The Airbus A400M is a powerful transport aircraft, but its larger 37-tonne payload capacity sits above India’s 18 to 30-tonne requirement, making it less suitable for the MTA programme.
The Centre has invited bids for 60 medium transport aircraft worth nearly Rs 1 lakh crore. Tata, Mahindra, Adani and HAL will lead the project with foreign aerospace partners.
Astra Microwave says its work on the Virupaksha AESA radar remains on schedule, with fabrication expected to finish by year-end as India prepares to upgrade its Su-30MKI fleet.
Air Marshal Sandeep Thareja has been appointed as the next Director General Armed Forces Medical Services. A decorated military doctor, he will lead healthcare services for India’s Army, Navy, and Air Force.
From the 1971 war to Kargil, Balakot and Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force has steadily improved its precision-strike capability with advanced missiles, smart bombs, and networked warfare systems.
India’s armed forces recently witnessed Bhargavastra, an indigenous counter-drone system built to destroy drone swarms. The vehicle-mounted platform combines radar, sensors, rockets and micro-missiles to protect strategic assets.
The Indian Air Force is upgrading Air Force Station Barrackpore with energy-efficient LED lighting, supporting its push for smarter, greener military infrastructure and improving operational efficiency across the air base.
Russia will support India’s Super Sukhoi upgrade by helping integrate and certify the Su-30MKI flight control system. The rest of the ₹63,000 crore modernisation will use mostly Indian-made technologies.
India’s Tejas Mk2 and Rafale fighters will stay combat-ready with advanced electronic warfare, smart sensors, AI-powered networking, and Manned-Unmanned Teaming, keeping the IAF effective even as stealth aircraft become more common.
Ten Indian defence companies have entered the race for the ₹30,000 crore MALE drone programme. The project will supply 87 advanced UAVs to the IAF and strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing.
