1. India to buy armed Heron drones and Spike missiles from Israel

India is going to buy Heron drones from Israel. The drone, which is going to be procured from Israel, is the Heron-TP drone built by IAI. The Heron-TP drones were used in Operation Sindoor conducted by India in May.

The Indian military operates different variants of Heron drones, like Mk 1 and Mk 2. They operate around 68 Heron Mk1s and a total of 4 Heron Mk2s, with 2 more on order for the Indian Air Force. The Army is set to receive 30 Heron Mk1s and 4 Heron Mk2s, and the Navy will receive around 8 Heron Mk1s.

India plans to procure Spike NLOS (Non-Line-of-Sight) to equip the drones. The Spike NLOS missile is the air-launched version of the Spike anti-tank missile. The range of the rocket depends on the generation; the current standard range is 32 km. Rafael's 6th-generation Spike NLOS (Tamuz) can achieve ranges of up to 50 kilometres when launched from helicopters. 

2. India-US review defence cooperation

India’s ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, met with the Under Secretary of War, Elbridge Colby, to review Indo-US defence cooperation.

A productive conversation with the brilliant Elbridge Colby. Reviewed the current agenda and charted an actionable path on several initiatives in the pipeline of India-US defence cooperation. Value his deep knowledge, perspective, and consistent support for our strategic partnership, said in a post by Amb Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

I was very pleased to host Amb Vinay Mohan Kwatra at the Pentagon earlier this week for a valuable discussion. We at the Department of War look forward to continuing to elevate our critical defence cooperation with India, said in a post by Under Secretary of War, Elbridge Colby.

3.    US seeking control of Bagram airbase: Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that the US wants the Bagram airbase from the Taliban.  Trump said this during a joint press conference with Keir Starmer at Chequers on Thursday, as he wrapped up a visit to the UK. The US president said, “One of the biggest airbases in the world. We gave it to them for nothing. We’re trying to get it back, by the way.

We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back. Has But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”

4.    Norway to buy more K-9 Vidar howitzers

Norway has signed a contract with the South Korean company Hanwha for procuring 24 K-9 Vidar howitzers. This order expands the fleet to 52 systems. The K-9 Vidar is the Norwegian version of the K-9 howitzer.

The deliveries of the howitzers will commence from 2027. The Indian Army operates the K-9 Vajra, which is the Indian version of the K-9 howitzer. The Army operates 100 howitzers with an additional 100 howitzers on order.

This is another win for Hanwha, as on August 14, it had bagged a contract from Vietnam for 20 K-9 howitzers.

5.    Portugal signs contract for sixth KC-390 Millennium

Portugal has signed a contract with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer for the sixth KC-390 Millennium aircraft. It also signed the amendment for ten more purchase options for potential acquisitions by future partner nations. 

The KC-390 entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019, with the Portuguese Air Force in 2023, and with the Hungarian Air Force.  The aircraft has been chosen by 11 Air Forces around the world, including eight European countries and seven NATO members.

KC-390 is one of the major contenders in the Indian Air Force's Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program to replace the Ilyushin IL-76 Gajraj and the Antonov An-32 aircraft.  

6.    UK to build military aircraft for the US

For the first time in over fifty years, Britain will help build military aircraft under contract for the US Air Force.

A new contract between the UK and Boeing will create more than 150 new jobs in Birmingham and secure a further 190 jobs across the UK.

It will see two existing Boeing 737 passenger aircraft significantly overhauled and upgraded to create two highly advanced prototype early-warning surveillance aircraft.

Arjun Dev Singh

Arjun Dev Singh has a deep interest in defence, security, and strategic affairs. With a strong analytical lens and a passion for military and geopolitical developments, Arjun strives to bring clarity and context to complex national and international issues.