Explore Business Standard
Ukrainian military personnel shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine. Zelenskyy made his first public acknowledgment of the operations Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until Friday. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.
Cyprus' government spokesperson said an "incident" that happened at a British air base on the island nation's southern coastline involved an "unmanned drone which caused limited damage." Spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis said the incident at RAF Akrotiri occurred shortly after midnight Monday. He said "information received through various channels" indicated a drone strike. He didn't specify what kind of drone, where it was launched from or the extent of damage. Letymbiotis said Cypriot authorities have enacted security protocols and are monitoring the situation in coordination with the UK and its two military bases in Cyprus. The suspected drone strike occurred after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would help the US in the war against Iran.
Diversified group Bharat Forge on Friday said its aerospace division has secured contracts worth approximately Rs 300 crore to supply drones. These contracts for the Indian Army and Navy cover a range of indigenous unmanned systems, including Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and loitering munitions, Bharat Forge Ltd. said. The drone platforms -- Omega One, Omega Nine, Bayonet, and Cleaver -- are developed for India to meet urgent operational requirements across diverse terrains and mission profiles, it added. The company said its unmanned (vehicle) portfolio is evolving rapidly, with advanced autonomy, artificial intelligence, and data-driven decision-making progressively integrated across platforms. These enhancements boost mission endurance, precision, survivability, and adaptability in contested and dynamic operational environments, it said. "This dual achievement, securing EP-VI contracts and showcasing Omega One on Army Day, reaffirms BFL's ...
The icy ground crackling under their feet, members of an elite Ukrainian drone-hunting team set up for a long night. Antennas and sensors are clipped to a light stand. Monitors and controls are pulled from hard cases, and a game-changing new weapon is readied for deployment. The Sting, shaped like a flying thermos, is one of Ukraine's new homegrown interceptors. The unit's commander says the interceptors can effectively counter Russia's fast-evolving suicide drones, which are now flying faster and at higher altitudes. Every destroyed target is something that did not hit our homes, our families, our power plants, said the officer, known only by the call sign Loi, in line with Ukrainian military protocol. The enemy does not sleep, and neither do we. Nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities and power infrastructure have forced Kyiv to rewrite the air defense rule book and develop cut-price drone killers costing as little as $1,000. Interceptors went from prototype to mass production in j
Drone manufacturing and training firm AVPL International on Friday announced an investment of USD 1 million (about Rs 8.5 crore) towards research and development of defence drones. in April 2025, the company committed USD 12 million to drone training and manufacturing. The new investment aims to accelerate the indigenous development of advanced unmanned aerial systems (UAS) tailored for India's defence, homeland security, and dual-purpose applications, according to a company statement. "The investment focuses on addressing critical gaps in India's drone ecosystem, such as reducing dependence on imported components, developing intelligent drones with advanced swarm autonomy, and creating indigenous counter-UAS capabilities to protect critical assets. "AVPL's efforts also include high-altitude platforms capable of sustained flight in extreme terrains, with specific attention to the Himalayan region," it said. The investment will also contribute towards enhancing AVPL's manufacturing