Two Seas, Two Stories: India's Navy Between Pakistan and China | S3 | Ep 27
India's Navy faces two very different fronts at sea. To the west, it has history and geography on its side against Pakistan -- think Karachi aflame in 1971 and quiet coercion in Kargil. To the east, a bigger, busier chessboard: the Chinese PLAN surging into the Indian Ocean and sniffing around the Bay of Bengal. On this episode, national security expert Sandeep Unnithan joins host Dev Goswami to separate swagger from substance: Pakistan's problem of not enough 'sea room', what the Indian Navy did in 1971 and Kargil, how INS Vikrant shaped the '71 East theatre, and whether modern India should "pop up" in the South China Sea or lock down the Andamans. On this episode: - Pakistan's coastline and its geographical vulnerability - 1971 War: Op Trident & Op Python; Karachi burning, costs and consequences - Kargil: the Navy's "quiet pressure" playbook - Op Sindoor: what a modern surge looks like and deterrence without tripping red lines - China, the Indian Ocean Region, and the Indian Navy area of influence - Can India routinely show up east of Malacca or is gatekeeping the chokepoints the smarter flex? Produced by Taniya Dutta Sound mix by Rohan Bharti
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Ally to Adversary: Why Taliban is Fighting Pakistan | S3 | Ep 27
Once Islamabad's (or Rawalpindi's) protégés, the Taliban are now exchanging gunfire with Pakistan. The recent clashes mark the deadliest fighting between the two since Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021. What changed? In this episode, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack the clash along the Durand Line -- a fight tangled in Pashtun identity, militant kinships, and Pakistan's own Frankenstein problem. The two trace the origin the Taliban, explain how it is wrongly believed to be synonymous with the Al Qaeda, and explore how its Pashtun roots put it at odds with Pakistan's military elite. Also a topic of discussion is the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and how it seems to be punching above its weight. And finally, the episode looks at India's cautious recent outreach to Kabul and how it fits into this very messy map. Tune in! Produced by Taniya Dutta Sound mixed by
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Decoding Trump's Israel-Gaza Peace Plan and India's Tightrope Act | S3 | Ep 26
Two years after Oct 7, a US-brokered ceasefire takes hold in Gaza: living Israeli hostages are freed, the IDF pulls back to a predefined "yellow line," leaders fly into Sharm el-Sheikh to toast Donald Trump, and we hear talk of a "new Middle East." But how durable is this peace and what do we make of India's tightrope act? In this episode, Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan break down: - What the Gaza deal actually does and what it carefully avoids - Can deal ensure lasting peace or is this yet another ebb in the decades-long cycle of violence - Who governs Gaza next: PA technocrats, an interim force, or a messy vacuum - Whether two years of devastation have become recruitment fuel for Hamas or its successor - What's at stake for India and why PM Modi chose to skip the Egypt summit Tune in! Produced by Taniya Dutta Sound Mixed by Rohan Bharti
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Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Security Pact: Nukes, Money, and India's Dilemma | S3 | Ep 25
A fresh jolt in West Asia: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement. Is it just a formalisation of a decades-old security relationship or the birth of an 'Islamic NATO'? On the latest episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan unpack what's real, what's posturing and why the announcement landed just as Israel struck targets in Qatar, a US ally, trying to mediate with Hamas. The episode especially explores what the agreement means for India. The two discuss: -Trace the Pak-Saudi security history and what's actually "new" in this pact -Decode India's response and how New Delhi should read Riyadh's move -Ask the uncomfortable bit: money flows to military to militants? -Explore the nuclear chatter: Pakistani umbrella for Saudi? -Revisit the long-running theory of US contingency plans around Pakistan's nukes -Game out an "Op Sindoor 2.0" scenario: where does Saudi sit if India-Pakistan tensions flare? Tune in! Produced by Taniya Dutta Sound Mixed by Aman Pal
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MiG-21 Retires: How the Iconic Jet Shaped the Indian Air Force | S3 | Ep 24
The Indian Air Force has retired the MiG-21 – the iconic Soviet-era fighter aircraft—that became the most produced supersonic jet in history and the backbone of the IAF. The Mig-21 trained generations of Indian Air Force pilots and defended India’s skies for six decades. Recorded around Mig-21’s farewell at Air Force Station, Chandigarh, this special episode of In Our Defence with national security expert Sandeep Unnithan dives into the jet’s history, upgrades, combat stories, the debate over safety, and its legacy. Host Dev Goswami and Sandeep unpack how a 1960s Soviet interceptor became India’s backbone, why it attracted the “flying coffin” label, what the Bison upgrade really changed, and how the MiG-21’s dominance shaped IAF training and doctrine. Tune in! Image of the first women IAF fighter pilots- Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh Produced by Taniya Dutta Sound Mix by Aman Pal
In Our Defence is a weekly podcast that breaks down wars, weapons, and the world of military power with clarity, curiosity, and zero jargon. Hosted by journalist Dev Goswami, each episode features sharp, story-rich conversations with leading defence experts, offering distinct perspectives and nuances on how nations prepare, fight, and defend. From battlefield strategy and military tech to geopolitics, intelligence, and national security -- In Our Defence focuses on conversations that are grounded, engaging, and made for curious minds. No fluff. No noise. Just a clear line of sight into the world of conflict.
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