In Our Defence

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

A new report by a Swiss research centre has brought the 2025 four-day mini-war between India and Pakistan back in limelight. The report especially focuses on the aerial battles that took place between the Indian and Pakistani air forces to analyse and conclude while the IAF suffered tactical setbacks initially, it was able to establish air superiority by the end of the conflict. 

On this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan revisit Operation Sindoor and look back the aerial battles in new light. The two decode what the report has to say not just about the Sindoor air battles but also the dogfight that took place in the aftermath of the Balakot airstrike in 2019. 

Link to the report: https://chpm.ch/wp-content/upl...

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti

It has been 19 years in the making. From the original MMRCA tender in 2007 to the emergency purchase in 2016, and now, finally MRFA, the "Mother of All Defence Deals" seems ready for ink.

Reports suggest the Indian Air Force is in the final stages of acquiring 114 Rafale jets in a deal estimated at a staggering Rs 3.25 Lakh Crore (~$40 Billion).

In this episode of In Our Defence, Dev Goswami sits down with national security expert Sandeep Unnithan to decode the deal. The two trace the origins of the Indian Air Force's hunt for a fighter jet to the post-Kargil years and look at the various stumbling blocks along the way that have kept the deal from taking off.

The two also discuss just how dire the situation is for the Indian Air Force and why this reported deal to buy 114 Rafale jets is a "now or never" moment.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal

Is the era of the massive Indian Army over? In this episode of In Our Defence, Dev Goswami and Sandeep Unnithan decode the Indian Army's roadmap for force restructuring, a project that has been in the works for several years.

The two answer the big questions:

-Why is the Army desperate to "cut the flab"?

-What exactly are Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs), and how do they change the way India fights wars?

The episode also features a deep dive into the Army’s massive push for drones and whether tech is finally replacing boots on the ground.

Finally, Dev and Sandeep imagine what the future Indian Army infantry soldier will look like and why the science fiction movies of the past years may not be so far off the mark on this aspect.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal

On January 3, 2026, the United States military changed the rules of engagement. In a lightning-fast raid involving 150 aircraft and Delta Force operators, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured from his palace in Caracas. The US calls it Operation Absolute Resolve. The world calls it the boldest special operation in history.

But beyond the headlines, how does a raid like this actually work? It’s not just bearded men kicking down doors -- it’s cyber warfare, diplomatic wrangling, and domain superiority.

In this episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan break down the mechanics of the Maduro snatch. They also talk about a little-known Indian operation called Operation Sundown -- an aborted 1983 plan to snatch Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from the Golden Temple using similar tactics.

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Produced by Taniya Dutta

Sound mixed by Aman Pal