Raksha Mantri inaugurates Missile Integration facility at BEL, Bengaluru; Flags-off Akash 3rd and 4th Regiment Combat systems & unveils Mountain Fire Control Radar

• On 16 February 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a Missile Integration Facility at Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru, flagged off the 3rd and 4th Akash Regiment Combat systems for the Indian Air Force, and unveiled the Mountain Fire Control Radar (MFCR).
• Same event: remote inauguration of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for AI in Pune and unveiling of BEL's AI Policy.
• Signals India's deepening Aatmanirbharta in air defence post-Operation Sindoor, where indigenous air-defence and anti-drone systems were credited with neutralising threats.
• Examinable for GS-III (Defence indigenisation, S&T) and Prelims (BEL, Akash variants, DRDO ecosystem).