Current Events :
A clay sculpture by eminent Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen of a crouching Sikh soldier wearing a turban, one of 6,00,000 soldiers killed during the First World War in Ypres, Belgium, was donated to Khalsa College Amritsar’s Sikh History Research Centre by a Belgian delegation in June.
The statue commemorates the sacrifice of 135 Sikh soldiers, all of whom hailed from Amritsar’s Sultanwind village.
The sacrifice of these Sikh soldiers remains largely unsung in India, despite recent efforts in excavating their story of incredible courage in the shadow of the British Empire. Till date, besides Sultanwind where a memorial to the 135 soldiers was recently erected, memorial services are held at Sarwali village in Batala, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and in Baddowal, Moga.
The local community in Ypres created a small clay statue each for the soldiers killed in the war on their soil. These figures became part of a large installation at Palingbeek in Ypres, which had been turned into the killing fields of the war.
“It was important that one of these sculptures returned to Punjab, homeland of the Sikh soldiers who died while saving our people,” Dr Dominiek Dendooven, Belgian historian and author, told The Tribune. He said only a handful of these sculptures had found their way to the Belgian Embassy and the United Service Institution of India in New Delhi.
Dendooven worked closely with Sikh scholar Dr Bhupinder Singh Holland, who has written widely on the role of Sikh soldiers in the World Wars, to document these stories.
Holland told The Tribune that the “Sultanwind memorial took eight years in the making, largely with the voluntary efforts of individuals. Annual ceremonies are held, but many families did not know until recently about their ancestors’ contribution in saving Europe from Nazi forces.”
An estimated 83,005 Sikh soldiers were killed during both World Wars, Holland added. “Their martyrdom was overshadowed by colonial rule. Some of them fought fiercely, won Victoria Crosses and gallantry awards and stood against fascism. The perception that they have been shunned is due to a lack of active community and government engagement.”
The clay sculpture of the crouching Sikh symbolising vulnerability, now in the Khalsa College, is part of a larger community project called “Coming World Remember Me (CWRM)”, inaugurated by the Belgium Government in 2018 to mark 100 years of the end of the war. The Sikh sculpture has been created using clay from Ypres’ battlefields. To mark Armistice Day in November, a plaque will be unveiled at the Saint George’s memorial church in Ypres.
In the UK, the Sikh diaspora created digital archives of the audio and documented history of these soldiers, sourced originally from Lahore Museum. But here in Amritsar, the memory remains largely faded. A dedicated gallery at the Punjab State War Memorial and Museum has one small section that honours the role of Sikh and other Punjabi soldiers during World War-I and the government support is minimal.
Davinder Singh Chinna, president, Khalsa College Global Alumni Association, who handed over the sculpture to Rajinder Mohan Singh Chinna, Chairman, Khalsa College Governing Council, said, “There are over 10 memorials erected in the memory of the Sikh soldiers in Italy and France; and three in Belgium, the grandest of them all at Menin Gate. We do not even have proper records or archives of the sacrifices that Sikh soldiers made in the British Indian army at the time.”
On the other hand, Dendooven said, “In Belgium, the commemoration of WW-I is actively embraced by the local community and government, but in India, this is still lacking.”
India has taken back 2,417 nationals deported or repatriated from the United States since January, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday, while at the same time underlined its push for “legal pathways of migration”.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, confirming the deportation numbers, said New Delhi works closely with Washington to verify the nationality of individuals before accepting them back.
“Whenever there is a person who does not possess legal status in any country and is referred to us with documents, if there are claims that he or she is an Indian national, we do the background check, confirm nationality and then take them back. That is what has been happening with deportations from the US,” Jaiswal said.
The remarks came amid growing concerns over visa fraud, illegal agents and unsafe migration routes luring Indians abroad. The MEA said several Central ministries are working with state governments to crack down on illegal operators. Regular advisories are being issued, and Indians are being encouraged to use the government’s e-Migrate portal, which lists approved recruitment agencies, procedures for legal migration, and dos and don’ts for workers heading overseas.
