1. MoD to issue RFP for Rafale jets in May

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is expected to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to French jet maker Dassault in May, with contract negotiations to begin thereafter, according to a report by The Hindustan Times.

The report states that, for the integration of Indian weapons, the MoD will insist on a so-called Interface Control Document (ICD) in the government-to-government contract under the “buy and make” deal.

The plan is to “hardwire” the ICD into the final contract for the ₹3.25 lakh crore mega deal. The ICD is a critical system engineering document that defines and governs all key protocols between a system and its subsystems. As per the proposal cleared by the DAC, 18 fighters will be delivered in fly-away condition from France, while the remaining 96 will be manufactured in India with over 25% indigenous content.

2. ISRO successfully conducts second IADT-02 test for Gaganyaan

ISRO successfully conducted the second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight mission scheduled for next year. The test was carried out at the Satish Dhawan Space Station, Sriharikota, according to a post on X by Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences.

3. CSL awards Kongsberg Maritime contract for 18 waterjets for the Indian Navy’s NGMVs

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has awarded Kongsberg Maritime a contract for the supply of 18 large Kamewa waterjets for the Indian Navy’s Next Generation Missile Vessel (NGMV) programme on 9 April. This marks Kongsberg Maritime’s largest single waterjet order to date and signals a strong return to large waterjet manufacturing after a relatively quiet decade.

CSL had earlier signed a contract on 30 March 2023 for the construction and supply of six NGMVs for the Indian Navy, with a total order value of ₹9,804 crore. Delivery of the first vessel is scheduled for March 2027, with the remaining ships to follow in subsequent years.

4. RANSAMWAD 2026 begins in Bengaluru

RANSAMWAD 2026, a tri-service strategic seminar under Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ-IDS), commenced in Bengaluru on 9 April. It was inaugurated by General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Defence Staff. The two-day seminar focuses on Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) as a critical imperative for modern warfare.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC), highlighted the growing necessity of MDO in the context of simultaneous, multi-domain conflict. General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, emphasised dynamic domain fusion in an era of “permanent conflict”, while Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, outlined the vision of a technologically advanced 200+ ship Navy. The seminar aims to deliver a roadmap for integrated, future-ready warfighting for the Indian Armed Forces.

5. Finland orders more K9 howitzers from South Korea

The Finnish Ministry of Defence and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) signed a government-to-government contract on 9 April for the procurement of 112 K9 self-propelled howitzers, along with related spare parts, special tools, and test equipment.

The total value of the procurement is approximately €546.8 million (₹5,911.87 crore). Finland had earlier acquired 96 K9 howitzers in 2017. With this latest order, the total number of K9 systems in service with the Finnish Army will rise to 208.

Chakra Desk

Chakra News is a specialised digital media platform committed to in-depth coverage of India’s defence, national security, geopolitics, and critical technologies.