European defence coordination hardened June 25 in two moves: the E5 Berlin summit committed to 5% GDP spending and backed a NATO Hormuz naval mission, and Macron and Meloni signed a Franco-Italian roadmap at Antibes covering SAMP/T air-defence production, nuclear energy cooperation and the "Bromo" satellite project. The Pentagon declared Golden Dome's first live test a "full mission success", with an autonomous directed-energy system neutralising drones and cruise missiles, advancing the low-trillions programme headed to the NATO Ankara summit July 7-8.
North Korea commissioned the Choe Hyon on June 23, a 5,000-tonne guided-missile destroyer with nuclear-capable KN-23 ballistic missiles, built in under 14 months, the fastest DPRK surface combatant build cycle on record. Kim pledged 10,000-tonne strategic cruisers as next, and announced "exponential" warhead production growth on June 3. China ran a coordinated capability demonstration June 22: first public live-launch footage of the DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicle alongside the Liaoning carrier strike group's return. Watch Ankara summit spending text, Choe Hyon sister-ship keel layings, and Golden Dome contract awards.
India's defence sector reached an inflection in 2025-26 across procurement, exports and indigenisation. The $3.9B MQ-9B Predator deal (31 armed drones, 21 assembled in India) and the Rajnath-Hegseth 10-year Major Defence Partnership Framework signed October 31 2025 deepened the US-India axis. The $39B Rafale MRFA programme has cleared a DAC Acceptance of Necessity for 114 jets but stalled over India's demand for AESA radar and SPECTRA source codes that France has refused to share, with Modi raising the impasse at Nice on June 13 2026. The Tejas pipeline expanded with 97 new Mk1A jets contracted (Rs 62,370 crore, September 2025) and a GE F414 80% technology transfer MoU signed April 2026 for the Mk2; AMCA's private-sector partner shortlist (Tata, L&T, Bharat Forge) was announced February 2026. The P75I submarine IGA with Germany (six Type-214 AIP boats, Rs 70,000-99,000 crore) was signed January 2026 and cleared Finance Ministry in May 2026. Defence exports hit Rs 38,424 crore in FY26, up 63%, led by BrahMos and DPSU platforms to Armenia and Southeast Asia. BrahMos is building a Southeast Asian network (Vietnam $629M confirmed, Indonesia agreement in progress, Philippines expanding), driven by Operation Sindoor's combat debut. India-Israel elevated to Special Strategic Partnership in February 2026 after Army MRSAM intercepted a Pakistani Fatah-2 over Sirsa during Sindoor. Akash-NG passed final user trials at 50km range and Pralay fired in salvo in December 2025, both on the mid-2026 induction queue.