Indian ship in Sri Lanka
Indian Navy’s amphibious landing ship INS Airavat made an operational visit at Sri Lanka’s Colombo port in June to conduct joint maritime and community activities, according to a statement by the Indian Navy.
Commissioned in 2009, the Shardul-class vessel displaces about 5,650 tonnes and can transport up to 500 troops, 11 main battle tanks, armoured vehicles and helicopters for amphibious operations and humanitarian missions. The ship can remain at sea for up to 45 days and is equipped with self-defence weapons and a flight deck.
Equipped with two indigenous WM 18A rocket launchers, the ship delivered critical spares for the Sri Lanka Coast Guard.
Bangladesh eyes Chinese fighters
Bangladesh is planning to acquire 24 Chinese J-10CE multirole fighter jets, according to the South China Morning Post. The 4.5-generation aircraft features an active electronically scanned array radar, an advanced electronic warfare suite, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and precision-guided strike weapons.
Powered by a single turbofan engine, the fighter jet is designed for air superiority, ground attack and maritime strike missions.
$100 million Bell helicopters
In a bid to boost the army’s air mobility and disaster response capabilities, Nepal, in June, accepted to receive six Bell helicopters at a cost of $100 million from the United States under the Foreign Military Financing programme, The Kathmandu Post reported. The helicopters are designed for utility, troop transport, casualty evacuation, search-and-rescue and logistics missions in mountainous terrain. They can also be configured for military roles with door-mounted machine guns and rocket pods. The deliveries are scheduled to begin from 2028.
A patrol vessel gift
The Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) maiden Australian-gifted Guardian-class patrol vessel, CGS Imaaduddin, was deployed for operational use in July, according to the media statement of the MNDF. The vessel has been delivered under Australia’s Pacific Maritime Security Programme.
The patrol ship will help in surveying economic zones, executing search-and-rescue missions, and combating illegal naval operations. Each vessel houses a crew of 23 personnel and is enhanced by two Caterpillar 3516C diesel engines.
AI upgrade for military drones
Pakistan is accelerating its military drone programme by pairing indigenous unmanned aerial vehicles with autonomy software, according to the Financial Times. This was showcased at the inaugural Indus Robotics and Autonomous Systems Expo 2026 in July. The programme aims to reduce its dependence on foreign suppliers and strengthen precision strike and surveillance capabilities. It focuses on developing artificial intelligence-enabled autonomy stacks.
Russian weapons in Afghanistan
Russia and Afghanistan signed a military-technical deal in May to restore Soviet-era and Russian weaponry within the Taliban-led country, The Moscow Times reported. Russian engineering will be used to overhaul over 100 Mi-17 transport helicopters and Mi-24 attack aircraft. The deal also includes maintenance of older combat jets such as the MiG-21, MiG-23 and Su-25.
