Page 4 - Defence

Brightcom partners with US firm CQT to co-develop AI defence tech

Tech firm Brightcom Group on Friday said it has inked a strategic initial pact with US-based defence manufacturer CQT Weapon Systems to co-develop defence technology. Concurrently, the tech firm's defence vertical, Brightcom Defence, is unveiling its portfolio of indigenously developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the Maestro OS, an AI-powered defence operating system, a company statement said. Brightcom Group Ltd on Friday announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CQT Weapon Systems, a renowned defence manufacturer based in Michigan, US, according to the statement. This strategic MoU marks a significant advancement for Brightcom's established defence vertical, it added. The agreement lays the groundwork for the two companies to collaborate on the joint development of advanced tactical hardware and AI-enabled systems, combining Brightcom's expertise in artificial intelligence and software with CQT's proven defence manufacturing capabilities. The Boar

Video | India successfully tests Agni-Prime missile from rail-based mobile launcher

India successfully tests Agni-Prime missile from rail-based mobile launcher

Armed forces to test drones, counter-drone systems during exercise in Oct

"Therefore, we must turn our lessons into actions, collaboration, innovation and unwavering focus to enhance our operational effectiveness," Air Marshal Sinha said

The Blueprint Discourse: Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on driving Atmanirbharta in defence

India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh says speeding up procurement and boosting indigenisation are top government goals.

India and Morocco sign defence pact to boost military cooperation

India and Morocco on Monday inked an agreement to boost military cooperation following talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Moroccan counterpart Abdeltif Loudiyi. Singh is currently on a visit to Morocco. "Had a very productive meeting with Morocco's Defence Minister Mr. Abdeltif Loudiyi and we signed an MoU on cooperation in field of defence," he said on 'X'. The MoU will provide for an institutional framework to expand and deepen bilateral defence engagement, including exchanges, training, and industrial linkages, officials said. "India's ties with Morocco are growing remarkably over the years. We discussed ways to deepen collaboration in key areas, including counter-terrorism efforts, maritime security, cyber defence and capacity building," Singh added. Singh's visit to Morocco is the first-ever trip to that country by an Indian defence minister. Ties between India and Morocco have gained momentum since King Mohammed VI's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Mo

MSMEs, startups urged to meet ₹50K cr defence exports target: MoS Defence

Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Friday urged MSMEs and startups to work hard to meet the new target of Rs 50,000 cr defence exports. He was addressing the inaugural of the three-day East Tech symposium here. "The country's new target for defence exports is Rs 50,000 crore, and to achieve this goal, the country's MSMEs and startups will have to work hard. Today, 16,000 MSMEs are associated with the Ministry of Defence. This number should increase, and the youth of Jharkhand should also join, he said. Rajinder Singh Bhatia, President, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) said 175 exhibitors and 400-plus delegates were participating in the East Tech 2025, which shows their commitment to fulfilling the vision of making this country self-reliant and empowered. Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari, GOC-in-C Eastern Command, said, SIDM has been a significant support in our efforts. Our partnership with SIDM allows us to provide a platform where defence manufacturers, MSMEs, ..

Jharkhand's uranium can aid nuclear weapon manufacturing, says CM Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday said the state is endowed with uranium and can contribute significantly to the manufacturing of nuclear weapons. Addressing the Defence East Tech symposium here, Soren said his government is ready to fully cooperate with the Centre to make the defence sector self-reliant. "Jharkhand is endowed with uranium and can contribute to nuclear weapon manufacturing. The state government is ready to cooperate fully with the Centre to make the defence sector self-reliant," Soren said. Uranium is a key component for the development of nuclear weapons. In a post on X, the CM said, "If you want (Armed Forces) to add a new dimension in the field of defence, then you should completely set aside your concerns from the government's side. Engage in dialogue with the government, we are ready to provide cooperation in every way, in every manner." "It is also a matter of great fortune today that the CDS is present here as well. And I believe that their ..

Op Sindoor a reality check, certain capability gaps noticed: Defence secy

Amid rising competitive populism and economic protectionism around the world, India needs to project its hard power alongside its soft power, said Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday. Singh was speaking at the Southern Command Defence Tech 2025 seminar (STRIDE 2025) here. Addressing the gathering, Singh said the trend of increasing globalisation and free trade has been brought to a halt by geopolitical factors linked to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Europe and the rise of populist leadership patterns across the globe. These trends are causing competitive populism and economic protectionism around the world, accompanied by economic fragmentation, the decline of multilateral institutions, and a growing tide of nationalism. As a result, the need to back a soft power with hard power is becoming more and more critical at a time when strategic deal-making requires you to be able to project hard power as well, said Singh. He also said there is a need to bring ..

Japan will invest 10 trillion yen in India over next decade: PM Modi

The announcement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba, held talks during the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit in Tokyo

US govt could take stakes in defence companies: Commerce Secretary Lutnick

Following Lutnick's comments, shares of Lockheed were up 1.1%, while Boeing was up about 0.7% and Palantir was down about 1%

India, Kuwait discuss avenues to deepen ties in trade, defence, energy

India and Kuwait on Tuesday undertook a comprehensive review of the bilateral relations during a key meeting, as the two sides also discussed avenues to further deepen the strategic partnership in trade, defence, energy, culture, and people-to-people ties. The seventh round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Kuwait was held in Delhi. "Both sides discussed the various ongoing initiatives and avenues to further deepen our strategic partnership in various spheres, including political, trade, investment, defence, energy, culture, and people-to-people ties," the Ministry of External Affairs said. During the meeting, both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, it said. The consultations were co-chaired by Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the MEA, Aseem R Mahajan, and Assistant Foreign Minister for Asia Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kuwait, Sameeh Essa Johar .