On the recent case of Punjab resident Harjit Kaur, who was deported from the US, Jaiswal said her return was part of the larger trend, but stressed that India “stands firmly against illegal migration”.
He also flagged a disturbing pattern of Indian nationals being trafficked to Iran under false pretenses of jobs or onward passage to third countries. “Between Iran and India, there is a visa-free regime, but it is only valid for tourism. Agents have been exploiting this to send Indians for employment purposes. In recent months, several Indians have been kidnapped by criminal gangs after landing in Tehran,” he warned.
Reiterating India’s position, Jaiswal said, “Illegal migration undermines our efforts to promote legal migration. We want to raise awareness so that Indians do not fall prey to fraudulent job offers or unsafe routes.”
India has said Pakistan’s military “pleaded” with it for a cessation of fighting during Operation Sindoor and that there is no room for any third party to intervene in any issue between New Delhi and Islamabad.
The remarks were made by First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Petal Gahlot on Friday after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his address to the General Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), credited President Donald Trump with averting a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
“This Assembly witnessed absurd theatrics in the morning from the prime minister of Pakistan, who once again glorified terrorism that is so central to their foreign policy,” Gahlot said, delivering India’s Right of Reply at the UNGA.
In his address, Sharif said Pakistan was ready for a “composite, comprehensive and result-oriented” dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, as he criticised New Delhi over the situation in Kashmir.
Sharif praised Trump, saying his “efforts for peace helped avert a … war in South Asia”.
“In recognition of President Trump’s wonderful and outstanding contribution to promote peace in our part of the world, Pakistan nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the least we could do … I think he truly is a man of peace,” he said.
India targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor launched on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
India has consistently maintained that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two militaries.
Major General Harvijay Singh, SM (Retd) is a third-generation soldier, and his two sons are also Army officers. An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune, he was commissioned in the Corps of Signals in 1981. He is a specialist trainer and has trained soldiers in military training establishments at various stages of his career. As the Chief Instructor of the Military College of Telecommunications Engineering, he was strategizing issues and training professional soldiers on Communication Networks, Cyber Security and Electronic Warfare. A prolific writer, he contributes regularly to various professional journals. He has written three books related to Military History and Leadership and is the recipient of the prestigious ‘Scholar Warrior Badge’.
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is a striking example of how asymmetric warfare is evolving – especially when the weak become emboldened to take high risk, high-reward actions demonstrating that the concept of strategic depth with the weapon systems of today, is a myth. Ukraine Strikes Deep Operation Spider’s Web was a high-profile drone strike deep (upto 4000 kms) inside Russia carried out on 01 June 2025. The strike was led by Sluzhba Bezpeky Ukrayiny or Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU). SBU is Ukraine’s principal internal security and counterintelligence agency. It conducts counterintelligence operations, combats organized crime and terrorism and protects state secrets and national security. Notably, it is subordinated directly to the President of Ukraine, is staffed by military personnel and operates specialized units like the Alpha Group (Special Forces).
