Recent 6 months news in Defence

The 3rd edition of the bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) named Exercise Udara Shakti has commenced at the Subang Air Base in Selangor, Malaysia.

The exercise aims to enhance interoperability, operational coordination, and defence cooperation between the IAF and RMAF.

The Indian Navy has launched 'Shruti' (Yard 3037), which is the second of four Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) being constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd in Kolkata.

It is to be noted that the Ministry of Defence signed a contract valued at ₹9,781 crore for the NGOPV project, under which four vessels are assigned to be built by GRSE.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract worth ₹1,943 crore with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) for the lease of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).

The leased HALE RPAS will be deployed by the Indian Navy for an operational duration of 30 months.

The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts worth ₹1,577 crore with TATA Advanced Systems Ltd and NIBE Pvt Ltd for the procurement of Loiter Munition Systems, along with munitions and accessories, for the Indian Army. The system is developed to enhance the operational capabilities of the Artillery Regiments.

Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth has become the first woman fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to successfully complete the Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

With this achievement, she became the first woman graduate of the elite ‘Top Gun’ school of the IAF, where only about 1% of pilots are selected for the 20-week advanced combat programme.

The Indian Navy (IN) and United States Navy (USN) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 has commenced at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.

The exercise comprises Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs), cross-training, equipment demonstrations, and scenario-based practical exercises. It is to be noted that the IN and USN have been conducting joint Salvage and EOD exercises since 2005.

The Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) ‘Agni-4’ has been successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.

The test, conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), has successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile system.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has conducted the 3rd edition of the Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (Counter-UAS) exercise named ‘ROTOR CLAP-III’ at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

The Indian Navy (IN) has inducted ’Nipun’, the second Indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV), constructed by the Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP).

The vessel features 75% indigenous content and adheres to the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) classification rules.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has virtually inaugurated the Department of Military Medicine at the Command Hospital (Central Command) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

This is the first dedicated academic and operational department in India focused exclusively on military medicine, established under the Directorate General of Medical Services (DGMS) of the Indian Army.

Saudi Arabia and 13 other nations have announced the formation of a Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance to protect shipping in key West Asian waterways and strengthen global maritime security.

The other members include Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, Turkiye, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Somalia. Saudi Arabia has been designated as the founding and leading state of the alliance, serving as its permanent secretariat.

The 5th and final ship of the Diving Support Craft (DSC) Project, named 'DSC A24', has been launched in Titagarh, Kolkata. The vessel is constructed by Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL).

It features a catamaran-hull design with a displacement of 300-400 tonnes. It is to be noted that 70% of the equipment used in these vessels is sourced from indigenous manufacturers.

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) has launched the 'Machilipatnam' (BY 529), the 7th of 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) vessels being built for the Indian Navy.

The vessel has over 80% indigenous content and is named after the historic port city of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It is equipped for Underwater Surveillance, ASW operations, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), and Mine Warfare.

Paninian India Pvt Ltd, a deep-tech and aerospace startup, has launched the Yantur 4.5 kilo-Newton (kN) Turbofan engine programme. This is India's first privately developed turbofan engine in this class. The engine is designed to power the 'Svayatt L1', a long-range autonomous cruise missile platform developed by the company.

The Indian Army has launched 'Operation Jal Rahat' in Assam as a large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission to assist the state government. The operation was spearheaded by the Red Shield Division under the Spear Corps.

The United States of America (USA) has delivered the 21st MH-60R Seahawk multi-role maritime helicopter to the Indian Navy in Kochi, Kerala.

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, these helicopters are part of a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement signed in 2020 to procure 24 units at a total cost of $2.6 billion. The induction of these helicopters is intended to replace the ageing Sea King fleet.

DRDO has successfully conducted the maiden flight-test of the 'Kusha' Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. The test involved the successful interception of an electronic target simulating a high-speed and high-altitude aerial threat.

Additionally, DRDO has developed the first indigenous Expendable Turbo Jet Engine of 350 kg thrust class. The engine was designed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) and manufactured in collaboration with the Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering.

The United States Air Force (USAF) YFQ-44A Fury drone has successfully executed its first live firing of an Air Intercept Missile (AIM)-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) at a digital target.

The test was conducted at the Edwards Air Force Base in California, USA. This marks the first live missile launch performed by a US Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

The Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS) under the DRDO has signed a contract with AI Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL), New Delhi, for the conversion of six A321 aircraft from commercial to green configuration. This process is crucial for the development of the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) MKII Programme.

Additionally, a separate contract has been signed with Adani Defence Systems and Technologies (ADSTL), Ahmedabad, designating the company as the Development Cum Production Partner (DcPP) for Mission Systems under the AEW&C MKII Programme.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has participated in the 45th edition of the biennial multinational air combat exercise 'Pitch Black 2026', hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at RAAF Base Darwin in northern Australia. The exercise witnessed the participation of air forces from 20 nations.