Author: Defenceline Webdesk

Former Western Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Katiyar has stated that Pakistan is unlikely to abandon its reliance on proxy warfare, which continues to be viewed by its military establishment as a low-cost strategic instrument against India, reported Arvind Chauhan of TOI.Speaking at a seminar titled “Op Sindoor 2.0: Lessons, Strategy and Prognosis,” organised by STRIVE India in Lucknow with support from HQ Central Command, he emphasised that terrorism remains central to Pakistan’s military narrative, reinforcing its internal relevance and sustaining its anti-India posture.Lt Gen Katiyar, who retired on 31 March 2026 after four decades of service, had commanded the…

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The concept of a “loyal wingman” drone controlled by other aircraft arguably dates back to the 1940s — but the technology has never been closer to reality than now. What will it look like if drones can truly be teamed with fighter jets? That’s the question we tackle as Breaking Defense kicks off a new roundtable series looking at the past, present and future of manned-unmanned teaming. Joining Editor-in-Chief Aaron Mehta is Michael Marrow, our in-house air warpower expert, as well as Caitlin Lee of the RAND Corporation and JJ Gertler of the Teal Group. There’s more to come, so…

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Between 2007 and 2026, the Pakistan Army (PA) transformed its air defence posture from a MANPADS-dependent force with sub-25 km reach into a multi-layered system spanning 125+ km in range, organized under a dedicated battle management architecture, and now contending with the emergent challenge of countering mass drone and loitering munition threats. This retrospective maps every layer of that transformation, from the initial FM-90 and LY-80 acquisitions through the HQ-9/P induction and the current push into counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) solutions, and identifies the gaps, industrial opportunities, and doctrinal shifts that will define the next phase. Executive Summary This retrospective…

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A surge in global fuel prices following disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz has exposed the extent to which Southeast Asia still depends heavily on imported fossil fuels for its security energy. Across the region, governments have scrambled to stabilize supply. Coal plants are operating at higher capacity, with emergency measures announced to shield economies from price shocks. Beyond the immediate term, perhaps the most pressing question is whether the crisis will slow or accelerate the region’s transition to renewable energy. Short-term Fix, Long-term Risks In the Philippines, the government’s response has underlined the tension between short- and long-term imperatives.…

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The launch of Mission Drishti, the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, has been hailed as a landmark in India’s space journey and a defining moment for the country’s private sector.Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that the achievement is a testament to the youth’s passion for innovation and nation-building, congratulating the founders and the team of GalaxEye for their breakthrough.The satellite, weighing 190 kilograms, is India’s largest privately built spacecraft and represents a technological leap by fusing electro-optical imaging with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on a single platform. This dual capability allows persistent, all-weather, day-and-night Earth observation, overcoming the limitations of conventional…

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DETROIT — For years, the Pentagon’s answer to a slow, rigid, and risk-averse acquisition system was to build workarounds. Organizations like the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in Silicon Valley were created to move faster than the traditional bureaucracy, pull in commercial drone technology, and give nontraditional companies a way into the defense market.  It helped bring tech disruptors, venture-backed firms, and new industrial players into a sector many had long avoided. But the Pentagon’s industrial base leadership is now making a different argument: going around the system and working outside the lines isn’t fully working.  That was a key message…

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Two weeks after Kamchybek Tashiev, the former head of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security, confirmed that a criminal case had been opened against him, his lawyer announced that the Prosecutor-General’s Office had approved an indictment and transferred the case to the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek for trial. There are seven other defendants in the case, though their names have not been publicized. Also, the case has been classified. “This means that all court hearings will be closed to the public, and no one is authorized to disclose information regarding the investigation or the judicial proceedings,” Ikramidin Aitkulov, Tashiev’s…

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a four‑day visit to Vietnam and South Korea from 18 to 21 May 2026, with the agenda dominated by a possible $700 million BrahMos missile deal with Hanoi and advanced defence technology collaboration under the KIND‑X initiative with Seoul.The trip underscores India’s intent to consolidate its role as a key security partner in the Indo‑Pacific while expanding industrial cooperation with two pivotal regional allies.Rajnath Singh’s visit begins in Vietnam on 18 May, where discussions are expected to centre on the proposed BrahMos supersonic cruise missile package valued at approximately ₹5,800 crore. This deal,…

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