Defence Direct Education

Meet Major Soiba Maningba Rangnamei, Indian Army Officer from 16 Bihar. From Senapati, Manipur. First in his village to clear NDA.

The 12th edition of the India–Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise: Exercise #GARUDASHAKTI 2026 commenced today at Banyuwangi, Indonesia with a grand Opening Ceremony. The joint training is aimed at enhancing synergy and strengthening the robust defence partnership between the two nations.

stand behind this and you're dead 💀 Fire → cartridge base blows out → gas splits → shell goes forward, gas jets out the back → recoil cancelled. The price: a backblast dangerous 30 m behind.

An IAF C-17 in Abuja looked "all taped up". Worn out? No. 1 - Those patches: peeling paint, the photographer later agreed 2 - Airliners use speed tape for this. A 787-9 wing, taped so paint won't peel 3 - An A321 nose Aluminium tape, holds at 900+ km/h 🇮🇳 Photo 1: ChuckIOM

Today the infantry is the Indian Army's largest arm, the "Queen of Battle". From Siachen's snow to the Thar, it is still the soldier on foot who takes and holds ground. Happy Infantry Day. 🇮🇳 (5/5) Photo: MoD

Every 27 October, the Army Chief lays a wreath for the infantry's fallen. The day marks the first troops who landed in Srinagar in 1947. Photo: Infantry Day, 27 Oct 2010, MoD (4/5)

3 Nov 1947, Badgam. Maj Somnath Sharma, 4 KUMAON, fought with his left hand in plaster, outnumbered 7 to 1. Last message: "I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round." First Param Vir Chakra. (3/5) Photo: K.C. Velaga, CC BY-SA 4.0

By nightfall, 28 Dakota sorties had reached Srinagar. Wg Cdr K.L. Bhatia's crew is credited with landing first. The IAF's heritage Dakota "Parashurama" wears VP 905, the tail number of the plane that carried 1 SIKH's first troops. (2/5) Photo: Naman Vishwajeet, CC BY-SA 4.0

27 October 1947. Raiders were closing in on Srinagar. That morning, 1 SIKH flew in from Delhi and went straight into battle. Their CO, Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, fell that same day holding them off near Baramulla: independent India's first Maha Vir Chakra. (1/5) Photo: MoD

It has no recoil: the blast vents out the back. Never stand behind it. This is the Carl Gustaf, an 84 mm Swedish recoilless rifle, in service since 1948. India has made it under licence since 1976. Next: 450 M4s, to be built in Haryana. Rating: 9/10 Photo: Spear Corps 🇮🇳