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INS Mahendragiri has joined the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, also known as the Sunrise Fleet. The frigate will strengthen India’s maritime combat capabilities along the eastern seaboard and extend the Navy’s operational reach across the Indian Ocean Region.
The new drones are expected to support the Indian Army’s Artillery arm. Their primary battlefield role will be deep precision strikes against targets such as enemy artillery positions, command nodes, logistics points and other high-value tactical assets. Reports also say these systems have been designed with resistance to jamming and spoofing, reflecting lessons from recent conflicts where electronic warfare has become central to drone operations.
The partnership represents a successful combination of Indian ship design and construction with specialised New Zealand propulsion technology. Indian shipyards built the vessels, integrated their weapons and sensors, and adapted them for domestic operational requirements, while HamiltonJet supplied the waterjet systems that provide speed, acceleration, shallow-water mobility and exceptional manoeuvrability.
The proposed facility is expected to be a blow-down type trisonic wind tunnel capable of aerodynamic testing across the speed range from Mach 0.2 to Mach 4.5. This means the tunnel can support testing in three major flight regimes: subsonic, transonic and supersonic. For missile and aircraft designers, this is a critical capability because modern aerospace vehicles experience very different aerodynamic behaviour as they move from low-speed flight to the shock-wave dominated supersonic region.
The Saras Mk-II is being developed by CSIR-NAL, Bengaluru, as a multi-role light transport aircraft suited for short regional routes, smaller airports and difficult operating environments. It is expected to support passenger movement, air taxi services, air ambulance operations, executive transport, light cargo, border patrol and other community services.
Commander Oliver Vanek has taken charge as Germany’s first representative at the centre. With his induction, the IFC-IOR now hosts 17 International Liaison Officers from partner countries. The ceremony was attended by Colonel Klaus Willi Merkel, Defence Attaché of Germany to India.
According to WDMMA, the Indian Air Force currently has an active inventory of 1,716 aircraft, covering fighters, helicopters, transports, trainers, support aircraft and future procurement categories. The IAF has been given a TruVal Rating of 69.4, while the U.S. Air Force holds the benchmark score of 242.9.
At the centre of the declaration is the shared understanding that the Indo-Pacific is facing a period of geostrategic uncertainty. India and Australia have called for disputes to be resolved peacefully, without coercion or the use of force, and in accordance with international law.
The most striking feature of UGRAM’s development story is speed. The rifle was designed and built in just 100 days, making it one of India’s fastest indigenous small-arms development programmes. This rapid execution was made possible through the development-cum-production partner model, where DRDO’s design expertise and private industry’s manufacturing capability moved together from the early stage of the project.
The Pinaka LRGR rocket is designed by Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, with support from Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat.
