The 3-day Military Literature Festival (MLF) 2018, commenced at Lake Club in Chandigarh. The festival is a joint initiative of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Sing, Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore and The Western Command, Indian Army. First session on 'Role of Cross Border Operations & Surgical Strikes', Second session on the 'Contribution of India towards the First World War', Third session was on sessions 'Two Battles For Survival - Ferozshah 1848 and Chilianwala 1849', and 'Indian Cavalry Charges of the First World War and the Gallipoli Campaign'.

For the 4th consecutive time, the Northern Command based in Udhampur has won the 15th edition of General J J Singh air weapon championship. Between 25th March to 3rd April, the championship was conducted at Army Marksmanship Unit, Mhow in Madhya Pradesh. The objective of the competition was to train young male and female army-officers for effective participation in national and international shooting competitions. More than 100 male and female Indian-Army shooters competed in the 10-metre air rifle and air pistol categories. The winning team bagged the overall inter command championship by clinching "Burma Shell Trophy" after competing against 9 other teams. The winning team also won the women's overall trophy with 1 gold and 3 silver medals individually.

An agreement was signed between Israel Aerospace Industries, Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard for providing Naval Medium Range Surface to air missile systems to India. The agreement worth of $93 million for provision of Naval Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) systems. As per the contract Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will provide complementary systems for the air defense system. Indian Navy and IAI held an interception test abroad INS Chennai, which assessed for the first time potential collaboration between ship. IAI will provide complementary systems for the air defense system (ADS) and also involve follow up orders for a range of maintenance and other services for various sub systems of IAI's advanced MRSAM ADS.

Indian Army showcased its artillery firepower by using ultralight Howitzers and indigenous Swathi weapon-locating radar at the annual "Exercise Topchi". The exercise was held at Deolali Camp near Nashik. Aviation and surveillance capabilities were also showcased. There were a showcase of display of rockets, missiles, surveillance, and target acquisition radars, remotely piloted aircraft and hi-tech equipment in addition to gunfire. The precision displayed while delivering the explosives in the target area stunned all those present.

India test-fired Helina, a helicopter-launched version of the Nag anti-tank guided missile, with a hit range of 7-8 km, from the Odisha Coast. Helina was launched from an Army chopper and the weapon system was tested for its full range at 12:55 PM near the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur in the Balasore District of Odisha.Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Helina is said to be one of the most advanced anti-tank weapons in the world. It is guided by an Infrared Imaging Seeker (IIR)operating in the lock-on-before-launch mode.

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba commissioned the new Naval Air Base 'INS Kohassa' in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 24 January 2019. The airbase will be used to handle operations of helicopters and small aircraft like the Dornier. INS Kohassa will be India's fourth air base and the third naval air facility in the Andamans that overlooks key sea lanes of communication and strategic points.

The debrief of the Indian Navy exercise termed as 'Sea Vigil' (held from January 22 to 23) was conducted. The meeting was chaired by Vice Admiral MS Pawar, AVSM, VSM, the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS). It was conducted at the Naval headquarters, New Delhi. After the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008, Sea Vigil became the very 1st national-level coastal defence exercise conducted by the Indian Navy. In this exercise, it involved naval stakeholders at the centre and all 13 coastal states and union territories.The meeting was conducted for the National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS).

Indian Coast Guard vessel Veera commissioned by General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff in the presence of Director General of Indian Coast Guard Rajendra Singh, Chief of Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Karambir Singh and other senior dignitaries of the central and state government in a ceremony organised at Eastern Naval Command in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Veera, the third in the series of the new generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) is under the administrative and operational command of the coast guard regional headquarters. This is indigenously designed and built by Larsen & Toubro Ltd. at its shipbuilding facility at Kattupali in Chennai. The 98 meters long, 15-metre wide patrol vessel has a 3.6-metre draft and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000 km, as part of a user trial by the Army. The strategic surface-to-surface Agni-IV missile was flight tested from launch complex-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Dr Abdul Kalam Island, earlier known as Wheeler Island. This was the 7th trial of Agni-IV missile. The last trial conducted by the strategic force command (SFC) of the Indian Army from the same base on January 2, 2018 was successful.

Varuna 19.1 is the first part of the Indo-French joint naval exercise. It is being held off the Goa coast from 1st to 10th May 2019. The exercise will see the participation of the French Navy's aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers, FNS Forbin and FNS Provence, the frigate FNS Latouche-Treville, the tanker FNS Marne and a nuclear submarine. From the Indian side, the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, destroyer INS Mumbai, the Teg-class frigate, INS Tarkash, the Shishumar- class submarine, INS Shankul, and the Deepak- class fleet tanker, INS Deepak, are taking part in the exercise.