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.
The civil aviation ministry reports six aircraft engine shutdown incidents and three May Day calls in India this year. The Air India plane crash investigation is ongoing, with all aspects being examined.
'In any aviation emergency, the first rule is aviate -- fly the aircraft.' 'The fact that the commander's voice is not on the recording simply means he was focused entirely on flying. It does not imply anything more than that.'
Iran is fighting a different war: Older, slower, and in some ways more dangerous. Iran doesn't need to shoot down an F/A-18. It only needs to make the Strait of Hormuz feel dangerous long enough for insurance markets, shipping companies, and oil futures traders to do the rest. Prem Panicker continues his must-read daily blog on the war in the Middle East.
The aircraft was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales due to adverse weather conditions.
Russia, being bogged down by the Ukraine war and prioritising the requirements of its own armed forces, along with India's consistent diversification policy, will remain a major challenge to the bilateral partnership, note Harsh V Pant and Aleksei Zakharov.
What we are watching is something different: A fog manufactured and maintained by the people who started the war, so that the question of why it was started never has to be answered, observes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the war in the Middle East.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the armed forces' performance during Operation Sindoor, emphasizing the importance of technology and adaptability in modern warfare. He urged air force commanders to learn from the operation and stay prepared for future challenges.
60 years ago, on January 24, 1966, Dr Homi J Bhabha, the father of India's nuclear programme, died in an air crash on Mont Blanc. The official inquiry said the plane went off course in bad weather, but coincidences, missing evidence, and later unproven claims have kept conspiracy theories alive. A fascinating excerpt from Bakhtiar Dadabhoy's book, Homi J Bhabha: A Life.
The fiscal tilt towards capex benefits companies in investment-related sectors like capital goods, defence equipment, engineering & construction and metal & mining. The planned cut in revenue expenditure will weigh on companies in consumption sectors like FMCG, consumer durables and retail.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to retire its MiG-21 aircraft in September after over six decades of service. The last of the MiG-21 jets will be given a farewell at a ceremony in Chandigarh.
In 2025, the total net induction was 35 planes -- 79 added and 44 returned -- making it much lower than even 2024.
'Some success has been achieved in raising the costs of terrorism for Pakistan.'
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.
This is the fourth peacetime crash of an IAF jet in 2025 so far.
A trainer aircraft crashed in Seoni district, Madhya Pradesh, after hitting a power line, injuring the pilot and flight instructor. The aircraft belonged to Redbird Flight Training Academy.
In a move that signifies a major leap for India's aerospace manufacturing capabilities, the collaboration will establish a final assembly line for the Falcon 2000 jets in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
The lawsuit has compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants for the wrongful deaths of four passengers on flight 171, US-based law firm The Lanier Law Firm said in a statement.
The final approval for the acquisition of 97 LCA Mark 1A fighters was given by a high-level meeting on Tuesday and will pave the way for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to produce the aircraft, defence sources told ANI.
According to an international media report, the jet crashed in the afternoon local time while flying a demonstration flight at the prestigious air show.
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.
HAL has assured the IAF that 12 Mk1A aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2025-2026.
HAL aims to raise output from the current ceiling of 24 aircraft a year to 30 by the end of 2027
Namansh is survived by his father, mother, wife, who is also serving in the Air Force, and their six-year-old daughter.
'However, we must implement a tit-for-tat approach -- reciprocating their conduct with precision.' 'If they demonstrate respect, we respond accordingly. If they adopt hostile positions, we mirror that hostility with equal intensity.'
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.
'Government officials use Gmail and ordinary phones without basic security consciousness.' 'Interoperability, especially in joint exercises with countries like the US, worries me.' 'It often means we open our systems to them, but they don't reciprocate.' 'They could have kill switches in their systems and might even be able to affect ours.'
Between FY09 and FY25, 101 IAF fighter jets have crashed, costing the lives of 28 pilots.
The mega procurement project has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they said.
India's indigenous fighter jet programme reached a key milestone on Friday, October 17, 2025, as the Tejas Mk1A made its maiden flight at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Nashik facility.
Bengaluru-based Ultraviolette launches the fighter jet-inspired X-47 Crossover electric motorcycle at Rs 2.49 lakh, with deliveries to commence in October.
India and Russia have agreed to jointly produce a twin-engine narrow-body passenger aircraft for short-haul flights, marking a significant step in their strategic ties. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Russia's Public Joint Stock Company United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC-UAC) have signed an agreement for the production of SJ-100 aircraft in India.
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.
IndiGo, which operates the largest fleet among Indian carriers, has reported the highest number of serious engine-related incidents.
India is expected to finalize the procurement of 26 naval variant Rafale jets and three Scorpene submarines from France in the coming weeks, further bolstering its naval capabilities. The deals, which are in the final stages of approval, could be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Paris next month for an AI summit. The procurement of the Rafale (M) jets will be based on an inter-governmental agreement (IGA). The Indian Air Force is considering acquiring additional Rafale fighter aircraft squadrons. The deal for three Scorpene submarines follows the successful construction of six Scorpene submarines in India under Project 75. The defense and strategic partnerships between India and France have been strengthening in recent years, with both countries collaborating on joint development projects for jet and helicopter engines and advanced defense technologies.
The 17 rare earth elements that are at the centre of the current crisis are critical components of everyday products -- from cars to jet engines to electronics like smartphones and flat-screen TVs.
'Today's situation is unacceptable. It has the potential to affect the IAF's operational capability.'
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.
In a freak accident, an aircraft technician died after being sucked into the engine of an AI aircraft during push back at the Mumbai airport on Wednesday evening.
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.
