The Indian Army, under the aegis of Army Recruiting Office, Jorhat (Assam), successfully conducted the Agniveer recruitment Rally at Gyaptong Regional Stadium, Rupa in Arunachal Pradesh, officials said on Sunday. Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said that the event evoked a highly motivated response among the local youths, reinforcing their aspirations to don the uniform and serve the nation with pride as Agniveers.

Over 380 aspirants from various districts of Arunachal Pradesh reported and underwent physical fitness tests, physical measurement test, documentation, and medical examination as per the standards of the Indian Army, he said. In the three day (September 3-5) rally shortlisted candidates of Arunachal Pradesh had earlier qualified in the online common entrance examination.

The rally was flagged off by the Director Recruiting (North East States) and witnessed the gracious presence of senior Army officers and civil dignitaries, who extended encouragement and support to the youth participating in the event, the spokesman said. He said that the recruitment process was conducted in a transparent and fair manner, ensuring equal opportunity for all eligible candidates. The wholehearted support of the civil administration and local military authorities enabled the smooth and efficient conduct of the rally.

Lt Col Rawat said that the final merit list of successful candidates would be published in due course, after completion of all stages of the recruitment process. The Indian Army extends its appreciation to the people and administration of Arunachal Pradesh for their cooperation and congratulates all aspirants who participated with zeal and determination, the spokesman added. In a separate event, at the picturesque Lhalung village in Menchuka Valley in Arunachal Pradesh’s Shi-Yomi district, the annual worship of the 500-year-old Chandan tree was held on Sunday with deep devotion and cultural fervor.

The sacred tree is revered by the local Buddhist community and symbolizes not only faith but also the enduring heritage of the region. The defence spokesman said that the monks from local monasteries, along with a large number of devotees, gathered at the site to offer prayers, light lamps, and perform rituals seeking peace, prosperity, and collective well-being. Elders of the village narrated the legends and history associated with the tree, passing on valuable cultural knowledge to the younger generation and reinforcing the community’s spiritual roots.

Troops assisted in organising the event and ensured seamless arrangements for the gathering. Beyond the ceremony, the Army has been actively engaged in the upkeep and preservation of this centuries-old heritage site through year-round stewardship, cleanliness drives, and maintenance of pathways leading to the sacred tree. The participation of local military authorities reflects the strong bond between the armed forces and the people of the region. Such initiatives not only safeguard cultural and religious traditions but also strengthen the spirit of civil–military harmony in remote border areas. The event concluded with a collective prayer for peace, unity, and prosperity in the valley. The annual worship of the Chandan tree continues to stand as a timeless reminder of Arunachal Pradesh’s spiritual richness and the shared commitment of the people and the Army to preserve it for future generations, Lt Col Rawat added.

–IANS

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Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Friday emphasised that the nature of modern warfare is rapidly transforming, asserting that India’s military preparedness must remain at peak levels “24/7, 365 days,” especially against the backdrop of the continuing ‘Operation Sindoor’.

In his address at a strategic affairs conclave in the national capital, General Chauhan underlined the evolving contours of conflict, stating that the world is on the verge of a “third military revolution”.

“This new form of warfare merges kinetic and non-kinetic means, blending the characteristics of first- and second-generation warfare with emerging third-generation techniques,” he noted.

“It is a convergence of tactical, operational and strategic domains.” Referring to India’s counter-terror operations under ‘Operation Sindoor’, the CDS said that while traditional combat strength remains critical, future battlefields will require a different breed of soldiers — “information warriors, technology warriors, and scholar warriors”.

“In the wars of the future, you won’t just need one Napoleon or one Field Marshal Manekshaw. You’ll need hundreds of them — across disciplines,” General Chauhan said, calling for a democratisation of military genius and innovation.

“That genius should reside in all of us,” he added, encouraging the younger generation to embrace multidimensional warfare. The CDS’s remarks come at a time when India continues to battle a proxy war aided and abetted by Pakistan.

Operation Sindoor, a massive counter-offensive launched in response to the barbaric Pahalgam attack in which Pakistan-sponsored terrorists gunned down 26 innocent people, mostly tourists, “remains active”, the CDS noted. General Chauhan’s vision signals a decisive shift in India’s defence doctrine — one that looks beyond boots on the ground to minds on mission.

As India modernises its armed forces, the focus is now clearly on synergy between battlefield grit and digital intellect — a necessity in the age of hybrid warfare. The call for “hundreds of Napoleons and Manekshaws” is not just metaphorical — it reflects the scale and complexity of threats India faces and the kind of leadership and innovation required to counter them.

–IANS

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Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Wednesday underscored the critical transformation in modern warfare, calling for a robust indigenous drone and counter-UAV capability to meet future challenges.

