Ctrl + Alt + Defence

What does it take to build an Indian light tank for the world's highest battlefields, and why is the Zorawar's induction facing challenges? On Episode 60 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som speak to Lieutenant General Karanbir Singh Brar (Retd.) about the origins of India's Zorawar light tank, the operational lessons from the 2020 India-China standoff in Ladakh, and the challenges of developing and inducting indigenous armoured platforms. Episode 60 Watch now: https://youtu.be/4ci6SYVAyKk How the 2020 Ladakh standoff triggered the push for a light tank Why the Zorawar was designed for high-altitude warfare The thinking behind its 25-tonne weight, mobility and amphibious capability The debate over armour protection and the proposed induction of 59 tanks Make in India: Why the Zorawar is a milestone for indigenous tank development What went wrong with the Arjun tank programme, and the lessons for future projects Drones, AI and network-centric warfare: How modern battlefields are changing Why tanks remain critical to capturing and holding territory Watch Episode 60 of #CtrlAltDefence.

For nearly 25 years, the Indian Air Force operated one of the world's fastest and most secretive reconnaissance aircraft in near-total secrecy. The MiG-25 Foxbat could climb beyond 65,000 feet, cruise at more than twice the speed of sound and cross sensitive airspace before an adversary could fully react. But what was it actually like to fly this extraordinary machine? On Episode 59 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som speak to Air Marshal Sumit Mukerji and Wing Commander Pradeep Jaswant Thakur, two former MiG-25 pilots who reveal what it was like to fly the Foxbat and carry out some of India's most closely guarded reconnaissance missions. Episode 59 Watch now: https://youtu.be/n5blYF7aE1s Flying the MiG-25 at Mach 2.4 and above 65,000 feet The extreme pressure suit and claustrophobic cockpit What happened when the aircraft's skin temperature crossed 300°C Seeing the curvature of the Earth from the edge of the stratosphere The truth behind the legendary 1997 MiG-25 mission over Pakistan The MiG-25's reconnaissance missions during the Kargil War How its cameras captured critical strategic intelligence The extraordinary mission to photograph a total solar eclipse From its extreme operating altitude and blistering speed to its pressure suits, enormous reconnaissance cameras and covert missions, this episode takes you inside one of the most extraordinary chapters of Indian military aviation. India finally retired the MiG-25 in 2006, after nearly 25 years of service. But the stories of the men who flew it, and the missions they carried out in secrecy, remain a remarkable part of the Indian Air Force's history. Watch Episode 59 of #CtrlAltDefence.

What really happened behind India's 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control? How was the operation planned, what happened inside the crucial meetings before the mission, and what did it take to bring every soldier back safely? On Episode 58 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som speak to Lieutenant General Satish Dua (retd.), the former Chinar Corps Commander who was at the centre of the planning and execution of the 2016 surgical strikes, in a rare first-hand account of one of India's most significant special forces operations. Ten years after the Uri terror attack and the operation that followed, Lt Gen Satish Dua revisits the decisions, preparations, risks and execution of the mission. Episode 58 Watch now: https://youtu.be/4EiqBT1uU2w How the 2016 surgical strikes were planned after Uri What happened when Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar arrived in Srinagar How the young officers and soldiers for the mission were selected Who chose the targets and how the Army prepared for the operation What Lt Gen Satish Dua saw as the strikes unfolded in real time How the targets were engaged and what happened on the ground Why the unnamed soldiers who carried out the mission remain at the heart of the story Episode 58 takes you inside the operation through the recollections of one of the key commanders at its centre. Watch now.

What does it take to face four enemy fighters alone, survive a close-range dogfight and return to base with a damaged aircraft and almost no ammunition? On Episode 57 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som speak to Flt Lt Alfred Tyrone Cooke, Vir Chakra, one of the most remarkable fighter pilots of the 1965 India-Pakistan War, in what became his final interview. Flt Lt Alfred Cooke passed away on September 18, 2026, just three days after recording this conversation. Episode 57 Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZ6UBjj2Hw The September 7, 1965 mission that made Alfred Cooke a legend How he took on four Pakistani Sabres over West Bengal The dogfight that saw him shoot down at least one Sabre How he engaged another aircraft at extremely close range Why his Hunter's ammunition configuration became a source of lasting anger His reflections on war, service, sacrifice and the men he fought against Recorded just days before his passing, this episode preserves the extraordinary first-hand account of a fighter pilot who spent decades carrying the memories of one of India's most remarkable aerial battles. From the skies over West Bengal in 1965 to his reflections more than six decades later, Alfred Cooke recounts the mission, the dogfight, the decisions that followed and the reasons he felt his story had never been fully told. This is his final interview. Watch now.

What does it take to build, operate and sustain a nuclear submarine? And after INS Arihant, where does India's undersea warfare capability go from here? On Episode 56 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som speak exclusively to Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru (retd.), the first commanding officer of INS Arihant, India's first homegrown nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. Episode 56 Watch now: https://youtu.be/wxUwPjfiKgI How INS Arihant went from years of preparation to its first sea trials The reactor's first criticality and the journey towards full power How India progressively tested the K-15 and K-4 submarine-launched missiles The challenge of acoustic quieting and making submarines harder to detect