SOURCE: AFI

For decades, the Indian Armed Forces have waged battles with grit, ingenuity, and a relentless spirit. Yet, when it came to integrating air power into armoured thrusts and combined-arms operations, there’s been a glaring gap: dedicated attack helicopters in meaningful numbers. The Mi-35 Hinds and AH-64E Apaches, while formidable, have been limited to a mere handful—roughly 20 airframes combined. These numbers pale in comparison to the scale of India’s operational needs, especially along its contested borders. But the winds of change are blowing, and they’re carrying rotor blades.

Historically, India’s rotary-wing support for ground forces leaned on utility platforms jury-rigged for combat. The HAL Lancer, a modified Cheetah helicopter, was a valiant stopgap—humble, lightly armed, and tailored for counter-insurgency rather than the heavy-hitting demands of modern warfare. It couldn’t dream of the agility, firepower, or survivability needed for armoured thrusts against a peer adversary. Enter the HAL Rudra, the weaponized variant of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv. With its 20mm turret gun, 70mm rockets, and capacity for anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) like the Helina, Rudra rewrote the script. It brought a taste of what dedicated attack helicopters could offer—close air support, armed escort, and a punchy presence on the battlefield. The Lancer’s era faded quietly as Rudra proved its worth, especially in rugged terrains like Kashmir and the Northeast.

SOURCE: AFI

India is poised to take a quantum leap in its strategic arsenal with the upcoming K-5 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM), a weapon system that promises to redefine its nuclear deterrence posture. With a projected range exceeding 5,000 km when carrying a heavy payload—and stretching beyond 8,000 km with a lighter one—the K-5 will arm India’s nuclear-powered submarines with unprecedented reach, placing targets from Europe to East Asia within its crosshairs. A map circulating on defense forums, credited to InsightGL, vividly showcases this capability, drawing a red circle of influence that underscores India’s growing clout in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

The map positions the K-5’s launch point in the Indian Ocean, south of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands—a strategic perch for India’s Arihant-class submarines. From this vantage, the missile’s 5,000+ km range envelops a vast arc: western Europe, including parts of the UK and France; the Middle East, spanning Saudi Arabia and Turkey; Central Asia, touching Kazakhstan; and East Asia, reaching China’s eastern seaboard, Japan, and South Korea. With a lighter payload, the 8,000 km range extends even further, potentially covering Moscow, northern Australia, and deeper into the Pacific. This isn’t just a missile—it’s a statement of intent, signaling India’s ability to project power far beyond its immediate neighborhood.

SOURCE: AFI

The 1971 Indo-Pakistan War remains a defining moment in India’s military history, and the Indian Air Force (IAF) played a pivotal role in securing victory through its air operations. Among the heroes of that conflict is Air Commodore KC Kuruvilla, who, as a young Flying Officer, flew the Sukhoi-7 fighter bomber—a relatively new addition to the IAF’s fleet at the time.

In a recent interview with the YouTube channel “1971 War Book Series,” Kuruvilla shared his experiences flying the Sukhoi-7, offering a rare glimpse into the aircraft’s capabilities, its role in the war, and the personal challenges he faced, including his capture as a prisoner of war (PoW). His stories not only highlight the ruggedness of the Sukhoi-7 but also underscore the skill and bravery of the IAF pilots who flew it during one of India’s most intense conflicts.

SOURCE: AFI

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is grappling with a critical challenge as it struggles to replace its ageing fleet of SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft, a situation exacerbated by dangerously low squadron levels and a historical lack of self-sufficiency in aircraft production. Wing Commander (Retd) Praful Bakshi, a veteran IAF pilot and accident investigator, recently shared his insights in an interview, shedding light on the systemic issues that have forced the IAF to continue operating the Jaguars despite their age and recent crashes. With India’s squadron strength dwindling to 30–31 against an authorized level of 42, and geopolitical threats looming on both its western and eastern borders, the IAF’s predicament underscores the urgent need for indigenization and a robust defense industrial base.

The SEPECAT Jaguar, a deep-strike and ground-attack aircraft jointly developed by the UK and France, has been a mainstay of the IAF since its induction in 1979. Originally acquired to replace the ageing Canberra bombers, the Jaguar fleet—comprising around 120 aircraft across six squadrons—has served the IAF well in roles such as close air support, interdiction, and maritime strike. However, the aircraft, now over four decades old, is increasingly showing its age. Many countries that once operated the Jaguar, including the United Kingdom, France, Chad, and Nigeria, have retired their fleets, replacing them with more modern platforms like the Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, and F-16.

