Taiwan has stepped up military readiness with its annual Han Kuang military exercises, designed to test the island’s ability to respond to a potential Chinese attack.

The drills use live troops, real terrain and military equipment to test command coordination, combat responsiveness and homeland defence capabilities.

Taiwanese authorities say the exercises are aimed at strengthening national defence capabilities and improving coordination between the military and coast guard in the face of external threats.

The annual drills come amid continued tensions across the Taiwan Strait and growing concerns over China’s military pressure on Taiwan.

Taiwan Begins Han Kuang Military Drills to Prepare for Potential Chinese Attack

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, India is positioning trust as the cornerstone of regional maritime cooperation, convening global leaders to prioritise collaboration over confrontation. At the inaugural Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2025, hosted by the Indian Navy and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) in New Delhi, Admiral Karambir Singh (Retd.), NMF chairman and former naval chief, emphasised transparency and shared goals as vital to countering rivalries. “Trust cannot be built overnight; it grows through transparency, consistent engagement and shared purpose,” Admiral Singh told delegates. “Collaborative security is not an aspiration; it is an operational necessity.”The three-day forum, drawing 42 speakers from 23 countries under the theme “Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement,” focuses on practical partnerships among navies, coast guards, industry and academics. Admiral Singh portrayed the Indo-Pacific as “a strategic geography where the destinies of nations, big and small, are increasingly intertwined,” advocating India's inclusive vision rooted in “shared peace, prosperity and collaborative security.”He linked India's evolving policies, from SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), asserting: “Security and growth in the region must be pursued together. This dual pursuit was at the heart of India’s maritime policy of SAGAR, which today finds expression in MAHASAGAR.” Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, NMF director general, reinforced the rules-based maritime order as “a web of agreements freely entered into by nations,” defining the region as stretching “from the eastern seaboard of Africa across West Asia and the Indian Ocean into the Pacific.”Distinguishing between hardware and human elements, Admiral Singh stressed: “While both are vital, in much of the Indo-Pacific it is capability rather than capacity that remains the more urgent need. It is here that collaboration, partnerships and knowledge-sharing can make a real and telling difference.” He highlighted a new Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence with King’s College London, noting, “hardware without humanware achieves little.”Described in the NMF's concept note as a “doing conference” designed to co-develop policy blueprints and capacity-enhancing solutions, the dialogue addresses climate impacts, supply-chain resilience, the Blue Economy and underwater infrastructure protection. Admiral Singh called for advancing “from sharing data to sharing understanding,” via AI and big-data analytics, while cautioning that “cybersecurity at sea is now as critical as physical security.” He advocated collaboration in green shipbuilding and AI navigation.Coinciding with India's chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and Naval Symposium through 2027, the event positions New Delhi as a trust-building convener. “Let this Dialogue reaffirm our collective belief that the Indo-Pacific must remain free, open, inclusive and secure for generations to come,” Admiral Singh said, as he reminded the gathering, in turbulent waters, partnerships, transparency, and shared purpose are the only true lifelines. With 30 foreign participants, including ambassadors and strategists, IPRD 2025 aims to convert discourse into action, signalling India's push for conversations on issues that impact the Indo-Pacific and the role the Indian Navy can play in it.

The three-day forum, drawing 42 speakers from 23 countries under the theme “Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement,” focuses on practical partnerships among navies, coast guards, industry and academics.

