Nine more members of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) were arrested from Dhupanichara Para area of 16 East Bengal region in Bandarban. Several weapons were also recovered from KNF members. They were arrested on Tuesday (April 16) in a raid led by Major Rajib of Sung Sang Para Army Camp. Nine LGs, nineteen LG cartridges, two mobile phones and two ID cards were recovered from their possession. The area was cordoned off after receiving a tip-off about the location of the KNF terrorists. Notably, the KNF members carried out terrorist attacks on the bank, looted arms and money, and kidnapped the bank manager, disobeying  'Peace Establishment Committee'.

France has overtaken Russia on the list of the biggest weapons exporters, a study from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has found. The United States has reinforced its global dominance in arms sales. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war has driven new arms purchasing in Europe in dramatic fashion, with US manufacturers being the main beneficiaries, according to a new study from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). From 2019 to 2023, the worldwide trade in weapons declined by 3.3% overall from the 2014-18 figures, but the amount of arms imported by European countries in that period doubled compared with the previous five years. At 55%, the lion's share of arms sales to European countries came from the United States. This was up 20 percentage points from the previous period. US's global dominance Mainly thanks to sales to European countries, the United States increased its overall weapons exports by 17%. Stateside producers delivered arms to 107 countries, more than in any other period studied by SIPRI or any other exporting nation. "The USA has increased its global role as an arms supplier — an important aspect of its foreign policy — exporting more arms to more countries than it has ever done in the past," said Mathew George, director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. "This comes at a time when the USA's economic and geopolitical dominance is being challenged by emerging powers." Unsurprisingly, Ukraine is the European country where weapons imports have most dramatically increased. From 2019 to 2023, Ukraine went from being a minimal importer and a site of domestic production to being the No. 4 weapons buyer in the world, after India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Imports increased 6,600% compared with the previous period. In 2023, Ukraine was the No. 1 global arms importer. However, its allies offered rather than sold many of the arms it received in the fight against Russia. The United States, Germany, and Poland were Ukraine's top three suppliers. Russia's exports slip The five biggest arms exporters worldwide were the United States, France, Russia, China and Germany. France overtook Russia to claim the No. 2 spot. Russia's exports fell by 53%. French sales surged 47%. In 2019, 31 countries were still receiving weapons from Russia. By 2023, that had dropped to 12, with India and China, which have kept up trade in oil and gas with Russia, being by far the most significant customers. "In other cases, the US and European states to some extent, too, have put pressure on countries that have been buying Russian arms before or were thinking of doing that." Pieter Wezeman, one of the authors of the report, told DW. Wezeman said that was "something which we could see very strongly in the case of Egypt, which was going to buy Russian combat aircraft, which was then pressured by the US not to do so and basically has now turned to France to buy advanced combat aircraft." France is pursuing a policy of "strategic sovereignty," Wezeman said. "Basically, it wants to be able to apply military force whenever it wants to without being dependent on weapons from someone else. Therefore, they need an arms industry, but, to be able to have that, you really need to export. Otherwise, it becomes way too expensive." France's weapons industry has been very successful over the past 10 years, Wezeman said, with top sellers being the Rafale fighter aircraft, as well as submarines and frigates. Germany's submarine exports Germany's position as the world's No. 5 arms exporter remained unchanged from 2014 to 2023, with the Middle East as its main customer region. Arms exports from Germany fell 14% over that period, though Wezeman said the decline was relative. The previous five-year period was exceptionally buoyant due to large orders, particularly of submarines. In contrast, the year 2023 on its own was particularly good for the German arms industry. Wezeman said that was "partly related, of course, to the military aid that has gone to Ukraine, but also related to the delivery of, for example, submarines to Singapore and frigates and corvettes to both Israel and Egypt." In contrast to their European counterparts, African countries bought about half as many foreign weapons from 2019 through 2023 as they had in the preceding half decade, primarily driven by a decline in purchases from two major importers. Algeria imported 77% fewer arms products. Morocco's purchases went down 46%. Russia, whose presence on the continent has expanded in recent years, is the No. 1 weapons supplier to countries in Africa, followed by the United States and China.

Crises and wars are keeping the world on edge — yet arms sales by the top 100 weapons companies fell in 2022. The peace research institute SIPRI explains why. Arms sales have been booming for years, thanks to the many flashpoints all over the world. But this trend came to a halt in 2022 — albeit only temporarily. This is according to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which focused on the 100 largest arms-producing  companies in 2022. According to the SIPRI Top 100 Arms-producing and Military Services Companies 2022 report, the companies generated a total of almost $600 billion (€550 billion) from the sale of weapons and military services. That was a huge sum, but revenues shrank noticeably, by 3.5%, compared to 2021. This is first decline since the SIPRI list of the top 100 arms companies was established in 2015. "Despite the volume of new orders, which reached record levels for many companies, revenues fell, especially in the USA," said Xiao Liang, one of the report's authors. Falling US arms sales due to production problems Many US and European defense companies were unable to increase their production capacities due to labor shortages, rising costs, the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and supply chain disruptions, exacerbated by the Russian war against Ukraine. Most of the weapons supplied to Ukraine were from European and US stocks, which did not generate much revenue for the industry. Another reason is the focus of the largest arms companies on expensive systems such as aircraft, ships and missiles. But according to Liang, the military equipment "that was most in demand due to the war in Ukraine was not necessarily more expensive but rather armored vehicles, ammunition and artillery." Above all, the 42 US defense companies on the list saw their revenues fall significantly by 7.9% to $302 billion. They accounted for 51% of the total armaments revenue of the top 100, but SIPRI assumes that longer-term orders will have a positive impact on the balance sheets in the coming years. Modest sales growth in Europe The arms sales of the 26 European-based companies in the top 100 rose by 0.9% to $121 billion in 2022. The war in Ukraine created a demand for material "suitable for a war of attrition, such as ammunition and armored vehicles," according to the SIPRI study. Many European manufacturers of these goods were able to increase their revenues, such as the Polish arms company PGZ, which increased its revenues by 14% and thus "benefited from the military modernization program that the country is pursuing." The revenues of the four German defense companies in the top 100 of 2022 amounted to $9.1 billion, an increase of 1.1% compared to 2021. The only German company with a decline was ThyssenKrupp, whose sales fell by 16% to $1.9 billion because the company delivered fewer ships than in the previous year, according to SIPRI. The order of German companies in the top 100 ranking were Rheinmetall at 28th place, ThyssenKrupp at 62nd, Hensoldt at 69th and Diehl was 93rd. Russian arms production a mystery Due to a lack of data, SIPRI was unable to comprehensively assess the revenue development of Russian companies. This is one of the reasons why only two Russian companies were included in the list: Rostec (10th place) and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (36th). Their combined turnover fell by 12% to $20.8 billion. Russia's lack of transparency is not new, but the country's defense output has become even more opaque since the invasion of Ukraine, the SIPRI report noted. "Russian companies were prevented by their government from disclosing all information because it could call into question the official narrative about their war efforts in Ukraine," Liang told DW. Meanwhile, firms in Asia, Oceania and the Middle East recorded significant growth. "Companies there often have to contend with very difficult security conditions and are confronted with a kind of permanent state of war, like Israel or South Korea," said Liang. This is why these companies have a "perpetual production capacity," and they can ramp up production quickly when there's a sudden increase in demand. Furthermore, some companies in China, India and Turkey are supported by their governments with long-term modernization plans. Liang mentions another advantage they have.  "Many suppliers there come from the domestic market. Most of the demand is also domestic to supply their own military. This helps these countries to mitigate the impact of global supply chain disruptions," he said. The defense sales of the 22 companies from Asia and Oceania listed in the ranking rose by 3.1% to $134 billion, the second year in a row when revenues in Asia and Oceania were higher than those in Europe. Eight Chinese companies are included in the list, three of them in the top ten. The arms revenues of all eight companies amounted to $108 billion and accounted for 18% of total global arms sales. This makes them the second-largest share of total sales by country after US companies. Turkish drone manufacturer with fastest growth The Middle East recorded the largest percentage rise in sales of all regions in 2022. The revenue of the seven companies based there climbed to $17.9 billion, an increase of 11%. According to SIPRI findings, companies from this region benefit from their specialization in less technologically sophisticated products. They are in a position to "increase production more quickly in response to rising demand." This is particularly true for the four Turkish companies, whose total revenues grew to $5.5 billion — 22% more than in 2021. SIPRI highlighted the Turkish company Baykar with its drone production, which has now been included in the Top 100 for the first time (76th place) after its sales increased by 94% — the fastest growth of any company in the ranking. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.   

