
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh presented the SIDM Champion Awards 2026 on 9 October 2026 at the 8th Annual Session of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) in New Delhi. The ceremony recognised 15 organisations for achievements in indigenous technology development, product innovation, design, import substitution, manufacturing excellence and exports.
The Indian Coast Guard commissioned the indigenous Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICGS Ajit at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) on 9 October 2026. Dr Sirish Choudhary, Principal Integrated Financial Advisor (Coast Guard), presided over the ceremony. GSL handed over the vessel to the Coast Guard on 25 August 2026.
The Indian Navy is scheduled to commission INS Mangrol on 12 October 2026 at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, will preside over the ceremony. The vessel is an Indigenous Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), with more than 80 per cent indigenous content.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden live jump of its Advanced High-Altitude Parachute (AHAP) on 6 October 2026. The trial took place at the Mudh Drop Zone near Nyoma in Ladakh, with the jump executed from 16,000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL).
France test-fired an upgraded M51.3 strategic ballistic missile from the nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine (SSBN) Le Vigilant on 6 October 2026. The unarmed missile was launched off Finistère in western France and splashed down in the North Atlantic, several hundred kilometres from any coastline.
On 7 October 2026, Kochi-based company EyeROV delivered two TROUT underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) systems to the Indian Navy. The delivery is the first of five systems ordered by the Navy and marks the delivery of India’s first indigenously built military-grade ROV. The vehicle is rated to operate at depths of up to 300 metres.
Pakistan test-fired an extended-range version of its indigenously developed Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile on 6 October 2026. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the system can engage targets at extended ranges with high precision and lethality. The new range was not officially disclosed.
GE Aerospace announced on 7 October 2026 that it had shipped four F404-IN20 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A programme. The engines were shipped in September 2026, taking the total supplied to HAL to 14, including 10 supplied earlier.
The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth Rs 661.50 crore with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited in New Delhi on 6 October 2026. The contract covers the procurement of BrahMos Fire Control System and launchers for Indian Navy ships under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Koraput Division in Odisha, has delivered its 2,000th aero-engine. The milestone is linked to nearly six decades of engine manufacturing and overhaul work at the Koraput facility, which was established in 1964.
The third edition of the India-UAE joint military exercise, Mountain Guardian 2026, began on 5 October 2026 at the Foreign Training Node in Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. The two-week exercise will continue until 18 October 2026 and involves 92 personnel, with 46 troops from the Indian Army and 46 from the United Arab Emirates Land Forces.
India exported the Akash air defence system to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as of 1 October 2026. Akash is an indigenous short to medium-range surface-to-air missile system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited.