Page 2 - Military Power

Modernised Indian military has reduced its dependence on Russian arms: US

Observing that India has showcased itself as a global leader, the top intelligence official from the US Department of Defense has told the Congress that in 2023, India took steps to modernise its military to compete with China and reduce its dependency on Russian origin-equipment. During the past year, India has showcased itself as a global leader by hosting the Group of 20 economic summit and demonstrated a greater willingness to counter PRC (People's Republic of China) activity throughout the Indo-Pacific region, Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency told members of the House Armed Services Committee the subcommittee on intelligence and special operations during a Congressional hearing on defence intelligence countering China. India, he said, has advanced partnerships in the Indo-Pacific with regional South China Sea claimants, such as the Philippines, through training and defence sales and deepened cooperation with the US, Australia, France and ...

The quickest path to WWIII

The Return of Great Powers argues that we are living through a Cold War redux

Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel to press on with Rafah assault plan

He later said after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Jerusalem that Israel would not leave civilians trapped in Rafah when its forces begin their assault

New Delhi, Male review withdrawal of Indian military force from Maldives

India and the Maldives on Sunday reviewed the ongoing process of replacing Indian military personnel from the island nation with Male saying the second group will leave by April 10. The two sides held the third meeting of the bilateral high-level core group in Male, days after India withdrew the first team of military personnel that was operating an advanced light helicopter in the Indian Ocean archipelago. The military team has been replaced by civilian technical experts. The Indian personnel are operating three aviation platforms in the Maldives and New Delhi is now deploying civilian personnel to operate them. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu had set March 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the first group of Indian military personnel from his country. "During the meeting, both sides reviewed the ongoing deputation of Indian technical personnel to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medvac (medical evacuation) services t

Around 7,500 central forces personnel deployed in Odisha for elections

Around 7,500 central forces personnel have been deployed in Odisha in view of the Lok Sabha polls and the assembly elections, which are held simultaneously in the state, an official said on Monday. A total of 75 companies of CAPF have been deployed in Odisha for the smooth conduction of the elections, said CRPF IG Archana Shivhare, who has been appointed as the state coordinator of the forces by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. She said that 35 companies each of the CRPF and BSF along with five companies of CISF have been deployed in two phases since March 1. One company consists of nearly 100 personnel. "The forces have been deployed in sensitive and hyper-sensitive districts from an election point of view," Shivhare said. The central forces are conducting area-dominating exercises, including patrolling and flag marches in the Maoist-affected areas, to instill confidence among the people, she added. "We are continuously coordinating with the state police in all sensitive and

US army soldier arrested for selling sensitive military information

An Army soldier has been arrested on charges of selling sensitive information related to U.S. military capabilities, Justice Department officials said Thursday. Korbein Schultz, who is also an intelligence analyst, was accused in a six-count indictment of charges including conspiring to obtain and disclose military defense information and bribery of a public official. According to the indictment, Schultz who had a top-secret security clearance allegedly conspired with an individual identified only as Conspirator A to disclose various documents, photographs and other national defense materials since June 2022. The indictment claims that Schultz was recruited by the individual not only due to his security clearance but also because he was tasked with gathering sensitive U.S. military information. Some of the information that Schultz supposedly gave to the individual included information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, hypersonic equipment, studies on future ...

Sweden officially joins Nato after completing its accession process

Sweden on Thursday formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality as concerns about Russian aggression in Europe have spiked following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Secretary of State Antony Blinken presided at a ceremony in which Sweden's instrument of accession to the alliance was officially deposited at the State Department. Later Thursday. Kristersson will visit the White House and then be a guest of honor at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address to Congress. The White House said that having Sweden as a NATO ally will make the United States and our allies even safer. "NATO is the most powerful defensive alliance in the history of the world, and it is as critical today to ensuring the security of our citizens as it was 75 years ago when our alliance was founded out of the wreckage of World War II, it said in a statement. Sweden, along with .

Amid diplomatic row with India, Maldives sign new military pact with China

The new military pact between China and the Maldives comes just weeks after Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu requested the withdrawal of a contingent of Indian military personnel stationed there

DRDO hands over 23 licensing agreements for transfer of technologies

Premier defence research organisation DRDO on Sunday handed over 23 licensing agreements to several defence producers facilitating transfer of critical technologies to manufacture a range of military equipment in the domains of armaments, naval systems and aeronautics, among others. The agreements were handed over at the 'MSME Defence Expo' that was organised by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Pune. The technologies being transferred by the DRDO to the defence producers would cover the domains of electronics, laser systems, armaments, life sciences, combat vehicles, naval systems and aeronautics, the defence ministry said. These technologies would facilitate manufacturing of a series of military equipment including brakes for Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, 100-metre infantry foot bridge (floating), 40 mm high explosive anti-personnel (HEAP) grenade and high pressure water mist fire suppression system (HPWMFSS), officials said. "The products based on these

