1. UK CDS meets General Anil Chauhan, CDS

Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, United Kingdom, met General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The two sides discussed India–UK defence and security cooperation.

2. Additional Secretary (Defence Production) inaugurates India Pavilion at DSA-2026

Additional Secretary, Defence Production, Dinesh Mahur, is leading the Indian delegation at the 19th edition of Defence Services Asia 2026 & Network Security Asia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur from 20–23 April 2026, marking a major push to expand India’s defence exports. He jointly inaugurated the India Pavilion with the High Commissioner of India to Malaysia, B.N. Reddy.

3. India exploring third batch of K-9 Vajra-T howitzers

India is exploring a third phase of K-9 Vajra-T acquisition from South Korea, with a focus on increasing technology transfer. Discussions also include additional artillery systems and air defence solutions, according to a Ministry of External Affairs briefing on April 20.

The Indian Army currently operates 100 K-9 Vajra-T howitzers and ordered a second batch of 200 in 2024. The air defence reference may relate to the K-30 Biho SPAAG, which won the initial 2018–2019 trials for India’s SPAD-GMS programme. However, the $2.6 billion deal was scrapped in 2020 in favour of indigenous development.

4. A-10 ‘Warthog’ to remain in service till 2030

The A-10 ‘Warthog’ will remain in service until 2030, according to a post by the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force on X. The decision preserves combat capability as the defence industrial base works to ramp up production of next-generation aircraft.

The move pauses the US Air Force’s earlier push to retire the platform as part of a transition to newer systems such as the F-35 Lightning II, with timelines shifting amid production constraints.

5. Airbus and partners sign NH90 Block 2 architecture contract

The NATO agency managing the NH90 programme, NAHEMA, has signed a contract with NHIndustries, a consortium comprising Airbus, Leonardo and GKN Aerospace, to launch the NH90 Block 2 architecture study.

The upgrade will focus on structural improvements, including modular avionics, greater configuration commonality, enhanced maintenance and performance, and new capabilities in collaborative combat, connectivity, and crewed-uncrewed teaming.

Chakra Desk

Chakra News is a specialised digital media platform committed to in-depth coverage of India’s defence, national security, geopolitics, and critical technologies.