Indian Army

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 ..

Indian Army to induct dedicated drone platoons across combat units

Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, on Thursday said the Army is raising dedicated 'Ashin' drone platoons across infantry, artillery and armoured regiments to strengthen drone warfare capabilities. Talking to reporters, Lt Gen Katiyar also said specialised 'Bhairav' units will be tasked for deep operations inside hostile territory, adding that the Army has restructured its formations recognising the growing importance of drones in modern warfare. "We realised that the use of drones is extremely important. Therefore, we have integrated drone usage across all units, right down to the smallest sub-units," he said. He said dedicated 'Ashin' drone platoons - small sub-units within infantry battalions - have been created and similar specialised platoons will be raised in every regiment. "These platoons have achieved expertise in drone operations. Every regiment -- infantry, artillery or armoured -- will have such units specialisin

Massive blow to terror network: Army on elimination of 3 terrorists in J-K

The Army on Monday termed the killing of three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar a "massive blow to the terror network", and said it was the culmination of a relentless, high-altitude joint operation conducted over 326 days in extremely challenging terrain. Three members of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit, including its self-styled commander, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kishtwar on Sunday. They said army troops, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force tracked the terrorists in extremely hostile conditions. "Troops of White Knight Corps, police and CRPF, based on a well-knit intelligence grid established by civil and military intelligence agencies, have finally eliminated all seven dreaded terrorists in Chatroo belt of Kishtwar (in several operations during last near one year)," the White Knight Corps said in a post on X. It described the outcome as a "massive blow to the terror network"

AI key to faster decisions, smarter military sustainment: Defence experts

India-AI Impact Summit 2026: Defence experts said AI can help armies take faster decisions, predict equipment failures and boost readiness while keeping humans in control of critical operations

AI helped predict Chinese move in Arunachal, avoid casualties: Lt Gen Rana

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the senior military official also warned of risks from artificial superintelligence and called for responsible, doctrine-driven AI deployment in defence

Indo-US defence ties continue to grow stronger: US Ambassador Sergio Gor

US Ambassador Sergio Gor and Admiral Samuel J Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, visited the Indian Army's Western Command headquarters on Monday and held discussions with Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar on strategic security dynamics along India's Western Front. Gor said the US-India defence partnership continues to grow stronger. He said the joint efforts of the two countries are key to a safe Indo-Pacific. "US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor @USAmbIndia and #USINDOPACOM Commander, Adm Samuel J. Paparo, @sjpaparo visited HQ Western Command and held substantive discussions with Lt Gen #ManojKumarKatiyar, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, Army Commander, #WesternCommand, on strategic security dynamics along India's Western Front," the Western Command of the Indian Army said in a post on X. The Western Command headquarters is located in Chandimandir in Haryana's Panchkula. The delegation was comprehensively briefed on the Western Front perspective, including operational ...

Delhi police issues notice to Penguin over ex-Army Chief Naravane's book

The Delhi Police's Special Cell has issued a notice to Penguin Random House India seeking clarifications over the circulation of the unpublished book of former Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane on social media, an official said on Wednesday. The notice was served as competing claims over the status of the book and the alleged circulation of unauthorised versions intensified, drawing the publisher, the former Army chief and senior political figures into a widening public dispute. According to police, the Special Cell has formally approached the publishing house through the notice, posing multiple queries and seeking detailed responses. "Delhi Police Special Cell has issued a notice to Penguin India. Through the notice, several questions have been asked, and responses have been sought," a senior police officer said. The move comes in the wake of reports that the manuscript of Naravane's memoir, titled 'Four Stars of Destiny', may have been illegally circulated in digital and .

Rahul cites Naravane's 2023 'available now' post to rebut publisher's claim

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday cited a December 2023 social media post by former army chief MM Naravane informing people that that his book is "available now" to rebut publisher Penguin Random House India's statement that the 'memoir' has not yet been published. Gandhi said he believes the word of the former army chief over Penguin. Speaking with reporters in the Parliament House complex, Gandhi read out Naravane's social media post on X (then Twitter), which said, "Hello friends. My book is available now. Just follow the link. Happy reading. Jai Hind." "This is the tweet Mr Naravane has made. The point I am making is either Mr Naravane is lying, and I believe the (former) Army chief, I don't think he will lie, or Penguin is lying. Both cannot be telling the truth," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. "Penguin is saying the book is not published. The book is available on Amazon. Gen Naravane has tweeted, as I just read to you, that please buy my book. He tweete