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India-Supplied BEL Swathi Weapon Locating Radar Spotted in Armenian MoD Footage

Embraer to Acquire 51% Stake in M&M Subsidiary Novavayu Aerospace Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) announced that Brazil's Embraer S.A. will acquire a 51% equity stake in Novavayu Aerospace Limited (NAL), a step-down wholly owned subsidiary under Mahindra Defence Systems Limited (MDSL). Timeline: Expected completion on or before 1st December 2026. Status Change: NAL will cease to be a wholly owned subsidiary and become an associate entity of MDSL. Entity Background: NAL was incorporated on 29th July 2026 and does not fall within related party transactions.

Exercise Mountain Guardian 2026: India’s Bhairav Battalion and UAE Mountain Infantry Hold Joint Drills in Uttarakhand The Indian Army’s Bhairav Battalion and the UAE Land Forces are conducting the joint military exercise "Mountain Guardian 2026" in Uttarakhand to advance interoperability and high-altitude combat capabilities. Participating Forces: Indian Army's Bhairav Battalion collaborating with the UAE's Mountain Infantry. Key Drill Focus: Hands-on training in rock craft, tactical live firing, and high-altitude warfare techniques. Integrated Exercises: Field manoeuvres targeting mission-oriented drills, joint coordination, and rugged terrain navigation. Strategic Objective: Reinforcing bilateral defence ties and tactical synergy between both armed forces.

GRSE Launches 'Shreyas', Third NGOPV for the Indian Navy in Under Five Months Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) has launched 'Shreyas', the third of four Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) for the Indian Navy, marking three ship launches in under five months. Rapid Milestones: Follows the launches of 'Sanghmitra' (May 2026) and 'Shruti' (August 2026). Launch Ceremony: Formally launched in Kolkata by Smt Reyman Kochhar; Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar served as Chief Guest. Vessel Specifications: Measures 113 m in length with a 3,000-tonne displacement, reaching up to 23 knots and an 8,500 nm endurance at 14 knots. Operational Scope: Designed for coastal surveillance, EEZ protection, mine warfare, HADR, anti-piracy, and special operations.

MoD Seeks 35% Hike in Capex Budget to ~$30B; Total Budget to Cross $100B~ Def Sec India's MoD is seeking up to a 35% hike in its FY28 modernisation budget (25% fallback) after fully utilising allocations in FY25–FY26, with annual contract signings exceeding $23.8B. FY25: Total $74.1B (+4.7% vs FY24) | Capex $20.5B (+5.8%). FY26: Total $81.1B (+9.5% vs FY25, 1.91% GDP) | Capex $21.4B (+4.6%) | Modernisation $17.7B. FY27: Total $93.5B (+15.3% vs FY26, 1.99% GDP) | Capex $26.1B (+21.7%) | Modernisation $22.0B (+24.4%). FY28 (Projected): Modernisation targets $29.7B (~$30B at +35%) or $27.5B (+25%), taking total defence spending beyond $100B. Note:Exchange Rate Used: $1 USD = ₹84.00 INR

Indian Navy Set to Commission Indigenous ASW Shallow Water Craft 'Mangrol' The Indian Navy is scheduled to commission Mangrol, the third indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, on 12 October 2026 at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai: Induction: Third CSL-built ASW-SWC, reviving the legacy of the former minesweeper INS Mangrol (M85). Indigenous Footprint: Features over 80% indigenous content built under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Weapons & Sensors: Fitted with Abhay hull-mounted sonar, lightweight torpedoes, ASW rocket launchers, and Maareech decoys. Propulsion: Driven by triple diesel engines with waterjets for high shallow-water agility.

#Exclusive Indian Navy Issues RFP to BEL for Shakti EW Upgrade to Replace Ellora Mk II, Likely for Shivalik-Class Frigates The Ministry of Defence (Navy) has issued a Single Tender Enquiry RFP to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to replace the legacy Ellora Mk-II suite with the indigenous Shakti Electronic Warfare (EW) system. Aimed at targeted modernization—likely for an Eastern Fleet frigate such as the Shivalik class—key aspects include: Scope & Delivery: 01 set under an 18-month timeline to Weapon Equipment Depot, Vizag. ESM Suite: Wideband 0.175–40 GHz interception, high-accuracy DF, and RF fingerprinting. ECM Jammer: 6–40 GHz DRFM jamming delivering up to 50 kW ERP against 8+ simultaneous threats.

Indian Coast Guard Commissions Indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel 'ICGS Ajit' The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commissioned the indigenously built Fast Patrol Vessel, ICGS Ajit, at Goa Shipyard Limited on 09 October 2026. Presided over by Dr. Sirish Choudhary, IDAS, Principal Integrated Financial Advisor (ICG), the event underscores India’s growing self-reliance in defense shipbuilding. Base Location: Stationed at Okha, Gujarat. Technology: State-of-the-art weaponry and modern control systems. Key Missions: Maritime surveillance, search and rescue (SAR), anti-smuggling, and marine pollution response.

Honeywell to Deliver 4 More HTT-40 Engines by Year-End, Totalling 8 Under $100M Deal ​Delivery Target: Honeywell will supply 4 additional TPE331-12B engines to HAL by late 2026, reaching 8 total units delivered for the year. ​$100M Deal Scope: Covers 88 total engines—16 directly imported from Honeywell by early 2027 and 72 locally manufactured by HAL via Technology Transfer by 2029. ​Indigenous Customization: Critical customization work and a next-generation engine controller were developed locally in India. ​IAF Fleet Support: Steady engine supply accelerates HAL's production schedule to meet the Indian Air Force's pilot training requirements.

