Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a leading Indian multinational in engineering and defense technology, has announced the launch of TEER, a state-of-the-art Aerial Target System developed entirely in-house. The system is designed to significantly bolster weapons testing, operational training, and India’s overall defense readiness, while supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.

TEER, short for Manoeuvrable Recoverable Aerial Target, is engineered to simulate advanced aerial threats with precision. Its high-speed, high-agility characteristics make it an ideal platform for air defense weapon engagement exercises. The system integrates a suite of on-board payloads including radar augmentation, infrared and smoke flares, and an Acoustic Miss Distance Indicator, offering realistic, mission-relevant training scenarios. TEER is launched using a modular catapult system that allows for efficient deployment and mobility, aligning with the demands of modern battlefield logistics.

L&T is also developing a Next-Gen version of the platform, TEER NG, which will function as a High-Speed Low-Flying Aerial Target (HSLFAT). This variant aims to expand payload capabilities and provide more complex threat emulation, essential for evaluating next-generation air defense systems. The development is in step with India’s expanding indigenous defense manufacturing sector, which, according to a CENJOWS report, has generated nearly 80,000 jobs and continues to attract increased private sector investment.

The TEER programme is backed by a policy environment that encourages domestic innovation. The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) have helped create a viable ecosystem for companies like L&T. Additional momentum is provided by the establishment of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, designed to serve as innovation and manufacturing hubs. L&T has also reiterated its ethical production stance, confirming that its defense offerings do not include explosives, ammunition, or systems related to cluster munitions, landmines, or nuclear weapons.

This unveiling comes amid a broader modernization drive across the Indian military. The Army continues field trials of sophisticated systems in near-combat scenarios with integrated electronic warfare simulations. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force is exploring new airborne surveillance platforms like the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail to strengthen its AWACS capabilities, underscoring the need for advanced defense technologies such as TEER.

By delivering TEER, L&T not only strengthens India’s military preparedness but also reinforces the role of indigenous industry in securing the nation’s future. As defense modernization accelerates, systems like TEER will serve as critical enablers of both tactical efficiency and strategic autonomy.

Former Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria has firmly rejected the idea of importing fifth-generation fighter jets in response to Pakistan’s potential acquisition of Chinese stealth aircraft like the J-20 or J-35. Speaking in the wake of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s approval of the AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) Programme Execution Model, Bhadauria said India’s priority must be to fast-track its indigenous fighter programme and strengthen its defence ecosystem.

“My answer is no. Now, the government has clearly put their faith in AMCA, and now we need to do everything as a nation to expedite the AMCA,” Bhadauria told India Today. He dismissed growing concerns over Pakistan potentially acquiring advanced Chinese stealth fighters, saying, “Let them get these. That will be studied. What is important is how we handle these threats in the interim.”

On May 27, the Defence Ministry approved a new execution model for AMCA under which the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will run the programme through competitive bidding. This opens the doors for both public and private sector firms to participate directly or via joint ventures. For the first time, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will not be the default manufacturer, with private players like Tata, Adani, and L&T now eligible to compete.

Bhadauria acknowledged that HAL may view this as a setback but urged the public sector giant to embrace the shift. “HAL must now move forward towards this direction to work in a kind of a consortium approach with the private sector and should not hesitate to take part in consortium with the private sector leading,” he said.

The former air chief emphasised that national focus should now shift from buying interim solutions to enhancing India’s ability to detect and counter stealth threats. “In terms of stealth capability, Pakistan is likely to get it before us. We’ll have to take some other measures to detect and still hold them off our borders,” he said.

Bhadauria pointed out that India’s existing capabilities in air defence and standoff precision attacks already offer significant strength. “We have demonstrated our capabilities in the air defence zones… in air-to-ground precision zones in terms of standoff. We’ll need an action plan to sort this out,” he added.

He stressed that India must now invest in counter-stealth technologies, effective air defence systems, and strategic preparedness. “Should they be able to launch their cruise missiles or their standoff weapons, we are able to tackle the weapons,” he said.

The AMCA is India’s flagship fifth-generation stealth fighter programme, intended to position the country as a leading aerospace power. Bhadauria’s comments signal strong support for self-reliance in defence production even amid regional arms competition.

