Recent Current Affairs related to Indian Army

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).

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).

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.

Technology Hub (T-Hub) has partnered with the Central Command of the Indian Army (IA) to establish a direct pathway for defense startups to develop, validate, and deploy technologies for military challenges.

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) has signed an MoU with the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a partnership between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, to explore the co-production of the Javelin All Up Round (AUR) anti-tank missile system in India.

The Javelin is a medium-range, fire-and-forget Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) that uses autonomous target navigation to engage tanks, armoured vehicles, and fortified positions at a distance of up to 5 km.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has laid the foundation stone for a ₹472 crore T-72 and T-90 Tank Overhaul Project at the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) in Madhya Pradesh. VFJ is a production unit of the Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd (AVNL).

The facility is designed to overhaul 80 tanks annually. It is to be noted that the total annual requirement of the Indian Army (IA) is 230 tanks.

Punjab National Bank has signed an MoU with the Indian Army to offer two credit cards, namely the “PNB LUXURA Metal Credit Card” and the “PNB Parakram Credit Card”.

General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, has visited Nepal at the invitation of Ashok Raj Sigdel, COAS of the Nepal Army, to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and military-to-military ties.

He was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by Ramchandra Paudel, the President of Nepal, during an investiture ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan (Sheetal Niwas) in Kathmandu.

Major General Sunil Kumar Razdan (Retd), a Kirti Chakra awardee and the first wheelchair-borne General of the Indian Army, passed away at the age of 70.

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.

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.

Kargil Vijay Diwas

Day – July 26

Commemorating – India's victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War in 1999

General Dhiraj Seth has assumed office as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). Upon taking charge, he unveiled the 'VIJAY' roadmap, a high-tech blueprint designed to transform the Indian Army into a technology-enabled, future-ready force.

The roadmap is structured around five core pillars: Vigilance (border security and emerging threats), Innovation and Transformation (modern doctrine and technology-driven warfare), Jointness and Integration (tri-services approach for Viksit Bharat 2047), Aatmanirbharta (self-reliant defence), and Yodha (human capital development).

The DRDO has successfully conducted a flight-test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR) at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur. The rocket was tested for a user-defined minimum range of 60 km and successfully demonstrated all planned in-flight manoeuvres.

The Pinaka LRGR was designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in collaboration with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).

Lieutenant General (Retired) MM Lakhera, a former Governor of Mizoram and Lieutenant Governor (Lt Gov) of Puducherry, passed away at the age of 88.

India has successfully tested the indigenous 120-millimeter (mm) vehicle-mounted mortar system named "Garudastra", developed by Nibe Ltd for the Indian Army.

The Indian Army has procured 106 jet-powered Peacekeeper (Agniveg) drones from the defence manufacturer SMPP Ltd. The consignment includes 100 operational drones and 6 training drones.

These drones were developed in partnership with KB Indela, Belarus, and have been partially localized within India. The Peacekeeper drone has an operational range of 180 km. An upgraded variant of the drone, capable of reaching speeds of 750 kmph, has been proposed.

President Droupadi Murmu presided over the Passing Out Parade of the 158th Regular Course of the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Lieutenant Vishal Kumar was awarded the Sword of Honour and the President’s Gold Medal for securing the first position in the overall Order of Merit and emerging as the best all-round officer cadet. Academy Under Officer Prince Raj received the Silver Medal, and Senior Under Officer Tejas Bhatt was awarded the Bronze Medal.

Drogo Aerospace Pvt Ltd, formerly known as Drogo Drones, has delivered the first batch of 41 'JK 250e' electric drones to the Southern Command of the Indian Army in Nashik, Maharashtra. This delivery is part of a contract worth ₹72 crore for the procurement of 217 drones.

The Indian Army has signed an MoU with Bharti Airtel Ltd to expand mobile communication infrastructure in Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.