Hangors are effectively 'dead-on-arrival' with Pakistanis saddled with deadweights that displace around 3,000 tons. Last time it was near Vishakhapatnam. This time, barnacles will clog the Hangors in Karachi port itself, points out Dr Abhishek Puri.
The political confidence required to place high-end Japanese aircraft and personnel on Indian soil is itself a data point.
It indicates a level of trust that would have been difficult to imagine when India-Japan defence ties were largely symbolic, explains Varun Arya.
The Japanese PM's visit to Assam comes amid festering uneasiness in Tokyo about Beijing's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio kick-started a three-day visit to India on Tuesday to advance bilateral ties in energy, trade and investment, defence, critical technologies, and exchange views on the West Asia crisis.
President Biden underscored that the United States will 'continue to stand up for its interests and values and, together with our allies and partners, ensure the rules of the road for the 21st century advance an international system that is free, open, and fair', the White House said in a readout of the meeting.
Notwithstanding the economic complementarities and the host of agreements for deepening economic relation on a host of areas, both sides share common viewpoints on the foreign policy domain and seek common grounds to serve as a counterweight to China, notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
The objective should be clear: Energy security without abandoning environmental responsibility; water security without ignoring local concerns; and strategic resilience without sacrificing public confidence, notes Varun Arya.
As US President Joe Biden launched a new trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific nations, including India, to enhance trade, economic and investment opportunities, China, which sees the pact as a threat to its dominance in the region, went on the offensive against it, promising more opening up, while the official media here termed it as "economic Nato".
The Congressman said the Chinese Communist Party has, unfortunately, botched its response to COVID-19, causing tremendous economic uncertainty and a slowdown in China's economy.
In a region increasingly shaped by competition and coercion, such collaboration strengthens security without confrontation, builds capacity without dependency and promotes order without domination, points out Dr Kumar.
We are back to the 1971 moment with both China and the US supporting Pakistan, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Indo-Pacific region. Senior officials from the ministries of External Affairs and Defence, and the US departments of Defence and State met here for the India-US 2+2 Inter-Sessional meeting.
Vietnam is an emerging regional power and a closer relationship with Hanoi is closely aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Act East Policy, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
Former CDS Anil Chauhan stated that China poses a long-term and comprehensive challenge to India, with the boundary issue remaining unresolved due to differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control. However, he emphasised that India's ties with Beijing cannot be solely defined by border disputes, advocating for engagement through platforms like SCO and BRICS. He also highlighted the broader global geopolitical flux and instability in India's neighbourhood as significant security concerns, stressing the need for self-reliance.
Japan is deepening its defence relationship with India while simultaneously expanding its economic, infrastructure and security engagement with countries around India -- particularly Bangladesh. The result is an emerging Japanese conception of South Asia in which India remains the strategic anchor, but the geography surrounding India is becoming increasingly important, points out Varun Arya.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed various aspects of India-US bilateral ties, focusing on defence, trade, energy, and technology. Rubio extended an invitation from President Donald Trump for PM Modi to visit the US.
India will be the most consequential partner for the US in the Indo-Pacific this century, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday ahead of the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the two countries next week. Esper on Tuesday told a Washington audience that he and the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be travelling to New Delhi next week for the 2+2 ministerial with their respective Indian counterparts Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the resolution of the West Asia crisis and the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, asserting that military action alone cannot achieve lasting peace. He made the remarks after talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
Merlinhawk Aerospace has partnered with Boeing India Defence to provide in-country maintenance, repair, and lifecycle support for advanced Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) systems on Indian military platforms. This collaboration aims to strengthen local support, reduce turnaround times, and enhance mission readiness for the Indian Navy, aligning with India's self-reliance goals in defence.
Merlinhawk Aerospace has partnered with Boeing India Defence to provide in-country maintenance, repair, and lifecycle support for advanced Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) systems on Indian military platforms. This collaboration aims to strengthen local support, reduce turnaround times, and enhance mission readiness for the Indian Navy, aligning with India's self-reliance goals in defence.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised India's military modernisation efforts at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, highlighting its growing industrial and logistics capacity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi as his 'younger sister' and hailed her as a 'visionary and popular leader' during a joint press meet, where both leaders unveiled initiatives to deepen bilateral cooperation and strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
The senior defence official, however, refrained from describing the kind of responses that the two countries would respond to their common challenges.
US President Donald Trump signed the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026 into law, highlighting broadened engagement with India and addressing the challenge posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will commission Mahendragiri, the sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate, into the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, marking another milestone in India's journey towards defence self-reliance and indigenous warship construction.
The Fujian was launched at a brief ceremony held at the Shanghai shipyard, the official media reported from the eastern metropolis.
The visit was expected to project Assam as the gateway to Southeast Asia and reinforce the state's emergence as a preferred investment destination.
India would confront a more entrenched China, a less dependable United States, and a regional order increasingly shaped by great-power bargaining over which it exercises limited influence, notes Amberish K Diwanji.
For India, the guiding principle should remain clear: Engage Bangladesh as a sovereign nation and society rather than through the prism of any individual leader or political party, suggests Manoj Mohanka.
US Special Representative Sergio Gor met with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and Sri Lanka's stance on the Middle East crisis. The visit occurs amidst regional tensions and US efforts to secure trade routes in the Indo-Pacific.
David Perdue said in a post on X that the US-India relationship delivers real results through close cooperation in diverse areas, including defence, energy and through Quad engagement.
The new US national security strategy signals a retreat from global dominance while reaffirming continuity in India's role in Indo-Pacific security and Quad cooperation, points out former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
'The Chinese military cannot advance much in Ladakh, even if they want to.' 'Similarly, in Arunachal Pradesh, they can rename a village or two, intrude here or there, but cannot do much more realistically.'
Experts' worries intensified after Pakistan commissioned its first Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine, PNS Hangor, last month.
During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, "a core part of our multicultural community", the Australian government said in a statement.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has affirmed India's commitment to ensuring issues like a free, open, and rule-based maritime order, seafarer safety, and countering terror financing receive due attention at the UN Security Council during its 2028-29 term.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a grand welcome on his arrival in Jakarta on Monday, with Indonesian Air Force fighter jets escorting the PM's aircraft upon entering Indonesian airspace, marking a ceremonial welcome.
History may remember Takaichi Sanae not as the leader who simply accelerated Japanese rearmament, but as one who governed during Japan's transition from an industrial-age security model to a post-industrial strategic member of the global order, points out Varun Arya.
Jaishankar said such a description would be like putting the perpetrator and the victim of the Pahalgam attack at the same level.
The United States Central Command confirmed that the USS Rafael Peralta intercepted an Iranian-flagged ship, enforcing a maritime blockade against Iran. The US military is prepared to resume major combat operations if ordered by the President.
