DEFENCE NEWS

Rafale deal: India seeks up to 50% local content from France, pushes for engine production and overhaul at home

The discussions between Singh and his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, covered a wide spectrum of defence and security cooperation, including co-development and co-production initiatives

Battle of Phillora, 1965: The tank fight that punched a hole in Pakistan’s Sialkot armour

In four violent days on the Sialkot front, Indian armour forced Pakistan’s elite tank formations to fall back, setting up the bigger showdown that followed at Chawinda.

Air war over Halwara and Pathankot, 1965: The bases that held under pressure

In the first days of the 1965 war, Pakistani air strikes targeted key Indian airfields. Halwara and Pathankot were meant to be knocked out. Instead, they stayed in the fight.

Indian Air Force in 1962: Why India chose not to use air power

The Indian Air Force flew hard in transport and support roles, but New Delhi held back from offensive strikes. The reasons were a mix of fear, flawed assumptions, and political caution.

India approves purchase of 288 S-400 missiles worth Rs 10,000 crore: Report

The procurement will be executed under the Fast Track Procedure

The Battle of Boyra (1971): The air duel before full-scale war

On November 22, 1971, Indian and Pakistani fighter jets clashed over the eastern sector weeks before the formal outbreak of war, signalling that a wider conflict was only a matter of time

Logistics and intelligence failures of 1962: What the Henderson Brooks report hinted at

The still-classified review of the 1962 war did not publicly name every failure, but what emerged over the decades points to deeper problems in planning, supply and assessment.

Indian Navy takes command of CTF 154 in major boost to maritime role

The development is being seen as a recognition of India's growing stature as a key maritime security provider and a ‘Preferred Security Partner’ in the Indian Ocean Region

Indian Air Force to get more Rafales as DAC clears Rs 3.25 lakh crore defence deal with France

The meeting of the apex defence procurement body was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Defence Acquisition Council meets today: Rafale deal, high-altitude 'pseudo satellites' on agenda

A final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would be required after the DAC's decision.

Jyoti CNC Q3 FY26 – Execution strong; financial leverage in focus

Order visibility and margin stability support sustained earnings growth

The Khulna sector fight (1971): Why resistance continued even after Dhaka fell

Even as Pakistan’s Eastern Command surrendered in Dhaka on December 16, 1971, fighting persisted in the southwest — a reminder that wars do not always end the moment a document is signed.

The Tangail airdrop (1971): India’s para jump that accelerated Dhaka’s fall

On December 11, 1971, Indian paratroopers dropped behind Pakistani lines near Tangail, cutting off retreating forces and hastening the collapse of resistance around Dhaka.

From 'Made in India' to 'Owned by India': Govt rewrites defence procurement playbook

The move signals a shift away from reliance on technology transfers towards rewarding firms that develop and own critical technologies.

INS Vikrant in 1971: How the carrier enforced the eastern naval blockade

India’s lone aircraft carrier in 1971 did more than launch air strikes. It sealed off East Pakistan’s coastline, cutting supply lines and tightening the noose around Dhaka.

The fall of Tawang (1962): How the eastern sector unravelled

After the Namka Chu disaster, a chain of hurried withdrawals, mixed signals, and collapsing cohesion opened the road from Tawang to Se La and beyond.

India set to clear Rs 3.25 lakh crore Rafale deal ahead of Macron's visit

The deal, estimated at around Rs 3.25 lakh crore, is set to become the largest defence procurement in India's history

The Sialkot sector offensive, 1965: India’s biggest armoured gamble since World War II

Calling the Sialkot sector offensive India’s largest armoured thrust since World War II is not hyperbole. It reflects the scale of forces committed and the ambition behind the operation.

Se La and Bomdila, 1962: The collapse that forced India to rethink its army

Units moving south found roads clogged, communications failing and Chinese forces already in positions that threatened their lines of retreat. Instead of a controlled fallback, it became a disorganised collapse.

Sweden's defence firm SAAB says Gripen fighter jet has place in IAF

At the core of Saab’s India proposition is to deliver aircraft quickly – as soon as the third year from contract.

Kaynes Technology Q3: Execution delays weigh on growth momentum

The company is making a strategic shift from EMS Vendor to Integrated Electronics Platform

The Sialkot sector offensive, 1965: India’s biggest armoured gamble since World War II

When India opened the Sialkot front in September 1965, it unleashed its largest concentration of armour since independence, aiming to force Pakistan onto the defensive and reshape the war’s momentum.

Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey at Batalik, Kargil 1999: The officer who kept attacking when stopping would have been easier

The Kargil officer whose assaults across multiple ridgelines showed how momentum is built, one feature at a time.

Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran in Sri Lanka, 1987: The patrol commander whose courage defined small-unit leadership in counterinsurgency warfare

The counterinsurgency officer who rallied his patrol after an ambush and set the template for small-team leadership.

Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria in Congo, 1961: The UN fight that made an Indian officer a legend

A night of roadblocks, ambush fire and a close-quarters charge in Elisabethville turned one young officer’s last battle into one of UN peacekeeping’s most remembered stories.

Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya, 1965: The MiG-21 pilot whose last mission over Sargodha became legend

He was part of the Indian Air Force’s early MiG-21 cadre, pilots tasked with mastering a cutting-edge aircraft that had arrived with promise but limited operational experience.

Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal at Basantar, 1971: The tank troop leader who fought on

In the fog and minefields of the Shakargarh sector, a 21-year-old tank troop leader refused to step back even after his Centurion was hit, helping blunt a Pakistani armoured thrust and earning India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra.

