President Droupadi Murmu undertook a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet from the Air Force Station in Ambala. This follows a previous sortie in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft in April 2023.
India and Russia are set to expand their defence cooperation, with India expressing interest in procuring additional S-400 missile systems. Discussions took place ahead of the India-Russia annual summit.
However, these are understood to be exploratory talks, with an agreement unlikely to be formalised during the current visit.
President Droupadi Murmu will take a sortie in a Rafale fighter jet in Ambala, Haryana.
HAL's order book amounts to Rs 2.45 trillion by end of Q2FY26, implying a book-to-bill ratio of 32 times based on FY25 revenue.
Describing the act as the 'grossest kind of indiscipline', the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a former Christian officer's plea challenging his termination from the armed forces, after he allegedly refused to participate in regimental religious activities at the sanctum sanctorum of a temple at a place of his posting.
HAL has assured the IAF that 12 Mk1A aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2025-2026.
The Indian Air Force is set to retire its fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets at a decommissioning event in Chandigarh. The event will mark the end of an era for the aircraft that has been a key part of the IAF's combat fleet for over six decades.
HAL aims to raise output from the current ceiling of 24 aircraft a year to 30 by the end of 2027
'Where rostering systems are automated and duty time software interfaces directly with DGCA, the assertion that they suddenly discovered crew shortages is simply implausible.' 'If adequate crew planning hasn't materialised within 12 to 24 months from inception, how will 45 days -- from December 5 to February 12 -- suddenly resolve matters?'
The enduring relationship between the two countries have survived the disintegration of the erstwhile USSR in 1991, the end of the Cold War and the regime change in both countries, points out Rup Narayan Das.
The legendary Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jets, the the backbone of the Indian Air Force's combat fleet for more than six decades, streaked through Indian skies for the last time on Friday -- its final adieu edged in history and many a remembrance.
HAL executives said deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A to the IAF would begin within this year, but only after the successful completion of the weapons-firing trials currently underway.
The Indian side would prefer to get S-500 air defence system which has more range than the S-400 but it would require a clearance from the top Russian leadership for its sale, they said.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has travelled to Russia to hold crucial talks on bilateral energy and defence ties and to prepare ground for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India later this year.
10 Heroes of the 1965 War which ended on September 23 60 years ago.
This is seen as the first concrete opportunity to break HAL's monopoly in combat aircraft manufacturing, potentially opening the door to a private-sector fighter jet producer.
The MiG-21's sharp silhouette and supersonic roar will live on in the memories of those who flew it, those who maintained it, and those who watched it streak across the sky as a symbol of India's strength, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
NSA Ajit Doval has indicated that dates for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India are being worked out during his meetings in Moscow. Discussions also covered bilateral energy and defence cooperation, amidst ongoing concerns over India's procurement of Russian crude oil.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is training specialized 'drone commandos' and 'drone warriors' for modern warfare, with plans to deploy them in missions like Operation Sindoor. A 'School of Drone Warfare' has been inaugurated to provide training in UAV operations, anti-drone warfare, and surveillance.
Military officials detail how the Indian Air Force's downing of a Pakistani aircraft at a long distance reflects its air superiority and dealt a psychological blow to the adversary.
The actors played a key role in helping recover the stolen Mahavir Chakra.
India recognised acts of gallantry by armed forces personnel and senior military officers involved in Operation Sindoor, along with other distinguished service awards, on the eve of the 79th Independence Day.
The Russian agencies concerned are carrying out studies to determine the level of investments they will have to make to manufacture the aircraft in India, defence sources said.
The first batch of women cadets joined the NDA's 148th course in 2022 after the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) allowed women to apply to the defence academy following a Supreme Court direction in 2021.
Barely out of their teens, the first batch of girls will graduate alongside 300 male cadets from the National Defence Academy.
As festivities for Independence Day begin, the Centre on Thursday awarded Vir Chakra to nine Indian Air Force officers for their brave contributions in the service of the nation during Operation Sindoor.
On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history by embarking on a space odyssey along with three others to the International Space Station.
The MiG-21 episode demonstrates that procurement is always strategic.
Choices about what aircraft to acquire, who builds them, who supplies the spares, who trains the pilots and technicians are decisions with political consequences lasting for decades.
Today, he lies in an unknown grave in a corner of a farmer's field in Pakistan, having given his all for his country. A riveting excerpt from Ian Cardozo's Beyond Fear: True Stories on Life in the Indian Armed Forces.
Squadron Leader Lokendra Singh Sindhu, an Indian Air Force pilot killed in a Jaguar fighter jet crash, had recently become a father. His family in Haryana was in celebration mode before the tragedy. He leaves behind his wife and a month-old son.
'The aircraft is expected to be ready for rollout between January and March 2026, and to fly by the end of the year.'
Addressing a special 'Youm-e-Tashakur' event at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad, Shehbaz said that India and Pakistan fought three wars and got nothing.
At present, the IAF has three MiG-21 squadrons with a total of around 50 aircraft, according to officials.
When the technology gap between China and India will remain large, cost-effective hardware of the kind that proved their worth in Operation Sindoor should be our priority, points out R Jagannathan.
Shubman Gill was deemed Rohti's long-term successor and was crowned the new Test skipper.
The slippage in the delivery schedule for the LCA Mk-1A variant of the jet had become a major issue with Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh raising the matter publicly.
The military also claimed that 40 civilians, including seven women and 15 children, were killed and 121 others injured in strikes by India on the night of 6-7 May.
'The crash site must be secured because something small -- like a pipe or hydraulic line -- could hold a critical clue.'
T, which Pakistan claimed to have destroyed along with S-400 missile launchers. India had rubbished the claims and TV cameras following Modi corroborated that.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances