AMCA: Hype Vs. Reality | Ctrl Alt Defence Ep 65

India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme faces a defining test, with decades of development, institutional delays and ambitious production timelines raising questions about whether India can build a fifth-generation stealth fighter in time to meet its future security needs. With private sector companies now competing to manufacture the prototypes, can they deliver on the promise? And even if AMCA takes to the skies, will it be technologically relevant against China's rapidly advancing combat aircraft capabilities? On Episode 65 of #CtrlAltDefence, Vishnu Som speaks to Group Captain (Retd.) Ajay Ahlawat about the challenges confronting India's AMCA programme, the government's role in defence procurement, the entry of private industry into military aviation and the technological demands of fifth-generation air power.

India's ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme is at a critical juncture, with nearly two decades of development behind it and the country's first indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter still awaiting its prototype. As delays, procurement hurdles and questions over accountability continue to shape the programme, can India accelerate its stealth fighter ambitions and emerge as a credible player in advanced combat aviation? On Episode 64 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som speak to former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal (Retd.) RKS Bhadauria, about India's fifth-generation fighter programme, the delays surrounding the AMCA, the role of private industry and the urgent need to strengthen India's indigenous military aviation capabilities. Episode 64 Watch now: https://youtu.be/XXm0An3QVG4 This episode examines the technological, industrial and strategic challenges shaping India's future air power. With China advancing its stealth fighter capabilities and India's AMCA programme facing a crucial test, does the country have the national will, institutional efficiency and industrial commitment to build its next generation of combat aircraft?

As artificial intelligence accelerates the speed, scale and sophistication of cyber threats, state-sponsored hackers and criminal networks are increasingly targeting India's government institutions, research centres, businesses and critical infrastructure. With AI-powered attacks now capable of exploiting vulnerabilities and gaining unauthorised access in under three hours, how prepared is India for a new era of cyber warfare? On Episode 63 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som speak to Nicholas Butts, Director of AI and Cybersecurity Policy at Microsoft, about the growing cyber threats facing India, the role of AI in modern cyber warfare, and the vulnerabilities that could have serious implications for national security.

India has built a credible nuclear submarine capability, but its conventional submarine fleet is ageing, its numbers are falling short, and its next major acquisition is still years away. With 17 diesel-electric submarines in service, only six of them considered contemporary, how did India's submarine programme lose decades, and can the long-delayed Project 75(I) bridge the capability gap with Pakistan and China? On Episode 62 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som discuss the state of India's conventional submarine fleet, the delays that have held back modernisation, and the critical decisions that will shape the future of underwater warfare. Episode 62 Watch now: https://youtu.be/ct7gvhuz7JI India's conventional submarine fleet: Why 17 boats do not tell the full story The Scorpene programme: Delays, missing capabilities, torpedo integration and the proposed DRDO-developed AIP retrofit Pakistan's Hangor-class submarines: How air-independent propulsion could change the underwater balance Project 75(I): The proposed ₹1 lakh crore deal for six advanced submarines with TKMS and Mazagon Dock Two lost decades, a lost quarter-century: How delays and idle production lines weakened India's submarine-building capacity The Kilo and HDW legacy: Why upgrades cannot replace ageing submarine hulls India's indigenous sonar capabilities: Where domestic defence technology has made significant progress Why India can build nuclear submarines and advanced warships, but still struggles to develop its own conventional submarine design From the collapse of submarine-building momentum to the long road ahead for Project 75(I), this episode examines the decisions, delays and capability gaps shaping India's underwater warfare preparedness. Can India rebuild its conventional submarine fleet before the next generation of threats arrives?  

India has been discussing the F-35 for nearly two decades. With six American stealth fighters recently participating in Tarang Shakti exercise in India and the US ambassador signalling the importance of the relationship, is the F-35 a serious option for the Indian Air Force, or is the deal still a non-starter? On Episode 61 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor and Vishnu Som examine the long history of American fighter jet offers to India, why successive proposals have failed to translate into acquisitions, and the strategic and operational hurdles that continue to stand in the way of the F-35. Episode 61 Watch now: https://youtu.be/bOmKBGsb96Y Why six F-35s in India send a message, and what their participation in Tarang Shakti means The 20-year history of F-35 engagement with India, from early briefings to renewed US interest Why the F-35 remains a difficult proposition for India, despite repeated American overtures The S-400 question: why India's Russian air defence system complicates a potential F-35 deal Why the F-16, F/A-18 and other American fighter aircraft have failed to secure major Indian orders Can the F-35 integrate with India's existing fighters, AWACS platforms and air command-and-control networks? Where does Russia's Su-57 fit into India's search for a fifth-generation fighter? From the F-35's long history with India to the future of stealth warfare, this episode examines why a fighter that has repeatedly featured in discussions with Washington remains far from an Indian acquisition. What would it take for the F-35 to become a viable option, and should India even want it? Watch now.

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

India's military is at a once-in-a-century turning point - and drones, AI, autonomy and software could fundamentally change the character of warfare. On Episode 55 of #CtrlAltDefence, Shiv Aroor speaks to Lieutenant General Raj Shukla (retd.) about the technological revolution reshaping modern warfare, the lessons emerging from Ukraine, and why India needs to rethink its military doctrines, force structures and defence spending before it falls behind. Episode 55 Watch now: https://youtu.be/YXpr9hrkPFc Why drones and AI are transforming the character of warfare How autonomous systems and algorithmic warfare are changing the battlefield What Ukraine has revealed about the future of war Why traditional platforms like tanks, artillery and fighter aircraft face a new challenge Why software, data and AI could be as important as weapons platforms Why India needs to rethink its approach to military modernisation Should India redirect a larger share of its defence budget towards drones, AI, autonomy and cyber capabilities? Can India's defence startups scale from promising innovators into major military suppliers? The case for deeper civil-military fusion and greater private-sector participation From Ukraine's drone revolution and autonomous warfare to India's defence startups and military modernisation, this episode examines a bigger question for India's vision ahead.  Watch now.