Major Hoshiar Singh at Jarpal, 1971: The night infantry battle that turned grit and leadership into a decisive breakthrough

In the closing days of the 1971 war, a company commander’s decision to keep moving forward, even after being hit, helped hold a hard-won Pakistani position through repeated counterattacks.

India's LR-AShM missile debuts on Republic Day: Hypersonic glide, low radar visibility, a naval game-changer

The LR-AShM is a hypersonic glide missile developed indigenously to meet the Indian Navy’s coastal defence and blue-water warfare requirements.

Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon at Srinagar, 1971: The lone Gnat pilot who defended an airfield under attack

On the opening day of the 1971 war, a single Indian Air Force fighter took off into overwhelming odds over Srinagar. Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon’s brief, ferocious dogfight became one of the IAF’s defining moments.

This Republic Day, Delhi skies to blaze with Indian Air Force's ‘Sindoor’ strike formation

In total, 26 aircraft will take part in this year's flypast, made up of 16 fighter jets, four transport aircraft and nine helicopters.

Amid strains with Trump, European Union eyes India as arms supplier under new defence partnership

Europe is increasingly viewing India as a potential supplier of arms and defence equipment in select segments, reflecting a shift in long-term strategic thinking.

US Army displays new version of Abrams Tank at Detroit Auto Show

The new variant’s design began with a digital backbone.

'They poisoned us': Nuclear weapons testing affected every single human on Earth, caused 4 million premature deaths

More than 2,400 nuclear devices were detonated in tests conducted worldwide between 1945 and 2017.

Amid geopolitical upheaval, IAF chief's stark warning with a Venezuela, Iran example

Amid geopolitical upheaval, IAF chief's stark warning with a Venezuela, Iran example

Brigadier Usman and the defence of Naushera: How a frontline commander shaped a decisive battle in 1948

In the winter battles that decided the fate of a crucial Kashmir sector, Brigadier Mohammad Usman led from the front, steadied a thin line at Naushera, and became one of independent India’s earliest battlefield icons.

Lieutenant Colonel Dharam Singh at Poonch, 1947-48: The night attack that helped break a year-long siege

Poonch survived because a besieged garrison improvised an airbridge and fought off constant raids, but the siege ended only when relief columns forced their way through. In the middle of that push, Lieutenant Colonel Dharam Singh led a brutal night battle on a key feature that helped open the road.

Operation Pawan, 1987-90: How the IPKF learnt, the hard way, to fight the LTTE

India went into Sri Lanka as a peacekeeper and ended up in a bruising, three-year counter-insurgency that exposed gaps in planning and intelligence, forced tactical innovation, and left lessons the Army still returns to.

Operation Rakshak, 1990s: How the counter-insurgency grid in Kashmir was built

India’s longest internal security operation evolved not through one grand plan, but through countless battalion-level adjustments that slowly bent a brutal insurgency

Ukraine holds off on new Helsing drone orders after setbacks

The German company’s flagship strike drone, the HX-2, had trouble taking off in tests by Ukraine’s 14th Regiment, an unmanned aerial systems unit

Operation Cactus, 1988: The Indian Air Force airlift that saved Malé before sunrise

A late-night SOS from President Gayoom triggered a nine-hour IAF dash and a swift PARA assault that is still studied as a model for regional crisis response

The battle of Gurais, 1948: The high-altitude push that stabilised a critical approach to north Kashmir

A summer offensive in the Gurez valley helped India secure a vulnerable northern corridor and underscored how mountain warfare is won as much by roads, rations and leadership as by rifles.

With Pinaka, Pralay and BrahMos at core, India needs its own dedicated 'Rocket Force Command', says army chief

Speaking to the media during his annual Army Day press conference, he said modern warfare has blurred the distinction between rockets and missiles, with both now capable of delivering decisive impact

Army chief outlines India's mega drone push: 5,000 per command, 100 km strike range

India has already test-fired drones with a range of about 100 km and plans to extend this further, army chief said.

Indian Army chief on J&K situation since Op Sindoor: 'Sensitive but ...' | WATCH

Indian Army chief on J&K situation since Op Sindoor: 'Sensitive but ...' | WATCH

As New Delhi confirms submarine deal talks with Berlin, here’s why Project-75I matters for Indian Navy

Germany has indicated its willingness to expand cooperation between defence manufacturers to support joint development and production

What are Integrated Battle Groups? Know all about Indian Army’s XVII Mountain Strike Corps deployment along China border

Each IBG is expected to be led by a Major General and will consist of more than 5,000 troops, with the traditional layer of brigade commanders being done away with

The battle for Shakargarh Bulge in 1971, and why it mattered on the western front

A hard-armour fight in Punjab where Indian formations blunted Pakistan’s main counterstroke, even as Dhaka became the war’s decisive headline

Operation Steel Tiger, 1965: The Khem Karan armoured fight that continued after Asal Uttar

The Battle of Asal Uttar is remembered as the graveyard of Pakistan’s Patton tanks. But the fighting in the Khem Karan sector did not end there. For weeks after the famous clash, Indian and Pakistani forces continued a quieter, grinding contest of consolidation, counter-moves and denial — a phase of the 1965 war that rarely makes headlines but proved just as decisive.

What are solar-powered spy drones? Inside India’s move to next-gen border surveillance

Solar-powered surveillance drones are unmanned aircraft designed to stay airborne for extended periods by harvesting energy from the sun through onboard solar panels