China's arms exports have declined due to poor quality, and weak and inconsistent performance, which puts buyer countries in peril. In the last decade, China's weaponry exports have dropped by nearly a quarter, according to a report by the Directus. Furthermore, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is plagued by the issue of low-quality weapons. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China's arms shipments fell 7.8 percent between 2016 and 2020 when compared to the preceding five-year period. Its global market share has shrunk from 5.6 percent to 5.2 percent. Demand for Chinese weaponry increased since they were less expensive than competitors' offerings. It began to contract, however, after the Chinese armaments failed to perform as promised. "China attracts customers for its military equipment with cutrate pricing and financing, but there are hidden costs - especially when gear malfunctions," said Cindy Zheng, a researcher at the think tank RAND Corporation. "A lack of technological compatibility with the Chinese military equipment can prove particularly expensive," the researcher added, according to Directus. China supplies weapons to over 53 nations, most of which are not markets for big arms suppliers such as the United States or France. 34 Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and African and Middle Eastern countries are major importers of Chinese armaments. According to Alexander Vuving, professor at the Daniel K Inouye Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies, the topic of problems in Chinese military gear has been emphasised. "China-made weapons are not just technologically inferior, they also remain untested on the battlefield," he said. Myanmar expressed concern about the low accuracy of the radar on the Chinese jets it purchased. Due to technical issues, Myanmar grounded the majority of the Chinese jets. Myanmar paid a high price for these Chinese-made jets, but they were still in need of repair four years after they were delivered, Directus reported. Due to maintenance issues, Nigeria was compelled to send seven of nine Chengdu F-7 fighters to China. Pakistan, China's all-weather ally, also encountered problems with Chinese-made navy warships. The F-22P frigates had various technical issues, including engine degradation, faulty sensors, and the missile system's inability to lock on the target, the Directus reported. Collin Koh, a maritime security analyst based in Singapore, stated that importer countries are concerned about the absence of combat testing for most Chinese hardware. Another difficulty is political tension with China in the case of integration with non-Chinese systems. "Many countries acquiring Chinese military equipment for the first time are finding that certification standards are lower than in the West, where there are standards of excellence shared by Nato countries, which endorse the certification of technologies," said Andrei Serbin, a geopolitical intelligence expert and director of the Argentine think tank CRIES. China does not have a system that even comes close.

A legislation to fast-track weapons sales to India has been introduced in the US Congress, with a group of lawmakers saying strengthening the strategic partnership of the nations will safeguard their shared security interests. Their remarks come amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The legislation introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate seeks to place India on equal footing with other partners and allies of the US by streamlining and accelerating the review and sales process for foreign military sales and exports under the Arms Export Control Act. While in the House of Representatives, it was introduced by Congressmen Mike Waltz, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Andy Barr and Marc Veasey, in the Senate, it was Mark Warner and John Cornyn. "The United States and India are bonded by our shared national security interests and democratic values which is why it is so important we continue to strengthen our global partnership to address the threats of today," Waltz said. The Congressman said that as "our militaries continue to conduct joint military exercises and coordinate through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, streamlining military sales will help our two nations bolster security in the Indo-Pacific region". Barr said that "by removing red tape around military sales, we are recognising India as the key partner it is". "Together, the United States and India will continue to cooperate and safeguard our shared national security interests and promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region," he said. Barr said that as the world's largest democracies, "strengthening our global partnership is paramount in addressing the challenges of today and securing a safer future for all". Strengthening the US-India strategic partnership is vital to the prosperity and security of not only both the nations, but also other democracies around the world, Krishnamoorthi said. "That is why I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to expand security cooperation between the United States and India by adding India to the list of partners included in the Arms Export Control Act," he said. Source: Press Trust of India

