The Indian press, referring to a November 9 statement released by the local Bharat Forge company, reports that the latter’s military-industrial subsidiary, Kalyani Strategic System, has received a US$ 155million order to export 155 mm artillery gun systems to Armenia over the next three years. Although Bharat Forge didn’t disclose the identity of the customer, the Indian Business Standard news site writes that according to its sources in the Indian Defense Ministry the contract was signed with the Armenian government. Ajai Shukla, who penned the Business Standard article, is a retired Indian a ..read more

According to recent Israeli media reports, Vietnam is looking to acquire the Indo-Israeli Barak 8 missile defense system. A delegation of top-ranking officials from Vietnam’s Defense Ministry will visit Israel in September, reported Haaretz on August 18. During their visit, the Vietnamese defense officials will discuss the potential purchase of three Barak 8 missile defense systems from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Hypersonic Hat-Trick! US Aims For Third Successful Hypersonic ARRW Missile Test After 3 Consecutive Failures The delegation will reportedly be headed by the deputy commander o ..read more

Seeking to further strengthen operational preparedness, India is likely to allow defence forces to buy critical weapons systems under emergency acquisition powers which would allow them to buy any system or equipment under the fast-track route. The powers, which were first granted to defence forces post-Uri surgical strikes in 2016 during heightened tensions with Pakistan, have been helpful in tackling the military standoff with China going on since May 2020. The case for granting emergency acquisition powers to defence forces is expected to come up for discussion in a high-level defence mini ..read more

As we are celebrating 75 anniversary of India’s independence, we are reminded of the sacrifices of numerous countrymen who laid down their lives for the cause of independence. To protect the hard-earned independence, our armed forces have given their blood and sweat and protected us from hostile neighbours. Thanks to their gallantry and commitment to the nation, we have fought several wars and managed to not only protect ourselves but also progress to give the people of India a chance to live and excel in their chosen fields. But today, apart from conventional warfare, we need to be digitally ..read more

India will soon have a combat aircraft rivalling Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II of the United States of America, China’s Chengdu J-20 and Russian Sukhoi Su-57. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on Tuesday announced that the development of 5th Generation advanced multi-role combat aircraft has been launched in a massive boost to the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. Pitching strongly for an indigenous weapons platforms to arm the Indian Air Force (IAF), ACM Bhadauria’s stress on India going ahead with its own 5th Generation ..read more

After pulling out of the contest for new submarines required by the Indian Navy, Russian designers say that the project is unrealistic as the desired technologies cannot be made available within the strict timelines being defined. As reported by ET in February, Russia pulled out of the Rs 43,000 crore contest for six new submarines under Project 75I that are to be made at an Indian shipyard in collaboration with a foreign technology partner. At that time `technical reasons’ were cited for the withdrawal. Elaborating on the concerns with the project, Andrey Baranov, the Deputy Director General ..read more

The last few days have certainly not been China’s best. Back-to-back diplomatic setbacks should have ideally sobered Beijing down, but it has chosen to react violently instead. Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit has exposed many chinks in China’s armour. Having spiralled into a complete squawker, desperately fighting an information war both back home and globally, Beijing has turned into a caricature of itself. India, meanwhile, is watching closely as Wang Yi flutters around the neighbourhood looking for affirmation for his country’s wounded One China principle. Wang Yi, during his visit to Dhaka, p ..read more

Last month, India awarded a US$424.4 million contract to state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited to supply the homegrown Astra Mk1 beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile to its armed forces. The move is in line with India’s efforts to improve its aerial warfare capabilities against Pakistan, indigenize its defense industry and potentially position itself as an alternative source of Russian standard equipment. Under the contract, Bharat Dynamics will supply 400 Astra Mk1 missiles and their associated equipment, to be delivered in four years. The missiles will be used on the Indian Air Force’s ..read more

Few submarines are less photographed than India’s two Arihant Class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). The lead boat, INS Arihant (S2), was commissioned in 2016 and a second boat, INS Arighat (S3) is expected to join her in service this year. The Arihant is a unique design which can be characterized as a ‘pocket boomer’. It is much smaller than other ballistic missile submarines (North Koreas’ conventionally powered boats excepted). Its hull is shorter and thinner than its contemporaries and it only carries four missile silos. But this does not take away from the industrial achievement of ..read more

It was the sole item of furniture in Chandrasekhar Dasgupta’s smart diplomatic apartment: a mattress flung on the middle of the floor. No chairs. Tables or even curtains. Every night Dasgupta returned home dog-tired and crashed onto the mattress and returned to the Indian mission the next morning The place: Dhaka. The date: February 1972 onwards. In the immediate aftermath of the Bangladesh war,  the Indian mission was the nerve centre from where the newborn country was largely being run. And the new country, devastated after the Pakistani killing spree and the war, needed just about ever ..read more