The operation was planned over 18 months and strike drones were smuggled into Russia in trucks camouflaged as standard cargo loads. The attacks, using 117 remote-controlled First-Person View (FPV) drones, struck 41 strategic Russian Air Force aircraft at four locations and destroyed at least 13 while damaging others. Uniquely executed, the drones were launched from inside Russian territory after being transported from Ukraine in wooden cabins mounted on flatbed trucks and assembled in Russia on the sly. The ready to launch drones were smartly placed inside these wooden structures and moved close to the target areas disguised as commercial goods. The flatbed trucks had been hired and even the drivers were unaware of the contents. Once in place, the remotely operated roofs of the cabins were retracted and the hunters freed to target their unsuspecting prey, reminiscent of modern-day Trojan Horses! Notably, no Ukrainian personnel were harmed as agents who helped assemble the drones or enabled technical and communications support were evacuated prior to drone launches. Operation Spider’s Web establishes a template for deep strategic strikes at unsuspecting and underprepared target areas using adversary territory as a launch base. This methodology was partly replicated in Operation Rising Lion, wherein Israel targeted Iran’s military leadership, nuclear assets and critical infrastructure on 13 June 2025
. Thus, in a vast country like India surrounded by hostile elements, Rear Area Monitoring and Security assumes significant importance at all times. Strategic Objectives The main objectives of Operation Spider’s Web based on the effects, appear to have been to severely damage Russia’s long-range bomber capability, for which four aircraft types were targeted: • Tupolev Tu-95 (Bear) and Tupolev Tu-22M3 (Backfire) – Both used for missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. They carry Kh-101, Kh-555, Kh-22, and Kh-32 cruise missiles designed for long range precision strikes. • Beriev A-50 (Mainstay) – Similar to AWACS, the A-50 functions as a flying command post and radar station. Its extensive rotating radome enables it to detect aircraft, cruise missiles, and other aerial threats from hundreds of kms away. It therefore serves as a crucial force multiplier by coordinating all air actions. This has been an extremely valuable asset for the Russian Air Force. The strategic objectives were also to demonstrate Ukraine’s deep-strike capabilities using unconventional methodology integrated with drone technology, thereby, undermining Russia’s sense of strategic depth, exposing vulnerabilities in rear-echelon defences, and reshaping the psychological landscape just prior to the peace talks that had been scheduled on 02 June at Istanbul. The operation psychologically and materially disrupted Russian air power resources across the airbases. The Bases Targeted As highlighted earlier, there were no Ukrainian boots on the ground, just the telling use of technology, well coordinated timing, and comprehensive analysis of the terrain, the targets and the operating environment. 117 FPV drones targeted four Russian airbases as under: • Belaya Air Base in Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia (4000 km from the frontline). In addition to strategic bombers, it hosts the MiG-31K carrying Kinzhal missiles. • Olenya Air Base in Murmansk Oblast in the Russian Arctic. It functions as a forward staging base for Arctic and Atlantic missions. • Dyagilevo Air Base in Ryazan Oblast. Functions as a rear area bomber base with training and refuelling capabilities. This dual role amplifies its strategic importance far beyond that of a conventional air base. •
Ivanovo Air Base in Ivanovo Oblast. Acts as a nerve centre for airborne command and control. Supports strategic bomber coordination and missile targeting. The pilots of the FPV drones, operating from Ukraine, targeted vulnerable points such as fuel tanks in the wings with the limited load of explosives that a FPV generally carries, leveraging the precision provided by the drones. The Drone Arsenal Ukraine deployed a multi-layered drone strike force combining FPV A FPV-drone struck military plane Tu-95 at Russia’s Olenya airbase during the attack
kamikaze drones, AI-guided autonomous systems, and long-range delivery platforms. The Osa Drone – Ukrainian for “Wasp” is an indigenous FPV quadcopter. Its payload was dual charges of 800 grams each (Shaped Charge and High-Explosive), which were designed to burn through aircraft fuselage and trigger internal explosions. A standard explosive then detonates outwards in all directions. The flight time of the drones was approximately 15 minutes and top speed 150 km per hour. A Shaped – Charge High – Explosive, uses a specically shaped casing to focus the explosive energy, (a V or U-shape made of a soft metal like copper). Upon detonation, the explosive core collapses the metal liner onto itself, forming a high-velocity jet of molten metal.
