Defense

Jointly designed by DRDO and Tata Advanced Systems, the platform was conceived around three linked ideas that now define modern wheeled combat vehicles worldwide: modularity, scalability and re-configurability.

Technically, ACADA is built around ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), a well-established detection method used for trace chemical sensing. DRDO’s own description says the system uses a twin-tube IMS arrangement with two highly sensitive IMS cells, allowing continuous detection and simultaneous monitoring.

A major propulsion milestone came on 8 April 2026, when the Norwegian Technolgy Enterprise Kongsberg Maritime announced that it had signed a contract to supply 18 large Kamewa waterjets for the Indian Navy’s NGMV programme

The agreement, signed on April 15, 2026, establishes a 10-year exclusive framework for supplying, integrating, and sustaining air-to-air refuelling equipment for the Indian Armed Forces.

The three-member Indian delegation was led by Additional Director General Anand Prakash Badola. At the conference, India shared its best practices in handling complex maritime security challenges, including surveillance, inter-agency coordination, and the use of technology to secure long coastlines and maritime zones.

According to the official report, this year’s exercise is focused on joint special operations designed around the neutralisation of unlawful armed groups. The drill is intended to improve tactical synergy, sharpen mission planning, and build mutual familiarity in handling shared security challenges in complex operational environments.

Propulsion is the second great question, and it is where Vishal moves from impressive to transformational. Officially, TPCR 2025 keeps the door open to nuclear propulsion for future aircraft carriers and other surface combatants, while Reuters reported that the proposed third carrier under the roadmap is expected to be nuclear-powered, a first for India.