Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is undergoing a significant transformation as it accelerates key fixed-wing combat aircraft programmes, boosts indigenous research and development, and embraces global collaboration. HAL chairman and managing director DK Sunil, in an interview with FlightGlobal, detailed the company’s strategic shift, focusing on upcoming platforms like the Tejas Mk2, Su-30MKI upgrade, AMCA stealth fighter, and the Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior.

The Tejas Mk2, a more advanced and digitally designed version of the Tejas Mk1A, is progressing through its development phase, with component manufacturing and sub-assemblies underway. HAL expects to roll out the first prototype in early 2026, followed by ground checks and a maiden flight later that year. The aircraft’s design incorporates 3D digital modeling and laser verification, improving accuracy and production efficiency.

Although the Indian government has not yet placed an order, HAL anticipates the procurement of at least eight squadrons—approximately 100 to 130 jets—over the next decade. The Mk2 is expected to replace aging Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fleets by the late 2030s.

Another critical initiative is the modernization of 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKIs, with plans for upgraded avionics, sensors, and electronic warfare systems. HAL is awaiting final government clearance but has begun engaging suppliers and preparing software and systems. The upgrades aim to keep the Su-30MKI fleet operational into the 2050s. Separately, HAL is reviving its Su-30MKI production line in Nashik to deliver 12 newly ordered aircraft, with production restart expected to take up to two years.

HAL continues to supply AL-31FP engines for the Su-30MKI from its Koraput facility. Following an order for 240 engines in 2024, deliveries are set to continue until 2032. Supply chain issues with Russian vendors have largely stabilized.

On the stealth front, HAL is positioning itself for a role in India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. While the government has opened the door to private players, HAL may join a consortium to develop the fifth-generation fighter. The Aeronautical Development Agency has already built a full-scale engineering demonstrator, and the air force is expected to procure around 120 units. The shift aims to increase employment, foster competition, and improve cost efficiency across India’s aerospace sector.

HAL is also reviving its intermediate jet trainer, now renamed HJT-36 ‘Yashas’. With significant upgrades to address past aerodynamic issues and a full-glass cockpit, four jets will be leased to the air force for evaluation. HAL sees long-term potential for the Yashas as both a trainer and a light attack aircraft, citing its mission computer and weapons integration capacity.

In parallel, HAL is advancing work on the CATS Warrior, India’s first collaborative combat aircraft designed to operate alongside the Tejas. The company has integrated an engine into the CATS airframe and is conducting datalink checks. Focus will shift to flight control and aerodynamics in 2026, with a first flight projected for 2027.

Reflecting on HAL’s changing identity, Sunil noted a philosophical shift from relying solely on government contracts to investing heavily in internal R&D and joint ventures. HAL now spends approximately Rs25 billion ($300 million) annually on research and development.

Sunil stressed the urgency of strengthening domestic supply chains in light of global disruptions caused by conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war. With European defence manufacturers prioritizing domestic orders, India must expand local production capacity and attract foreign firms to manufacture within India.

With a growing ecosystem that includes the AMCA, Tejas Mk2, helicopters, UAVs, and numerous aerospace start-ups, HAL believes the Indian aerospace landscape is poised for a major transformation over the next decade.

In a major step toward bolstering maritime domain awareness, India and Australia have launched their first science and technology project focused on enhancing undersea surveillance capabilities. The joint initiative, announced during Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles’ visit to India, is a significant milestone in bilateral defense cooperation.

The three-year collaborative research project brings together Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), specifically its Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory. The project will center on developing advanced methods to detect and track submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles.

A key aspect of the project involves the use of Towed Array Target Motion Analysis — a technique that integrates advanced algorithms and hydrophone arrays to monitor undersea activity. According to DSTG’s Amanda Bessell, this method is critical in passive surveillance scenarios, allowing for accurate estimation of a target’s location and movement without revealing the observer’s position.

The towed array system, comprising a line of hydrophones trailing behind a vessel, collects underwater acoustic data that is then processed to detect and classify threats. Senior researcher Sanjeev Arulampalam explained that this technology not only improves directional sensing but also reduces signal distortion from background noise, thereby increasing tracking precision.

The project will include data sharing, live trials, and algorithm performance testing, allowing both nations to harness their collective technological strengths. Suneel Randhawa, Chief of the Information Sciences Division at DSTG, noted that with the changing nature of the underwater battlespace, particularly the rise of autonomous underwater systems, innovations like these are vital.

