Military Spending

India sourced military hardware worth ₹1.20 trillion in 2024-25: Rajnath

India procured military hardware and weapons worth Rs 1,20,000 crore from domestic sources by end of 2024-25 as it is increasingly focusing on boosting self-reliance to confront national security challenges, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday. In an address at an event, Singh said the government is fully aware of the changing dynamics of battle field, especially the importance of non-contact warfare such as use of drones, and preparing for it accordingly. In this context, he underlined the importance of enhancing India's own defence industries to meet myriad security challenges. "In 2021-22, our capital acquisition from domestic sources was around Rs 74,000 crore, but by the end of 2024-25, the capital acquisition from domestic sources has increased to approximately Rs 1,20,000 crore," he said. "This change is not just about data, but also about mindset," he said. The defence minister said the Modi government has taken several policy initiatives in the last 10 years to

China's Fujian carrier on sea trials, J-35 stealth fighters begin testing

China's most advanced aircraft carrier Fujian, equipped with electromagnetic catapults, has completed its eighth sea trial

China launches new military academies as part of army modernisation

China increased its defence budget by 7.2% to about $245 billion to support its military restructuring

US approves $131 mn arms deal with India to boost Indo-Pacific vigilance

The deal includes the delivery of advanced SeaVision software to India, designed to enhance real-time maritime surveillance

India vs Pakistan military power 2025: Who leads on land, sea and air?

Following the Pahalgam terror attack and rising border tensions, here's how India and Pakistan compare in military strength across land, sea and air

India's military expenditure was nearly 9 times that of Pak in 2024: SIPRI

India's military spending in 2024 was nearly nine times that of Pakistan's expenditure, according to a study released on Monday by a leading Swedish think-tank that comes amid growing tensions between the two countries over the Pahalgam attack. India's military expenditure, the fifth largest globally, grew by 1.6 per cent to USD 86.1 billion while Pakistan's spent USD 10.2 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The top five military spenders -- the United States, China, Russia, Germany and India -- accounted for 60 per cent of the global total, with combined spending of USD 1635 billion, it said. China's military expenditure increased by 7.0 per cent to an estimated USD 314 billion, marking three decades of consecutive growth, the study noted. The communist nation accounted for 50 per cent of all military spending in Asia and Oceania, investing in the continued modernisation of its military and expansion of its cyberwarfare capabilities

India's armed forces struggle with preparedness amid rising strategic risks

The real issue isn't the navy but the Indian Air Force, which is known to be understrength and will likely be even less capable a few years from now unless New Delhi starts thinking long term

China raises defence budget to $249 bn: How does it compare to India?

China's annual NPC highlighted a focus on keeping urban unemployment at 5.5%, creating 12 million new urban jobs, and advancing emerging tech in 2025

Meeting Trump's military spending goals not easy: European defence firms

The defence ministers of Europe's five top military spenders said Monday they want to continue increasing their investments in defence but described meeting President-elect Donald Trump's challenge for them to raise spending to 5 per cent of their overall economic output as complicated. The defence ministers of Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland came together near Warsaw for a meeting in a new format that they established after Trump was re-elected last year. Their first meeting in this format of five NATO members was held in Berlin in late November. The five are seeking ways to maintain their support for Ukraine as US policy is expected to shift when Trump takes power. They also discussed how to strengthen Ukraine's own weapons production capacity. The German minister, Boris Pistorius, stressed at the start of the meeting that they all support a just peace for Ukraine, one in which Kyiv has a say over its fate. There are concerns in Europe that Trump could push Ukraine to .

Indian Army's assertive approach along LAC; focus on combat might in 2024

In a year bookended by intractable conflicts and geopolitical fragmentation, India focused on ramping up military prowess by broadly firming up defence procurement worth Rs 4.22 lakh crore even as Indian and Chinese militaries completed pulling back their troops from border face-off points in eastern Ladakh. The disengagement of frontline forces at the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following an understanding reached on October 21 marked a major thaw over four years after deadly clashes between the two nations' troops in the Galwan Valley severely strained the bilateral ties. At the same time, the Indian military guarding the nearly 3,500 km LAC maintained an assertive approach, and bolstered its overall surveillance mechanism to closely track activities by People's Liberation Army (PLA) on the Chinese side of the de-facto frontier. The year also saw India expanding its strategic heft in the key maritime domain with the Indian

Taiwan reports 12 PLA aircraft, 8 naval vessels near its territory

Earlier on October 4, Taiwan's President William Lai stated that the People's Republic of China (PRC) cannot be considered the "Motherland" of the people of Taiwan

