Author: Defenceline Webdesk

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today chaired a meeting of the Informal Empowered Group of Ministers (IGoM) in New Delhi to review the escalating West Asia conflict, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to adopt “economic self-defence” measures to safeguard India’s resilience.The meeting focused on both strategic and economic implications, including energy security and supply chain stability.The meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers convened at 10:30 am under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The IGoM was constituted to monitor the evolving situation in West Asia, which has seen rising tensions and disruptions in global energy routes.The ministers…

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The architecture of China-U.S. technology controls was built for things that arrive in shipping containers, not for software. That is becoming the most consequential fact in the bilateral technology relationship. U.S. President Donald Trump’s May 14 state visit to Beijing will offer an early test of whether either government has begun to reckon with this gap. For three years, the policy debate has run on a hardware-centered logic that even its critics have largely accepted. Lithography systems, GPU servers, and packaging equipment can be licensed, denied, traced, and counted. The Bureau of Industry and Security maintains entity lists. U.S. allies…

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Iran has now institutionalised its control over the Strait of Hormuz by creating the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), which requires vessels to obtain permits and pay tolls before transiting.Nations such as India and Pakistan have negotiated passage rights, while ships linked to the US or Israel face outright denial. The system is already in force, with some vessels reportedly paying up to $2 million in Chinese yuan for clearance.Tehran’s move comes amid the ongoing US–Iran standoff and the blockade of Iranian ports, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining the most sensitive global energy chokepoint.The PGSA has introduced a formalised…

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WASHINGTON ― US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has contracted Texas startup SkyFi to test a software platform built to deliver unclassified commercial satellite imagery directly to warfighters ― including a capability for commanders in the field to task a satellite to provide images in near-real time, the company announced today. SkyFi’s web-based platform, in essence, is meant to serve as a network operator linking SOCOM users to the best available imagery provided by the company’s some 150 satellite remote sensing providers via a plug-in to the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) application for mobile phones and tablets, Luke Fischer, the…

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Since establishing relations in 1972, the India-Vietnam relationship has generally been seen as one of the most stable in the Asian geopolitical landscape. The two countries have maintained a foundation of traditional friendship, moderate economic cooperation, and gradually expanded defense engagements without creating significant strategic concerns for other major powers. Compared to hot topics such as the China-U.S. rivalry, the Taiwan issue, or the South China Sea dispute, the India-Vietnam relationship has rarely been the focus of attention for international policymakers. However, that is changing rapidly.  China appears to be closely monitoring the development of India-Vietnam relations, particularly in the…

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India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is preparing to field the DURGA‑2, a 100‑kilowatt high‑energy laser weapon, aboard frontline Indian Navy warships, marking a decisive leap in directed energy warfare capability.This system is designed to neutralise drones, loitering munitions, and anti‑ship missiles, providing a cost‑effective and rapid‑response shield against emerging aerial threats.The DURGA‑2 program, standing for Directionally Unrestricted Ray‑Gun Array, represents the most ambitious step in India’s directed energy weapon roadmap. Earlier Indian laser systems operated in the 25 kW class, primarily serving as dazzlers to blind or disrupt hostile sensors.The new 100 kW variant, however, delivers destructive thermal…

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SINGAPORE — Taiwan’s parliament has approved a proposed government boost to defense spending after a protracted standoff — although it pared back the proposed supplementary budget by a third, and limited spending to US defense systems.  The 113-seat legislature, which is controlled by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party, passed a $780 billion Taiwan Dollar ($25 billion) supplementary budget on Friday in a 59-0 vote with 48 lawmakers from Taiwanese President Lai Cheng-te’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) abstaining.  The approved supplemental budget is much lower than the NT$1.25 trillion proposed by the Lai administration, with the funding going…

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