Defence News

Sarvesh Sharma, a fifth-semester Computer Science student at Government Polytechnic College, Hamirpur, will develop a drone for Indian Army with ₹3.5-crore Defence Ministry grant. The drone is being developed for surveillance in high-altitude border areas. Sharma said it can detect and resist electronic jamming attempts, but these capabilities will be confirmed only after development and testing.

India has signed an ₹811-crore deal for 160 Smart Anti-Airfield Weapons (SAAWs) for the Indian Air Force. The satellite-guided glide bombs can strike runways, hangars, bunkers and other airfield infrastructure from nearly 100 km away. The order follows their reported use during Operation Sindoor, reflecting India’s focus on indigenous standoff weapons and precision-strike capabilities.

A year after the Indian Air Force (IAF) retired its iconic MiG-21 fighter jets, the aircraft are entering a new phase of their long military history. While some will continue to be preserved for heritage purposes, others could become museum displays, provide usable components or have parts of their material repurposed for educational purposes.

A video showed SkyStriker loitering munition carrying out a precision strike during Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026 at Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan. The system can travel up to 20 km in around 10 minutes and stay airborne for up to two hours with a 5-kg warhead. The SkyStriker was also used operationally during Operation Sindoor in May, 2025.

Odisha-based BonV Aero has supplied 45 heavy-payload UAVs to the Indian Army's Eastern Command for tactical logistics and mission-specific payload transport. The deployment comes as the Defence Ministry has floated a tender for 2,715 logistics drones, highlighting the Army's growing use of unmanned systems to support supplies across difficult and remote terrain.

India's Zorawar light tank was designed for high-altitude warfare with a 25-tonne weight, mobility and firepower. The Army's push for additional armour could increase its weight and delay induction by up to two years. DRDO's CVRDE and Larsen & Toubro jointly developed the tank, with L&T handling system integration and MSMEs supplying subsystems.

India’s Zorawar light tank is moving towards production for high-altitude operations in Ladakh. The initial order covers 59 tanks, with around 18 Mk1 tanks expected to be built first with lower protection. A more heavily protected Mk2 variant is planned with enhanced armour, an active protection system and anti-drone capabilities.

The beat is green, the terrain is rugged and the newest faces on patrol have four legs each. Meet James and Dolly, Delhi Police's mounted companions who are now galloping through the rocky paths of the Kamla Nehru Ridge, their riders keeping a watch over one of the Capital's largest green spaces.

IG Defence has successfully test-fired two solid rocket motors under its JWALA micro-missile programme, advancing its indigenous hard-kill counter-UAS capability. The company aims to develop an affordable, scalable interceptor against drone swarms. JWALA is being integrated with GRID Defend, an AI-powered system linking sensors, threat tracking and authorised engagement functions.

Jantar Mantar, Delhi's designated protest venue, has effectively been turned into a heavily secured enclosure, with 11 layers of barricading surrounding the protest ground - six on the rear side and five on the front. A visit by The Tribune found that the main entrance as well as the rear approaches had been blocked by successive barricades.

Official data shows a decline in Rewari’s crime rate during the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Cases of heinous crimes, crimes against women, property-related offences and vehicle theft all recorded a considerable decrease between January 1 and September 30, the data showed.

deaForge has launched ZOLT Hybrid and ZOLT UCAV, expanding into long-range ISR and UCAV missions. ZOLT UCAV offers 2-3 hours of endurance, while the Hybrid variant provides over six hours and up to 100 km of line-of-sight transmission. Both feature anti-jam communications and GNSS-denied navigation for electronic warfare environments.

The Indian Air Force's (IAF) multilateral exercise Tarang Shakti in Jodhpur has recorded the largest participation of women personnel in an international exercise. Over 25 women officers flew fighter jets and other aircraft alongside around 125 male pilots. IAF also shared visuals of the participating nations flying in formation on the occasion of 94th Indian Air Force Day on Thursday.

Starlink's portable satellite internet is increasingly being exploited by criminals, insurgents and armed groups. Terminals have been recovered from cyber-scam compounds, illegal mining sites, conflict zones and even a drug-smuggling vessel in India. Its ability to bypass damaged or unavailable terrestrial networks makes Starlink a growing national-security challenge.

Amid heightened political protests in the Capital and mounting pressure on the Delhi Police to maintain law and order, the department has turned to social media to highlight the challenges faced by its personnel, particularly women cops deployed to control agitated crowds. The Delhi Police posted a series of Instagram Reels under the message "Respect her dignity".

A 10-day Combined Annual Training Camp (CATC) of the 14 Haryana Battalion NCC, Yamunanagar, is being conducted at Kapal Mochan in Yamunanagar district. The camp is being held under the guidance of Brigadier Rohit Sehgal, VSM, Group Commander, Ambala Group NCC, and under the command of Col Pankaj Pareek, Commanding Officer, with the administration of Lt Col Kumud Maini.

The Chandigarh Police ranks second in the country in responding to emergency calls, with its Police Control Room (PCR) vehicles reaching distress callers' locations in average 4 minutes 28 seconds in September. Only Himachal Pradesh, with a response time of 4 minutes 4 seconds, fared better. Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur shared the data with The Tribune.

In a landmark moment for Kullu district, an NCC microlight aircraft designated for local unit landed at Bhuntar airport, paving way for aviation training for the youth. Group Captain Baljinder Singh Gill and Wing Commander Kunal Sharma flew the aircraft. The arrival of the plane marked the culmination of nearly 3 decades of sustained efforts to establish a flying training facility.

Defence Ministry signed a ₹2,563-crore contract with NewSpace India Limited for the indigenous GSAT-7C satellite, designed to enhance "secure, resilient & seamless communication capabilities" for Indian Air Force assets. GSAT-7C is expected to improve communication between aircraft and ground units. This is part of ₹4,106-crore defence contracts, which also include Varunastra torpedoes for Navy.

The Nalagarh plant of SMPP Ammunition Private Limited, a defence manufacturing company, was allotted 800 acres in Nalagarh for a proposed ₹3,000 crore investment four years ago but it is yet to commence production of 155 mm artillery shells to meet critical Army requirements. The company had claimed that it would commence production in March.