Page 4 - Defence

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

Australia hosts largest-ever military exercise with 19 nations taking part

The largest-ever war fighting drills in Australia, Exercise Talisman Sabre, is underway and expected to attract the attention of Chinese spy ships. Talisman Sabre began in 2005 as a biennial joint exercise between the United States and Australia. This year, more than 35,000 military personnel from 19 nations, including Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom, will take part over three weeks, Australia's defense department said on Sunday. Malaysia and Vietnam are also attending as observers. The exercise will also take part in Papua New Guinea, Australia's nearest neighbour. It is the first time Talisman Sabre activities have been held outside Australia. Chinese surveillance ships have monitored naval exercises off the Australian coast during the last four Talisman Sabre exercises and were expected to surveil the current exercise, .

Turkish FM, defence minister to meet Pak PM, look to boost defence ties

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasir Guler are in Pakistan to hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on issues of mutual interest, including defence industry cooperation. The two arrived here on Wednesday on an official visit. Radio Pakistan reported that during their official engagements, important issues of mutual interest will be discussed. The visit reflects the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual trust, it reported. Sources said that among other engagements, the two would also hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on bilateral ties, regional issues, and defence industry cooperation. Turkiye has strong ties with Pakistan and expressed solidarity with it during the military conflict with India in May, which angered India but Istanbul has continued efforts to bolster ties with Islamabad.

AVPL International announces $1 mn R&D investment for defence drones

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

SMPP bags orders for jackets and helmets worth ₹300 cr from Indian Army

Defence equipment manufacturer SMPP Ltd has bagged two orders worth Rs 300 crore from the Indian Army, the company said. Under the order, the company will supply bulletproof jackets and advanced ballistic helmets to the Indian Army under the emergency provision, SMPP said in a statement. SMPP will supply 27,700 bulletproof jackets and 11,700 advanced ballistic helmets to the Indian army. The order is valued at over Rs 300 crore," the company said. The bulletproof jackets come with advanced features like dynamic load distribution and quick release system which increase the operational efficiency by enhancing soldier comfort while offering protection against the most lethal armour piercing bullets. The advanced ballistic helmet is the world's first helmet which provides protection from AK-47 fired lethal hard steel core ammunition, as per the company. SMPP has been leading the personal protection market in India with more than 90 per cent market share (as per 1Lattice report) driven

Ghana shows 'clear interest' in defence support from India: MEA secretary

'There is clear interest in having India's support in terms of equipment, training of the personnel, and being able to source equipment from India, which has now become a leader in defence exports.'

Hope US can complete major pending defence sales to India: Pete Hegseth

The US has expressed hope that it can complete several major pending American defence sales to India, as it stressed that Washington and Delhi are mutually aware of the security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday at the Pentagon and said he had a productive conversation on advancing the India-US defence partnership, building on growing convergences of interests, capabilities and responsibilities. According to the Department of Defence (DoD) news article, Hegseth said the US and India are mutually aware of the security concerns in the region, and both nations have the ability to counter that threat together." Hegseth also touched on US efforts to provide India with the tools needed to counter threats in the Indo-Pacific region, the DoD news said. The United States is very pleased with the successful integration of many US defence items into India's inventory," Hegseth said, according to the DoD

Jaishankar discusses bilateral partnership with US State Secy Marco Rubio

Jaishankar shared on X that it was a pleasure meeting Marco Rubio on the sidelines of QFFM, they discussed India-US bilateral partership and shared views on regional and global developments

Germany to raise defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP in 2029

Germany's finance minister on Tuesday vowed to lift the country's defense spending to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product in 2029 as he presented the new government's spending plans. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition pushed plans through parliament to enable higher defence spending by loosening strict rules on incurring debt even before it took office last month. It acted ahead of the NATO summit starting Tuesday that aims to raise allies' defence spending target from 2 per cent of GDP to 3.5 per cent, plus another 1.5 per cent for potentially defense-related infrastructure. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Germany's defence spending will hit 2.4 per cent of GDP this year, and we will raise defence spending step by step so that we will reach a NATO quota of 3.5 per cent in 2029. Klingbeil, who is also the vice chancellor, said he will be very vigilant that the money is spent efficiently, for example by aiming for greater cooperation at European level on procurement, ...

DRDO offers 28 indigenous weapon systems to Army for emergency procurement

The forces have been given the option to order from a list of 28 different pieces of equipment, including 14 for the Indian Army, 8 for the Indian Navy, and 6 for the Indian Air Force

Axiscades, Europe's MBDA join hands to set up defence unit Bengaluru

Homegrown Axiscades on Friday said it has signed an agreement with European missile systems major MBDA to set up a defence facility in Karnataka. The pact has been inked through its wholly owned subsidiary Axiscades Aerospace and Technologies to set up the unit at the Aerospace Park near Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, Axiscades Technologies (Axiscades) said in a statement. "The facility will be equipped with test bench laboratories, infrastructure for missile launchers, specialized equipment, and trained technical personnel to support MBDA's advanced systems engineering requirements," it said. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing Paris Air Show 2025 in France. In May, Axiscades CEO and MD Alfonso Martinez said, "As we approach FY26, our priority is to capitalise on the opportunities in emerging sectors like manufacturing, MRO, chip-to-product and advanced defence technologies, including unmanned warfare, to bring about non-linear, product-led, ...

Navy inducts first anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft INS Arnala

INS Arnala, a diesel-powered indigenous warship with advanced sensors and weapons, was commissioned into the Navy, reinforcing coastal defence and maritime self-reliance

Dassault ties up with RInfra arm to make Falcon 2000 jets in India

Dassault partners Reliance to assemble Falcon jets in Nagpur, marking the first Falcon manufacturing base outside France; DRAL named global Centre of Excellence

India has more nuclear weapons than Pakistan, China far ahead: SIPRI report

A new SIPRI yearbook reveals that India now has more nuclear warheads than Pakistan. But China continues to outpace both South Asian neighbours.

DRDO showcases future-ready defence tech at Indo-Defence 2024 in Jakarta

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is participating in the Indo-Defence 2024 exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia, from June 11 to 14, as part of the India Pavilion. The event provides a platform for DRDO to showcase India's cutting-edge defence technologies from its defence R & D powerhouse.In a post on X on Tuesday, DRDO shared information and attached a video showcasing some of its cutting-edge technologies, such as ASTRA MK-I, Remotely Operated Vehicle-Daksh, Low Frequency Dunking Sonar (LFDS-X), Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW & C), Wheeled Armoured Platform (Whap), Varunastra Heavy Weight Torpedo, and Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile.Sharing the details, DRDO posted that the India Pavilion, where its technologies are showcased, is located at Hall F-46, JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta.Earlier, in line with the government's vision to establish a robust defence industrial ecosystem with the participation of both public and private sectors, Vehicles .

DRDO transfers nine defence system technologies to 10 industry partners

Technology transfer took place at DRDO's VRDE lab in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, as part of efforts to boost defence manufacturing and private sector participation