This jet can travel at several kms/second and has immense penetrating power, acting like an industrial cutting torch or a plasma cutter. The key purpose of this warhead is not to create a large blast, but to cut or sever the target along a line. Communications for Operation Spider’s Web were designed to tap into the existing civilian infrastructure. Active guidance by operators / pilots was kept to the minimum with reliance on AI and autonomy in flight, in effect, minimising interference by Russian SIGINT. Ukrainian operatives inside Russia used secure communications to coordinate logistics, including the movement of drones camouflaged inside the cabin cargo, by riding on Russian Telecom Networks using burner phones or anonymous SIMs. Civilian Russian truck drivers, unaware of the mission, received instructions on mobile phones to park at MEDALS & RIBBONS Oct. – Dec. 2025 designated locations and activate drone release mechanisms, oblivious of the intent or the effect. Possibly, the cabins equipped with batteries and solar panels could have used satellite uplinks, enabling remote activation of the drones. Each drone was equipped with multiple types of communications to ensure resilience, autonomy, and redundancy, encompassing analog video transmission for real-time piloting and encrypted digital links for command and control. The drone pilots coordinated the attack from undisclosed combat control points, using encrypted channels to manage drone swarms in real time. In addition, embedded autopilot systems with AI-driven trajectory planning allowed drones to operate semi-independently, reducing reliance on continuous operator input.
AI-Powered Autonomous System In addition to the truck delivered FPVs, a Mother Drone system (developed by Brave1 Tech Cluster (Ukraine’s defence innovation platform), that carries and deploys two FPV strike drones up to 300 km behind enemy lines using Visual-inertial navigation and LiDAR-based terrain mapping is likely to have been used. With no GPS dependency, it is immune to jamming and spoofing. Once launched, the system can identify, navigate to, and strike targets without human intervention. AI-based target recognition enabled these drones to autonomously identify, classify, and engage targets with minimum human inputs. At the core of this capability are machine learning (ML) and deep learning algorithms trained on vast datasets of images and sensor data. Some drones were trained to identify and strike fuel tanks on aircraft for maximum damage, which they effectively did. Extensive use of technology allowed the pre-programmed FPV drones to autonomously reach their designated targets. However, from videos released by SBU, at some time during the approach human pilots were seen to remotely intervene and guide the drones towards exact weak points on the aircrafts as planned, ensuring desired effects. Notably, while Ukraine stated that they launched 117 Drones, OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) analysts confirm only 41 FPV drone strike videos in the target areas are available. This indicates that some of the drones probably lost contact with the base station. Such losses are always likely and adequate reserves would have been planned for these operations.
Redundancy in technology and communications remains a strategic necessity for the survival of plans. The Impact – Financial and Strategic The drones specifically targeted exposed aircraft parked in the open, making them easy targets for precision strikes. The engine compartments and fuel tanks were struck, maximizing the chance of detonation and destruction. On the A-50 aircraft, the radar domes were 36 COMMENTARY precisely hit. In the maintenance and repair zones, at Dyagilevo Air Base, aircraft undergoing repairs were hit, compounding damage and delaying recovery An Independent Damage Assessment is as shown in the adjacent table. Destroyed Heavily Damaged A acked – Damage Unknown TU-95 7 1 2 TU-22M3 4 Ukraine claims that the strike damaged / destroyed 41 aircraft and estimates $7 billion in losses to Russia’s strategic aviation. The strike damaged Russia’s long-range strategic bomber fleet, some of a vintage that prevents repair or replacement, thereby crippling their strategic reach. A-50 2 6 AN-12 2 1 Total 12 3 10 Key Takeaways In modern warfare, the battlefield has no boundaries and can be shaped as per identified vulnerabilities. There is no FLOT – Front Line of Own Troops, just a web of hybrid tactics, psychological manoeuvres, and technological infiltrations. Complacency will prove costly and strategic depth is a fallacy. Strategy, planning and preparedness are essential but bold and audacious execution is difficult to defend against, hence security forces must master the fundamentals, and execute out of the box plans.