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, India is positioning trust as the cornerstone of regional maritime cooperation, convening global leaders to prioritise collaboration over confrontation. At the inaugural Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2025, hosted by the Indian Navy and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) in New Delhi, Admiral Karambir Singh (Retd.), NMF chairman and former naval chief, emphasised transparency and shared goals as vital to countering rivalries. “Trust cannot be built overnight; it grows through transparency, consistent engagement and shared purpose,” Admiral Singh told delegates. “Collaborative security is not an aspiration; it is an operational necessity.” The three-day forum, drawing 42 speakers from 23 countries under the theme “Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement,” focuses on practical partnerships among navies, coast guards, industry and academics. Admiral Singh portrayed the Indo-Pacific as “a strategic geography where the destinies of nations, big and small, are increasingly intertwined,” advocating India's inclusive vision rooted in “shared peace, prosperity and collaborative security.” He linked India's evolving policies, from SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), asserting: “Security and growth in the region must be pursued together. This dual pursuit was at the heart of India’s maritime policy of SAGAR, which today finds expression in MAHASAGAR.” Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan, NMF director general, reinforced the rules-based maritime order as “a web of agreements freely entered into by nations,” defining the region as stretching “from the eastern seaboard of Africa across West Asia and the Indian Ocean into the Pacific.” Distinguishing between hardware and human elements, Admiral Singh stressed: “While both are vital, in much of the Indo-Pacific it is capability rather than capacity that remains the more urgent need. It is here that collaboration, partnerships and knowledge-sharing can make a real and telling difference.” He highlighted a new Regional Maritime Security Centre of Excellence with King’s College London, noting, “hardware without humanware achieves little.” Described in the NMF's concept note as a “doing conference” designed to co-develop policy blueprints and capacity-enhancing solutions, the dialogue addresses climate impacts, supply-chain resilience, the Blue Economy and underwater infrastructure protection. Admiral Singh called for advancing “from sharing data to sharing understanding,” via AI and big-data analytics, while cautioning that “cybersecurity at sea is now as critical as physical security.” He advocated collaboration in green shipbuilding and AI navigation. Coinciding with India's chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association and Naval Symposium through 2027, the event positions New Delhi as a trust-building convener. “Let this Dialogue reaffirm our collective belief that the Indo-Pacific must remain free, open, inclusive and secure for generations to come,” Admiral Singh said, as he reminded the gathering, in turbulent waters, partnerships, transparency, and shared purpose are the only true lifelines. With 30 foreign participants, including ambassadors and strategists, IPRD 2025 aims to convert discourse into action, signalling India's push for conversations on issues that impact the Indo-Pacific and the role the Indian Navy can play in it.

The three-day forum, drawing 42 speakers from 23 countries under the theme “Promoting Holistic Maritime Security and Growth: Regional Capacity-Building and Capability-Enhancement,” focuses on practical partnerships among navies, coast guards, industry and academics.

India pushes trust as anchor for Indo-Pacific security at key New Delhi forum

The following examines the six largest navies in Asia, highlighting not only the number of ships but also the distribution of destroyers, submarines, and aircraft carriers, offering a clear picture of the region’s maritime strength.

Asia’s 6 largest navies ranked by ships, submarines and carriers: See where India stands..

The Philippines' Armed Forces have reportedly shown interest in acquiring India's Pralay Ballistic missiles. According to sources of the Indian Defence Research Wing, the Philippines is interested in the expansion of defence ties with India, after the successful 2022 BrahMos deal. Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited, the Pralay is a short-range, solid-fuel, quasi-ballistic system designed for precision strikes against high-value targets.&nbsp;<h2>Key features of Pralay Missile</h2>Pralay is a canisterised, road mobile missile with a range of 150–500 km, and has potential for further extension depending on mission requirements. It is a hypersonic missile with a top speed of Mach 6.1, which reduces the probability of interception and increases the deployment speed. It is capable of delivering conventional warheads such as High Explosive Preformed Fragmentation, Penetration-Cum-Blast, and Runway Denial Penetration Submunitions, weighing from 350 kg up to 1,000 kg. Its precision is determined by the Inertial Navigation System for mid-course guidance and Millimetre-Wave Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator, along with radar imaging for the terminal phase. It is deployed using a 12×12 Ashok Leyland Heavy Mobility Vehicle (HMV) transporter erector launcher (TEL), with deployment to launch time between 10 minutes and command to launch time of 60 seconds. It also features a quasi-ballistic trajectory and a manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle technology enabling it to evade anti-missile defences.<h2>Strategic Significance</h2>The Pralay missile is another option for India's tactical deterrence in precision-guided systems. India already has Prahar, Shaurya, BrahMos, Nirbhay, HELINA, Rudram Series, SAAW, and Akash, which can be used for precision strikes. This is potentially significant in the case of a land engagement over a short range.&nbsp;According to the IDRW report, Armenia is in advanced negotiations with India and is expected to place the first batch order for the Pralay missile, with a visiting delegation reportedly witnessing testing of Pralay in July 2025. Armenia is engaged in a conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus, which is internationally recognised as Azerbaijan but historically had Armenian ties. India has emerged as Armenia's largest arms supplier, surpassing Russia. Between 2022 and 2024, Armenia signed defence contracts with India valued at over $1.5 billion. These include 15 units of Akash-1S Air Defence System, 4 batteries of Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher, 6 units ATAGS (Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System), and 15 units of Ashwin Ballistic Missile Defence Interceptors.&nbsp;India has already delivered $375 million worth of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, increasing the naval deterrence of the Philippines. The Pralay Missile is expected to increase the land-based capabilities of the Philippines, with increased intensity of territorial conflict with Cambodia. India's growing stature as a global defence exporter aligns with "Make in India" initiatives and enhances diplomatic engagement in South East Asia, countering Chinese influence.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Reports from the Indian Defence Research Wing suggest that the Philippines is showing interest in India's Pralay missile after the BrahMos deal. Explore its speed, range, warhead types, and precision-strike capabilities.

