Recent 6 months news in Defence

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has unveiled several policy initiatives at the ‘VIMARSH 2026’ DRDO-Industry Synergy Meet held in New Delhi under the theme ‘Varta se Vikas’.

During the event, 9 Licensing Agreements for ToT (LAToTs) were handed over to 13 manufacturing partners. DRDO also signed a contract with the Quality Council of India (QCI) for the implementation of the ‘System for Advance Manufacturing Assessment and Rating’ (SAMAR) version 2.0.

A group of scientists led by Dr Meena Mishara has developed indigenous Gallium Nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology for high-frequency defence applications, was unveiled.

The bilateral air exercise “Veer Guardian 2026” between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) has concluded at the Air Force Station Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

The exercise aimed to enhance interoperability and strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations. Su-30 MKI, Rafale, and indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas of the IAF and F-2A fighter aircraft of the JASDF participated in the exercise.

India has successfully flight-tested its first indigenous long-range one-way attack drone named ‘KAL’ at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan. Developed by the Noida-based IG Defence, the loitering munition (kamikaze drone) is designed for one-way strike missions.

The drone features an operational range of up to 1,000 km and a payload capacity of 50 kg. It is capable of fully autonomous flight at an altitude of up to 5,000 m using a navigation suite that combines multi-band Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS).

Matangi, an indigenous Autonomous Surface Vessel (USV) developed by Sagar Defence Engineering, has successfully completed a 1,500 km (850 nautical miles) open-ocean voyage from Mumbai to Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

The voyage, which was completed with zero human intervention (no captain or crew on board), was flagged off by Union Minister Rajnath Singh. The mission was conducted under the ‘Swavlamban’ initiative of the Indian Navy to foster self-reliance. The vessel is controlled by an indigenously developed AI-driven operating suite named ‘Genesis’.

The West Bengal government has approved a proposal by the DRDO to establish a new weapon and missile testing range at Junput village in Purba Medinipur district. Situated along the Bay of Bengal coast, the facility will be the third major missile-testing hub for the DRDO.

Existing testing infrastructures include the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Odisha (at Chandipur and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island) and the Navdurga Missile Test Range (NMTR) currently being developed at Nagayalanka, Andhra Pradesh.

Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL) has partnered with the US-based Pratt & Whitney Canada to assess the feasibility of incorporating advanced turboprop engines into the High-Altitude, Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programme. The HALE UAV is currently being developed by the DRDO.

The 13th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise between India and Sri Lanka named “SLINEX-26” is held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

INS Kavaratti (an indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette) and INS Jyoti (a Fleet Tanker) of the Indian Navy (IN) and SLNS Sindurala of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) participated in the exercise to enhance maritime cooperation and interoperability.

The Table Top Exercise (TTX) under the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) has concluded at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The exercise focused on strengthening coordinated responses to illegal maritime activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The 22nd edition of the annual bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army (IA) and the US Army named “Yudh Abhyas 2026” is held at Bikaner in Rajasthan and Auli in Uttarakhand.

The exercise is being conducted under the “Operation Pathways” framework to enhance military cooperation and strategic ties between the two nations. The IA contingent is represented by an infantry battalion of the Rajput Regiment. The US contingent features elite, Arctic-trained soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division (“Arctic Angels”) and the 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (3MDTF).

The DRDO has launched the ‘SHIELD’ (S-band High-Power Microwave Integrated Evaluation for Lethality and Damage) programme. The initiative aims to bolster indigenous capabilities in the emerging directed-energy technology sector.

The 4th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise between India and Malaysia named “Samudra Laksamana” has commenced in Lumut Naval Base, Malaysia.

The Indian Navy is participating in the exercise with INS Mysore (a Delhi-class guided-missile destroyer), while the Royal Malaysian Navy is represented by the vessels KD Lekir and KD Gagah Samudera.

The 2nd edition of the bilateral air exercise ‘Veer Guardian-2026’ between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) is held at the Air Force Station in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Defense startup Apollyon Dynamics has set a national record with its electric interceptor drone named “Ahuti Mk II”, which reached a maximum speed of 498 km/h.

It is identified as the fastest multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in India. The UAV was evaluated at the Indian Army ranges with the support of defense authorities.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has released a document on Defence Diplomacy named ‘RAKSHA’ in New Delhi. The document outlines the vision of India for strengthening international defence ties over the next 10 years.

The ‘RAKSHA’ framework identifies defence diplomacy as a primary driver for fostering international cooperation and increasing defence exports. It is to be noted that the strategy is integrated with the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, has accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for various capital acquisition proposals worth ₹1.1 lakh crore.

In alignment with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, 98% of the total procurement value will be sourced from the domestic Indian industry to bolster indigenous defence manufacturing.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully conducted a drop trial of the indigenous Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) named ‘Khagantak-243’, demonstrating an enhanced long-range air-to-ground precision strike capability.

The 300 kg-class airborne Long Range Stand-Off Precision Guided Glide Bomb was developed through a collaborative partnership between Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and JSR Dynamics.

India and China have held the inaugural Corps Commander-level military meeting in Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian delegation was led by Lt Gen Girish Kalia, the commander of the Rangapahar-based 3 Corps.

The meeting, hosted at the Wacha-Damai Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) point near Kibithu in the Anjaw district, marks the first time this high-level dialogue mechanism was used in the Eastern Sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The DRDO has successfully tested the indigenous high-altitude Military Combat Parachute System (MCPS) at the Nyoma-Mudh Drop Zone in Leh, Ladakh. The test involved safe jumps from an altitude of 22,000 feet above sea level at a temperature of -15°C to validate special operations capabilities.

The MCPS was designed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) in Uttar Pradesh, while the integrated life-support systems were developed by the Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) in Bengaluru.

India has formally secured dialogue partner status in the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), a 6th-generation fighter jet project popularly known as “Tempest”.

Launched in 2022, the GCAP is a trilateral initiative between the UK, Italy, and Japan to collaborate on military and industrial objectives for 6th-generation combat air capabilities.

The Indian Army (IA) has signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) with the USA to procure 100 FGM-148 Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) systems through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. The deal is valued at $93 million.

The agreement also establishes a framework for the potential future co-production of the missile systems in India. The FGM-148 Javelin is manufactured by the Javelin Joint Venture (JV), a partnership between USA-based RTX Corporation and Lockheed Martin Corporation.