Propaganda and sabre-rattling are tools of perception warfare meant to blur the truth, twist the narrative, and create just enough doubt to stall decision-making. Victories emerge from the shadow of the Noise. Finally, drones are rewriting operational art and being used in wildly creative ways. In the future we are likely to see more disruptive technologies at work, with narratives difficult to envision now. Countermeasures will require layered technology and multi domain shields and doctrines. Surprise and deception remain crucial factors in modern warfare. Though difficult to achieve, these are essential in a world saturated with data, sensors, and satellite visibility. To achieve surprise, the Ukrainians assembled the drones in rented warehouses and launched them from civilian trucks blurring the line between military and civilian identities – thus citizens have to be aware and alert on issues of internal security. Human suicide bombers are a relic of the past, and erstwhile body switches are now being pressed thousands of miles away on ‘suicide drones’. Everything that needs to be secured must be secured. Major General Harvijay Singh, SM (Retd) is a third-generation soldier, and his two sons are also Army officers. An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune, he was commissioned in the Corps of Signals in 1981. He is a specialist trainer and has trained soldiers in military training establishments at various stages of his career. As the Chief Instructor of the Military College of Telecommunications Engineering, he was strategizing issues and training professional soldiers on Communication Networks, Cyber Security and Electronic Warfare.
Ahe Government and the Army have many welfare schemes and grants for widows and wards of soldiers who die in operations or in harness. Very often, many of the entitled beneciaries are unaware of these incentives, and continue to live primarily on the pension and medical benets provided. Several widows are informed about education facilities and support, but are not well versed with the processes to avail such benets. This report elucidates steps taken by the Radiant Group to assist. The Idea and the Spirit of the Initiative Radiant Sambandh is a welfare project of the Radiant Group of Companies.
This is a “Taking Care of our Own” initiative by the founder, Colonel David Devasahayam (Retd), CMD, Radiant Group of Companies. To lend weight to the initiative, Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, (Retd), former Army Commander Northern Command and former Vice Chief of Army Staff has joined the initiative as its chief mentor. Radiant Sambandh primarily works to educate the Next of Kin (NOKs) of Physical Casualties (PCs) of the Army on the welfare schemes and financial grants provided by the Ministry of Defence and the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV); and assists them in availing these benefits. Before you get confused by ‘military jargon’, let me just throw light on some of the terms. A PC is a soldier who dies while in service in a peace or a field area but is not classified as a Battle Casualty. The Army has many effective welfare schemes which are not availed by many NOK of PCs for multiple reasons including lack of awareness and language comprehension in filling mandatory forms resulting in MEDALS & RIBBONS Oct. – Dec. 2025 CHENNA
he Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of 97 Tejas Mark-1A aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
The deal was sealed for Rs 62,370 crore (Rs 66,550 crore with taxes) and is in addition to the 83 jets ordered in January 2021, taking the total to 180 aircraft. With the latest order, the MoD, which is a majority stakeholder in HAL, has reposed faith in the listed public sector enterprise despite it being 18 months behind schedule in delivering jets under the previous contract.
The fresh order is for 68 fighter jets and 29 twin-seater trainer aircraft along with associated equipment. The deliveries would start during 2027-28 and were expected to complete in next six years, the MoD said in statement.
As the Centre has been pushing for self-reliance, the newly ordered jets will feature 64 per cent indigenous content, with 67 additional items incorporated beyond those in the earlier contract for 83 planes. The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems such as Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar and an electronic protection suite would further strengthen the government’s ‘Aatmanirbharta’ initiative, the MoD said.
The ministry said the 97 jets would be the most advanced variant of the indigenously designed and manufactured Tejas. A crucial aspect of the contract is the delivery timeline. HAL is facing a delay in supply of F-404 engines for Tejas Mark-1A from US firm General Electric. Nearly a dozen jets are ready at the HAL facility, but only three engines have been supplied so far. As a result, not a single jet has been delivered to the Air Force, which is battling a dwindling combat strength. The jet deliveries should have started in March 2024 and the engines should have arrived a few months in advance.
The MoD said the project was being supported by a robust vendor base as 105 Indian companies were directly engaged in manufacture of components. The production is expected to generate nearly 11,750 direct and indirect jobs annually over six years, it said.
