Recent 6 months news in Defence

The Indian Navy (IN) has inducted ’Nipun’, the second Indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV), constructed by the Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP).

The vessel features 75% indigenous content and adheres to the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) classification rules.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has virtually inaugurated the Department of Military Medicine at the Command Hospital (Central Command) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

This is the first dedicated academic and operational department in India focused exclusively on military medicine, established under the Directorate General of Medical Services (DGMS) of the Indian Army.

Saudi Arabia and 13 other nations have announced the formation of a Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance to protect shipping in key West Asian waterways and strengthen global maritime security.

The other members include Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, Turkiye, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Somalia. Saudi Arabia has been designated as the founding and leading state of the alliance, serving as its permanent secretariat.

The 5th and final ship of the Diving Support Craft (DSC) Project, named 'DSC A24', has been launched in Titagarh, Kolkata. The vessel is constructed by Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL).

It features a catamaran-hull design with a displacement of 300-400 tonnes. It is to be noted that 70% of the equipment used in these vessels is sourced from indigenous manufacturers.

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) has launched the 'Machilipatnam' (BY 529), the 7th of 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) vessels being built for the Indian Navy.

The vessel has over 80% indigenous content and is named after the historic port city of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh. It is equipped for Underwater Surveillance, ASW operations, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), and Mine Warfare.

Paninian India Pvt Ltd, a deep-tech and aerospace startup, has launched the Yantur 4.5 kilo-Newton (kN) Turbofan engine programme. This is India's first privately developed turbofan engine in this class. The engine is designed to power the 'Svayatt L1', a long-range autonomous cruise missile platform developed by the company.

The Indian Army has launched 'Operation Jal Rahat' in Assam as a large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission to assist the state government. The operation was spearheaded by the Red Shield Division under the Spear Corps.

The United States of America (USA) has delivered the 21st MH-60R Seahawk multi-role maritime helicopter to the Indian Navy in Kochi, Kerala.

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, these helicopters are part of a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement signed in 2020 to procure 24 units at a total cost of $2.6 billion. The induction of these helicopters is intended to replace the ageing Sea King fleet.

DRDO has successfully conducted the maiden flight-test of the 'Kusha' Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. The test involved the successful interception of an electronic target simulating a high-speed and high-altitude aerial threat.

Additionally, DRDO has developed the first indigenous Expendable Turbo Jet Engine of 350 kg thrust class. The engine was designed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) and manufactured in collaboration with the Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering.

The United States Air Force (USAF) YFQ-44A Fury drone has successfully executed its first live firing of an Air Intercept Missile (AIM)-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) at a digital target.

The test was conducted at the Edwards Air Force Base in California, USA. This marks the first live missile launch performed by a US Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

The Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS) under the DRDO has signed a contract with AI Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL), New Delhi, for the conversion of six A321 aircraft from commercial to green configuration. This process is crucial for the development of the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) MKII Programme.

Additionally, a separate contract has been signed with Adani Defence Systems and Technologies (ADSTL), Ahmedabad, designating the company as the Development Cum Production Partner (DcPP) for Mission Systems under the AEW&C MKII Programme.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has participated in the 45th edition of the biennial multinational air combat exercise 'Pitch Black 2026', hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at RAAF Base Darwin in northern Australia. The exercise witnessed the participation of air forces from 20 nations.

INS Malvan, the second indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), has been commissioned at Karwar, Karnataka.

It is the 2nd of 8 Mahe-class ASW-SWCs being constructed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd and the 6th of 16 ASW-SWCs to be commissioned into the Indian Navy (IN). The ship features over 80% indigenous content.

Named after the coastal town of Malvan in Maharashtra, it honours the maritime heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and carries the legacy of its predecessor, an inshore Indian Naval Minesweeper that remained in service until 2003.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has flagged-in 'Samudra Pradakshina', the inaugural Tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition, via video conferencing.

The team, comprising nine women officers from the three Services, sailed aboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni. They returned to Mumbai after completing a 314-day voyage, covering nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans.

'Operation Southern Readiness 26-2' has commenced at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. The exercise is hosted by the Southern Naval Command under the the Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154), in partnership with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

The engagement involves 254 participants from 26 countries. It is to be noted that the CTF 154, which functions as the dedicated Training Task Force of the CMF, is currently commanded by the Indian Navy under the leadership of Commodore Milind M Mokashi.

The 8th Defence Policy Dialogue between India and Japan was held in Tokyo, Japan. The Indian delegation was led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

Both countries reviewed the progress in bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

INS Sudarshini, an indigenous three-masted sail training barque of the Indian Navy (IN), has represented India at the 'Sail4th 250' and the 'United States International Naval Review 250' celebrations held in New York Harbour.

The festival was organised to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.

Adani Defence and Aerospace, a division of the Adani Group, has invested ₹2,500 crore to establish a facility in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, to create the largest private-sector missile ecosystem in South Asia.

This will be the first private-sector complex in India to integrate composite propellant production, Trinitrotoluene (TNT) manufacturing, and missile system integration at a single location.

General Dhiraj Seth has assumed office as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). Upon taking charge, he unveiled the 'VIJAY' roadmap, a high-tech blueprint designed to transform the Indian Army into a technology-enabled, future-ready force.

The roadmap is structured around five core pillars: Vigilance (border security and emerging threats), Innovation and Transformation (modern doctrine and technology-driven warfare), Jointness and Integration (tri-services approach for Viksit Bharat 2047), Aatmanirbharta (self-reliant defence), and Yodha (human capital development).

The Indian Navy has commissioned the indigenously built advanced stealth frigate 'INS Mahendragiri (F38)' into its Eastern Fleet at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The frigate was constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai, based on an in-house design by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) of the Indian Navy.

The vessel, which has over 75% indigenous content, has a displacement of 6,670 tonnes and is 149 metres long. It uses a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, is capable of reaching a top speed of 28 knots, and has an operational range of 5,500 nautical miles.