India is buying unmanned systems, counter-drone equipment, mobile artillery and mobile radars under emergency procurement route, Defence Secretary Rajesh Singh said on Friday, citing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in West Asia.Speaking at an event hosted by global advisory and audit firm KPMG, Singh also cited how Europe was now a flourishing market for India-made military hardware.India, he said, had emerged as the third-largest arms exporter to Europe, largely due to the ReArm Europe initiative launched after the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Standard ammunition of various types, including artillery shells and large and small-calibre rounds, was now being shipped to Europe in significant numbers, he added. Exports also include bulletproof jackets and helmets, small arms and aircraft components.India exports military hardware to more than 80 countries. “Global arms trade is set to boom,” he added.Theatre commands blueprint awaits nodOn the creation of geographically defined theatre commands for the armed forces, the Defence Secretary said: “The political leadership is clear that the armed forces must move towards integration under theatre commands. That process is underway. A blueprint has been prepared, and it is awaiting approval at the highest level.”India has signed its first security and defence partnership with the European Union, alongside the conclusion of the India-EU free trade agreement, Singh said. New Delhi also has bilateral industrial roadmaps with several European countries.On foreign partnerships, he said India’s defence engagement was increasingly centred on co-production, co-development and joint ownership of technology with friendly nations.”Our intention is to co-develop and co-produce and co-own many of our defence technologies with these friendly foreign countries,” he said, adding that the aim was also to integrate Indian suppliers into global supply chains.Referring to India’s own recent conflict with its western neighbour, he said: “In our case, we were able to terminate the conflict after achieving our objectives.”Singh said India had built a broad domestic drone ecosystem, with local manufacturers increasingly able to meet military requirements for contested operating environments, subject to further improvement in the equipment.