In Our Defence

In this episode of 'In Our Defence', Dev Goswami talks to Major Manik M Jolly about his time in military intelligence, how to gather information after a major terrorist attack like Pahalgam, and how accurate is the "intelligence failure" question that is being asked. Produced by Prateek Lidhoo Sound mix by Suraj Singh

In the latest episode of In Our Defence, Commander Naveen Pandita (Retd.) joins host Dev Goswami for a deeply personal and inspiring conversation that spans the valleys of Kashmir to the decks of warships and the skies above the sea. Born in the Kashmir Valley, Commander Pandita reflects on his early childhood battling a life-threatening illness, the harrowing memory of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus...

What does it take to lead soldiers in the world's harshest battlefield? In this episode of In Our Defence, Major General Sudhakar Jee (Retd.) shares powerful lessons in leadership drawn from his deployments in Siachen and along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) against China. Through gripping personal anecdotes, General Jee takes host Dev Goswami through what it means to command troops in freezing...

On this episode of In Our Defence, Major General Sanjay Soi (retired) joins host Dev Goswami as he recounts his time serving in Jammu and Kashmir. From his first posting and the experience of facing enemy fire to counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley, Maj Gen Soi shares several anecdotes and insights from his experience serving in the state. The retired officers also shares his persp...

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami sits down with Major Manik M Jolly, a former Indian Army officer who served in the Gorkha regiment before moving to Military Intelligence. From humorous anecdotes about cultural misunderstandings to deeply emotional experiences of delivering the body of a fallen soldier, Major Jolly shares his journey of leadership, courage, and cultural integrat...

With deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A fighter jet delayed by nearly a year, big questions remains on what it will take to plug the Indian Air Force's fighter jet shortfall. What will it take for the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to get the Tejas production line up and running at the speed that the Indian Air Force requires? Is the entry of the private sector to help boost the production of the indigen...

This episode delves into the bittersweet story of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's efforts to develop and build an intermediate trainer jet for the Indian Air Force. This is a project that faced multiple delays, technical issues and questions over safety. It is a project that was nearly written off and considered by many to have been shelved. However, the determined team at the Hindustan Aerona...

A single line in the White House readout of President Donald Trump's call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised eyebrows-the President emphasized the importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment. But why was this message made so explicit? What exactly is Trump pushing India to buy, and where is this pressure coming from? In this episode, host Dev Goswam...

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and defence expert Shiv Aroor dive into the remarkable success story of the Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) system—an outlier in India's indigenous weapons development journey. Despite challenges that have plagued many homegrown defense projects, Pinaka stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when the armed forces, scientis...

Have you ever wondered why it took India nearly two decades to start exporting the excellent BrahMos missile system, despite its induction into the Indian military in the mid-2000s? What were the reasons behind this delay, and how has India now finally started to capitalize on the export potential of this advanced missile system? The BrahMos missile is a game-changer in the world of defense techno...

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited - India's premier aerospace manufacturing company - is in focus this week due to factors some argue are beyond its control. A fatal crash of a Dhruv Mk III Advanced Light Helicopter has led to a fleet wide grounding across all the services that operate it. And, in an unrelated development, the Indian Air Force expressed frustration with the delays in the deliverie...

A video showcasing a new Chinese stealth fighter jet, suspected to be a 6th-generation machine, has taken social media by storm. The timing couldn’t be more striking. As this footage goes viral, India grapples with a stark contrast. The country has yet to field a stealth fighter jet, and the Defence Ministry has just formed a high-level committee to address critical gaps, including a severe shorta...

What fifth-generation fighter jet should India invest in—the Russian Su-57 or the American F-35? This question has taken centre stage following a calculated pitch by Russian state media, spearheaded by Sputnik, touting the Su-57 as a ‘superior option’ for India. But is this merely a tactical move, or does it hold real strategic merit? The timing of Russia's push is quite interesting too. President...

Off the coast of Goa, a tragic collision between the Indian Navy submarine INS Karanj and a fishing boat left two fishermen dead, while 11 others survived. The crash caused ₹10 crore worth of damage to the submarine, and the fallout has raised some big questions. In this episode of In Our Defence, Dev Goswami and Shiv Aroor deeply dive into this incident. They break down how collisions like these...

A leaked letter from Lieutenant General Rajiv Puri has ignited a debate about women in the Indian Army. The October 1 letter, based on an “in-house review” of eight colonel-ranked women officers under his command, raises concerns like “ego issues,” “lack of empathy,” and challenges in leadership styles. This has divided opinion — is the letter reflective of ingrained patriarchy in the military or...

On November 12, the DRDO conducted the maiden flight test of the Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM), successfully meeting all mission objectives. Just days later, on November 16, India achieved another milestone by testing its first long-range hypersonic missile, joining an elite club of nations with this cutting-edge capability. What makes these tests so special? In this episode, host...

Recent events have put the Indian intelligence establishment under scrutiny, especially after a high-profile incident that raised questions about its effectiveness. An indictment filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on October 18 in a New York court charged Vikash Yadav and his associate Nikhil Gupta with murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder, and money laundering. The target was Khalist...

With a steady decline in active squadrons, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is currently operating well below its optimal strength of 42 squadrons. Numbers are expected to dip further as older aircraft retire. In this episode, Shiv and Dev unpack India’s decision to initiate a new global competition for fighter jets to fill a critical gap in the IAF’s strength. The IAF initially purchased 36 Rafales (fa...

India and China have agreed to resume military patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, marking a step toward disengagement, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia for the BRICS Summit. PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first formal discussion since the 2020 border clashes, signalling renewed di...

Can you picture a ship that can stay hidden under water for months on end, manoeuvre sharply and speedily, and surface at just at the right time, literally out of the blue, to wreak havoc on the enemy? That's a nuclear-powered attack submarine, or SSN, for you. Nuclear strategist Rear Admiral Raja Menon (retired) once called these submarines "the ultimate arbiter of sea power". But what i...

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has announced that flight testing for India’s ‘Loyal Wingman’ drone will begin by 2024. Part of HAL’s Combat Air Teaming System, this indigenous drone will accompany manned IAF fighter jets, offering a new dimension in air combat by working alongside or behind fighters to protect and support them. It can be launched from aircraft like the C-130 or Su-30 MKI and...

Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles, including its hypersonic medium-range Fattah-2, in a major offensive aimed at overwhelming Israel’s air defences. The strikes hit key military targets such as the Nevatim and Tel Nof airbases, home to Israel’s F-35 fighter jets. In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and defence expert Shiv Aroor unpack Iran’s recent missile offensive on Is...

Recently, an MQ-9B Predator drone leased to the Indian Navy by the US crashed into the sea off the Chennai coast due to a failure of its power generators and onboard batteries. It was leased from the American firm General Atomics and suffered a power generator and battery failure, leading to a "controlled ditching" into the sea off the Chennai coast. What does "ditched in a controlled manner" mean...

On September 17, hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and parts of Syria, killing dozens and injuring hundreds. Was this another meticulously planned Mossad operation, echoing their history of high-stakes missions? In the 40th episode, host Dev Goswami and defence expert Shiv Aroor delve into these recent coordinated explosions, dissecting how such an elabor...

The Indian Navy is set to finalise the procurement of 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets by the end of this financial year. Indian Navy plans to equip the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant with these planes and develop a vital capability for the force on the maritime front. Host Dev Goswami and defence expert Shiv Aroor explore the evolution of naval fighter jets in the Indian Navy—a subject that...