Current Affairs - Defence

Kolkata was the location where the Indian Navy’s first Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), Shruti (Yard 3037), was launched at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) facility on August 11, 2026. The vessel has been indigenously designed and built by GRSE. The NGOPV programme is being executed concurrently by GRSE in Kolkata and Goa Shipyard Limited in Goa. Shruti is designed for maritime surveillance, anti-piracy operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, offshore asset protection, and search and rescue missions. GRSE is a premier warship-building company under the Ministry of Defence and is headquartered in Kolkata.

Australia has announced that Exercise Talisman Sabre 2027 will be conducted from August 9 to 22, 2027. The exercise is hosted jointly by Australia and the United States and will involve 24 additional partner nations. India is also confirmed to participate in the 2027 edition, following discussions during the second India-Australia Defence Ministers' Dialogue held in June. Talisman Sabre is the largest military exercise conducted by the Australian Department of Defence. Originally established as a bilateral Australia-US exercise, it focuses on strengthening military interoperability and supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Bhawana Kanth became the first woman pilot to qualify as a Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) after successfully completing the prestigious FCL course at the Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) in Gwalior on August 6, 2026. The rigorous 20-week programme focuses on advanced combat tactics and trains officers to lead complex air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. Bhawana Kanth was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in June 2016 as one of India’s first three women fighter pilots, alongside Avani Chaturvedi and Mohana Singh. Her achievement marks a significant milestone for women in India’s military aviation.

Operation Safed Sagar was an air operation conducted by the Indian Air Force during the Kargil War in 1999. It began in May 1999 to provide crucial air support to Indian ground forces fighting to reclaim strategic mountain positions occupied by Pakistani troops. The operation involved aerial reconnaissance, precision strikes, air defence, helicopter support and disruption of enemy logistics. Mirage-2000 aircraft played a particularly important role by using laser-guided bombs and precision weaponry against high-altitude targets. The operation was conducted under the major limitation that Indian aircraft were not permitted to cross the Line of Control.

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Esri India on August 3, 2026, to collaborate on advanced Geographic Information System (GIS), Location Intelligence, and GeoAI solutions for India’s defence sector. The partnership aims to modernise defence infrastructure and strengthen situational awareness and operational coordination. Esri India will provide specialised training to BEL personnel and support the development of in-house geospatial capabilities using the Indo ArcGIS platform. The collaboration will also explore emerging technologies such as Quantum Technologies, unmanned systems, and Big Data Analytics. BEL, established in 1954, is a Navratna CPSE under the Ministry of Defence and is headquartered in Bengaluru.