Search operation underway after drone sightings near LoC in J&K's Poonch

Security forces have launched a search operation after around half-a-dozen drones from Pakistan were sighted hovering over several forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday. The movement of the drones from across the border was picked up over Balakote, Langote and Gursai nallah in Mendhar sector at 9.15 pm on Sunday, the officials said. They said the drones, believed to be launched for surveillance, were seen flying very high and returned to the Pakistani side within five minutes. However, the area was cordoned off and a search was launched with the first light of the day in several areas where the movement of the drones was picked up to ensure that there was no air dropping of weapons or narcotics, the officials said. The use of drones by Pakistan to drop weapons and narcotics has emerged as a major challenge for the security agencies over the past couple of years and accordingly, police have announced a reward

India successfully test-fires ICBM Agni 5 missile from Odisha's Chandipur

It was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command, it added

India awards senior military officers who planned, executed Op Sindoor

India on Thursday recognised the acts of gallantry by the armed forces personnel and the role of senior military brass involved in the planning and execution of Operation Sindoor in its annual list of military honours on the eve of 79th Independence Day. Indian Air Force pilots involved in the strikes on terror infrastructure and military installations in Pakistan as well as those manning the S-400 air defence systems, which played a critical role during the May 7 to 10 hostilities between the two countries were among those conferred the coveted awards. Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, Indian Army's DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai and Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma are among top military officers conferred Sarvottam Yudh Seva medal. Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor and Air Marshal Jeetendra Misra, heading the South Western Air Command and the Western Air Command respectively have also been conferre

BSE Index Services launches defence index with semi-annual reconstitution

BSE Index Services, an arm of stock exchange BSE, on Wednesday announced the launch of defence index to track the performance of those stocks representing the theme. The BSE India Defence Index is derived from the constituents of BSE 1000 Index, and reconstituted semi-annually in June and December. This new index can be used for running passive strategies such as ETFs and Index Funds as well as gauging the performance of the defence sector in India, BSE Index Services said in a statement. It can also be used for benchmarking PMS strategies, mutual fund schemes and fund portfolios. "The defence sector in India is undergoing a transformative phase, driven by policy reforms, increased budgetary allocations, and a rising emphasis on indigenous manufacturing. The BSE India Defence Index offers investors a transparent, rules-based, and investable benchmark to capture this growth story," BSE Index Services MD & CEO Ashutosh Singh said.

As GPS disruptions grow, India eyes indigenous quantum navigation boost

As disrupting GPS has become a key tactic, QQMNS offers India a chance to leapfrog traditional systems with a sovereign, denial-proof alternative

Inaugural India-New Zealand defence strategic dialogue held in Delhi

The inaugural edition of India-New Zealand Defence Strategic Dialogue was held here on Tuesday with an aim to discuss security perspectives and further bolster bilateral cooperation, officials said. The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation), defence ministry, Amitabh Prasad and Head of International Branch, Ministry of Defence, New Zealand, Kathleen Pearce. "Both nations expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation and identified means to enhance the existing areas of collaboration, especially in the fields of training, capability building, defence industry, maritime security and multinational cooperation," the Indian defence ministry said. The co-chairs also articulated steps in the direction of emerging areas of cooperation and issues pertaining to global commons, officials said. "The Indian side complimented New Zealand for its successful command of CTF-150 in which five Indian Navy personnel were also deputed as staff. Both sides als

Iran founds new Supreme National Defence Council after attacks by Israel

Iran founded a new defence council after attacks in June by Israel and the US, Iranian state media reported Monday. Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the country's highest security body, made the decision to establish the Supreme National Defence Council, which will be headed by President Masoud Pezeshkian, the report said. The council will handle defensive plans and improve the capabilities of Iran's armed forces. Members will include the speaker of Parliament, the head of the judiciary and the chiefs of military branches and related ministries, the report said. The defence, intelligence and foreign ministries are expected to be council members, although the report did not provide those details. Iran's decision follows a 12-day air war by Israel and the US that led to the deaths of nearly 1,100 people including military chiefs and commanders. A ceasefire has been in force since shortly after the airstrikes targeted Iran's major nuclear facilities. Iran had a similar counc

Defence MSMEs must maintain quality to join global supply chain: BEL chief

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the defence and aerospace sectors must adhere to stringent quality standards to become part of the global supply chain, Bharat Electronics Limited chairman and managing director Manoj Jain said on Saturday. Speaking at the curtain-raiser of the 7th edition of the India Manufacturing Show (IMS), billed as the 'Aerospace & Defence Engineering Expo', Jain stressed the importance of quality and certification. "MSMEs must align with stringent quality and certification standards if they are to be part of the global supply chain," he said, adding that flexibilitywithout compromising regulatory complianceis essential from both large industries and MSMEs. "This calls for a mindset change across the ecosystem," he noted. IMS 2025 is being organised by Laghu Udyog Bharati-Karnataka in association with the IMS Foundation. The international expo, scheduled to be held from November 6-8 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, will showcase core ..

A glimmer of hope as Beijing processes rare-earth magnet requests

The export restrictions, which took effect on April 4, apply to rare earth magnets, which are critical components in industries ranging from automobiles and electronics to health care and defence