India-Maldives Joint Military Exercise Begins in Thiruvananthapuram
The 14th edition of the Joint Military Exercise, EKUVERIN, between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) commenced on December 2, 2025 in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Ministry of Defence informed that the bilateral training engagement, scheduled from December 2 to 15, brings together a 45-member Indian Army contingent from a Garhwal Rifles battalion and an equal-strength MNDF contingent.
Derived from the Dhivehi word for "Friends", EKUVERIN symbolises the longstanding bonds of trust, friendship, and military cooperation between India and the Maldives. The exercise, held alternately in both countries since 2009, remains a cornerstone of India's neighbourhood first policy and underlines New Delhi's commitment to strengthening defence partnerships in the Indian Ocean Region, it added.
It further said that over the next two weeks, troops from both nations will engage in joint training to enhance interoperability and operational synergy in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism (CI/CT) operations across jungle, semi-urban, and coastal terrain. The exercise will include tactical drills, joint mission planning, and exchange of best practices, aimed at improving coordinated responses to shared security challenges.
EKUVERIN-14 highlights the expanding defence cooperation between India and the Maldives and reaffirms their shared commitment to regional peace, stability and maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.
Dec 02, 2025
Air Marshal Tejbir Singh Takes Over as Director General (Inspection & Safety)
Air Marshal Tejbir Singh assumed the position of Director General (Inspection and Safety) [DG (I&S)] at the Air Headquarters in December 2025. This appointment marks another milestone in his distinguished journey in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
With an illustrious service record of 37 years, Air Marshal Tejbir Singh has held several important command and staff roles. His experience includes serving as Air Attaché to Bangladesh, Senior Directing Staff at the National Defence College in New Delhi, and Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Transport & Helicopters) at Air Headquarters.
An alumnus of the Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom, he brings a strong academic and strategic background to his new role.
Air Marshal Yalla Umesh Assumes Charge of IAF'S Maintenance command
Air Marshal Yalla Umesh assumed charge of Maintenance Command of the Indian Air Force on 01 December 2025, as the 39th Air Officer Commanding in Chief.
During his distinguished service, Air Marshal Umesh has held several key appointments which include Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Engineering, Air Commodore Engineering (Transport), Air Officer Commanding of a Guided Weapon Base Repair Depot and Chief Engineering Officer at a UN operated airfield in DR Congo. Prior to taking over Maintenance Command, he served as the Director General (Aircraft) at Air Headquarters. He is a recipient of Vishisht Seva Medal.
Air Marshal Yalla Umesh succeeded Air Marshal Vijay Kumar Garg. who superannuated after 39 years of distinguished and devoted service to the nation and the Indian Air Force.
Dec 01, 2025
BSS Military Materials and Equipment Releases LookOut
Bharat Supply & Support of Military Materials and Equipment (BSS Materiel Limited) officially released LookOut, India's first fully indigenous, ultra-low-cost, night-capable drone detection system that turns any existing CCTV network into a 24x7 intelligent air-defence grid.
While armies and paramilitary forces worldwide are spending hundreds of crore on bulky radars and RF sensors that still fail to reliably catch small drones after dark, LookOut simply plugs into the thousands of ordinary security cameras already watching bases, borders, refineries, and VIP residences, and makes them lethal to hostile UAS.
LookOut is completely passive: it emits nothing, cannot be detected by enemy drones or electronic warfare units, and works flawlessly in total darkness, fog, and light rain by fusing low-light, thermal, and motion micro-signatures through an onboard Al/ASI engine trained on over 4.7 million real-world drone and bird flights.