In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and defence expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack one of the most complex parts of modern warfare: the art and science of shooting things out of the sky.

India is preparing to induct another S-400 regiment, the system that grabbed attention during Operation Sindoor and remains one of the most formidable long-range air-defence systems in the world. But the S-400 is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

The episode breaks down India’s layered air-defence architecture: VSHORADS, MANPADS, Akash, MRSAM, Barak-8, S-400, ballistic missile defence, and the crucial command-and-control network that ties it all together: IACCS.

The episode also looks at what recent conflicts have shown us: from mass drone and missile attacks in West Asia to the growing challenge of cheap drones forcing expensive interceptors into action. And then, we turn to the uncomfortable but necessary question: what happens when air defence goes wrong?

This is not just about missiles. It is about sensors, software, human judgement, rules of engagement, friendly-fire risks, and the terrifying pressure of deciding what to shoot -- and what not to shoot -- in real time

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal

In this episode of In Our Defence, we step away from the predictable outrage and look at the harder, more interesting question: why does Pakistan remain useful in high-stakes geopolitics despite its long record of contradictions?

Host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack Pakistan's complicated ties with the United States, its uneasy relationship with Iran, its growing closeness to Saudi Arabia, and the larger truth that diplomacy is often driven less by morality and more by access, leverage, geography and utility.

They discuss the irony of how Pakistan with its history of having helped seed Iran's nuclear program is now helping broker talks that hinge on Tehran agreeing to give up its nuclear capabilities.

The two also get into the Osama bin Laden episode, the strange durability of US-Pakistan ties, and the role "middlemen" play in crises where nobody fully trusts anybody.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami is joined by national security expert Sandeep Unnithan to unpack one of the world’s most critical flashpoints—the Strait of Hormuz.

Why do narrow sea lanes like Hormuz matter so much to global trade and oil supply? What does a naval blockade actually look like in practice—not theory, but at sea? From ship strength and surveillance tech to geography and fleet positioning, we break down the real mechanics behind maritime chokeholds.

The episode also explores the counterplay: can a blockade be breached, and what does it take to punch through one? As tensions simmer between the US and Iran, does Washington’s naval dominance guarantee control, or is Tehran playing a deeper, asymmetric game?

They also unpack the curious case of the Rich Starry, the China-bound vessel whose strange movements through Hormuz have raised eyebrows. Additionally, a throwback to history — when India blockaded Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. What worked, what didn’t, and what it tells us about modern naval warfare.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

After 39 days of war, Iran has agreed to a temporary ceasefire and the Strait of Hormuz is back in focus. But the big question remains: what exactly did this war achieve?

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack how the conflict escalated, why the war's goals seemed to keep shifting, and why, despite taking enormous punishment, Iran still ended up at the negotiating table without complete submission.

We get into:

How the US and Israel framed the war, and how those aims evolved
Whether Iran was defeated militarily but survived strategically
What this conflict revealed about air defence and modern missile warfare
Why this war may go down as a lesson in the limits of overwhelming force
Whether the ceasefire can actually hold
And the biggest long-term question of all: does this make Iran more likely to want the bomb?

This is not just a story about Iran, Israel, or the US. It is also a story about miscalculation, resilience, and what modern war looks like when even massive military superiority cannot produce a neat political outcome.

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Produced by Areeb Raza

Sound mixed by Suraj Singh

Link To NY Times Article- https://www.nytimes.com/2026/0...

A month into the Iran war, the battlefield story is changing rapidly. What began as high-impact US–Israel strikes has now entered an uncertain phase: drone warfare, energy and economic pressure through Hormuz, and now a sudden “pause” announced by Donald Trump. Is this the beginning of the end? Or just a tactical pause before the next round?

On the latest episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan break down:

- What the Iran war looks like right now

- Whether the U.S. pause is real diplomacy or strategic signalling

- Iran’s response and the risk of escalation

- Pakistan’s surprise role as a potential mediator

- Why does the United States, with the most powerful military in the world, keep getting pulled into long, inconclusive wars?

From Vietnam to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya, and now Iran the episode explores recurring pattern: Fast military success, followed by messy, unresolved endings.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal

The Gulf war has widened, energy infrastructure is under threat, and the Strait of Hormuz is once again at the centre of global anxiety. For India, this is not some faraway crisis. It is about oil, LPG, shipping, diaspora safety, relations with Iran, growing ties with Israel, and the limits of diplomacy when all your important partners are in the same conflict.

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack India's response to the Iran-Israel war so far. Did Delhi go too quiet too early? Or was that caution part of a deliberate strategy to preserve leverage, protect shipping, and keep channels open with all sides?

They discuss:

- How India-Iran ties evolved after 1979

- Why Tehran still seems willing to engage Delhi

- Whether and why India's initial response was too muted

- Whether India really has tilted toward Israel

- How different India's stand in this conflict from its historic positions

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

Nearly two weeks into Operation Epic Fury, the war in West Asia has spilled over from the streets of Tehran to the depths of the Indian Ocean. In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan break down the most chaotic week in modern strategic history.

The two also dive into the sinking of the IRIS Dena, an Iranian frigate that was literally a guest at the Indian Navy’s MILAN 2026 exercise before being torpedoed by a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. What message was the US trying to send by sinking a warship far away from the theatre of conflict?

Also on the episode: How for Iran, winning is equal to just suriving and how global players such as France and China will be looking at this conflict.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

With the possible loss of a third HAL Tejas in Gujarat, the delayed response from authorities, and the controversy that has followed, renewed scrutiny is now on India’s indigenous fighter programme.

Questions are mounting: Has the IAF really lost another Tejas? Why the delay in official communication? And what does this mean for the Mark 1A rollout?

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan discuss the controversy, the difference between Mark 1 and Mark 1A and the future of India’s indigenous fighter program.

The two discuss:

* Why the IAF hasn’t fully accepted the Mark 1A yet

* The GE 404 and 414 engine bottleneck

* Indigenous content — how Indian is Tejas really?

* The HAL–IAF dynamic and the larger structural silos

* Why fighter squadron anxiety is shaping procurement decisions

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

With the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) clearing the monumental Rs 3.25 lakh crore deal for 114 Rafale jets just as French President Emmanuel Macron lands in India, the Indian Air Force is closer to getting the muscle it desperately needs. But what does this "Mother of All Deals" mean for India's indigenous fighter programs?

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack the proposed Rafale deal and break down the strategic and financial realities of buying 114 Rafales.

The two explore the 'Make in India' angle of the deal and what it means for India's private sector.

Most importantly, Dev and Sandeep ask the tough question: Will paying for 114 French jets bankrupt the homegrown Tejas Mk2 or is it a calculated move to buy time and secure our skies?

Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal

How is that India, a country capable of sending probes to the dark side of the Moon, still struggles to build a fighter jet engine?

With the deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A delayed due to supply chain issues with the GE F404 engines, the spotlight is back on India's critical vulnerability: we don't have a heart for our fighter jets.

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and defence and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan sit down to demystify the magic of jet engine technology.

From the "Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow" basics to the high-tech world of Single Crystal Blades and metallurgy that operates above melting points, the two break down exactly why this technology is the exclusive domain of just a handful of nations.

The episode also digs deep into the history of the DRDO's Kaveri engine project. Was it really a failure and was putting it on the backburner a mistake? Plus, what can we expect from the upcoming mega-deal with France's Safran for the AMCA's engine?

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal