind bars for her social media post criticising the Indian government amid the Indo-Pak conflict.
The 19-year-old student of engineering was granted bail by the Bombay High Court which had made scathing remarks against the Maharashtra government for “being bent upon ruining her life” and turning her into a “hardcore criminal”.
Continue readingSOURCE: PTI
The Centre has ordered deployment of 580 companies, comprising about 42,000 on-ground personnel, of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the annual Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said on Thursday.
While 424 companies are being sent to the Union Territory (UT), the rest, including about 80 companies that moved to the UT during Operation Sindoor, will be “relocated” to secure the yatra route, the pilgrims and other areas, including Srinagar, they said.
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