SOURCE: AFI

In a tale that blends Cold War camaraderie with high-stakes aviation drama, the story of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot ejecting from a MiG-23 over Soviet soil in 1981 has resurfaced, offering a unique glimpse into the Indo-Soviet partnership of the era. Detailed in a recent publication by Arjun Prakash Iyer and Shwetabh Singh, Research Scholars at the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) under the Unni Kartha Chair of Excellence, this incident underscores the trust and cooperation that defined military exchanges between India and the USSR during the height of the Cold War.

The story begins in October 1981, when a contingent of IAF pilots arrived in the Soviet Union for advanced training on the MiG-23, a variable-geometry fighter jet that would soon bolster India’s aerial arsenal. Among them was Flight Lieutenant Pradeep Singh, a skilled aviator tasked with mastering the sophisticated aircraft at the MiG-23 Conversion School in Lugovaya, located in what is now Kazakhstan, then part of the USSR. The training was part of a broader effort to equip the IAF with cutting-edge Soviet technology, reflecting the deepening defense ties between New Delhi and Moscow.

SOURCE: AFI

In a significant step toward advancing India’s indigenous aerospace capabilities, the Technology Transfer Office and Intellectual Property Management (IPM) Cell of IIT Madras have signed a Technology Licensing Agreement with Tunga Aerospace Industries Private Limited. The agreement, formalized on April 13, 2025, transfers the technology for a “Quadrotor Bi-Plane Tailsitter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)” developed by a team led by Dr. Bharath Govindarajan and Prof. P.A. Ramakrishna from the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

This cutting-edge UAV design represents a breakthrough in transition unmanned aerial systems (UAS), engineered specifically for monitoring and surveillance applications. The quadrotor bi-plane tailsitter combines the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities of a quadcopter with the efficient forward flight of a fixed-wing aircraft. This hybrid configuration enables the UAV to hover with precision for surveillance tasks while covering larger areas during extended missions, making it ideal for both civilian and defence applications.

SOURCE: AFI

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to welcome its 12th C-295 transport aircraft, bearing the serial number CA-7112, as it makes its journey from Airbus’s facility in Seville, Spain, to India. This milestone marks another step in the IAF’s ambitious modernization program, which includes the acquisition of 56 C-295 aircraft to replace its ageing Avro-748 fleet under a ?21,935-crore deal signed with Airbus Defence and Space in 2021.

The C-295, a versatile medium-lift tactical transport aircraft, is designed to enhance the IAF’s operational capabilities, particularly in challenging terrains like India’s Northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Capable of carrying up to 9 tonnes of payload, 71 personnel, or 45 paratroopers, the aircraft excels in missions ranging from troop transport and airdropping to medical evacuation and logistics support on unprepared airstrips. Its rear ramp and ability to operate in diverse conditions make it a game-changer for India’s defence forces.

SOURCE: AFI

A striking new image of Russia’s T-90M main battle tank, known as the “Proryv-3” (Breakthrough-3), has surfaced, showcasing significant upgrades aimed at countering the growing threat of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The tank, produced by Uralvagonzavod, sports a suite of add-ons designed to enhance its survivability on the modern battlefield, particularly against drones. However, despite these advancements, experts point to three critical drawbacks that continue to limit its effectiveness: an underpowered powerpack, reliance on carousel ammunition storage, and suboptimal placement of the remote weapon station (RWS).

The T-90M’s latest iteration features a reinforced “cope cage”—a metal canopy over the turret to deflect or detonate incoming drones and loitering munitions, such as the FPV kamikaze drones that have proven devastating in conflicts like Ukraine. Additional slat armor and netting around the hull and turret rear aim to pre-detonate anti-tank munitions, while electronic warfare systems reportedly reduce the tank’s visibility to infrared and radar-guided UAS. The tank retains its formidable 125mm 2A46M-5 smoothbore gun, upgraded Relikt explosive reactive armor (ERA), and the Kalina fire control system, ensuring it remains a potent force. These modifications reflect lessons learned from combat, where drones have exposed vulnerabilities in traditional armor.

SOURCE: AFI

In a strategic move to bolster maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Indian Navy, in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and private sector companies, is planning to develop advanced underwater sensors to detect submarine movements in areas conducive to such operations.

This initiative, aims to address the growing presence of foreign submarines, particularly from China, in the IOR—a region critical to India’s geopolitical and economic interests. The development of these sensors is part of a broader effort to enhance India’s underwater domain awareness (UDA) and counter the increasing subsurface threats posed by regional adversaries.