Japan's defence ministry seeks record budget amidst growing Chinese threat

Japan's Defence Ministry Friday sought a record 8.5 trillion yen (USD 59 billion) budget for the next year to fortify its deterrence on southwestern islands against China's increasing threat, while focusing on unmanned weapons and AI to make up for the declining number of servicemembers as a result of the country's shrinking population. The ministry's request for 2025 marks the third year of Japan's rapid five-year military buildup plan under the government's ongoing security strategy. Japan aims to spend 43 trillion yen (USD 297 billion) through 2027 to double its annual military spending to around 10 trillion yen, making it the world's third-largest military spender after the United States and China. The budget request was approved at the Defence Ministry meeting Friday ahead of a submission to the Finance Ministry for negotiations through December. Japan has been rapidly building up the defense of the southwestern region in recent years amid China's growing military threats and

Canada's may be on track to align with Nato's military spending guidelines

Canada looks on track to meet NATO's military spending guideline soon, Defence Minister Bill Blair said Friday, notably by boosting investment in the Arctic near its shared border with Russia as the region warms quickly due to climate change. After Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, NATO allies agreed to halt budget cuts and move toward spending 2% of their gross domestic product on defense within a decade. Canada was barely spending 1% at the time. Last year, as it became clear that Russia's war with Ukraine would grind on, they decided that 2% should be a spending minimum. According to NATO figures, Canada was estimated to be spending 1.33% of GDP on its military budget in 2023. My defence spending budget will increase by 27% next year over this year, Blair said at a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Brussels. We've begun the important processes of acquiring the additional capabilities that we require (and) to meet NATO's requirements of us. He said that Cana

India fourth largest military spender globally in 2023: SIPRI report

India was the fourth largest military spender globally in 2023 with an expenditure of USD 83.6 billion, behind the US, China and Russia, according to a report by an independent international think-tank. The report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shared on its website in April also said the "rise" in global military spending last year can be attributed "primarily to the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating geopolitical tensions in Asia and Oceania and the Middle East". The military expenditure went up in all five geographical regions, with major spending increases recorded in Europe, Asia and Oceania and the Middle East, it said. The report comes amid ongoing conflicts in various parts of the world such as the ones involving Israel-Hamas, Iran-Israel, Russian-Ukraine besides volatility in the Red Sea region. "World military expenditure increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, reaching a total of USD 2443 billion. The 6.8 per cent increase in 202

India ranks 4th in global military spending at $83.6 bn in 2023: Report

India has maintained its position as the fourth-highest spender for two consecutive years

Defence Minister Rajnath visits Siachen; reviews military preparedness

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday visited Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, and reviewed India's overall military preparedness in the region. Singh's visit to Siachen came over a week after the Indian Army marked the 40th year of its presence in the strategically key region. The defence minister, accompanied by Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande, reviewed the overall security situation in the region, officials said. Singh also interacted with the soldiers deployed in Siachen. The Siachen glacier, which is at a height of around 20,000 feet in the Karakoram range, is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Under its 'Operation Meghdoot' the Indian Army established its full control over the Siachen Glacier in April, 1984. The Indian Army strengthened its presence in Siachen over the last few years. In January last year, Captain Shiva Chauhan from the Army's Corps of Engineers was posted at a frontline pos

Soon India will become provider of services to other nations: CDS Chauhan

Addressing the Indian Defspace Symposium 2024 here, General Chauhan said that space is called the final frontier

ICG rebased at northern, southern flanks of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Two Indian Coast Guard ships have been rebased at northern and southern flanks of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at Diglipur and Campbell Bay respectively."In a major boost to maritime security in Andaman & Nicobar islands, @IndiaCoastGuard ships Rajtarang & Rajkiran have been rebased at northern & southern flanks of Islands at Diglipur & Campbell Bay respectively," the Indian Coast Gurad said in a post on 'X'."The rebasing will ensure enhanced coastal security, #MaritimeLawEnforcement, EEZ surveillance, search & rescue, pollution response, & swift response to maritime contingencies," it added.Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard has strategically based additional hovercraft at Jakhau, close to the Indo-Pakistan maritime frontier and a capital ship at Vadinar in the Gulf of Kutch, according to an official statement issued on Monday.ICGS Samudra Pavak, a specialised Marine Pollution Control Vessel, will now operate from the new Coast Guard Jetty at ...

US sanctions 6 individuals, 2 entities; targets N Korea's military funds

A US Treasury Department statement and South Korea's foreign ministry said the action was taken in coordination between the two countries