Page 11 - Defence Sector

Senior bureaucrat Rajesh Kumar Singh takes over as defence secretary

Senior bureaucrat Rajesh Kumar Singh took over as defence secretary on Friday. The 1989-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre assumed charge at the South Block, where the ministry is housed. Before taking charge, Singh laid a wreath and paid homage to the fallen heroes at the National War Memorial. He had assumed charge as officer on special duty (defence secretary-designate) on August 20. "The nation will remain forever indebted to our brave soldiers who make the supreme sacrifice in the service of the motherland. Their extraordinary bravery and sacrifice is a source of strength and inspiration for us to make India a safe and prosperous nation," he said. Singh held the post of secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry from April 24, 2023, to August 20, 2024. Prior to that, he was secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & ...

Launch of C-295 is 'watershed moment' for India's defence sector: PM Modi

PM Modi stated that India's defence production has soared to Rs 1.27 trillion (2023-24) while defence exports has presently increased to Rs 21,000 crore

Japan boosts defence capability with missiles to counter Chinese expansion

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) is set to conduct the first test launch of its new anti-ship missile in fiscal year 2027

News updates: Delhi CM Atishi hits out at BJP over 'false case' against Arvind Kejriwal

Latest news updates: Catch all the latest news developments from across the world here

First C-295 plane to roll out of Vadodara facility in September 2026

Ahead of the inauguration of a manufacturing facility for C-295 planes in Vadodara, official sources on Sunday said of the 40 aircraft to be made in India, the first C-295 is likely to roll out of the plant in September 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the Final Assembly Line (FAL) plant of C-295 aircraft in Vadodara in October 2022. The Ministry of Defence in September 2021 signed a Rs 21,935-crore contract with Airbus Defense and Space SA, Spain for supply of 56 aircraft. Of these 56 aircraft, a total of 16 will be brought in flyaway condition directly from Spain, and 40 will be built in India by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL). First C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft was delivered in September 2023. As on date, the IAF has "already inducted six C-295 aircraft" in its Vadodara-based 11 Squadron. The last of the 16 flyaway aircraft will be delivered by August 2025, an official source said. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is schedul

US, France, Armenia emerge as India's top 3 defence export customers

The Defence Ministry has been pushing defence exports and manufacturing in the country to improve domestic production of these equipment to meet internal and international requirements

GE Aerospace to supply engines for Indian Navy's six missile vessels

"Over 714 vessels globally rely on GE Aerospace's marine gas turbines for their reliability and availability," the company announced on Thursday

Army chief Gen Dwivedi embarks on Japan visit to boost defence cooperation

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi is on a four-day visit to Japan with an aim to bolster defence cooperation between the two countries. During his visit from October 14-17, the Army chief will also visit Hiroshima, wherein he will lay a wreath at the Hiroshima Peace Park and pay floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue at the Peace Park. The visit marks a "significant step in bolstering defence cooperation between India and Japan," the defence ministry said in a statement here. On Monday, Gen Dwivedi will interact with Sibi George, India's Ambassador to Japan and would thereafter engage in a discussion on India-Japan relations at the Embassy of India in Tokyo. He will engage in dialogue with the senior military leadership of Japan at the defence ministry in Ichigaya on Tuesday. During his visit, the Army chief will hold meetings with Gen Yoshida Yoshihide, Chief of Staff, Joint Self Defence Force; Gen Morishita Yasunori, Chief of Staff, Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF);

India to develop missile testing range on east Coast; CCS gives approval

The proposal was cleared by the CCS headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week as per which the new missile range will come up in the Nagayalanka area of Andhra Pradesh, govt sources told ANI

Why life of one soldier is not same as another: Rahul questions Agnipath

After the death of two Agniveers in Nashik during training, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on why the life of one soldier is more valuable than the other. He asked why the families of the two soldiers, who died as 'Agniveers' would not get the same pension and benefits as other martyred soldiers and said that he would keep fighting against this "injustice". "The death of two Agniveers - Gohil Vishwaraj Singh and Saifat Sheet - during training in Nashik is very tragic. My deepest condolences to their families. "This incident once again raises serious questions on the Agniveer scheme, which the BJP government has failed to answer. Will the families of Gohil and Saifat receive timely compensation that is equivalent to the compensation for any other martyred soldier?" Gandhi asked in a post in Hindi on X. "Why will the families of Agniveers not get the benefits of pension and other ...

Defence stocks soar up to 7% after govt okays building 2 nuclear submarines

The Indian Navy will get two nuclear-powered attack submarines, which will boost its underwater deterrence capabilities manifold in the Indian Ocean Region.