The governor of Sudan's Darfur region has urged citizens to arm themselves amid fears of escalating violence. A shaky nationwide truce is due to expire tomorrow. The governor of Sudan's conflict-ridden Darfur on Sunday urged residents to take up arms, voicing support for the national army in its fight with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Since the conflict erupted in mid-April, much of the fiercest fighting has raged in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region, near the border with Chad. The RSF paramilitaries have originated from the notorious Janjaweed militia, which is accused of countless atrocities in the Darfur war that began two decades ago. What the Darfur governor said "There are many who do not wish for the safety or rights of citizens and deliberately sabotage national institutions," Darfur governor Mini Minnawi wrote on Twitter. "I call on all our honorable citizens, the people of Darfur, old and young, men and women, to take up arms to protect their property." Darfur has already been scarred by decades of unrest, leaving hundreds of thousands dead, more than two million displaced and the region awash with weapons. In 2003, Sudan's then-president Omar al-Bashir unleash the Janjaweed militia, drawn from Arab nomadic tribes to suppress a rebellion among ethnic minority groups. Minnawi is a former rebel whose faction fought against the militias, which eventually morphed into the more formalized RSF. Clashes could be heard overnight and on Sunday in El Fashir, one of the principal cities in Darfur, and in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. End of imperfect ceasefire looms A weeklong ceasefire brokered by Saudi Arabia and the US is due to run until Monday evening. Washington and Riyadh are remotely monitoring the truce and called on the army and the RSF to readopt the "imperfectly observed" ceasefire so that humanitarian work can take place. "There were violations by both parties that significantly impeded the delivery of humanitarian assistance and restoration of essential services," Saudi Arabia and the US said in a joint statement. The statement noted there had been breaches of the truce, including air strikes and seizure of medical supplies by the army, and looting and occupation of civilian buildings by the RSF. "Both parties have told facilitators their goal is de-escalation to facilitate humanitarian assistance and essential repairs, yet both parties are posturing for further escalation," it said. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has led to lawlessness and a collapse in services, driving nearly 1.4 million people from their homes. The regular military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the RSF led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have each failed to deliver a decisive blow to the other in their fight for control of the country.

China on Friday opposed US arms sales to Taiwan and urged it should stop military contact with the self-governed island, which Beijing regards as its territory. "We have all along firmly opposed US arms sales to China's Taiwan region," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a regular press conference on December 30. Wang stressed that China urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques, and act on the commitment made by the US leaders of not supporting "Taiwan independence." "It should stop arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan, and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait. China will act firmly to defend our sovereignty and security interests," he added. This statement comes after the US State Department this week approved a USD 180 million anti-tank weapon sale to Taiwan, stating that the sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. "State Department authorizes a proposed Foreign Military Sales FMS case for @TECRO_US Taiwan to purchase Volcano Anti-Tank systems valued at up to USD 180 million," State Department's Political-Military Affairs said in a tweet. The State Department has made a determination to approve a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US of Volcano anti-tank munition-laying systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 180 million. This military support comes two days after President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday announced that compulsory military service on the island will be extended from four months to one year, effective January 1, 2024, to strengthen Taiwan's combat readiness against potential Chinese attacks. The announcement was made after a round of meetings in the Presidential Office held to discuss Taiwan's economic and national security, following months-long talks in the wake of the Ukraine conflict, Taiwan Focus reported. In a statement, the US Defence and Cooperation Agency said this proposed sale serves US national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability. "The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region," it added. The US government said the proposed sale will improve Taiwan's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force capable of deterring adversaries and participating in regional operations. "The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region," the statement added. Source: ANI