The Tejas programme is aimed at helping the Air Force replace its fleet of MiG-21s, which will be formally phased out at a ceremony in Chandigarh on Friday. The IAF is already operating 40 Tejas Mark-1 jets.
The Air Force currently has 31 squadrons (each having up to 18 planes) of fighter jets against the sanctioned 42 to counter a potential two-front challenge from Pakistan and China. With the phasing out of MiG-21, the strength would be down to 29 squadrons. The IAF’s fleet of Jaguar, MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, all inducted in phases in the 1980s, is scheduled to retire in batches after 2029-30. These four types of jets are about 250 in number and are operating on an extended life cycle. As per projections, India needs to produce some 500 jets for the IAF over the next two decades.
Kashmir is a “direct issue” between India and Pakistan and the US has no interest in “asserting” itself between the South Asian neighbours on the matter, a senior State Department official said here.
The senior State Department official said on Wednesday that it is a “longstanding” policy of the US that Kashmir is a “direct issue” between India and Pakistan.
The official added that if the US is asked to offer its good offices on any issue, it is ready to help.
US President Donald Trump has “enough crises” on his hands and “we leave that (issue of Kashmir) up to India and Pakistan to solve,” the official told reporters at a briefing. “We have no interest in asserting ourselves between India and Pakistan.”
In his address to the UN General Assembly, Trump declared again that he had stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan.
The senior State Department official also said that “it is a fact that the United States was involved in that crisis and absolutely helped broker that ceasefire.”
India maintains that it does not want any third-party involvement in its discussions with Pakistan on issues such as terrorism, as New Delhi believes they must remain bilateral.
In major boost for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for procurement of 97 Tejas Mark-1A for Rs 62, 370 crore, excluding taxes.
The 97 jets are in addition to the 83 such aircraft already ordered by the Ministry of Defence from the HAL.
The contract signed today is for producing 68 fighters and 29 twin seaters — used for training purposes, along with associated equipment, for the IAF. The delivery of these aircraft would commence during 2027-28 and be completed over a period of six years, the MoD said in statement.
Giving a push to self-reliance, the aircraft will have an indigenous content of over 64 per cent, with 67 additional items incorporated, over and above the previous contract of the 83 jets of the same plane signed in January 2021. The integration of advanced indigenously developed systems such as the ‘Uttam Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, electronic protection suite will further strengthen the ‘Aatmanirbharta’ initiatives.
The project is being supported by a robust vendor base of nearly 105 Indian companies directly engaged in the manufacture of detailed components. The MoD, the production is expected to generate close to 11,750 direct and indirect jobs per year for the duration of six years.
These 97 jets would be the most advanced variant of the indigenously designed and manufactured Tejas aircraft.
In April last year, the MoD has asked public sector giant HAL to submit its commercial bid for producing 97 Tejas Mark-1A jets.The MoD holds a majority stake in the HAL, a listed company. The final approval for the acquisition of 97 LCA Mark 1A fighters was given by a high-level meeting last month.
The programme will help the IAF to replace its fleet of MiG- 21s, which are finally being phased out tomorrow at ceremony at Chandigarh.In all, 180 of the Tejas Mark 1A are to be supplied in two tranches. The first tranche is of the 83 such jets ordered by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in February 2021 under a Rs 48,000 crore order, the contract for second tranche of 97 jets was signed today.
Separately, the IAF already has 40 Tejas Mark1 jets.
The IAF presently has 31 squadrons (16-18 planes each) of fighter jets against the mandate of 42 to tackle a collusive two-front threat against Pakistan and China. With the phasing out of the MiG 21, the strength would be down to 29 squadrons.
The IAF’s fleets of Jaguar, MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, all inducted in phases during the 1980s, are slated to retire in batches beyond 2029-30. These four types of jets are about 250 in number and are presently operating on an extended life cycle.
As per the plan, India needs to produce some 500 fighter jets for the IAF in the next two decades.
