Recent 6 months news in Defence

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) has delivered the advanced stealth frigate ‘Mahendragiri (Y-12654)’ to the Indian Navy (IN) under Project 17A (Nilgiri-class). It is the 6th ship delivered under the project and the 4th frigate built by MDL, marking the completion of all warships assigned to the shipyard under this initiative. The frigate, named after the Mahendragiri mountain peak in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha, features 75% indigenous content.

It measures 149 metres in length, has a displacement of 6,670 tonnes, and can reach a maximum speed of 28 knots using a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system. The vessel was designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team (WOT) Mumbai. Notably, this marks the 100th vessel designed and delivered by the WDB.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has signed a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) with the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a constituent laboratory of the DRDO, for the Gas Turbine–Infrared Suppression System (GT-IRSS).

The technology, developed by the NSTL for LM2500 (Land and Marine) gas turbines, is used to enhance the stealth of naval vessels.

The DRDO has unveiled two variants (tracked and wheeled) of the next-generation Advanced Armoured Platforms named “Vikram VT-21” in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra. Developed by the Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) to modernize the mechanized infantry of the Indian Army, the platforms are produced by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL).

The armament includes an indigenous 30 mm crewless turret with a 7.62 mm PKT gun and supports Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM). These amphibious platforms offer modular blast and ballistic protection (STANAG Level 4 and 5) and use hydro-jets for water traversal. It is to be noted that the current indigenous content is 65%, with a target to reach 90%.

The DRDO and the Indian Navy have successfully conducted the maiden salvo launch of the indigenous Naval Anti-ship Missile Short Range (‘NASM-SR’) from a helicopter of the Navy off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal. The trial involved launching two missiles in quick succession to evaluate the air-launched anti-ship system.

The missile, developed by the Research Center Imarat (RCI) in Hyderabad along with other labs of the DRDO, weighs 400 kg and can carry a warhead payload of up to 100 kg. It has a length of 3.6 m, a diameter of 300 mm, a strike range of 55 km, and a speed of Mach 0.8. The ‘NASM-SR’ can function at altitudes between 50 m and 3 km.

The Indian Army has conducted an Advanced Surgical Eye Camp named ‘Op Netra 1.0’ at the 153 General Hospital in Leh, Ladakh. The camp, inaugurated by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 14 Corps Lieutenant General Hitesh Bhalla, served as a significant instance of civil-military cooperation.

A surgical team led by Brigadier (Dr) Sanjay Kumar Mishra performed 214 specialized procedures, while 950 patients from 7 districts across the Ladakh region were screened. Additionally, the hospital launched an indigenous platform named ‘Op Netra’ App to support the medical operation.

General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army (IA), has been inducted into the International Hall of Fame (HoF) of the United States Army War College (USAWC) in Pennsylvania, USA.

He is the third IA Chief to receive this distinction, following the inductions of General VK Singh and General Bikram Singh.

INS Nireekshak, a specialized Diving Support and Submarine Rescue Vessel of the Indian Navy (IN), has arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to participate in the 4th edition of the India-Sri Lanka Diving Exercise (IN-SLN DIVEX 2026).

The exercise aims to enhance bilateral cooperation and interoperability in diving operations between the two naval forces.

The 11th meeting of the India-Egypt Joint Defence Committee (JDC) was held in Cairo, Egypt, to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation. The Indian delegation was led by Amitabh Prasad, the Joint Secretary (International Cooperation).

Both nations reviewed the progress since the previous JDC and formulated a roadmap for future engagement. They also finalized and agreed upon a bilateral defence cooperation plan for the period 2026-27.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has received ‘Prajna’, an indigenously developed satellite imaging system designed to provide real-time decision support for security agencies. The system, an AI-enabled platform, was developed by the Centre for AI and Robotics (CAIR), a laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It utilizes advanced imaging to enhance the technical and operational capabilities of security forces.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has flagged off the second edition of the high-altitude endurance event named “Surya Devbhoomi Challenge 2.0” in Badrinath, Uttarakhand.

The 113 km long expedition is a five-day event traversing the Char Dham corridor and covering the three sacred Kedars of Kalpeshwar, Rudranath, and Tungnath. The Indian Army is organising the challenge in strategic partnership with IconMetrix, with support from the Tourism Department of the Uttarakhand Government.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has signed a contract with GE Aerospace to establish a domestic Base Depot Facility for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of F404-IN20 engines. These engines power the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A fighter fleet.

The facility will be owned, operated, and maintained by the IAF to provide in-country technical support and sustainment for the engine fleet.

The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts with Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) and Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics (India) Pvt Ltd for the procurement of TRAWL Assembly for T-72 and T-90 tanks at a cost of ₹975 crore.

The TRAWL Assembly is an indigenous equipment developed by the DRDO to enhance the minefield breaching capabilities of the Indian Army. The procurement is categorized under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) (IDDM) framework.

The fourth of five vessels under the Diving Support Craft (DSC) project, named 'DSC A 23', has been launched at Titagarh in Kolkata. Built by Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL), the vessel features a 30 m long catamaran-hull with a displacement of approximately 380 tons.

The ship was designed in compliance with the Naval Rules and Regulations of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and underwent model testing at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam. Around 70% of the equipment for the DSC project is sourced from indigenous manufacturers.

The Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army has inaugurated ‘Radio Sikkim Sundari’ (88.4 Frequency Modulation, FM) in East Sikkim near the India-China border. It is the first community radio station for a border village in the state.

The station is equipped with Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems and solar energy backups to ensure continuous operation. It also uses a dedicated encoder to facilitate digital streaming through a mobile application available on the Google Play Store.

The Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army has launched its first blue water sailing expedition named ‘Samudra Sahas’ from Marve, Mumbai. The event, inaugurated by NS Sarna (Commandant of the School of Artillery), commemorates the bicentenary (200 years) of the Regiment and honours the maritime legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The voyage covers 520 nautical miles along the Konkan Coast in four legs using 21-foot Seabird class boats. Led by Kshitij Nair and Prakash Funde, the team navigates 7 nautical miles off the coast with wind speeds ranging from 2-15 knots.

USA-based GE Aerospace and the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) have finalized a technical agreement for the co-production of F414 engines. The deal has been under development for 3 years.

The engines will power the next-generation fighter aircraft of India, as the country intends to procure 120-130 such jets. These aircraft are planned to replace the existing fleet of Russian made aircraft currently in service.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has inaugurated a new structure assembly line for the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) at its helicopter factory in Tumakuru, Karnataka. The facility features a dedicated LCH Structure Assembly Line and an Automated Storage & Retrieval System (ASRS).

It is to be noted that the Tumakuru facility currently has a production capacity of 30 helicopters per year, with plans to scale it up to 100 units annually. This expansion will help in the execution of a ₹62,700 crore contract for 156 additional LCHs, including 90 for the Indian Army and 66 for the Indian Air Force (IAF).