India, New Zealand hold second Defence Strategic Dialogue to deepen maritime security cooperation

August 25, 2026 5:12 PM

India, New Zealand hold second Defence Strategic Dialogue to deepen maritime security cooperation

India and New Zealand held the second edition of their Defence Strategic Dialogue in Wellington on August 24, focusing on strengthening maritime security, expanding joint military training and deepening overall defence cooperation. The high-level dialogue was co-chaired by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Amitabh Prasad and New Zealand Ministry of Defence Deputy Secretary Richard Schmidt. The talks followed the summit-level meeting held last month and focused on implementing the stra...

Indian Navy to commission indigenous diving support vessel ‘Nipun’ on Aug 31

August 25, 2026 5:00 PM

Indian Navy to commission indigenous diving support vessel ‘Nipun’ on Aug 31

The Indian Navy is set to commission Nipun, the second Diving Support Vessel (DSV) of the Nistar-class, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on August 31, strengthening its deep-sea diving, underwater intervention and submarine rescue capabilities. Indigenously designed and constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, Nipun marks another step towards enhancing self-reliance in defence shipbuilding and developing specialised platforms for the Indian Navy. The vessel was delivered ...

Rajnath Singh approves transfer of DRDO missile technologies to Indian defence industry

August 25, 2026 5:00 PM

Rajnath Singh approves transfer of DRDO missile technologies to Indian defence industry

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the transfer of technology (ToT) for all conventional missile systems developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to Indian defence industries for indigenous production, in a move aimed at strengthening the country's defence manufacturing capabilities. The initiative is being seen as a significant step towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in defence, as it will enable eligible domestic companies to manufacture DRDO-developed miss...

India, Armenia strengthen defence cooperation; sign MoU on joint collaboration and innovation

August 19, 2026 9:43 PM

India, Armenia strengthen defence cooperation; sign MoU on joint collaboration and innovation

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh concluded a two-day visit to Armenia during which India and the European nation discussed ways to deepen bilateral defence and military-technical cooperation, with a focus on capacity building, training, research and development. Singh visited Armenia on August 17-18 and held bilateral meetings with Armenian Deputy Defence Minister Karen Brutyan and First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of General Staff Edward Asryan. The discussions covered the entire gam...

Eighth India-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise concludes in Kochi

August 17, 2026 11:11 PM

Eighth India-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise concludes in Kochi

The eighth edition of the India-US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Exercise 2026 concluded at the Southern Naval Command in Kerala's Kochi on August 14, strengthening professional cooperation and interoperability between the two navies in specialised maritime operations. The bilateral exercise featured intensive professional interactions, exchange of best practices and demonstrations by EOD teams from both navies. The exercise provided a platform for the participating teams to share kno...

India inks Rs 1,943 crore deal to lease two MQ-9B sea guardian unmanned aircraft systems

August 17, 2026 6:43 PM

India inks Rs 1,943 crore deal to lease two MQ-9B sea guardian unmanned aircraft systems

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) for leasing two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy for a period of 30 months. The contract, valued at approximately ₹1,943 crore, was signed at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi in the presence of Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, A. Anbarasu. The leased MQ...

President Murmu approves 78 gallantry awards, including 13 posthumous, on eve of Independence Day

August 14, 2026 11:50 PM

President Murmu approves 78 gallantry awards, including 13 posthumous, on eve of Independence Day

President Droupadi Murmu has approved 78 gallantry awards, including 13 posthumous honours, for personnel of the Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces on the eve of the 80th Independence Day. The awards recognise acts of exceptional courage, bravery and devotion to duty by personnel of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Central Armed Police Forces. The 78 gallantry awards include nine Kirti Chakras, including seven posthumous; one Bar to Shaurya Chakra; 19 Shaurya Chakra...

Self-reliant, future-ready defence sector top priority for military modernisation: Rajnath Singh

August 14, 2026 9:46 PM

Self-reliant, future-ready defence sector top priority for military modernisation: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said military modernisation driven by a self-reliant and future-ready defence sector is the government's top priority, asserting that India's defence industry has undergone a major transformation over the past 12 years. Addressing soldiers through Akashvani on the eve of the 80th Independence Day, Singh said initiatives such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India have enabled India to increasingly meet its own security requirements while emerging as a g...

Defence Ministry signs Rs 1,577 crore contracts with TATA Advanced Systems, NIBE for loiter munition systems

August 14, 2026 9:14 PM

Defence Ministry signs Rs 1,577 crore contracts with TATA Advanced Systems, NIBE for loiter munition systems

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday signed contracts worth approximately Rs 1,577 crore with TATA Advanced Systems Limited and NIBE Private Limited for the procurement of Loiter Munition Systems, along with munitions and other accessories, for the Indian Army. The contracts were signed in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The procurement is aimed at strengthening the operational capabilities of the Indian Army, particularly its Artillery Regiments. Loiter M...

PM Modi to lead 80th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort; ‘Vande Mataram’ to be sung for first time

August 14, 2026 6:33 PM

PM Modi to lead 80th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort; ‘Vande Mataram’ to be sung for first time

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi on August 15, with this year's ceremony centred on 150 years of the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ and the contribution of ‘Yuva Shakti’ towards Viksit Bharat @2047. https://x.com/ddnewslive/status/2088129151937163302?s=46 For the first time, Vande Mataram will be rendered as part of the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort. Around 5,000 special guests from different sections ...