Current Affairs - Defence

India signed crucial defence agreements with Australia in October 2025 during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Canberra. The pacts aim to deepen strategic and military collaboration, focusing on defence manufacturing, cybersecurity, maritime domain awareness, and joint military exercises. Both sides emphasised their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and a free Indo-Pacific region. The agreements also seek to boost interoperability between the armed forces, facilitate technology transfer, and encourage defence industry partnerships under India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, marking a significant advancement in the India–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Indian Army has launched SAKSHAM, an indigenous Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, marking a major step in strengthening India’s air defence and counter-drone capabilities. Developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Ghaziabad, SAKSHAM—short for Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft and Hard Kill Assets Management—integrates radar, AI, and electro-optical sensors to detect, track, and neutralise aerial threats. Operating through the Army Data Network, it provides a unified airspace picture up to 10,000 feet. The system supports the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative and enhances battlefield readiness against modern drone warfare threats.

INS Androth, India’s second anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft, was commissioned on 6 October 2025 at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. Part of the Arnala-class series and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata, the ship incorporates over 80% indigenous content, reflecting India’s push for self-reliance in naval defence. Designed for coastal anti-submarine missions, maritime surveillance, and search-and-rescue operations, INS Androth enhances India’s underwater domain awareness and coastal security, contributing strategically to regional stability and the Indian Navy’s operational readiness in littoral waters.

The 10th National Level Pollution Response Exercise (NATPOLREX-X) is being conducted by the Indian Coast Guard off the Chennai coast in Tamil Nadu. This biennial exercise tests India’s preparedness and response capabilities for large-scale marine oil spills, involving multiple national and international stakeholders. Key objectives include evaluating inter-agency coordination, demonstrating technological innovations in pollution control, and strengthening maritime environmental governance. The exercise deploys pollution control vessels, aircraft, and specialised equipment, highlighting India’s commitment to safeguarding its 7,500 km coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone while enhancing global cooperation in marine environmental protection.

Exercise Konkan 2025 is a joint maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, held from 5 to 12 October off India’s western coast. The exercise aims to strengthen interoperability, enhance maritime security, and reinforce the India–UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership under Vision 2035. It involves complex drills, including anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare, with deployment of aircraft carriers, submarines, and other frontline naval assets from both nations. The UK’s participation underscores its strategic engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and its commitment to regional stability.