Episode notes
A high-intensity episode of #CtrlAltDefence as Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som unpack the crisis, delays and big questions surrounding HAL, Tejas and India's future airpower ambitions - just as HAL gets a new chief at a critical moment. Episode 43 of the podcast Watch now: https://youtu.be/L6bK3cscsF8 Tejas Mk1A delays: What's really holding back deliveries? New HAL Chairman Ravi K takes charge amid mounting pressure Dhruv helicopter setbacks and HAL's credibility challenge Tejas Mk2, AMCA & India's struggle to keep pace with China AI warfare, drone swarms & the future of unmanned combat Can HAL…
Ctrl + Alt + Defence
'For more than two decades, Vishnu Som and Shiv Aroor have covered wars, national and international security - on land, at sea and from the air. Together, Som and Aroor, two of India's most credible Editors come together for an unmissable weekly podcast - Ctrl+Alt+Defence - a no-holds barred…
More from Ctrl + Alt + Defence
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4 Jul 2026 · 42 min
China's Border Buildup | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 46
China's expanding footprint along the India-China border comes under the spotlight on this week's #CtrlAltDefence with Vishnu Som and Shiv Aroor. NDTV's world-exclusive satellite investigation reveals new Chinese villages, roads and infrastructure in a part of Arunachal Pradesh occupied by China since 1959. The podcast raises fresh questions about Beijing's long-term border strategy. Episode 46 Watch now: https://youtu.be/lxs0KDTKTPI NDTV's exclusive satellite images reveal China's construction activities in a remote part of Arunachal Pradesh that it has encroached upon since 1959. New…
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27 Jun 2026 · 48 min
India's Jet Engine Blackhole | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 45
A deep dive into India's biggest defence technology challenge on this week's #CtrlAltDefence with Vishnu Som and Shiv Aroor. We discuss why fighter jet engines remain India's weakest strategic link. Episode 45 Watch now: https://youtu.be/URhJzZI19OM AMCA faces fresh uncertainty amid reports of a GE engine pricing dispute Why India's frontline fighter programmes still depend on foreign engines Tejas Mk2, AMCA and the long-running F414 negotiations explained The Kaveri engine story: where India's indigenous programme fell short Safran vs Rolls-Royce: who could power India's next-generation…
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13 Jun 2026 · 43 min
Is France's FCAS The IAF's Future? | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 44
A fiercely debated episode of #CtrlAltDefence as Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som tackle one of India's biggest defence dilemmas - should India join France's futuristic FCAS fighter programme, or double down on an indigenous solution? Episode 44 of the podcast Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FrVFtWQWAA Should India join the French-led FCAS sixth-generation fighter programme? AMCA vs FCAS: Can India afford two parallel fighter projects? Lessons from the FGFA/Su-57 partnership with Russia China's sixth-generation aircraft and the growing airpower gap Can India realistically develop…
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23 May 2026 · 51 min
The Big Boom | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 42
A power-packed episode of #CtrlAltDefence as Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som break down India's rapid missile advancements, hypersonic ambitions, MIRV capability, and the future of strategic deterrence. Episode 42 of the podcast Watch now: https://youtu.be/Cw9eowMnT7k India's "Big Boom" moment - major missile tests explained Agni-5 MIRV test signals a major leap in India's nuclear deterrence Scramjet breakthrough pushes India closer to hypersonic weapons Can hypersonic weapons make missile defence obsolete? BrahMos evolution, naval firepower & India's future war doctrine Why modern warfare is…
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25 Apr 2026 · 49 min
India's Unmanned Bombers/Fighters: A Reality? | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 41
A high-stakes, future-facing episode of #CtrlAltDefence as Vishnu Som and Shiv Aroor sit down with AI Defence Tech Founder building the next generation of warfare systems. Episode 41 of our podcast Watch now: https://youtu.be/E2CpesS5jfg From viral bomber to cutting-edge combat tech — Suhas Tejaskanda, Founder & CEO of Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace, breaks it all down: India's first unmanned bomber concept Drone warfare after Operation Sindoor Loitering munitions, swarm drones & autonomous combat systems Inside YAMA and next-gen counter-drone tech Electronic warfare, GPS jamming &…
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4 Apr 2026 · 36 min
Who Is Winning The War? | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 40
A gripping episode of #CtrlAltDefence as Vishnu Som and Shiv Aroor cut through the fog of war with hard data and on-ground insight. *Episode 40 of our podcast * Watch now: https://youtu.be/yQ_1guQ6lk8 5 weeks into the conflict — numbers tell a very different story U.S. claims vs battlefield data — what's really happening? Iran's missile & drone attacks continue despite heavy strikes Interceptor missiles running low — less than 12 days of buffer in worst-case scenarios War of attrition: both sides burning through critical resources Gulf nations taking the biggest hit —…
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3 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 18 min
IAF Foxbats Over Pakistan: The True Story Revealed | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 59
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…
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26 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 13 min
Uri Surgical Strikes: The Truth Nobody Knows | 10th Anniversary | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 58
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…
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19 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
Greatest IAF Pilot's Last Interview | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 57
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…
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12 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 27 min
India's Nuclear Submarine Story, Arihant's 1st Captain Speaks | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 56
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…
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