Speaking at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, General Chauhan highlighted how the nature of combat has fundamentally evolved, especially in light of recent experiences like ‘Operation Sindoor’. “In the history of warfare, we have witnessed revolutionary changes — from heavy rifles to lighter, more sophisticated long-range weapons,” said the CDS. “But the biggest shift is the emergence of drones and unarmed aerial systems. Their utility has grown multifold — from basic surveillance tools to becoming effective force multipliers on the battlefield.”

Referring to ‘Operation Sindoor’, Gen Chauhan revealed that on May 10, Pakistan used unarmed drones and loitering munitions during the conflict. “None of them inflicted any damage on Indian military or civilian infrastructure,” he stated, adding that “most were neutralised by kinetic and non-kinetic means.”

The operation, he said, clearly demonstrated the need to secure lower airspace and develop integrated counter-UAV systems. Gen Chauhan emphasised that drones, despite being smaller and less aerodynamic, are reshaping conventional warfare.

“They are cheaper, harder to detect, and yet sophisticated. This defies traditional military thinking,” he noted. A central theme of his address was the importance of self-reliance.

“Our ‘Operation Sindoor’ has shown us why we must not depend on imported drone or counter-drone technology. Indigenous systems are critical. Foreign systems come with limitations — their specifications are widely known, allowing adversaries to anticipate tactics,” Gen Chauhan warned.

He advocated for accelerated development of homegrown drone technology and counter-UAS grids, cautioning that outdated technology cannot be relied upon in modern battlefields.

“Today’s wars must be fought with tomorrow’s technology,” he emphasised. The CDS’ remarks come amid a global shift towards drone-dominated conflicts and highlight India’s strategic focus on self-sufficiency in Defence technology, especially in the face of asymmetric and aerial threats.

–IANS

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Demonstrating its preparedness to take on any challenge by its enemies, the Indian Navy on Sunday successfully carried out an anti-ship missile exercise, and said that it is fully prepared for combat at any time, anywhere and in any manner to safeguard the maritime interests of the country. This missile test was conducted from the Indian Naval ships.

This anti-ship firing drill conducted by the Navy has re-validated the readiness of the platform, systems and personnel for conducting long-range precision offensive strikes. The Navy said that they have carried out several successful anti-ship missile firings to demonstrate the readiness of the personnel. The Navy is reliable and ready to combat any kind of attacks by the enemy in the future as well.

“Indian Navy Ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems, and crew for long-range precision offensive strike. Indian Navy stands combat-ready, credible, and future-ready in safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests Anytime Anywhere Anyhow,” said the Indian Navy in a post on its X handle on Sunday.

On April 22, Pakistan-backed terrorists opened fire on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, killing 26 people. Among them was Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old Naval officer from Haryana’s Karnal. He had got married on April 16, and the couple was on their honeymoon in Kashmir. The terrorists killed the tourists after asking about their religion.

Within 48 hours of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India conducted an important missile test on Thursday, sending a strong message to its enemies. This missile test was conducted by the Indian Navy on its indigenously built guided missile destroyer, INS Surat, in the Arabian Sea. The Navy had fired a medium-range surface-to-air missile.

According to the Navy, during this time, India’s indigenous missile destroyer INS Surat successfully hit the target in the sea. This Naval destroyer is equipped with the capability to destroy enemy missiles mid-air. Pakistan is deeply agitated and scared by the various punitive measures taken by India against terrorism. This is the reason why the Pakistani Army is repeatedly violating the ceasefire and firing from its posts along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Even on the night of April 26 to 27, the Pakistani Army posts initiated unprovoked small arms fire across the Line of Control in the areas opposite Tutmari Gali and the Rampur Sector, officials said. Indian soldiers have effectively responded to the unprovoked firing by Pakistan with appropriate small arms.

The Indian Army is fully alert and prepared to respond to any nefarious act by Pakistan. The Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, has held several important meetings in Jammu and Kashmir. Army Chief General Dwivedi has also reviewed the actions taken by the Army so far. At the same time, the Indian Navy has also displayed its preparations strongly.

–IANS

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Navratna defence public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a contract with the Indian Air Force, valued at Rs 593.22 crore, for providing maintenance services for the Akash missile system to kick off the new financial year 2025-26. The BEL had also supplied the IAF with the Akash missile system for which it has won the maintenance contract.

Further, the company has concluded negotiations with customers for acquisition of orders worth Rs 5,000 crore, BEL said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Bharat Electronics Limited has achieved a turnover of around Rs 23,000 crore during the financial year 2024-25, against the previous year’s turnover of Rs 19,820 crore, registering a growth of 16 per cent.

