Recent Current Affairs related to US

The AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, and United States) security alliance has launched a joint underwater drone programme under the ‘AUKUS alliance Pillar Two’ to co-develop advanced Uncrewed Undersea Vehicles (UUVs).

The initiative aims to develop adaptable, multi-mission UUV payloads to support undersea operations and maintain the collective strategic advantage of the partner nations. The first delivery of UUV technology under this programme is expected by 2027.

The United States has approved two Foreign Military Sales (FMS) sustainment packages for India, worth a total of $428.2 million. The first package, valued at $198.2 million, provides support for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, while the second package, worth $230 million, is for the sustainment support of M777A2 ultra-light howitzers.

The IIT Madras Global Research Foundation has announced the establishment of its first international centre in Menlo Park, California.

The centre is designed to provide Indian deep-tech enterprises with access to international capital, markets, professional mentorship, and global partnerships. A total investment of $7.5 million is planned for the project.

Pixxel, a space technology enterprise, has secured a contract from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) of the USA under the Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO).

The agreement focuses on the development of advanced hyperspectral remote sensing capabilities, a technology used to identify materials and chemical processes, utilizing the Firefly satellite constellation.

The USA has launched ‘Project Freedom’, a naval escort operation to guide stranded commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The operation was initiated under President Donald Trump in response to the growing tensions between Iran and the USA. The primary objective of the project is to ensure secure maritime passage and protect global shipping routes from disruptions caused by regional conflicts and oil supply instability.

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released the 38th annual “2026 Special 301 Report” to evaluate the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection of global trading partners. India remains on the Priority Watch List along with 5 other nations.

Vietnam is designated as a Priority Foreign Country (PFC), which represents the highest level of scrutiny. Argentina and Mexico were moved to the Watch List following improvements in regulatory frameworks, while Bulgaria was removed from the report entirely.

The European Union (EU) was added to the report due to concerns regarding Geographical Indications (GI) and pharmaceutical legislation. It is to be noted that the review of Ukraine is suspended due to the ongoing conflict.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report titled “TRENDS IN WORLD MILITARY EXPENDITURE, 2025” (published as the “SIPRI Fact Sheet April 2026”), India is ranked 5th among the largest military spenders globally in 2025.

The defense expenditure of India reached $92.1 billion, which is an 8.9% increase compared to the preceding year. This expenditure accounts for 3.2% of the total global military spending.

The USA is ranked first with an expenditure of $954 billion, followed by China, Russia, and Germany.

General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army (IA), has been inducted into the International Hall of Fame (HoF) of the United States Army War College (USAWC) in Pennsylvania, USA.

He is the third IA Chief to receive this distinction, following the inductions of General VK Singh and General Bikram Singh.

The United States has launched a strategic plan to deploy nuclear reactors in space, including an in-space reactor in Earth orbit by 2028, a fission reactor on the lunar surface by 2030, and a military version by 2031.

It is to be noted that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is tasked to develop a mid-power 100 kilowatts (kWe) fission reactor to support lunar habitats, providing power equivalent to 80 homes on Earth.

According to the government data, China has emerged as the largest trading partner of India for FY26, with total bilateral trade reaching $151.1 billion. The country has replaced the USA, which served as the primary trading partner of India for four consecutive years until FY25.

The trade deficit between India and China widened to $112.16 billion. During this period, the exports of India to China increased by 36.66% to $19.47 billion, while imports from China grew by 16% to $131.63 billion.