Delhi must now purge the delusional hopes of being a 'counterweight' to China in the US calculus, argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Tensions in West Asia have dramatically escalated as Israel launched targeted military operations against Iran, triggering widespread blasts across strategic cities, following earlier Iranian projectile attacks on Israel.
The SCALP missiles were launched by the Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets along with the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to take out the terrorist headquarters in Muridke and Bahawalpur districts of Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the attacks on the United Arab Emirates' port city of Fujairah, which resulted in injuries to three Indian nationals, and reiterated India's support for peaceful resolution through dialogue.
Seeing missile attacks as a common threat, US-led NATO military alliance has offered India cooperation and sharing of technology in the field of missile defence.
'India's security challenges are no longer confined to the Line of Control or the Line of Actual Control.'
'They also span cyber networks, economic systems, information warfare, technology ecosystems, maritime routes, and internal social cohesion.'
British armed forces, including Royal Marine Commandos, intercepted the Russian shadow fleet oil tanker SMYRTOS in the English Channel, marking the UK's first such operation. The action aims to disrupt Russia's funding for its war in Ukraine, with the UK government highlighting the shadow fleet's role in sustaining Moscow's military efforts.
The United States has paused a proposed USD 14 billion arms sale to Taiwan due to concerns about maintaining sufficient munitions for potential conflicts, particularly in light of the ongoing situation with Iran.
China has denied reports of finalising a deal with Iran to sell CM-302 supersonic anti-ship missiles, amidst rising tensions in the Middle East and joint US-Israeli airstrikes.
Initial reports suggested that shrapnel caused significant damage to the structure; however, no direct missile impact was reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Pyongyang for his first official visit in seven years, meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to reaffirm their long-standing friendship and pledge further development of bilateral relations amidst Pyongyang's deepening military ties with Moscow and China's assertions against Japan's 'new militarism'.
Plans are afoot to test India's missile defence shield in November, V K Saraswat, leading scientist at Defence Research and Development Organisation, said on Friday.
A sovereign cloud, our own DNS root and Root CA, a defence-led research base that builds for keeps, and a real national cybersecurity strategy that outlives electoral cycles are not vanity projects. They are the difference between a nation that can be switched off and one that cannot, points out Venkata Satish Guttula.
The fourth Central Research Institute of the Ministry in Moscow is hosting the joint theatre-wide ballistic missile defence (BMD) command-post exercise (CPX).
"If you have a laser based system on an airborne or seaborne platform, it can travel at the speed of light and in a few seconds, we can kill a ballistic missile coming towards us," DRDO's Air Defence Programme Director V K Saraswat told PTI in New Delhi.
In the wake of continued heated rhetoric from North Korea, the United States is deploying a ballistic missile defence system in Pacific Island of Guam.
The United States and South Korea will deploy the advanced THAAD missile defence system on the volatile Korean peninsula as a "defensive measure" to counter the growing security threat from North Korea's weapons of mass destruction. The move has not gone down well with China which said that the move will harm the security of countries in the region.
A new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicates that India has expanded its nuclear arsenal and is developing long-range weapons capable of reaching targets across China, while also maintaining focus on its rivalry with Pakistan.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that the Israeli strikes on Lebanon's capital of Beirut "should not have happened", warning that such escalation could jeopardise the peace agreement with Iran to achieve a complete solution to the West Asia conflict, which, according to him, is within reach.
Amidst escalating tensions in West Asia, Pakistan's defence chief visited Saudi Arabia to discuss regional security and the mutual defence pact between the two nations, focusing on de-escalation strategies.
An Indian national was killed in an attack on Kuwait International Airport, prompting the Indian Embassy to offer condolences and assistance. The attack, attributed to Iranian strikes, led to the suspension of air traffic and caused casualties and damage.
India successfully test-fired two Pralay missiles in quick succession off the coast of Odisha, paving the way for its induction into the military. The missile is indigenously developed and features a state-of-the-art navigation system.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has recently approved procurement proposals worth Rs 79,000 crore across three services and it has cleared AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) of Rs 3.3 trillion in financial year 2026 (FY26).
India is the only significant power that all parties trust, or at least do not distrust, notes former defence secretary Ajay Kumar.
India's defence expenditure surged to $92.1 billion in 2025, making it the world's fifth-largest military spender, according to SIPRI data. This 8.9 per cent year-on-year rise was primarily driven by operational and procurement needs following heightened regional tensions with Pakistan in May 2025.
Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi announced that India is considering raising a 'rocket-cum-missile' force in response to the evolving regional security situation and similar units in China and Pakistan. The move aims to enhance India's combat capabilities and long-range strike potential.
Pakistan is reportedly pursuing Chinese J-35 stealth fighters while China already operates hundreds of J-20 stealth aircraft.
The IAI is Israel's largest aerospace and defence company. It develops, manufactures and supplies defence systems including anti-missile, aerial systems and intelligence and cybersecurity systems.
'We won not (only) because we were able to carry out long-range precision strikes.' 'That is, of course, one of the reasons but we had better situational awareness about what's happening than Pakistan.'
'We caught General Pervez Musharraf talking over the phone with his Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Mohammad Aziz. Musharraf was visiting China; Aziz was in Rawalpindi.'
The strategic planning has already begun to install the BMD system in the two cities and the final proposal will be put before the government after detailed analysis of the entire project, sources told PTI in New Delhi.
President Vladimir Putin has declared Russia's willingness to finalise a peace agreement with Ukraine based on US President Donald Trump's Anchorage proposals, provided Kyiv accepts necessary compromises.
Three Indian nationals were injured in a drone attack on the Fujairah Petroleum Industries Zone (FOIZ) in the UAE. The UAE has condemned the attack, attributing it to Iran.
After carrying out major upgrades, India will test fire an advanced version of its indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence system in February allowing it to destroy enemy rockets at a much higher altitude.
An Indian worker was killed and three others were injured in a drone attack in the Moscow region, the Indian embassy in Russia said. The incident occurred amid escalating hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.
Beijing has been wary of Sanae Takaichi's efforts to boost Japan's military profile since taking office six months ago, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today said the new missile defence system for Eastern Europe would leave America and its allies stronger and charged the Republicans that their criticism of the new policy is not based on facts.
'Pakistan's is the only military-controlled nuclear weapons programme in the world.' 'As people get radicalised, the risk of a brigadier or pilot taking matters into their own hands is a real concern.'
Frankly, was it really necessary in the middle of a fratricidal war for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to travel to Abu Dhabi for a one-on-one with the sheikh on April 12?Or, for National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to follow up on April 26? Or, for PM Narendra Modi to follow through today? There are no easy answers, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Experts' worries intensified after Pakistan commissioned its first Chinese-built Hangor-class submarine, PNS Hangor, last month.
