Author: Defenceline Webdesk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have reaffirmed their strong commitment to the Quad framework during high-level bilateral talks in New Delhi.Both leaders stressed that the growing cooperation between India and Japan will directly strengthen and complement the broader Quad efforts, with a clear focus on ensuring a resilient and prosperous Indo-Pacific. They also announced plans to fast-track the upcoming Quad Leaders’ Summit, signalling a renewed urgency in advancing collective strategic priorities.According to the joint statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders pledged to deepen practical cooperation across the four foundational pillars…

Donald Vandergriff The Russia-Ukraine war has accelerated the integration of unmanned systems into conventional combat in ways few predicted. Source link

How many missions could a drone or satellite fly with a battery pack that can last decades? And what if that battery could be fueled by nuclear waste?That’s the future scientists are working toward in DARPA’s “Rads to Watts” program, which aims to create lightweight batteries with a high energy density. And a recent $3.37 million contract award aims to fund a viable proof-of-concept device that can produce more than 10 watts per kilogram with a yearslong shelf life. “Solar cells directly convert sunlight into electricity…Ours directly convert radiation into electricity,” said Stafford Sheehan, CEO and founder of Project Omega, which…

Shortly after the military-backed government in Myanmar thumbed its nose at the ASEAN chair and denied its request to meet with ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the regime in Naypyidaw went one step further and announced that Laos was next on the agenda. No date was given for the first official visit to an ASEAN country by self-anointed President Min Aung Hlaing in the Global New Light of Myanmar, which said on July 1 that the visit would take place over the “next few days.” But official scribes across the border had a bit more to say. The state-run Vientiane Times announced that Min Aung Hlaing would…

Tonbo Imaging has unveiled Trap1, an indigenous AI-enabled EO/IR seeker designed for next-generation missiles, glide bombs, and kamikaze drones, marking a major milestone in India’s defence technology ecosystem.The system provides true fire-and-forget capability with advanced target recognition and tracking, strengthening India’s push for self-reliance in precision-guided munitions.Bengaluru-based Tonbo Imaging has developed Trap1, a stabilised electro-optical and infrared seeker platform tailored for advanced missile and munition systems. The seeker is designed to deliver true fire-and-forget capability, enabling missiles to autonomously lock onto and track targets without requiring continuous operator guidance.This represents a significant leap in India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities, particularly…

Francis P. Sempa, Asian Review of Books How North Korean Elite Grievances Reveal the Regime’s Greatest Weakness Source link

Five years ago, I wrote an article arguing that the Indonesian government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was undermined by its anti-expertise and anti-science attitude. Nowadays, such an attitude is rampant across all parts of the current government under President Prabowo Subianto. The current “Red and White Cabinet” clearly demonstrates this anti-expertise sentiment. The cabinet is full of ministers without expertise in their respective portfolios, with a lack of relevant education and experience. Their lack of expertise has already had far-reaching consequences. Take, for example, the current minister of foreign affairs, Sugiono. Before him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)…

India’s private space sector is poised to make history with the announcement of Vikram‑1 Test Flight‑1, codenamed Mission Aagaman.This will be the nation’s first privately developed orbital rocket launch, scheduled to take place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The vehicle is now fully stacked at the iconic First Launch Pad, marking a defining moment in India’s journey towards commercial spaceflight.Mission Aagaman is targeted to place payloads into a 450 kilometre low Earth orbit at a 60‑degree inclination. The launch window has been set between 12 July and 4 August 2026, giving engineers and mission planners flexibility to…

ICEYE SAR satellite over the UK and Europe. Credit: ICEYE. The UK’s Defence Investment Plan continues to prioritise satellite communications in space defence, with a clear picture of funding and delivery But little is said about other space-based capabilities, including ISR and space control Few space programmes have direct, tangible value like aircraft or ships, which may be why space defence has little substance   The UK will prioritise satellite communications (SATCOM) above all else in its space defence strategy over the next ten years. In its long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP), published on 30 June, the Government revealed that…

Rolls-Royce has announced a major sourcing initiative in Bangalore, Karnataka, aimed at increasing its local procurement from India to more than $1 billion within the next five years.This expansion is part of the company’s strategy to make India its third home market outside the United Kingdom, reinforcing the government’s “Make in India” vision and embedding Indian industry deeper into global aerospace and engineering supply chains.The plan is structured around three strategic supply-chain buckets. First, Rolls-Royce will transition existing vendors into new programs, ensuring continuity while broadening their scope. Second, it will upgrade current suppliers’ capabilities to meet advanced technological requirements.Third,…