The Philippines' Armed Forces have reportedly shown interest in acquiring India's Pralay Ballistic missiles. According to sources of the Indian Defence Research Wing, the Philippines is interested in the expansion of defence ties with India, after the successful 2022 BrahMos deal. Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Bharat Dynamics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited, the Pralay is a short-range, solid-fuel, quasi-ballistic system designed for precision strikes against high-value targets. Key features of Pralay Missile Pralay is a canisterised, road mobile missile with a range of 150–500 km, and has potential for further extension depending on mission requirements. It is a hypersonic missile with a top speed of Mach 6.1, which reduces the probability of interception and increases the deployment speed. It is capable of delivering conventional warheads such as High Explosive Preformed Fragmentation, Penetration-Cum-Blast, and Runway Denial Penetration Submunitions, weighing from 350 kg up to 1,000 kg. Its precision is determined by the Inertial Navigation System for mid-course guidance and Millimetre-Wave Digital Scene Matching Area Correlator, along with radar imaging for the terminal phase. It is deployed using a 12×12 Ashok Leyland Heavy Mobility Vehicle (HMV) transporter erector launcher (TEL), with deployment to launch time between 10 minutes and command to launch time of 60 seconds. It also features a quasi-ballistic trajectory and a manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle technology enabling it to evade anti-missile defences. Strategic Significance The Pralay missile is another option for India's tactical deterrence in precision-guided systems. India already has Prahar, Shaurya, BrahMos, Nirbhay, HELINA, Rudram Series, SAAW, and Akash, which can be used for precision strikes. This is potentially significant in the case of a land engagement over a short range. According to the IDRW report, Armenia is in advanced negotiations with India and is expected to place the first batch order for the Pralay missile, with a visiting delegation reportedly witnessing testing of Pralay in July 2025. Armenia is engaged in a conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus, which is internationally recognised as Azerbaijan but historically had Armenian ties. India has emerged as Armenia's largest arms supplier, surpassing Russia. Between 2022 and 2024, Armenia signed defence contracts with India valued at over $1.5 billion. These include 15 units of Akash-1S Air Defence System, 4 batteries of Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher, 6 units ATAGS (Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System), and 15 units of Ashwin Ballistic Missile Defence Interceptors. India has already delivered $375 million worth of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, increasing the naval deterrence of the Philippines. The Pralay Missile is expected to increase the land-based capabilities of the Philippines, with increased intensity of territorial conflict with Cambodia. India's growing stature as a global defence exporter aligns with "Make in India" initiatives and enhances diplomatic engagement in South East Asia, countering Chinese influence.

Reports from the Indian Defence Research Wing suggest that the Philippines is showing interest in India's Pralay missile after the BrahMos deal. Explore its speed, range, warhead types, and precision-strike capabilities.

Philippines eyes India’s Pralay ballistic missile after BrahMos deal: Key features, speed and range

British PM Boris Johnson has arrived in India for a two-day visit. While the meeting comes in the backdrop of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the key of the visit is to finalize two-way investment deals in defence, artificial intelligence and in green energy resources.

Focus on Indo-Pacific security, AI; Boris Johnson won't 'lecture' India on Ukraine