Security can neither be outsourced nor dependent on others' largesse: Army

The security of the nation can neither be outsourced nor be dependent on the "largesse" of others, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said on Saturday, asserting that becoming self reliant in critical military hardware will be essential to deal with future challenges. In an address at a defence conclave, he said weaning away from import dependencies for capability development requirements of the Army remains pivotal in its strategic planning to be "future ready". "As the guardians of the nation's security, we are seized of the need to completely wean away from import dependencies for our capability development requirements. This aspect remains pivotal in our strategic planning to be future ready," he said. The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflicts world over have shown the impact of external dependencies for critical military components, the Army chief said at the Firstpost Defence Summit. "Technology is emerging as the new strategic arena of geopolitical competitions. The impact of

Indian Army plans Rs 57,000 cr project to replace ageing T-72 tank fleet

The Indian Army is set to issue a Request for Proposal for a project to produce 1,770 future ready combat vehicles to replace its existing fleet of T-72 tanks

Defence ministry clears procurement of military hardware worth Rs 84,560 cr

The procurement proposals were cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

World faces dangerous decade as instability, military spending rise: Report

The world has entered an era of increasing instability as countries around the globe boost military spending in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Hamas attack on Israel and China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. That's the conclusion of a new report Tuesday from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which also highlighted rising tensions in the Arctic, North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and the rise of military regimes in the Sahel region of Africa as contributing to a deteriorating security environment. The London-based think tank has compiled its annual estimate of the global military situation for the past 65 years. "The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by some of military power to pursue claims evoking a 'might is right' approach as well as the desire among like-minded democracies for stronger bilateral and multilateral defense ties in

Myanmar govt activates conscription law against resistance forces

Myanmar's military government on Saturday activated for the first time a decade-old conscription law that makes young men and women subject to at least two years of military service if called up, effective immediately. The announcement of the measure on state television amounts to a major, though tacit, admission that the army is struggling to contain the nationwide armed resistance against its rule. Under the 2010 People's Military Service Law, passed under a previous military government, males between the ages of 18 and 45 and females between 18 and 35 can be drafted into the armed forces for two years, extendable to five years during national emergencies. The current ruling military council, called the State Administration Council, came to power in 2021 after ousting the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The law has been activated in the wake of the army's biggest setbacks since the countrywide conflict erupted after the takeover. A surprise offensive launched last

Indian troops in Maldives will be replaced by 'technical personnel': MEA

The Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldives government has formally requested that India withdraw its troops from Male

Will soon reach point of no foreign military presence: Maldives Prez Muizzu

President Mohamed Muizzu on Wednesday said by bolstering the defence capabilities of the Maldives, the country will soon reach a point where there is no "foreign" military presence, weeks after he sought the withdrawal of Indian defence personnel from the archipelago nation. The statement comes a day after Muizzu, who rode to power on anti-India posturing, declared that the Maldives will maintain autonomous control over all its territories, including maritime, aerial, and terrestrial domains apart from enhancing Maldives' capabilities for conducting underwater surveys. In his first presidential speech on Monday, Muizzu, widely seen as a pro-China leader, had said the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back from the Maldives before March 10 and the remaining manning two aviation platforms will be withdrawn before May 10. Currently, 88 Indian military personnel are in the Maldives primarily to operate two helicopters and an aircraft that have carried out hundreds of

US imposes sanctions on Myanmar's military regime three years after coup

The US reiterated its call for the Myanmar military to change course and create space for meaningful and inclusive dialogue towards a future democratic Myanmar

Havildar Preeti Rajak becomes first woman to hold Subedar rank in Army

Havildar Preeti Rajak, who is a champion trap shooter, has become the first woman to hold the rank of Subedar in the Indian Army after she was promoted on Sunday. Subedar Rajak joined the Army in the Corps of Military Police in December 2022. "In a proud moment for the Indian Army as well as women of the country, today Havildar Preeti Rajak, trap shooter, was promoted to the rank of Subedar," the Army said. "Subedar Preeti Rajak is now the first woman Subedar of the Indian Army. Her achievement is an extraordinary display of Nari Shakti," it said. Subedar Preeti Rajak joined the Army in the Corps of Military Police on December 22, 2022. She was the first meritorious sportswomen in the shooting discipline enrolled in the Army as a Havildar. During the 19th Asian Games, held at Hangzhou in China, Rajak won a silver medal in the trap women team event. Based on her extraordinary performance, she was awarded the first out of turn promotion to Subedar, the Army said in a statement. S

Military ranking 2024: India retains 4th position; full list here

Global Firepower 2024 list sees South Korea, Japan, and Turkey move up in the rankings, while the UK, Pakistan and France slip

Air attack in northwestern Myanmar kills 17, military denies responsibility

Airstrikes by Myanmar's military on a village under the control of the pro-democracy resistance in the country's northwest have killed at least 17 civilians, including nine children, local residents and a human rights group said Sunday. The morning aerial attacks on Kanan village in Sagaing region's Khampat town, just south of the Indian border, also wounded about 20 people, they said. Myanmar is wracked by violence that began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The country's independent online media and the BBC's Myanmar-language service reported the air attack Sunday, but the military government denied responsibility, claiming that it was false news spread by Khit Thit Media, an independent online news service sympathetic to the anti-military resistance. The report