NEW DELHI — India has acquired a modified Dornier 228 lightweight aircraft for testing airborne radars and aerospace systems, senior defense officials say. The aircraft is called “Nabhrathna,” meaning a jewel in the sky. It will be used by the Bengaluru-based Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), part of the Defense Research and Development Organization, as a “flying testbed” for assessing the performance of various radars being developed by LRDE.

NEW DELHI — India has advanced its air combat system with the first successful test-firing of its indigenous Astra air-to-air missile from a Sukhoi Su

Air India’s Chairman Rohit Nandan says the airline has already completed 45 of the 64 requirements for joining the Star Alliance and will finish the remaining this month, setting the stage for the carrier to be the first Indian airline to be part of a global interlining network. The board of the Star Alliance, a group of 26 global carriers, will meet in London on June 23 to call on a vote of support for the entry of Air India, with a fleet of 123 aircraft, into the group, Star Alliance’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Schwab says.