DEFENCE &AMP; SECURITY

Defence & Security

Features, analysis and stories on global defence, security, strategic affairs, conflicts and geopolitical developments that affect India, India’s interests and the security of Indians around the world.

October 15, 2026

Paras Defence–Powerus Deal: Guardian-1 and India’s Counter-Drone Push

Paras Defence–Powerus Deal: India’s Counter-Drone Ambitions Meet a New Geopolitical Test Paras Defence and Space Technologies has secured an exclusive Indian manufacturing and commercialisation licence for the US-developed Guardian-1 counter-drone interceptor. But the agreement is not an Indian military procurement order—and Powerus’s subsequent defence engagement with Pakistan has raised questions about supplier relationships, technology security […]

October 10, 2026

Indian Defence Exports: The Technologies Going Global

The Indigenous Technologies Finding Markets Beyond India From BrahMos and Akash to Pinaka and the Dhruv helicopter, India’s defence-export story is moving beyond headline missile deals. As the country targets ₹50,000 crore in annual exports by 2029, upcoming exhibitions in Chile and Vietnam will test whether Indian systems can become long-term global defence businesses. India’s […]

October 9, 2026

India’s Naval Defence Push: Why Euronaval 2026 Matters

India’s Naval Defence Push Heads to Paris: Why Euronaval 2026 Matters for India’s Global Ambitions Standfirst: As Indian defence exports reach a record ₹38,424 crore, Euronaval 2026 offers a useful test of whether India can move beyond selling individual systems and build lasting industrial relationships in Europe and other maritime markets. India’s defence industry is […]

October 8, 2026

Indian Drones in Portugal: Why FWDA’s €6M Deal Matters

India’s defence-export story is entering a more interesting phase. The latest signal is not another overseas order for an Indian-made weapon. It is a decision to manufacture Indian-designed autonomous drone technology on European soil. Bengaluru-based Flying Wedge Defence & Aerospace (FWDA) has signed an industrial partnership with Portugal’s Keydef, the defence and aerospace division of […]

October 8, 2026

India’s Defence Export Boom: Can Made in India Go Global?

India’s Defence Export Moment: Can “Made in India” Become a Global Security Brand? India’s defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in FY2025–26 and now span more than 80 countries. The next challenge is considerably harder: turning rapid export growth into durable global credibility, indigenous technology ownership and long-term international business. India’s defence industry is […]

October 6, 2026

BrahMos Exports: How India’s Missile Is Going Global

BrahMos Goes Regional: How India’s Missile Is Becoming a Defence-Export Brand in Southeast Asia The Philippines already has BrahMos. Vietnam has signed a supply deal and Indonesia has agreed to acquire two batteries. The bigger story is India’s attempt to turn a joint Indo-Russian missile programme into a globally recognised Indian defence-export brand. For most […]

October 5, 2026

Akash Missile Export: Why India’s Air Defence System Is Going Global

Akash Goes Global: Why India’s Air Defence System Matters Beyond Central Asia India’s Akash air-defence system has moved from an indigenous military programme to an export product with customers across the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The significance is bigger than another missile sale: it shows India beginning to compete for influence in a defence […]

September 26, 2026

When fighter aircraft from different countries share the Indian sky

Tarang Shakti 2026: Why India’s Multinational Air Exercise Is About More Than Aircraft When fighter aircraft from different countries share the sky, the spectacle is easy to understand. The harder work happens before take-off: agreeing on procedures, coordinating communications, planning missions and ensuring that different forces can operate safely and effectively together. That is the […]

September 16, 2026

Indian Navy vs Pakistan Navy 2026: Can India Defeat Pakistan at Sea?

What the Numbers and Arabian Sea Collision Reveal The question has returned to the headlines after an unusual incident in the Arabian Sea: Can the Indian Navy defeat the Pakistan Navy? The immediate trigger is not a war. It is a collision. On the evening of 15 September 2026, an Indian Navy frontline warship and […]

September 16, 2026

Why the Army Chief’s Moscow Trip Matters

India’s Army Chief in Russia: Why General Dhiraj Seth’s Three-Day Visit Matters When India’s Army Chief travels to Russia, the significance extends beyond a ceremonial military visit. General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of the Army Staff, began a three-day official visit to Russia on 16 September 2026, with engagements scheduled through 18 September. The visit is […]

September 13, 2026

Indian Ocean Strategic Importance: Why the Sea Matters to India’s Future

The Ocean Beside India Is Also the Highway Beneath Its Economy Why the Indian Ocean is central to India’s security, energy and global ambitions Look at a map of India. The country’s geography appears almost to point southwards into the sea. The Arabian Sea lies to the west. The Bay of Bengal stretches to the […]