Amid heightened tensions following recent cross-border hostilities, top military leaders from India and Pakistan exchanged firm warnings at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan and Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza addressed simultaneous sessions at the prominent global defence forum on Saturday.

Speaking on the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, launched by India in retaliation for a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists, General Chauhan made it clear that India had drawn a new red line in its tolerance to terrorism. “What India has done, politically, they have drawn a new red line of intolerance against terror,” said Chauhan. He added, “We have been subjected to this proxy war of terror for almost two decades… we want to put an end to it.”

Chauhan referred to Operation Sindoor as a signal to India’s adversaries, asserting that the four-day military operation should serve as a warning. “Hopefully they learn that this is a limit of India’s tolerance,” he said. The operation, conducted from May 7 to 10, targeted nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, ending after both sides agreed to halt military actions.

In response, General Mirza cautioned that the lack of genuine conflict resolution between India and Pakistan could lead to dangerous escalation. Speaking during a panel on “Regional Crisis-Management Mechanisms,” he said, “It has become imperative to move beyond conflict management towards conflict resolution. This will ensure sustainable peace and assured crisis management.”

Mirza also raised the Kashmir issue multiple times, stating that resolution in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people was essential for lasting peace in South Asia. “When there is no crisis, Kashmir is never discussed,” he said, underscoring what he called the core issue between the two nations.

Mirza warned that the strategic stability threshold between India and Pakistan had lowered significantly following recent military confrontations. He said, “The threshold of what we say conventional warfare has significantly degraded,” and warned that global powers may not have enough time to intervene in future escalations due to the rapid nature of military responses.

He further alleged that India’s growing stature as a “net security provider” encouraged by Western powers was disincentivising New Delhi from engaging in meaningful crisis-management mechanisms.

Following the April 22 terror attack, India blamed Pakistan-based groups for orchestrating the incident, a charge Islamabad has denied. Mirza, while denying involvement, said that international interlocutors including the US, UK, Turkiye, China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE had engaged both sides during the conflict, helping de-escalate tensions.

The dialogue highlighted the deepening rift between India and Pakistan on security and territorial issues, with military officials laying out opposing visions for peace and stability in the region.

A 77-year-old man who had been on the run for more than 17 years in a cheating case involving the Army Welfare Housing Organisation (AWHO) was arrested by Delhi Police from an old-age home in Patiala, Punjab. The accused, Sitaram Gupta, had been impersonating a Colonel in the Indian Army to defraud people with false promises of housing and job opportunities.

According to police officials, Gupta, originally from Mansa in Punjab, duped people by offering flats and shops under fictitious AWHO schemes and issuing fake receipts. One such case, registered at Vivek Vihar police station in 2007, involved him allegedly taking ₹56,000 from a complainant under false pretenses.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime branch) Apoorva Gupta said that Sitaram Gupta was a postgraduate in Economics and History from Panjab University and had once been a student of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. After being arrested and released on bail in 2007, Gupta disappeared and failed to appear in court, prompting the issuance of non-bailable warrants. He was officially declared a proclaimed offender by the Karkardooma court on April 26, 2025.

Gupta had begun his career as a contractor supplying oil to Army cantonments, during which time he acquired detailed knowledge of military operations. Using this information, he posed as a high-ranking Army officer and began defrauding people under the guise of Army recruitment and real estate benefits.

He moved to Delhi in 1987 and began masquerading as a Colonel. Over the years, he was involved in multiple frauds, including three other cases registered at Shakarpur police station and the Delhi Crime Branch for offering fake Army jobs.

A special police team was formed to track him down. Acting on a tip-off, investigators traced Gupta to an old-age home in Patiala, where he was living under an assumed identity. He had changed his appearance and severed contact with his family to avoid detection. After confirming his identity through surveillance, he was arrested from the shelter.

During interrogation, Gupta admitted to his involvement in several cheating cases. Police revealed that he had been leading a secluded life, frequently changing locations and mobile numbers to escape arrest. His wife is deceased, and he has two children, but had cut all ties with them while on the run.