Berlin signed off on €8.9 billion in arms exports during this year, with more than a quarter of that heading to Ukraine. The intelligence service said there had been over 4,500 cyberattacks since the war began. Germany's government gave the greenlight to arms exports amounting to at least €8.9 billion ($8.48 billion) this year, making it the second-highest annual figure ever, according to the German Economy Ministry following a request from Left Party (Die Linke) lawmaker Sevim Dagdelen. Over a quarter of the weapons and military equipment sent during the course of the year has gone to Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion. Germany's coalition government had sought to reduce exports of arms after coming to power but had to change tack after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. In the face of severe criticism over the country's postwar policy of not providing lethal aid to conflict zones, the Scholz administration announced a reversal of that policy as part of the country's military and security politics "Zeitenwende" or "turning point" announced shortly after the invasion began. Germany has made deliveries worth €2.24 billion including anti-aircraft tanks, multiple rocket launches, the IRIS-T air defence system and self-propelled howitzers, among other pieces of military equipment. The official figures are expected to be announced in January. Separately, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the chairwoman of the parliamentary defense committee, told German news agency RND that the federal government needed to have a better strategy in place to deal with what was happening in Ukraine. Strack-Zimmerman also questioned the wisdom of not sending battle tanks to help Ukraine and said the decision was "not only incomprehensible, it is alarmingly short-sighted." 'Over 4500' cyberattacks since start of war — Ukrainian cybersecurity chief There have been over 4500 cyberattacks in Ukraine since the start of Moscow's invasion, according to Ukraine's intelligence service. Ukrainian cybersecurity chief Ilya Vityuk said in televised comments that Russia has been carrying out "on average more than ten cyberattacks per day." According to Vityuk, Russia's main targets were the energy sector, logistics, military facilities and government databases. The cybersecurity chief said thatKyiv has been grappling with such attacks for eight years and that it was well prepared against them. Lavrov issues ultimatum According to the Russian state-run Tass news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine must meet Moscow's demands or else the matter will be decided by Russian forces. "Our proposals for the demilitarization and denazification of the territories controlled by the regime, the elimination of threats to Russia's security emanating from there, including our new lands, are well known to the enemy," Lavrov reportedly said late Monday. "The point is simple: fulfill them for your own good. Otherwise, the issue will be decided by the Russian army," Lavrov added. He also accused the West and Ukraine of having a "strategic goal" with that being "to defeat Russia on the battlefield as a mechanism for significantly weakening or even destroying our country." More on the war in Ukraine Find out British historian Mark Galeotti's take on the war in Ukraine in an interview with DW. DW also takes a look at the role women have played in Ukraine, in particular the work of one woman seeking to hold those responsible for atrocities, accountable for their actions.

Even though the relations between Pakistan and Russia are said to be on an upswing, Islamabad is reported to be supplying weapons and ammunition to Kyiv, according to Geo-Politik citing the report published in the Russian web portal, Riafan. Islamabad seems to make money off the Russia-Ukraine war by supplying much-needed ammunition to Ukraine. Pakistani companies are also exploiting the ongoing conflict in maximizing their profit and expanding their operations in countries bordering Ukraine. Notably, CEO of Kestral, Liaqat Ali Beg, travelled to Poland, Romania, and Slovakia in May and June 2022. The report claimed that Islamabad is supposedly part of an air bridge for supplying weapons to Ukraine. It is apparently using defence suppliers and contractors operating in foreign countries to channel these shipments to Ukraine. The report revealed further that the UK is using Pakistan's Noor Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi as a key base for the transportation of military equipment for the Ukrainian Army. This report came at a time when Pakistan-Russia relations are the upswing. On one hand, Russia has agreed to provide at least 100,000 barrels per day of crude oil to Pakistan at discounted rates while on other hand, Islamabad is supplying arms and ammunition to Ukraine, reported Geo-Politik. Islamabad-based arms supplier M/s DMI Associates was in contact with Bulgaria-based firm M/s Defense Industry Group to facilitate the supply of manufactured defence stores to the Ukrainian government. Meanwhile, the Slovakia-based defence firm M/s Chemica had purportedly contacted Pak Ordinance Factories' ammunition supplier M/s Kestral, on behalf of Ukraine's Defence Ministry, the report said citing credible sources. Surprisingly, Ukrainian business M/s FORMAG had contacted M/s Bluelines Cargo Pvt Ltd in Pakistan to send gloves for their army, Geo-Politik reported. Pakistan's shipping and brokering firm 'Project Shipping' is also expected to send a consignment of arms and ammunition including mortars, rocket launchers and artillery rounds from Karachi to Poland. Although this is not a single-sided transaction as in the return for the arms supplement to Ukraine. Pakistan has asked for Ukraine's help to service and repair "TV3-117VM Engines" used in Mi-17 helicopters from the Ukrainian Joint Stock Company (JSC) 'Motor Sich,' headquartered in Zaporizhzhia. As it has been an enterprise of the Ukrainian government which it took control deeming "military necessity". This company has been involved with the production of aircraft engines as well as industrial marine gas turbines, according to Geo-Politik. Pakistan and Ukraine's military ties go back nearly three decades. According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Ukraine has supplied weapons worth nearly USD 1.6 billion to Pakistan till 2020. In the 1990s, Ukraine supplied 320 T-84UD tanks to Pakistan for a deal worth USD 600 million. 

