Indian Defence and Strategic Weapons

Prithvi was India's first indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile, with its first test flight occurring in 1988.

INS Vibhuti was the first indigenously built missile boat of the Indian Navy, commissioned in 1991. INS Vikrant was an aircraft carrier, not a missile boat.

Prithvi was India's first indigenously developed tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile. Agni is a medium-range ballistic missile.

Operation Rhino was a military operation launched by the Indian Army in 1991 against the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in the state of Assam. It aimed to restore order and curb the insurgency activities of the group.

Lakshya is an indigenously developed pilotless target aircraft used by the Indian Armed Forces. It is tested at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur.

Agni is a family of medium to intercontinental range ballistic missiles developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Agni-III is a nuclear-capable ballistic missile with a range of approximately 3,000 to 3,500 km.

Astra is India's first indigenously developed beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.

The Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) siege occurred in Islamabad, Pakistan, in July 2007. It was a confrontation between Islamic fundamentalists and the Pakistani government.

India and Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding in September 2008 specifically focused on cooperation in tea research.

Indian and French air forces conducted an air combat exercise codenamed 'Garuda' from June 14 to 25, 2010 at the Isteres air base in France.

India is set to finalise a missile co-development project with France to manufacture a new range of Short Range Surface to Air Missiles (SRSAM). The joint project, which will involve the DRDO and French missile manufacturer MBDA, is likely to be finalised within the next few months. The Indo-French missile, which has tentatively been named 'Maitri', will replace the ageing arsenal of Russian missiles that are currently being used by the   armed   forces   to   protect   airfield   and other   vital installations.

The Army has agreed to acquire the indigenous surface to air 'Akash' missile. The 'in-principle' agreement came at a meeting in the Defence Ministry in April 2010. The induction will depend on the delivery schedule of Bharat Dynamics Limited, which makes the missile. The public sector undertaking is already processing orders for six additional squadrons from the Indian Air Force.  In 2008, the IAF placed orders for two squadrons of the Akash Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM) for Rs. 1,222 crore.