Indian Army

ISI-backed spy ring busted, 11 held; CCTV used to track Indian Army routes

An espionage network with direct links to Pakistan has been unearthed, revealing how handlers across the border were remotely monitoring real-time movement of Indian Army personnel through a covert grid of solar-powered CCTV cameras installed at strategically sensitive locations across northern India, an official said on Friday. The surveillance network spanned key cities including Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Patiala and Moga in Punjab, Ambala in Haryana, Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, and Bikaner and Alwar in Rajasthan -- all of which are crucial due to the presence of Army cantonments, proximity to the international border and their role as major troop movement and logistics corridors. According to police, the cameras were deliberately positioned to capture activities near military installations, highways used for troop mobilisation and border-linked infrastructure. What makes the operation particularly alarming is that these devices were transmitting live footage directly to

Op Sindoor showed India's progression towards 'domain jointness: Army chief

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's progression towards "domain jointness" and called the military offensive a "defining case study" of operational significance of integration. In May last year, India had launched a military response targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan post the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 Indian tourists. "Operation Sindoor was India's most powerful tool of progression towards domain jointness. But we need to achieve domain integration and fusion," General Dwivedi said. He was addressing the "Ran Samvad" forum on "Land Forces visualisation of Multi Domain Operation (MDO)," here. The Chief of Army Staff said his visualisation of MDO is not of six domains operating in parallel but all of them "in constant dynamic interaction where the weight shifts and the lead changes". The Army chief stressed that modern warfare is no longer confined to geographical boundaries or single-service dominance

North Sikkim landslides: Army rescues 135 tourists, many still stranded

A total of 135 stranded tourists have been rescued by the Army from North Sikkim, where multiple landslides have snapped road connectivity, officials said on Thursday. Around 1,000 tourists remain stranded in Lachen, with sustained efforts underway to ensure their rescue at the earliest, they said. The rescue operation is being carried out by the Trishakti Corps under the Eastern Command amid heavy snowfall, they added. Critical passes have been opened and alternate routes activated to facilitate the rescue mission, named 'Operation Him Setu', officials said. A total of 32 light vehicles and 10 motorcycles have been moved out so far, with Army vehicles deployed to tow civilian vehicles across steep, snowbound stretches, they said. Medical emergencies and those requiring immediate assistance are being prioritised, officials said. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working in close coordination with the Army, undertaking continuous road clearance, snow removal and restoration o

Defence stocks in focus: MTAR, Astra Microwave soar up to 6%

Thus far in the month of April, Nifty India Defence index has outperformed the market by surging 8 per cent, as against 3 per cent gain in Nifty 50.

CDS Anil Chauhan reviews operational readiness along LoC in north Kashmir

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Saturday reviewed the security and operational preparedness along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir. Gen. Chauhan visited the strategically-important areas under the Army's Chinar Corps unit, a defence spokesperson said. During the visit, the CDS reviewed the security landscape and operational posture along the LoC in north Kashmir and commended the formation's exemplary operational preparedness, doctrinal coherence and resolute professionalism, he added. The spokesperson said at Baramulla, the CDS was briefed on future force application and technology infusion. In his address to the officers of the Chinar Corps, Gen. Chauhan highlighted that the character of warfare is undergoing profound transformation, necessitating a shift from a domain-centric approach to multi-domain operations (MDO), underpinned by a robust and integrated architecture. The spokesperson said the CDS underscored the centrality of jointness, stressi

Rahul Gandhi flags deficiencies in health scheme for ex-servicemen

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday flagged deficiencies within the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) and said the government should, at the very least, accord respect and support to the brave armed forces personnel who sacrifice everything for the country. Gandhi said that a few days ago, he met ex-servicemen who were injured in the line of duty while defending the nation at the 'Jansansad'. "They highlighted serious deficiencies within the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), such as delays in reimbursement, shortages of medicines, hospitals refusing treatment, or being dropped from the scheme due to the non-payment of outstanding dues," the Leader of Opposition said in a Facebook post in Hindi. More than 72 lakh ex-servicemen and their families rely on this scheme for their healthcare needs, Gandhi pointed out. "When I raised this issue in Parliament, the Modi government attempted to evade my questions. The government possesses no information ...

Adani Defence hands over first batch of 2,000 'Prahar' LMGs to Indian Army

In a boost to the Indian Army's firepower, a defence major on Saturday delivered the first batch of 2,000 'Prahar', light machine guns (LMGs), manufactured under the 'Make in India' initiative. The 7.62 mm-calibre weapon has been manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace at its Small Arms Complex located on the outskirts of Gwalior. A ceremony was held on its premises on Saturday to hand over the LMGs to the Army, which was attended by A Anbarasu, DG Acquisition, Ministry of Defence, Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace, and other senior officials of the private firm. Anbarasu later flagged off a series of trucks carrying the first batch of the LMGs meant for the Army. Interacting with reporters after the flagging off, Rajvanshi said, "The journey that has begun today took us six years, starting from bid submission, and we have delivered it 11 months ahead of schedule." "The original timeline, which was given to us by the customer, was over seven years, but I can

Govt clears procurement of military hardware worth ₹2.38 trillion

The defence ministry on Friday cleared procurement of weapons and military hardware worth Rs 2.38 crore including S-400 missiles and medium transport aircraft. The procurement proposals were cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. "For the Indian Air Force, proposals were cleared for the procurement of medium transport aircraft, S-400 long range surface-to-air missile system, remotely piloted strike aircraft and overhaul of Su-30 aero engine aggregates," the defence ministry said. It said the induction of medium transport aircraft by replacing the transport fleet of AN32 and IL76 will meet the strategic, tactical and operational airlift requirements of the services. "The S-400 system will counter enemy long-range air vectors targeting vital areas, while the remotely piloted strike aircraft will enable undertaking offensive counter and coordinated air operations, also providing stealth intelligence, surveillance and recognition ...

