Rajnath Singh boards INS Vikrant days after Navy boxed Pak during Op Sindoor
Sources told India Today TV that the deployment included seven destroyers equipped with BrahMos missiles, Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM), and Varunastra heavyweight torpedoes, capable of engaging surface, aerial, and underwater threats.Operation Sindoor was launched amid heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours earlier this month in response to the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam which killed 26 civilians, mostly Hindu tourists.advertisementThe Indian Navy's forward positioning of the Carrier Battle Group, with MiG-29K fighter jets embarked aboard INS Vikrant, demonstrated India's readiness to escalate if provoked — not just at sea, but against coastal assets as well.Commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2022, INS Vikrant stands as a symbol of India's growing maritime strength.The 45,000-tonne warship, built at a cost of approximately Rs 20,000 crore, was designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited. With an indigenous content of 76 per cent, INS Vikrant represents a massive leap in India's self-reliance in defence manufacturing.Must Watch
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India.com
15 minutes ago
- India.com
‘Indian Missiles Can Wipe Out Our Airbases': Pakistan Journalist Exposes Islamabad's Hollow Claims On Operation Sindoor
Islamabad: Pakistan's loud claims after Operation Sindoor have taken a direct hit from within. A senior Pakistani journalist has admitted that the country has no credible shield against Indian missiles and that Indian strikes have already exposed the vulnerability of Pakistan's airbases. Najam Sethi, a veteran journalist and political commentator, made the remarks on Samaa TV. He said the truth lies in Pakistan's lack of missile defence. 'As of now, you don't have any S-400-type missile defence system, no Iron Dome, there is nothing to protect yourself against Indian missiles. India has demonstrated that the missile technology and missile accuracy they possess is capable of targeting both your airbases and your so-called offices of freedom fighters. So, your biggest problem is that if they launch missiles on your airbases, where your planes are parked, then there can be a lot of damage,' he said. Hard TRUTHS of #OperationSindoor - Former Punjab CM & Journo Ruins Munir's Pakistan Party India had a field (Marshal) day! Najam Sethi rips apart Pakistan's flaws in terms of India's precision missile strikes & its capabilities of striking with little or no defence system to… — RT_India (@RT_India_news) August 18, 2025 His comments directly challenge Islamabad's official line. The government had claimed that Operation Sindoor was largely symbolic. Propaganda outlets dismissed the Indian strikes as ineffective. Sethi's words revealed otherwise. He confirmed that Indian forces, during their May 7-10 strikes, hit planes parked inside Pakistani airbases with precision. The admission cuts to the core of Pakistan's defence posture. India's strikes proved that its missiles can hit critical airbases, aircraft hangars and command facilities at will. Pakistan has no operational system to protect its jets or secure its strategic installations. The narrative from Islamabad began to crumble further once independent evidence emerged. High-resolution satellite imagery from global firms and defence analysts confirmed widespread destruction. The images displayed direct hits on runways, visible craters on tarmac and wrecked hangars. Storage facilities and adjoining compounds associated with terror groups were seen flattened. The visual proof backed India's official statements. The satellite data showed the reach and accuracy of the Indian strikes. The damage included military-linked facilities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as well as terror safe havens inside Pakistan. The impact of Operation Sindoor has now been validated from two directions. First, through international satellite confirmation. Second, through the candid words of Pakistan's own senior journalist. The combination has left Islamabad with little space to defend its earlier claims.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
NCERT introduces modules on Operation Sindoor for school students
NEW DELHI: The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced two special modules on Operation Sindoor, describing the military operation that struck at terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, 'a triumph of bravery, strategy, and innovation'. The modules also featured maps of target sites and photographs of destroyed Pakistani drones. The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 people was carried out on 'direct orders' by 'Pakistan's military and political leadership', the modules said, giving details of how the operation was planned. They also featured maps of target sites and photographs of destroyed Pakistani drones, and made references to India's air defence systems, including the S-400, which intercepted and neutralised enemy aircraft and drones. The module titled 'Operation Sindoor — A Saga of Valour' is meant for preparatory and middle stages (Classes 3 to 8), while 'Operation Sindoor—A Mission of Honour and Bravery' is for students at the secondary stage (Classes 9 to 12). NCERT modules are supplementary resources in English and Hindi that cover contemporary and culturally significant topics. They are separate short publications on specific topics that are not part of the textbooks but taught through projects, posters, discussions, and debates. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan with missiles and long-range weapons in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. This triggered four days of hostilities that ended after the two sides reached an understanding on ending military actions on May 10. The module for the secondary stage said the country reacted in 'a very united way' after the terror attack in Pahalgam. 'Candlelight marches were held from across the country. Muslim communities in Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Bhopal wore black armbands and openly denounced the attack. In Kashmir, shopkeepers closed their shops in protest. Villages near the border demanded strong action and supported the Armed Forces,' it said. It added that the local population in Kashmir 'stood up and spoke against terrorists. Their response breaks stereotypes and shows the real voice of peace-loving people.' The modules also cite India's strong military responses — from the wars of 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999 to the 2019 Balakot strikes and Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam attack — describing the latest Operation Sindoor as a decisive move against terrorism backed by the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Pakistan's ISI. In June, defence minister Rajnath Singh said Operation Sindoor was the natural progression of the 2016 surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan, and it was conducted in a manner that forced Islamabad to ask for a ceasefire, articulating India's firm resolve against terror. Both modules start with quotes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In one, he described Operation Sindoor as 'a confluence of India's policy, intent, and decisive capability.' In the module for the secondary stage, PM Modi spoke about how Indian forces attacked terror hideouts in Pakistan and their training centres with precision. 'The terrorists had never imagined that India could take such a big decision. But when the country is united, endowed with the spirit of Nation First and national interest is paramount, then strong decisions are taken and results are achieved.' Former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd) said, 'It is good that students, from an early age, learn about what the military has done—its achievements and how it has responded to the challenges we face. This will give them better exposure to the era, a deeper understanding of what we have been doing, and how India's independent history has evolved.'
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Cabinet panel on security clears project to procure 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter jets for IAF
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) approved the procurement of 97 LCA Mark 1A fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A senior defence official confirmed that the project had been cleared by the CCS, calling it a major boost to the government's Make in India initiative. The aircraft will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This marks the second order for the indigenous LCA Mark 1A fighters. In February 2021, the government had placed an order for 83 aircraft worth about ₹48,000 crore. The programme will enable the IAF to phase out its ageing MiG-21 fleet, which is scheduled to be retired in September this year. According to officials, the project will not only strengthen indigenisation but also generate significant business for small and medium enterprises in the defence sector. However, the development comes at a time when questions remain over HAL's ability to meet delivery timelines for the 83 LCA Mk-1As already on order. In March this year, HAL received the first U.S.-made GE engine for the programme. Earlier, in August 2021, the company had signed a ₹5,375-crore contract with GE Aerospace for 99 F404 engines to power the Tejas Mk-1A. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently held a phone conversation with U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, during which both leaders reviewed ongoing and upcoming initiatives to deepen defence cooperation.