Navantia & L&T Form Alliance to Bid for India’s ~$9 Billion 4-LPD Warship Deal Spain’s Navantia and India’s L&T signed an MoU in Madrid to co-develop 4 Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) for the Indian Navy, joining forces for the mega acquisition program. Strategic MoU: Establishes a long-term framework blending Navantia’s global naval architecture with L&T’s engineering prowess. Battle-Tested Blueprint: Draws on Navantia's LHD flagships like Spain’s Juan Carlos I and Australia's Canberra class. Dual Operational Role: Built for combat deployments with floodable docks and broad humanitarian relief missions.

Reliance Jio Unveils Indigenous Satellite Stack for upcoming Constellation to Challenge Starlink~ IMC 2026 Reliance Jio is accelerating India’s telecom self-reliance by building homegrown satellite tech and pre-6G intellectual property. Chairman Akash Ambani announced the move at IMC 2026 to support national goals for global next-gen telecom leadership. Indigenous Satellite Stack: Developing an India-based satellite technology ecosystem. Pre-6G Patents: Active patent filings to support India’s target of holding 10% of global 6G patents. AI Integration: Deploying AI across voice and data to elevate consumer value.

India Condemns Maritime Strikes on Four Black Sea Vessels Endangering Indian Nationals Onboard~ MEA Rising maritime hostilities in the Black Sea have endangered international shipping lanes, prompting serious concern from New Delhi as four commercial vessels came under drone attacks: MV Royad Mammadov: Three Indian nationals were aboard; one was injured and received medical care with the assistance of Romanian authorities. MV ABLE: Seven of the 18 crew members were Indian; one was injured, and the crew was evacuated to Varna by Bulgarian authorities. AFRAMAX RIO: All 23 Indian crew members were safely rescued following a fire caused by a drone strike. Alfa Watan: Struck and sunk; casualty and crew details remain unconfirmed.

🇷🇺🇺🇦 A Russian jet-powered Geran-4 drone flew over Kyiv today with a portrait of Vladimir Putin painted on its underside.

EyeROV Delivers India’s First Indigenous Military-Grade ROV to Indian Navy Kochi-based deep-tech startup EyeROV delivered two EyeROV TROUT Remotely Operated Vehicles to the Indian Navy under an order of five, marking India's first military-standard underwater robotic system. Programme: Developed under the iDEX DISC 7 SPRINT initiative to advance indigenous defence technology. Capabilities: Built for underwater inspection, reconnaissance, search, recovery, and robotic intervention. Resilience: DQA(N) and DGQAN-certified for deep dives, zero-visibility waters, and strong currents.

#Exclusive DRDO IRDE Issues RFP to Evaluate Indigenous Airborne IRST on Hawker Testbed DRDO’s Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE) has issued an RFP to contract flight test bed (FTB) services for airborne evaluation of its indigenous Long-Range Search and Track System (LRDTS). Testbed Integration: Nose-mounted integration of Sensor Head Unit (SHU) and Processing Unit (PU) on a BAE 125-800A aircraft, with a cabin Mission Computer Simulator. Two Prototypes: Testing covers both SB1 and SB2 hardware configurations. Flight Campaign: 45 flying hours on the BAE 125 against an L-39 Albatros target (30 hours) at altitudes from 5,000 to 29,000 ft. Contract Span: 45-month execution period out of Bengaluru across diverse maritime and land terrains.

HAL Delivers 2,000th AL-31FP Engine; Unveils New Shakti Line & MIDHANI Secures Single-Crystal Superalloy Clearance HAL Koraput marked a major propulsion milestone with its 2,000th aero-engine delivery before Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. Strengthening engine indigenisation, DRDO-CEMILAC granted provisional airworthiness clearance to MIDHANI for Supercast ZC 32 V1 single-crystal superalloys for Su-30MKI AL-31FP engines. 2,000th Engine Milestone: Celebrates 60 years of production; over 9,000 engines overhauled. MIDHANI Metallurgy Leap: Cleared for indigenous single-crystal billets for AL-31FP engines. AL-31FP Expansion: Annual capacity rising from 30 to 50 units via ₹335 Cr outlay. 2nd Shakti Line: ₹218 Cr line launched to build 100 engines/year for ALH and LCH.

France Conducts Maiden Test of 10,000-km Range M51.3 Nuclear Missile from Submarine Le Vigilant French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the maiden test-firing of the new M51.3 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the nuclear submarine Le Vigilant, witnessed aboard the frigate Auvergne. Boasting an estimated strategic range of up to 10,000 km, the upgraded missile cements France's long-range independent nuclear deterrence. Maiden Launch: First firing of the upgraded M51.3 missile from SSBN Le Vigilant. Global Reach: Estimated ~9,000–10,000 km range reinforces strategic deterrence. Modernisation: French defence budget on track to double over a decade since 2017. Next-Gen Arsenal: Advances 3rd-generation SSBNs and future airborne hypersonic missiles.

MoD Inks ₹661.50 Cr BrahMos Launcher & Fire Control System Deal for 2 Ranvir and 2 Veer class Ships The Ministry of Defence has signed a ₹661.50 crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category to procure Fire Control Systems and Launchers for two Veer-class and two Ranvir-class Indian Navy ships. Target Ships: Fitment for 2 Veer and 2 Ranvir class warships. Deal Value: ₹661.50 crore under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. Indigenisation: Minimum 68% domestic content with active MSME participation. Employment: Generates domestic industry employment over three years. Strike Capability: Enhances supersonic precision strike for maritime combat.