1. Indian & US Navies EOD Exercise to Commence Today in Kochi

The Indian & United States’ Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal exercise is scheduled to commence today at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. It will conclude on 14th August. As per the Ministry of Defence of India, the bilateral exercise aims to enhance interoperability and strengthen professional cooperation between the specialist diving and EOD teams of the two navies.

The Indian Navy and US Navy have been conducting joint Salvage and EOD exercises since 2005. The forthcoming engagement marks the eighth edition of this specialised bilateral training exercise.

2. Indian Navy Chief Admiral Swaminathan begins four-day Mauritius

The Indian Naval Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan begins a four-day Mauritius visit today to deepen maritime ties with the island nation.

The visit will continue till August 13th, in which Admiral Swaminathan will hold talks with senior leadership of the Mauritian government and discuss issues of mutual interest. The discussions would focus around maritime security, defence co-operation, capacity-building, etc.

3. India in Talks with France to Join Its 6th Gen Fighter Programme FCAS

India’s Ministry of Defence stated in Parliament that it has initiated efforts to join its sixth-generation fighter aircraft development programme, known as the Future Combat Air System or FCAS.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on defence said the Indian Air Force should move ahead with planning for the development and acquisition of a sixth-generation aircraft which would eventually enhance India’s air domain capabilities.

4. China counters India’s move of renaming 27 locations

China slammed India’s latest move of identifying 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names on its official map as “self-deception which runs counter to the improving momentum in bilateral relations and could complicate efforts to properly handle border issues.”

Earlier, India named 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh using their official names on its map, ahead of the BRICS Summit. This was in response to China’s act of renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh, which New Delhi has always categorically rejected.

5. Final Report on Theatre Commands Under Consideration: PSC on Defence Report

The plan to operationalize theatre commands for the Indian Military has now entered a decisive phase. This comes as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence stated in its latest report, that the final report on the proposed restructuring of the armed forces is now under consideration by the government.

Integrated theatres of command aim for an integrated war-fighting structure by bringing the capabilities of the three Services under unified operational command structures. 

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.