India on Thursday announced its third negative arms import list of 101 more products in the ongoing drive to bolster domestic defense production, with defense minister Rajnath Singh warning that import of weapon systems with foreign software codes can lead to security breaches. Releasing the third “positive indigenization list”, Singh stressed the need to crank up indigenous development of weapon systems, platforms, technologies and ammunition to reduce strategic vulnerabilities and ensure “uninterrupted supplies during wars”. The new list includes some big-ticket products like lightweight tanks, mounted artillery gun systems, naval utility helicopters, and some kinds of drones, medium-range anti-ship and anti-radiation missiles, the imports of which will be progressively banned from December 2022 to December 2027. Citing the example of stringent US action against Chinese telecom giant Huawei on national security grounds, Singh said: “Today, the scope of defense is not limited to borders only. Anyone can now break into a country’s security system with the help of different communication methods. No matter how strong the system is, if it is linked to another country, there is a possibility of a security breach.” “Earlier, equipment such as tanks, howitzers and helicopters were mainly mechanical in nature. It was not possible to control them. But newer defence systems and platforms are electronic and software intensive. They can be controlled or subverted from anywhere,” he added. The third list of 101 items, which adds to the 209 products identified earlier in the first two lists in 2020 and 2021, also includes next-generation offshore patrol vessels, naval anti-drone systems, MF-STAR warship radars, advanced lightweight torpedoes, extended range rockets, land-based loitering munitions and medium-altitude long-endurance UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). But much like the first two lists, the third one also includes many products that are already in the process of being manufactured in India or are in the R&D or trials phase, negating the need to import them. Acknowledging this, an MoD official said, “The third list lays special focus on equipment and systems which are being developed and are likely to translate into firm orders in next five years. Like the earlier lists, import substitution of ammunition which is a recurring requirement has been given special emphasis this time too.” India may have gradually reduced weapon imports over the last several years but it still remains the world’s largest arms importer, accounting for 11% of global arms imports. The fledgling domestic defence industrial base requires DRDO, defence PSUs and ordnance factories to pull up their socks as well as much larger participation from the domestic private sector and global majors setting up production facilities in India. The government has set an ambitious target of increasing indigenous military procurement from the existing $10 billion to $20 billion by 2025, as well as increasing defence exports to $5 billion by then. Singh, on his part, said the MoD as well as the armed forces will take all necessary steps, including “handholding of the industry” to create an ecosystem that ensures self-reliance and encourages exports. Contracts worth Rs 54,000 crore have been inked for domestic defence procurements since the announcement of the first two lists, with orders worth another Rs 4.5 lakh crore expected over the next five to seven years, he added. The DRDO, in turn, has pitched in to strengthen domestic manufacturing by signing 30 new transfers of technology (ToT) agreements with 25 industries. At the event, Singh handed over the agreements for 21 technologies, which included counter-drone systems, laser directed energy weapons, quantum random number generators, high-explosive materials and anti-mine boots. “The 3rd positive indigenization list reaffirms the government’s unwavering trust on the capability of the Indian defense industry. The three lists provide a shot in the arm to the domestic defence industry to realize the PM’s Aatmanirbhar vision to build a strong India and attain strategic independence in foreign policy - a much desired aim for all nations in the current global geopolitical situation,” said Jayant Patil of the Society of Indian Defense Manufacturers (SIDM).   Source: The Times of India