This includes export sales of around $106 million during FY 2024-25, as against the previous year’s export turnover of $ 92.98 million, registering a growth of 14 per cent, according to a company statement.

In the fiscal year 2024-25, BEL secured orders worth Rs 18,715 crore. Some of the major orders received during the year are BMP II Upgrade, Ashwini Radar, Software Defined Radios, Data link, Multi-Function Radars, EON 51, Seekers, Anti Drone System, Airport Surveillance Radar, Sonar Upgradation, Flycatcher spares, Radar upgradation, Spares and Services, etc, and other projects in the non-defence sector.

With this, the total order book of BEL as on April 1, 2025, stands at around Rs 71,650 crore, including the export order book of $359 million. BEL Chairman & Managing Director, Manoj Jain, said: “BEL strives to attain self-reliance through enhanced Indigenisation efforts, expansion and modernisation, outsourcing to Indian Industries, including MSMEs & startups. BEL has rolled out strategies to maximise its global outreach and footprint in International market segments in the coming years. All these efforts will help BEL to retain its market leadership position in the strategic electronics sector.”

BEL has reported a 47.3 per cent growth in its net profit for the third quarter ended December 2024 to Rs 1,316.06 crore, compared to Rs 893.30 crore in the same quarter of the previous year. The Navratna defence public sector company’s consolidated revenue from operations in the third quarter shot up by 38.6 per cent to Rs 5,770.69 crore, from Rs 4,162.16 crore reported in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year.

–IANS

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In a powerful demonstration of joint operational capability, the Indian Army on Thursday conducted a highly effective and important ‘Integrated Multi-Domain Exercise’.

This Tri-Service Integrated Multi-Domain Warfare Exercise was held in the Eastern Theatre, deep in the high-altitude terrain of Arunachal Pradesh. According to the officials, the exercise, named ‘Exercise Prachand Prahaar’, was held from March 25 to 27. The exercise brought together the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and other elements of the Indian Armed Forces in a synergised combat drill designed to simulate future warfare.

The exercise was carried out under the aegis of the Eastern Command, showcasing the seamless integration of advanced surveillance, strike capabilities, and multi-domain operational planning. Cutting-edge platforms such as long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, armed helicopters, UAVs, loitering munitions, and space-based assets were employed to achieve total situational awareness and rapid target engagement, the officials said.

Once simulated targets were identified, they were swiftly neutralised through coordinated strikes using fighter aircraft, long-range rocket systems, medium artillery, swarm drones, kamikaze drones, and armed helicopters — all executed in an electronically contested environment that simulated modern battlefield conditions, officials added.

Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, and Air Marshal Surat Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, reviewed the exercise and commended the troops for their operational excellence and high degree of professionalism.

This integrated tri-service drill builds on the momentum of ‘Exercise Poorvi Prahar’ held in November 2024, which focused primarily on the integrated application of aviation assets. Exercise Prachand Prahaar has now taken that concept further by validating a fully integrated approach to surveillance, command and control, and precision firepower across the three services, said the officials.

The exercise stands as a testament to the Indian Armed Forces’ growing emphasis on jointness, technological superiority, and readiness to tackle multi-domain threats. It reinforces India’s resolve to deter and, if necessary, decisively respond to any emerging security challenge along its strategic frontiers.

–IANS

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The Army kicked off the Pir Panjal Winter Festival in the city on Sunday, setting the stage for wide array of sports and cultural spectacles spread over next two months.

The festival is a testament to the Army’s unwavering commitment to youth empowerment, cultural preservation, and social reformation, particularly in advocating against drug abuse. Starting February 9 and culminating on March 31, the grandiose festival will see diverse sports and cultural spectacles, including: Under-25 Boys Cricket Tournament – a platform for aspiring cricketers to exhibit prowess.

Under-25 boys and Under-21 girls Volleyball Tournament – fostering teamwork, discipline, and competitive spirit. Open Kho-Kho Tournament (for girls) – celebrating agility, strategy, and endurance. Gujari and Pahari Folk dance performances with music and dance talent hunt – a tribute to the region’s rich artistic heritage, performed by local virtuosos.

Solo and Group Singing Competitions – an opportunity for school and college students to showcase their melodic talents along with science and art exhibitions to showcase their knowledge and creativity with painting, essay writing and elocution competitions.

The initiative serves as a catalyst for fostering sportsmanship, cultural renaissance, and holistic development among the youth, particularly those hailing from remote and marginalized communities.

The Pir Panjal Winter Festival embodies a transformative movement, inspiring young minds to eschew the perils of substance abuse and channel their energies toward constructive, life-affirming pursuits.

