TheNationBrief

Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft, the heaviest-lift contender in India's MTA programme

MTA Program: Inside the IAF’s Race to Replace the An-32 with a New Medium Transport Aircraft (2026 Update)

After years of false starts, India's hunt for a new medium transport aircraft is finally moving. The March 2026 DAC clearance has set off a four-way contest between the C-390, C-130J, A400M and Il-276 to replace the ageing An-32. Here is how the contenders stack up.

TNB Editorial June 24, 2026

Modern deep-water container terminal of the kind Vadhvan Port aims to become

Indian Infra & Tech

Vadhvan Port: India’s Biggest Deep-Water Gateway and Its Maritime Strategy Explained

India's coastline carries some of the world's busiest sea lanes, yet no Indian port could berth the largest container ships afloat. Vadhvan Port aims to change that. A deep-dive into the Rs 76,220 crore deep-water gateway reshaping India's trade economics and its position in the Indian Ocean.

TNB Editorial June 23, 2026

NRP Tridente, a Type 214 submarine of the family behind India's Project 75I

Defence

P-75I Programme: India’s Next-Generation Submarine Project and the Future of Undersea Warfare

India is building its most advanced conventional submarines under the P-75I programme. Here is how the six AIP boats, the TKMS and Mazagon Dock deal and India's wider undersea plans shape the Navy's future in a contested Indian Ocean.

TNB Editorial June 21, 2026

Defence

India’s Air Defence Shield Explained: How S-400, Project Kusha and Sudarshan Chakra Could Counter China and Pakistan

After Operation Sindoor proved India could defend its skies, the country is building a complete air defence shield. Here is how the S-400, the indigenous Project Kusha and Mission Sudarshan Chakra fit together to counter China and Pakistan by 2035.

TNB Editorial June 19, 2026

INS Kalvari, lead Scorpene-class boat of the Indian Navy submarine fleet, at sea

Defence

India’s Silent Guardians: Inside the Indian Navy’s Submarine Fleet in 2026

From a borrowed Soviet Kalvari in 1967 to indigenous nuclear hunters, here is where the Indian Navy submarine fleet stands in 2026 and where it is headed next.

TNB Editorial June 18, 2026

The chip war: a silicon wafer at the heart of the global semiconductor battle

Global Affairs

The Chip War: Why Semiconductors Have Become the World’s Most Strategic Resource

Why have semiconductors become the world's most strategic resource? Inside the chip war, the hidden chokepoints, the US–China fight, Taiwan's fragile silicon shield, and India's bid to build its own chip future.

TNB Editorial June 15, 2026

India's maritime doctrine: INS Vikrant aircraft carrier with fighter jets in the Indian Ocean

Strategic Affairs

From SAGAR to MAHASAGAR: How India Is Building Its Power in the Indian Ocean

From SAGAR to MAHASAGAR, India has spent a decade turning the Indian Ocean from a flank it once guarded into a space it intends to shape. A deep dive into the doctrine, the bases, the rivalry with China, and the fleet driving it all.

TNB Editorial June 15, 2026

DRDO conducts the maiden flight test of the NASM-MR anti-ship missile off the Odisha coast

Defence

DRDO Tests NASM-MR: India’s New Anti-Ship Missile Sharpens Naval Strike Reach

DRDO's maiden flight test of the NASM-MR anti ship missile in June 2026 gives the Indian Navy a new medium range, over-the-horizon strike option built entirely at home.

TNB Editorial June 13, 2026

Defence

India Enters Elite Missile Defence Club After Successful ICBM-Class BMD Trials

India's multi-layered missile defence cleared a major test in June 2026, proving it can intercept threats up to ICBM class and putting the country in an elite club

TNB Editorial June 13, 2026

AMCA Fighter Jet stealth aircraft render showing India's fifth-generation fighter

Defence

AMCA Fighter Jet: Specifications, Engine, Stealth Features & Timeline (2026 Guide)

India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is the country's most ambitious fifth-generation stealth fighter programme. This 2026 guide covers specifications, engine, stealth features, timeline and how it compares to the F-35 and China's J-35.

TNB Editorial June 12, 2026