Author: Defenceline Webdesk

The Pakistan Navy (PN) commissioned the lead Hangor-class air-independent propulsion (AIP)-equipped submarine, PNS/M Hangor, at a ceremony in Sanya, China. President Asif Ali Zardari attended the event as chief guest, alongside Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Naveed Ashraf. The commissioning caps a program that has been over a decade in the making – one that survived supplier disruptions, pandemic-driven delays, and a forced engine switch – to deliver what the PN regards as the centrepiece of its subsurface modernization. With seven more boats to follow, the Hangor-class will nearly quadruple the PN’s AIP-equipped submarine fleet from three to…

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DRDO has confirmed that it is actively working to reduce the cost of BrahMos missiles by optimising subsystems and developing indigenous components, while simultaneously advancing a new long-range anti-ship missile expected to surpass BrahMos in performance.These efforts aim to balance affordability with capability, strengthen India’s deterrence posture, and expand export opportunities.India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is pursuing a dual-track strategy to strengthen its missile ecosystem. On one hand, it is examining each subsystem of the BrahMos missile to identify efficiencies that can reduce production costs.This initiative is particularly significant as the missile, jointly developed with Russia, has long…

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WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of roughly 5,000 US troops from Germany over the next year, a spokesman confirmed to Breaking Defense. “This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell wrote in a brief statement. “We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.” The Pentagon did not respond to questions about plans for the approximately 30,000 troops that will remain in Germany, or if the withdrawal would…

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has affirmed that India halted Operation Sindoor voluntarily, emphasising that the country was fully prepared for a long war against Pakistan if required.Speaking at the National Security Summit 2.0, he described Pakistan as the epicentre of international terrorism and stressed the need to uproot its ideological and political foundations.He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and the government’s zero tolerance policy towards terrorism, noting that India did not succumb to threats of nuclear attack.Singh recalled Operation Sindoor, India’s decisive response to the Pahalgam terror attack in 2025, as a turning point that signalled a new world…

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WASHINGTON — The Defense Department’s unfunded priority lists have hit Capitol Hill, but in a departure from precedent, two of the military services and several combatant commands said they have no unfunded requirements due to the size of the $1.5 trillion defense budget request for fiscal 2027. According to UPL submissions obtained by Breaking Defense, the Army, Navy and Air Force included about $3 billion in unfunded requests, all for military construction projects. US Southern Command included $229.9 million in its wish list, up from its $60 million request in FY26. All told, those figures are paltry compared to the…

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Ravi Kota has been appointed as the 22nd Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), taking charge on 1 May 2026 following the retirement of Dr DK Sunil.He is popularly known as HAL’s “LCA Man” due to his long-standing association with the TEJAS Light Combat Aircraft programme, a project that has defined much of his career within the organisation.His appointment was made after a rigorous selection process by the Public Enterprises Selection Board, which shortlisted him from a pool of eight candidates, including six internal executives.The final decision was subsequently approved by the Cabinet. Kota’s academic background includes…

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