GRSE delivers second of four survey vessels INS Nirdeshak to Indian Navy

Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd on Tuesday delivered survey vessel INS Nirdeshak to the Indian Navy, an official said. INS Nirdeshak is the second in a series of four such vessels being constructed by GRSE, with the first delivered to the Navy 10 months ago in December 2023. These are the largest survey vessels for the Indian Navy to be built in the country, the GRSE official said. At 110 metres long, INS Nirdeshak will join INS Sandhayak, the first Survey Vessel Large (SVL) delivered by GRSE, to keep the country's naval forces equipped with the latest survey data, which is essential for operations. The Sandhayak-class SVLs can undertake surveys of maritime limits and collect oceanographic and geographical data for defence applications, which adds muscle to India's maritime capabilities, the GRSE official said. These vessels can each carry a helicopter and participate in low-intensity combat and function as hospital ships. "We are proud to deliver th

Israel again destroys Iranian missiles. Does India have similar technology?

Israel's sophisticated, multi-layered missile defence system saw action during Tuesday's Iranian missile attack. Find out if India has similar defence technology

Tata Advanced Systems to make wheeled armoured vehicles in Morocco

The platform has been developed by DRDO in collaboration with TASL

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh takes charge as new Chief of Air Staff

Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, an accomplished fighter pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience, on Monday assumed charge as new chief of the Indian Air Force, succeeding incumbent Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari. Air Chief Marshal Singh was serving as Vice Chief of the Air Force in his previous assignment. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari retired from service after helming the force for three years. Born on October 27, 1964, Air Chief Marshal Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984. In his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of command, staff, instructional and foreign appointments. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College, the air officer is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot with more than 5,000 hours of flying experience on a variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Air Chi

Yemen's Houthi rebels claim shooting down another US-made MQ-9 Reaper drone

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed Monday they shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over the country, with videos purportedly showing a surface-to-air missile striking it. The US military did not immediately acknowledge losing any aircraft. The claimed attack comes as the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip approaches. The Houthis have targeted ships travelling through the Red Sea over the war as US-led airstrikes pound their positions in Yemen. That's imperiled a waterway that typically sees USD 1 trillion of trade pass through it, as well as crucial shipments of aid to war-torn Sudan and Yemen. The Houthis also continue to launch missiles targeting Israel, drawing retaliatory airstrikes from the Israelis this weekend on the port city of Hodeida. The Houthi-run broadcaster Al-Masirah claimed shooting down the MQ-9, hours after video footage circulated online showing the purported missile striking the aircraft over Yemen's Saada province. A single

Need for future leaders to enhance decision-making in battlespace: CDS

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Friday said there is a need for future strategic leaders to enhance quick decision-making in technology-driven battlespace where timelines are shrinking rapidly. In his address at the closing of the pioneering tri-Services Future Warfare Course, General Chauhan underscored that artificial intelligence, machine learning, advancements in stealth technology and hypersonics and also robotics will dictate the character of future wars. The course aims to create a cadre of tech-enabled military commanders equipped with handling the complexities of the modern battlespace. Apart from being personally driven by the Chief of the Defence Staff, the course was rank-agnostic, with participants having service ranging from 13 to 30 years, the defence ministry said in a statement. "A dynamic security environment coupled with the proliferation of niche technologies, changing character of warfare and lessons learnt from recent and ongoing conflicts ...

Unit X explores US military's shift to Silicon Valley tech for defence

Unit X offers a fascinating account of America's efforts to stay ahead in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape

Defence production at Rs 1.27 trn, exporting hardware to 90 nations: Min

India's defence production has clocked an all-time high of Rs 1.27 lakh crore in terms of value in 2023-24 and it is now exporting weapons and military hardware to more than 90 friendly countries, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday. Indian armed forces are now using weapons and platforms manufactured on Indian soil and the country is rising on the global defence industrial landscape, the minister said in a post on 'X' on the 10th anniversary of the NDA government's 'Make in India' programme. The government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "astute leadership" introduced the 'Make in India' programme with a vision to make the country self-reliant in every domain, Singh said. "Ten years since then, many reforms have been made in every sector including the defence sector. India is rising on the defence industrial landscape of the world," he said. "Today, Indian Armed Forces are using weapons and platforms, which are manufactured on our own soil and we are also exporti

Private sector now steering economic growth: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Union Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted private sector's key role in the Indian economy, highlighting the sector's growing impact, particularly in manufacturing and services