Front monitor
Squadron arithmetic worsening while fighter programmes fight engine and technology-transfer bottlenecks — nearly 30 engineless Tejas Mk1A airframes now ride on GE's promised 20 F404s by December; missiles, military space and layered air defence remain the momentum stories: Project Kusha flew for the first time on 23 July, AEW&C Mk-II moved to signed contracts with AIESL and Adani Defence on 22 July, and the 2018 S-400 contract is reportedly closing in November.
Standing watch on India's aerospace power: the IAF is holding at roughly 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned 42 — a six-decade low after the MiG-21's September 2025 retirement — while every recapitalisation track fights its own battle. Tejas Mk1A deliveries remain hostage to GE F404 engine supply, the 114-jet MRFA/Rafale buy is stalled on source-code and ICD access, and AMCA's engine tracks are split between a tripled F414 quote and a Safran–Rolls-Royce co-development contest. The missile and space legs are moving faster: a second Agni-5 MIRV test in May 2026, a Mach-8 ET-LDHCM hypersonic test under Project Vishnu, the ₹26,968-crore 52-satellite SBS-3 constellation under the Defence Space Agency, and an air-defence build-out spanning the fourth S-400 squadron, a cleared follow-on S-400 order and Project Kusha.
Updated 23 Jul 2026 · updates logged below as they happen
Changelog
DRDO conducts the maiden flight test of the Project Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, intercepting an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aircraft — the first flying hardware for India's indigenous S-400-class system, with the missile, radars and command-and-control centre all developed by DRDO labs with Indian industry.
DRDO signs the AEW&C Mk-II (Netra Mk2) contracts: AIESL will convert six Airbus A321s to green configuration and Adani Defence becomes Development-cum-Production Partner for the mission systems — reportedly the first private Indian firm entrusted with an airborne mission platform of this complexity — with induction planned for 2032-33 and logistics support running up to 30 years.
A single-source report says the fifth and final S-400 squadron will arrive in November 2026, which would close out the $5.43-billion five-squadron contract signed with Russia in October 2018 after years of Ukraine-war delivery delays; neither government has confirmed the date.
GE Aerospace hands over the seventh F404-IN20 engine to HAL — the first since 2 April — while close to 30 completed Tejas Mk1A airframes wait for powerplants; GE's promised batch of 20 engines by December 2026 is now the pacing item for first IAF deliveries by late 2026.
Ten Indian firms submit bids for the IAF's 87-UAV tender worth over ₹30,000 crore — one of India's largest unmanned-systems competitions and a bellwether for the private drone industrial base.
DAC clears capital acquisition proposals worth about ₹52,000 crore with a counter-drone and layered air-defence tilt — including MRSAM, VSHORADS, the 'Akash Tarang' anti-UAV system and a fixed-wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellite for the IAF.
Safran and Rolls-Royce submit final competing offers to co-develop the AMCA Mk2 engine, each pledging 100% technology transfer — the decision that will determine whether India closes its fighter-engine design gap.
GE's reported ~300% price increase on the F414 stalls engine talks for AMCA prototypes and clouds Tejas Mk2 timelines, reviving the debate over dependence on American fighter engines.
A delivered GE F404 engine develops a snag and another fails acceptance parameters with just 6 of 99 engines received; MoD orders a comprehensive September review of the Tejas Mk1A programme, now over two years behind schedule.
Modi-Macron talks in Nice leave the 114-jet MRFA/Rafale deal unresolved: India's Letter of Request went to France in late May, but access to source code and the Interface Control Document — needed to integrate Indian weapons independently — remains the sticking point.
The fourth S-400 'Sudarshan' squadron arrives in India after prolonged delivery delays, with the fifth and final squadron under the 2018 contract expected by end-2026; the DAC cleared five follow-on squadrons in March.
India conducts its second acknowledged MIRV flight test of an advanced Agni-5 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, deploying multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles across separated impact zones.
6 tagged stories
DRDO's Kusha long-range interceptor made its maiden flight from Abdul Kalam Island on 23 July, destroying an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude threat — first hardware proof of India's indigenous S-400-class shield.
Contracts signed on 22 July task AIESL with converting six Airbus A321s to green configuration and name Adani Defence as development-cum-production partner for the Netra Mk2's mission systems, with induction planned for 2032-33.
A single-source report says the fifth and last S-400 squadron will reach India in November 2026, completing the $5.43 billion contract signed with Russia in October 2018 after years of Ukraine-war delays. Official corroboration is awaited.
GE Aerospace has handed HAL its seventh F404-IN20 turbofan, but with close to 30 completed Tejas Mk1A airframes waiting for powerplants, GE's promise of 20 engines by December 2026 is now the pacing item for IAF deliveries.
Ten domestic firms have bid for the Indian Air Force's 87-UAV programme worth over Rs 30,000 crore — a field wide enough to test whether India's private drone base can absorb, and survive, a contest this large.
A delivered GE F404 engine has developed a snag and another has failed acceptance parameters. With six of 99 engines in hand, India's flagship fighter heads into a September review that will reset its delivery timeline.