September 12, 2026

India’s Strategic Autonomy: How New Delhi Balances Russia, US, China and the World

India’s Multi-Alignment: How New Delhi Tries to Have Friends Without Choosing a Camp In international politics, friendship is complicated. It becomes even more complicated when your friends do not particularly like one another. India has spent much of the 21st century learning to operate precisely in that uncomfortable space. New Delhi buys defence equipment and […]

September 11, 2026

India Defence Technology: How Drones, Satellites and AI Are Changing Warfare

India’s New Battlefield: When Drones, Satellites and AI Start Working as One For centuries, military power was largely measured in familiar things. How many soldiers? How many tanks? How many fighter aircraft? How many ships? Those numbers still matter. But another question is becoming increasingly important: How quickly can a military see, understand and respond […]

September 10, 2026

India Defence Exports: From Major Buyer to Global Defence Manufacturer

From Buyer to Supplier: How India Is Building a Global Defence Export Industry India’s defence story is changing — and the interesting part is no longer only what the country buys, but what the world is beginning to buy from India. For decades, India was better known as one of the world’s major defence importers. […]

September 10, 2026

Military OSINT Verification: Battlefield Facts from Digital Fiction

How Open-Source Analysts Separate Battlefield Facts from Digital Fiction In modern warfare, the battlefield is no longer limited to deserts, mountains, oceans and airspace. There is another battlefield that can be just as consequential: the smartphone screen. A missile strike can take place thousands of kilometres away. Within minutes, a video can appear on social […]

September 9, 2026

India’s Warship-Building Surge, Designed in India. Built in India.

How Indian Shipyards Are Changing the Navy’s Future There was a time when an Indian Navy warship usually came with an interesting footnote: “Built with foreign assistance.” Today, an increasingly common description is rather different: Designed in India. Built in India. Armed increasingly with Indian systems. That change is one of the most consequential developments […]

September 9, 2026

India’s Defence Export Boom : Record ₹38,424 crore

From Buying Weapons to Selling Them to the World For decades, India had an uncomfortable reputation in defence: a major military power that also happened to be one of the world’s significant arms importers. That picture is beginning to change. India’s defence exports reached a record ₹38,424 crore in financial year 2025–26, according to the […]

September 9, 2026

India Is Building a Multi-Layered Drone Defence

India’s New Drone War: From Bhargavastra to Lasers and Microwaves The battlefield is getting smaller, cheaper and increasingly difficult to see. A drone costing a fraction of a conventional missile can now threaten soldiers, vehicles, radar installations and critical infrastructure. Worse, several drones can arrive together in a swarm, forcing defenders to solve an awkward […]

September 8, 2026

India Is No. 4 in the World’s Military Strength Ranking

What the Number Really Means India has entered another interesting chapter in its long military journey. The 2026 Global Firepower Military Strength Ranking places India fourth among 145 countries, behind the United States, Russia and China, and ahead of South Korea. India’s Power Index, or PwrIndx, is 0.1346. In the GFP methodology, a lower score […]

September 8, 2026

Why India’s Sudarshan Chakra Matters

India’s S-400 Shield: Why India Still Wants a Desi Replacement For a country that has to watch two very different strategic frontiers, air defence is not simply about owning a powerful missile system. It is about knowing what is coming, deciding what must be stopped, and having enough layers of protection to ensure that one […]

September 8, 2026

India still faces major hurdles in building a high-performance fighter-jet engine

The Technology Battle Behind the Aircraft India can build satellites. It can launch spacecraft. It can design and manufacture sophisticated missiles, warships, helicopters and increasingly capable fighter aircraft. So why does one particular machine continue to cause so much trouble? The fighter-jet engine. It is one of the most demanding engineering challenges in the world—and […]

September 6, 2026

What Really Makes India a Major Military Power?

India’s Military Strength in 2026: Beyond the Numbers How powerful is India’s military? It sounds like a question with a simple answer: count the soldiers, tanks, aircraft, ships and submarines. But modern military power is rather less cooperative than a spreadsheet. A country can have thousands of tanks and still face problems with maintenance. It […]

September 6, 2026

India’s BrahMos Aerospace has expanded its global footprint

How India’s Missile Programme Is Becoming a Major Defence Export Story For years, India’s defence industry was better known for what the country bought than what it sold. That equation is changing. At the centre of that change is BrahMos — the supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia. What began as […]