In a landmark shift for India’s domestic defence manufacturing, the private industrial consortium chosen to build the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will likely be authorised to employ its own dedicated test pilots.
Once the ₹15,000-crore fifth-generation stealth fighter enters its manufacturing phase, these corporate test pilots will take the controls for Customer Acceptance Flights (CAF) and pre-delivery evaluations.
This unprecedented move represents a massive transformation in...
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A quarter of a century has passed since the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile first took to the skies, transforming from an ambitious concept into one of the most formidable weapon systems globally.
Successfully tested for the first time on June 12, 2001, from a static launcher in Chandipur, Odisha, this joint Indo-Russian project has cemented its position as a vital pillar of India's conventional defence forces.
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The genesis of this programme traces back to an Inter-Governmental...
With the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) actively working toward the Tejas Mk2's maiden flight—expected between late 2026 and 2027—India is positioning itself as a serious contender in the global military aerospace sector.
Moving away from the lightweight category of its predecessor, the Tejas Mk1, the upcoming Mk2 is designed as a robust, medium-weight combat jet ready to rival established international fighters like...
A rarely debated yet deeply revolutionary shift is on the horizon for Indian naval aviation: the potential transition towards drone carrier warfare. This concept relies on unmanned technologies, self-reliant strike networks, and a widely dispersed maritime air force.
Even though the nation has not formally declared a specific project for a drone carrier, several signs point to the Navy gearing up for an era where pilotless systems form the core of sea-based combat.
Embracing this shift...
The development of India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is taking a unique path in the realm of fifth-generation fighters.
Instead of solely chasing low radar signatures, planners are placing an equal emphasis on keeping the jet easy to maintain—a philosophy rarely seen in public discussions regarding modern combat aviation.
Historically, stealth jets are judged by their supercruise speeds, advanced sensors, and radar evasion capabilities.
However, Western projects have shown...
A fierce industrial contest is brewing between state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and private engineering giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) over the Indian Navy's highly anticipated Project-76.
Both shipbuilding heavyweights are aggressively advancing their own indigenous submarine designs to secure the landmark contract.
According to industry insiders, MDL is channelling its expertise into a new 3,000-tonne conventional submarine blueprint. This concept leans heavily on the...
In a major leap for the strategic defence partnership between New Delhi and Paris, France has agreed to equip future Indian Rafale fighter jets with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite communications.
These cutting-edge upgrades are slated for the 114 new combat aircraft India plans to acquire under the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) initiative—a mammoth procurement project recently estimated to be worth around Rs 3.25 lakh crore.
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By...
Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd. (KSSL), the defence manufacturing branch of Bharat Forge Limited, has formally introduced its homegrown MaRG 39 artillery system at the Eurosatory 2026 exhibition in Paris.
By presenting this 155mm/39-calibre truck-mounted self-propelled howitzer at one of the world's most prominent land warfare expos, the Indian company aims to capture the attention of the European defence market.
As several European countries look to swiftly upgrade their military...
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is fully equipped to seamlessly integrate two to three new squadrons of Rafale fighter jets into its current operations.
Thanks to existing groundwork, expanding the fleet now would be far more economical and straightforward than the initial procurement process.
Following the delivery of the first Rafale jets in 2020, the military has channelled substantial resources into building a robust support network. This includes dedicated hangars, advanced simulators...
While public attention regarding the Tejas Mk1A often highlights its advanced AESA radar, enhanced electronic warfare capabilities, improved maintenance, and long-range missiles, its most critical strategic potential is largely overlooked.
This indigenous jet has the profound capacity to become India's pioneering airborne command centre, directly guiding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and loyal wingman drones in the heat of battle.
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Realising this capability would completely shift the...
On June 2, 2026, India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force successfully test-fired the indigenous Rudram-II anti-radiation missile off the coast of Odisha.
This milestone has sparked fresh comparisons between the new Indian weapon and the widely known Chinese-developed CM-400AKG strike missile.
Although both are long-range, high-speed weapons capable of reaching hypersonic speeds in their final flight stages to destroy critical targets, they rely...
Brazilian aerospace company Embraer has proposed its state-of-the-art Praetor 600 business jet to serve as the carrier aircraft for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Netra Mk1A Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) project.
This ambitious programme is designed to add six new, domestically equipped aerial surveillance planes to India's military inventory.
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The IAF is actively looking to enlarge its current fleet of three Netra Mk1 aircraft, which were built upon Embraer's older EMB-145...
The highly anticipated flight testing phase of the upcoming BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) supersonic cruise missile has been temporarily postponed.
According to Alexander Maksichev, the Co-Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace, the delay stems from the customer introducing updated and more demanding operational specifications.
These newly established criteria have prompted the engineering team to implement essential design enhancements before taking the missile to the skies.
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Addressing...
India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) is already looking past the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) to secure the propulsion systems of the future.
While the immediate national priority is finalising an indigenous engine for the AMCA Mk2—a race that currently sees aerospace giants like Rolls-Royce pitching full intellectual property transfer for a new 110–130 kN powerplant—GTRE is concurrently laying the groundwork for sixth-generation aviation.
Central to this future...
The modernisation of the Indian Armed Forces' aviation sector is currently focused on replacing the ageing fleet of Mi-17 medium-lift helicopters.
To achieve this, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is actively working on the 13-ton Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH).
Open-source intelligence indicates that the IMRH aims for a first flight later this decade, with production potentially commencing by 2031.
It will be powered by the newly planned 'Aravalli' engine, developed in...
During the recent Fleet 2026 maritime exhibition, Russia presented a conceptual model of its Amur-1650 diesel-electric attack submarine, specifically designed to fire BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles from underwater.
This presentation highlights Moscow's ongoing strategy to promote the Amur-1650 to international buyers who are looking for stealthy vessels equipped with deep-strike firepower.
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Developed by the Rubin Design Bureau, the Amur-1650 serves as the international version of the...
Moscow’s latest proposal to share technology and locally produce the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter in India is motivated by wider strategic goals, rather than just fulfilling the requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Following Russian President Vladimir Putin's public offer for joint development during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum in June 2026, it is clear that Russia aims to replicate the highly successful Su-30MKI partnership.
By leveraging India's expanding defence...
According to recent media reports from the Hindustan Times, India has crossed a critical threshold in national security by successfully concluding the trials of its Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) programme.
This cutting-edge shield is engineered to track and neutralise incoming hostile ballistic missiles boasting strike ranges of up to 5,000 kilometres.
It is fully capable of destroying these targets both high above the Earth's atmosphere (exo-atmospheric) and within it...
Top-level French diplomats have stated that the door remains wide open for India to join the Future Combat Air System (FCAS)—a highly advanced sixth-generation stealth aircraft initiative.
However, officials noted that any concrete collaboration hinges entirely on New Delhi stepping forward with a formal approach.
Because the Indian government has not yet made an official request, sources indicated that it is too early to outline the specific workshare or technological scope of such a...
For a long time, China's Chengdu J-20 "Mighty Dragon" was considered a rare, high-tier stealth fighter, assigned only to a few select units within the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).
Now, fresh deployment tracking reveals a major shift: the J-20 has quickly evolved from an exclusive strategic tool into a standard, widely used combat jet across the Chinese military.
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When the aircraft first became operational in 2019, it was assigned to the 9th Aviation Brigade at Wuhu Air Base...
