Author: Defenceline Webdesk

The ongoing tensions in the Gulf and the looming spectre of a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz highlight the fragility of global sea lanes.For India, whose economic arteries are deeply dependent on maritime routes, this is not a distant abstraction but an immediate strategic concern.With a coastline exceeding 11,000 kilometres, a vast Exclusive Economic Zone, and numerous islands, India’s maritime geography is both a strategic advantage and a potential vulnerability.Over the years, India has built a credible coastal security architecture. Yet credibility alone is insufficient in the current environment. The emerging challenges demand a doctrinal shift from reactive defence…

J. Whitney, Military+Aerospace E The upgrade is designed to enhance the aircraft’s ability to detect, track, and counter evolving threats in contested and austere environments. Source link

WASHINGTON — Autonomy developer Forterra and vehicle manufacturer Polaris announced today a new vehicle, dubbed MESA, designed for casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) and logistics missions.  The platform, unveiled today at the annual Modern Day Marine expo, is based on a modified Polaris Ranger XD 1500 and uses Forterra’s AutoDrive autonomy stack and the company’s Vektor communications capability designed to work in low-bandwidth environments, the companies said in a release today. “Because MESA is built in direct partnership with Polaris, every vehicle comes off the same market-leading production line that delivers Polaris platforms globally, with all modifications executed alongside the OEM [original…

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao made his first public remarks Tuesday as the civilian head of the Navy since the Pentagon announced Wednesday that John Phelan would be leaving the role he’d held for just about 13 months.Cao, a retired Navy explosive ordnance disposal officer and two-time candidate for Virginia congressional seats, appeared at the Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, D.C., in a time slot that Phelan had agreed to fill before his ouster.“My life changed a little bit the last six days. We’ve all had a change of command, right? You know, some with the band, some without…

NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation, has announced a significant revision in satellite bandwidth pricing.Effective from 1 April, the rates have been increased by 20%, marking the first adjustment in a decade. The decision reflects a broader reset in how orbital capacity is valued, as demand patterns undergo a notable shift.The change was formally communicated to customers in a letter dated 18 September, reviewed by Mint. It will directly impact broadcasters, direct-to-home (DTH) platforms, and companies that lease capacity for television distribution.Other affected sectors include connectivity providers for ATMs and remote areas, maritime…

Defense One Several things—from the players to the technology—set the exercise apart from previous experiments Source link

WASHINGTON — In his first public remarks since taking over as Acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao told an industry audience that the service is open to business with new and alternative entrants, as long as they can supply what the service needs. “I’m asking you, our partners in industry, to help us develop the best things out there, because lives that you saved are going to be our sons and daughters,” Cao said at the Modern Day Marine exposition today. “And that’s why I’m here today, to tell industry we need to move forward. The time is now.…

Russia’s Mi-26 is the largest & most powerful helicopter ever built, capable of lifting upto 20 tonsThe Ministry of Defence has moved decisively with the issuance of a Request for Information to damp lease three Ultra Heavy Lift Helicopters for the Indian Air Force.This marks a significant step in bolstering aerial logistics and strategic lift capability, with the specifications pointing to an exceptionally demanding requirement.The RFI stipulates a payload capacity of 20,000 kilograms, a figure that places the competition squarely between the world’s most powerful rotorcraft, notably the Boeing CH-47 Chinook and the Russian Mil Mi-26.Both platforms have long histories…

Sam LaGrone, USNI News The Boeing MQ-25A Stingray, the unmanned carrier tanker developed to extend the range of the air wing, will reach initial operational capability three years later than… Source link

WASHINGTON — A new requirement for handheld counter-drone capabilities aimed at taking down small unmanned aerial systems is coming soon, a Marine official told Breaking Defense today.  Such counter-unmanned aerial systems are lightweight tools that can be attached to a Marine’s person, Lt. Col R.M. Barclay, Marine Air Command and Control System branch head, said during a panel at the annual Modern Day Marine expo. He told an audience that these systems are currently being fielded to Marines due to an “urgent field need,” though there is not a current requirement or program of record for such systems. However, a…