SC flags systemic bias in armed forces, grants relief to women officers

The Supreme Court found systemic bias in denial of Permanent Commission to women officers and granted pensionary relief and safeguards across Army, Navy and Air Force

SC grants pension benefits to women SSC officers denied permanent commission

The Supreme Court ruled that women SSC officers denied Permanent Commission in the Armed Forces were victims of systemic discrimination and are now entitled to full pension and related benefits

Women SSC officers in armed forces entitled to full pension benefits: SC

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, who were denied Permanent Commission due to arbitrary assessment, are entitled to full pensionary benefits. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh held that the officers would be "deemed" to have completed the minimum qualifying service of 20 years required for a pension, even if they were released from service earlier. The judgment came on a batch of petitions, including those filed by Wing Commander Sucheta Edan and others, challenging the denial of Permanent Commission (PC) based on policy changes in 2019 and previous Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) rulings. Reading the operative parts of the judgment, the CJI said the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) for women officers were often graded "casually" under the assumption that they would not be eligible for career progression or PC. "The A

Searches launched after suspicious movement in J-K's Rajouri, Doda, Poonch

Security forces have launched search operations following reports of movement of suspected terrorists at different locations in J-K's Rajouri, Doda and Poonch districts, officials said on Wednesday. A combing operation was launched at Khandli and its adjoining areas near Palma in Rajouri late Tuesday after a local reported movement of two suspicious individuals, the officials said. They said the suspected persons were seen moving through a nallah towards a nearby forest. No contact has been made with the suspicious individuals so far, an official said. Similar operations are also underway at several villages in Marmat in Doda after some locals reported movement of suspected terrorists. Marmat is used by terrorists to move between Doda and Basantgarh in Udhampur, which also touches parts of the Ramban district. Police and Army also carried out searches in the Sarlea area of Doda, and Dandi Dhara and Ari Sarooti in Poonch district, the officials said.

Armed forces plan to set up new drone, data, geospatial, info war units

The plans come just months after Operation Sindoor, which saw extensive information warfare, disinformation campaigns and the first instance of large-scale drone warfare in the subcontinent

Blueprint for multi-domain military reforms, capability upgrades unveiled

An ambitious vision document broadly outlining a series of strategic reforms, capability enhancements and organisational changes required to bolster the Indian military was unveiled by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday. The document, prepared by the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), is a strategic blueprint to transform the Indian armed forces into a modern, multi-domain, and integrated force by the centenary of India's Independence. The release of the 'Defence Forces Vision 2047: A Roadmap for a Future-Ready Indian Military' came eight months after the military conflict between India and Pakistan. Following the May 7 to 10 conflict, all the three forces were asked to work on the lessons learnt from it. The vision document envisages the transformation of the military into an integrated, multi-domain and agile force capable of deterring adversaries and to effectively respond to any conflict. A central pillar of the vision is the emphasis on jointness and synerg

Rajnath unveils vision document, roadmap for future-ready military

An ambitious vision document broadly outlining a series of strategic reforms, capability enhancements and organisational changes required to bolster the Indian military was unveiled by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday. The release of the document came eight months after the military conflict between India and Pakistan. Following the May 7 to 10 conflict, all three forces were asked to work on the lessons learnt from it. The 'Defence Forces Vision 2047: A Roadmap for a Future-Ready Indian Military' envisages the transformation of the military into an integrated, multi-domain and agile force capable of deterring adversaries and effectively responding to any conflict. A central pillar of the vision is the emphasis on jointness and synergy among the services, promoting greater coordination in planning, operations and capability development, according to the defence ministry.

Indian Army foils terrorists' infiltration bid along LoC in J-K's Rajouri

Indian Army opened fire at suspected terrorists attempting to cross the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district early Tuesday, officials said. The suspected persons were observed trying to sneak into this side from the Turkandi forward area around 4.15 am, the officials said. They said army troops guarding the LoC opened fire to thwart the infiltration attempt. Reinforcements have been rushed to the area and a massive search operation is underway. On February 19-20, army troops foiled an infiltration bid by terrorists in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri, leading to the seizure of some arms and ammunition.

MoD signs ₹5,083 crore helicopter, missile deals with HAL and Russia

The Dornier 228 is a light transport and maritime patrol aircraft known for its short take-off and landing capability, making it ideal for operations from coastal airstrips

IAF shows combat prowess, gives glimpse of Op Sindoor at Vayu Shakti

The Indian Air Force demonstrated its combat prowess and firepower capabilities, and presented glimpses of missions undertaken during Operation Sindoor through simulated strikes at the Pokharan Field Firing Range under Exercise 'Vayu Shakti' in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu on Friday. The day-dusk-night demonstration, held in the Thar desert of western Rajasthan near the India-Pakistan border, is also being attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, among other dignitaries. A presentation on Operation Sindoor was made at the beginning of the exercise, followed by a detailed display of day target layouts spread across a three-kilometre area. The simulated targets included an enemy runway, a petroleum storage facility, bunkers, radar sites, tank and armoured convoys, a communication centre, a terror camp, ammunition storage, a hangar and a command-and-control centre. Fighter jets and attack ..