When the leaders of the world’s two largest economies meet, the whole world watches the theatrics, the body language, and the substance. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the US and summit with President Donald Trump took place against the backdrop of a surge in China’s global trade, while Trump has been struggling withContinue reading “What a US-China thaw could cost India”
Category Archives: Defence & Security
IAF To Drill With U.S. F-35 Simulating Fifth-Gen J-20, UAE F-16s and French Rafale Jets. All About Ex. Tarang Shakti
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is hosting the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti, India’s premier multinational air exercise, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from 26 September to 12 October 2026. Focusing on Air Force training, it brings together air forces from multiple countries for joint aerial operations, tactical training, and advanced interoperability drills day and night.Continue reading “IAF To Drill With U.S. F-35 Simulating Fifth-Gen J-20, UAE F-16s and French Rafale Jets. All About Ex. Tarang Shakti”
AMCA & LCA Mk1A Grab National Attention — But 70 Years On, India Struggles to Field Its Own Trainers
India’s evolving fifth-generation AMCA and the still-to-be-delivered LCA Mk1A continue to grab the headlines. But there are other eggs in the Indian defence production basket that still need to be hatched. The long-delayed indigenous trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) seems to be missing in action. While one can understand that the technology-hungry,Continue reading “AMCA & LCA Mk1A Grab National Attention — But 70 Years On, India Struggles to Field Its Own Trainers”
Fine Balancing By India – BRICS in the Times of Uncertain World
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is already in its fifth year, and the end is still not in sight. The United States, though not completely abandoning NATO, is executing a strategic shift under the Trump administration—termed “NATO 3.0”—that significantly reduces American force commitments and pressures Europe to take the lead in its own conventional defence. The 2026Continue reading “Fine Balancing By India – BRICS in the Times of Uncertain World”
India Trains To Counter J-20 Stealth Fighters as China’s J-16 Holds Rare Drills Against Egyptian Rafales
As China’s J-16 “Hidden Dragon” fighter jets drill against Egypt‘s Rafales, the Indian Air Force (IAF) continues to sharpen its teeth through multinational exercises and train against cutting-edge jets like the “stealth” F-35. The Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) is keen to decode Western fighter jets like the Rafale, Eurofighter, and Gripen, while the Indian AirContinue reading “India Trains To Counter J-20 Stealth Fighters as China’s J-16 Holds Rare Drills Against Egyptian Rafales”
Why India is Sceptical About the USA Entering Its Fighter Aircraft Ecosystem: Lockheed’s C-130J May Win, But Its F-35s & Rebranded F-16s Remain a Question Mark
US-India bilateral relations evolved dramatically after 2000, driven by shared concerns over global terrorism and China’s unprecedented rise. The U.S. is India’s largest export market, accounting for roughly 20 per cent of total Indian goods exports, amounting to nearly $97–$100 billion annually, despite recent tensions with the Trump administration over trade and tariffs. The U.S.Continue reading “Why India is Sceptical About the USA Entering Its Fighter Aircraft Ecosystem: Lockheed’s C-130J May Win, But Its F-35s & Rebranded F-16s Remain a Question Mark”
Air War in Kargil – A Revisit
The Kargil War was fought between India and Pakistan in the high mountains in the Kargil District of Jammu and Kashmir, and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC) between 3 May and 26 July 1999. Code-named ‘Operation Vijay’, it ended with a decisive victory for Indian forces, and India regained possession of territory occupiedContinue reading “Air War in Kargil – A Revisit”
Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition: Complex Regional Dynamics and Challenges
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026, establishing a collective security pact modelled after NATO’s Article 5. The core commitment was that an armed attack against any one of the three nations is treated as an attack against all of them. It was signed in Mecca byContinue reading “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition: Complex Regional Dynamics and Challenges”
F-35 Restrictions Pushed Tokyo Toward 6th-Gen Fighter Jet as GCAP Offered Unlimited Access: Japanese Source
China is actively flight-testing advanced sixth-generation air-dominance prototypes: the Chengdu J-36 (an ultra-long-range, heavy triple-engine design) and the Shenyang J-50 (a smaller, twin-engine tailless design). The US is set to fly its sixth-generation aircraft, but full-scale prototype testing is slated to begin in 2028. The Future Combat Air System (FCAS/SCAF) was a major trilateral EuropeanContinue reading “F-35 Restrictions Pushed Tokyo Toward 6th-Gen Fighter Jet as GCAP Offered Unlimited Access: Japanese Source”
The Indo-US Defence Industrial Cooperation – The Gap between Ambition and Execution
US defence sales to India have surged past $22 billion since the initial deal for six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft was signed in early 2008. Since then, the US has become one of India’s key arms suppliers. However, despite the growth in military sales and bold initiatives such as the 10-Year Framework forContinue reading “The Indo-US Defence Industrial Cooperation – The Gap between Ambition and Execution”