Officials believe the research could influence the development of future undersea surveillance systems and contribute to the strategic deterrence capabilities of both countries. The collaboration also underscores the growing defense partnership between India and Australia, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.

By pooling resources and technical expertise, the two nations aim to accelerate innovation and deliver robust undersea detection technologies suited to modern maritime security challenges.

In a confusing digital episode, the Instagram and X accounts of several Pakistani celebrities were once again blocked in India on Thursday, just a day after briefly becoming accessible. Prominent figures such as Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mawra Hocane, and Fawad Khan found their profiles geoblocked once again for Indian users.

The sudden reappearance of these accounts on Wednesday had sparked speculation about a potential rollback of the ban imposed after rising Indo-Pak tensions. However, government sources clarified that the visibility was the result of a technical glitch. “If you can see some accounts either on X, YouTube or Meta, they will be inaccessible in a few hours. Some technical glitch led to the unblocking. Rectified now,” a source told IndiaToday.in.

Currently, attempts to access these profiles on Instagram trigger a message stating: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

On July 2, several Pakistani YouTube channels and Instagram handles, including those of celebrities like Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, had briefly resurfaced. Major entertainment channels such as Hum TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo also became accessible again, prompting a flurry of online discussions.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has not released any official clarification regarding the sequence of events. The original restrictions had been imposed after India’s Operation Sindoor, a military campaign aimed at neutralizing terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The move followed sharp criticism from several Pakistani public figures, which in turn triggered widespread demand for their content to be blocked in India.

The swift reblocking of these accounts underscores the sensitivity of cross-border digital interactions amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Many Pakistani social media accounts and YouTube channels, which were blocked in India after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, are now visible again. This has upset several Indian groups, including the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), which has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for action.

Accounts of Pakistani celebrities like Mawra Hocane, Yumna Zaidi, Ahad Raza Mir, and Danish Taimoor can now be seen on Instagram from India. But some others, like Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Hania Aamir, are still not accessible. YouTube channels of Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, and Rashid Latif have also become available again.

Popular Pakistani TV channels like Hum TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo, which had been blocked earlier, can now be watched in India. These accounts and channels were blocked after the Indian government issued an advisory on May 8 asking all platforms to remove Pakistani content for national security reasons.

The AICWA said in its letter, “It is very upsetting that Pakistani actors’ accounts are visible again. This hurts the feelings of Indians, especially those who lost family in terror attacks caused by Pakistan.” The group called it an insult to the soldiers who lost their lives in such attacks.

The bans had come after the deadly Pahalgam attack on April 22, which killed 26 people. In response, India carried out Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The fighting lasted four days, with airstrikes, drones, and missiles used by both sides. India hit several Pakistani military bases, forcing both countries to agree to a ceasefire by May 10.

Even though the fighting stopped, the online bans stayed in place. Now, the return of some Pakistani social media accounts has led to confusion and concern. Many people are asking why the ban was lifted and what the government’s current policy is.

A British F-35B stealth fighter jet, stranded at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram airport for 18 days, has unexpectedly become the center of a social media meme storm—and the Kerala Tourism Department has now joined the fun. In a light-hearted post on X, the department quipped that the jet was “not willing to leave” because “Kerala is a place you never want to leave.”

The post also included an AI-generated image of the F-35B fighter alongside a fake five-star review that read, “Kerala is such an amazing place, I don’t want to leave. Definitely recommend.” The department thanked the satirical platform “The Fauxy” for inspiring the viral poster.

The F-35B, a fifth-generation stealth aircraft known for its short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities, was returning from a joint maritime exercise with the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific when it made an emergency landing in Kerala’s capital. The aircraft, which is part of the UK’s HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, has since been exposed to Kerala’s scorching heat and seasonal rains.

The prolonged stay has led to a flood of internet humor. One popular meme mockingly offers the jet “for sale,” while another compares the situation to a scene from the Malayalam cult classic Vellanakalude Nadu, in which a defunct road roller becomes a bureaucratic nuisance. Social media users have also joked about the potential aviation parking fees being levied on the parked warplane.

Despite the jet’s advanced technology and elite status, its unplanned layover in Kerala has turned it into a surprising mascot for the state’s tourism charm, proving that sometimes, even military hardware isn’t immune to Kerala’s laid-back appeal—or its meme culture.