–IANS

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The Indian Air Force (IAF) has carried out an emergency high-precision rescue operation from the remote and volcanic Narcondam Island in the Andamans, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson in Kolkata said.

A Mi-17 medium-lift helicopter carried out an extremely low hover to rescue two critically injured policemen, he said.

Narcondam, located about 256 km to the northeast of Port Blair (now Vijayanagaram) is India’s easternmost island. It has an area of 7.6 square km with a volcanic peak rising to 710 metres.

The Geological Survey of India has designated the peak as a dormant volcano. In 2005, a year after the tsunami that caused severe devastation in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there were reports of smoke and mud escaping the peak. The island is also a designated UNESCO heritage site.

“There is no place where a helicopter can land at Narcondam. The skills of the aircrew were tested to the full as they carried out the extremely low hover. Half of the helicopter was above the rocks exposed during low tide and the other half was above the sea. The two injured policemen were carried on stretchers to the helicopter. Given the conditions, it was not possible to winch the stretchers up to the aircraft while it hovered higher,” the MoD spokesperson added.

Narcondam, with pristine seas and coral reefs, is a scuba divers’ paradise. The island is also heavily forested and attracts nature lovers interested in the Narcondam Hornbill and other fauna and flora.

However, with a population of barely 16 (as per 2016 records), the island offers no accommodation to visitors. There are regular ferry services from Diglipur though.

A police station does exist on the island, though, to prevent illegal infiltration. The island was claimed by Myanmar till 1986. Myanmar gave up its claim after delimitation of the maritime boundary between the two nations. A lighthouse also exists on the slopes of Narcondam.

–IANS

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In a bid to boost the country’s maritime surveillance capabilities, Adani Defence and Aerospace has handed over a second Drishti-10 Starliner surveillance drone to the Indian Navy. Drishti 10 Starliner drone or UAV, manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace which is part of the Adani Group in Hyderabad, is an advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours of endurance and 450-kg payload capacity.

According to sources close to the development, the induction of the second UAV, a version of Israel’s Hermes 900 medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, into naval maritime operations was initiated at Porbandar in Gujarat. The first Drishti-10 drone was delivered to the Indian Navy earlier this year. This marks the first-ever integration of such advanced payload suites onto a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) platform, enabling the Indian Navy with differentiated capabilities to dominate maritime surveillance. MALE is a type of UAV that can fly at altitudes of 10,000 to 30,000 feet. Adani Defence previously delivered the Drishti-10 Starliner to the Indian Army in June this year.

The Army will deploy it at its Bhatinda base in Punjab, from where it can keep an eye on the western border with Pakistan. Drishti-10 Starliner is the only unmanned military platform with NATO ‘STANAG 4671’ certification, which allows military UAVs to operate in other NATO members’ airspace.

It has four hard points on wings, and a large internal bay for special missions. Drishti-10 Starliner provides over the horizon, persistent multi-payload, fully autonomous capabilities and SATCOM-based operations. It is the country’s only indigenous UAV, operating reliably above 32,000 feet with large payload-carrying capacity and distinctively long endurance. Adani Defence and Aerospace boasts several ‘firsts’ to its credit – from being India’s first private sector military UAV manufacturer exporting to global markets, to establishing India’s first private small arms manufacturing facility, and the country’s first private sector ammunition player, thus nurturing a domestic defence ecosystem.

–IANS

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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Thursday that the guided Pinaka Weapon System’s flight tests have been successfully completed. An MoD official said the tests were part of Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) Validation Trials and that they were conducted in three phases at different field firing ranges.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has also complimented DRDO and the Indian Army for the successful PSQR validation trials of the system. “The induction of this guided Pinaka Weapon System will further boost the artillery fire-power of the armed forces,” the Defence Minister said. The MoD official said that during these tests, the PSQR parameters, which are range, accuracy, consistency, and rate of fire for multiple target engagements in a salvo mode, were assessed by extensive rocket testing. “Twelve (12) rockets from each production agency from two in-service Pinaka launchers upgraded by the launcher production agencies have been tested,” he said.

He added that the precision strike variant for the Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System is a totally indigenous weapon system. “It is designed and developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and Proof and Experimental Establishment with Munitions India Limited and Economic Explosives Limited as production agencies for ammunition and Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Larsen and Toubro for Pinaka launcher and Battery Command Post,” he said.

Secretary, Department of Defence R and D and Chairman DRDO Samir V Kamat also congratulated the teams associated with the trials. He said the rocket system completed all pre-requisite flight trials before induction into the Indian Army. On November 12, India conducted a maiden flight test of Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM). The flight test was conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha in November by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). That test was conducted from a mobile articulated launcher. The missile was equipped with advanced avionics and software to ensure better and more reliable performance.

–IANS

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