Defence & Security Stories
From terror plot to hair clinic: The curious case of an LeT operative in Kashmir
The arrest of Mohammed Usman Jatt, alias ‘Chinese’, shows how deeply foreign terrorists attempt to integrate into civilian environments. Such blending, security agencies believe, makes detection significantly harder
- Team TOI Plus
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
A missile that can target all of Pak & China: Inside India’s ‘Mission Divyastra’
India has successfully test-fired the 5,000 km-range, nuclear-capable Agni-5 missile with an MIRV system, joining an elite group of nations including the US, Russia, and China
- Jayanta Kalita
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
‘Op Sindoor showed India’s new strategic DNA’
On the first anniversary of India’s military response to Pahalgam, an Air Vice Marshal (retd) writes that armed forces did an exceptional job in conveying India’s new resolve to Pakistan
World’s 5th-largest military spender: Did Op Sindoor drive India’s $92bn defence surge?
Global military expenditure has hit a record $2.9 trillion, signalling a world preparing for prolonged instability. India’s increased defence spending reflects a broader strategic doctrine focused on modernisation, indigenisation and preparedness for multi-front challenges
- Jayanta Kalita
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
More eyes, more risk. Iran war shows dark side of CCTV boom
Israel's alleged hacking of Tehran's street cameras for assassinations highlights a grave vulnerability in India's extensive, often insecure CCTV networks. With AI amplifying risks, these systems, including those with Chinese components, could be weaponised by foreign intelligence agencies, posing a significant threat to national security and critical infrastructure.
- Robin David
- TNN
Could Pahalgam happen again?
For the moment, the Pakistan army looks comfortably ensconced. But plenty could go wrong. And if that happens, the army's perceived erosion of authority could prompt it to sponsor a grave terror strike in India, says Lt Gen Katiyar (Retd)
A year after Pahalgam: How Op Sindoor rewrote India’s Pakistan playbook
The April 2025 terror attack triggered a decisive shift in India’s security posture — from restraint to calibrated retaliation. The country formalised a more assertive approach, integrating military, technological, and diplomatic tools
- Jayanta KalitaRajesh Sharma
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Pahalgam hero's father: “My son could also have saved himself. But his conscience didn't allow it”
Adi, a ponywallah, grabbed a terrorist’s rifle barrel, his only thought was to save the tourists. He died that day. Another Pahalgam local, Wani, was one of the first to arrive at Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley. He survived but the memories of April 22, 2025, will haunt him forever
Drones, data, cognitive warfare: How India plans to build a future-ready military
The ‘Vision 2047’ document released recently outlines a three-phase roadmap aimed at transforming India’s military into a technologically advanced, integrated, self-reliant, and ‘world-class’ force by the centenary of India's independence
- Jayanta Kalita
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
The Biju Way: How one man reshaped India’s China strategy
Biju Patnaik questioned non-alignment when it mattered most and pushed India towards strategic pragmatism. Decades later, the ‘Biju Way’ remains embedded in how India deals with China.
- Pranab Dhal Samanta
- THE ECONOMIC TIMES
Amit Shah declares India ‘Naxal-free’: What it means and what lies ahead
Officials, however, stress that the end of Naxalism will be a gradual process rather than an absolute one, even if key operational targets have been achieved
- Jayanta KalitaRajesh Sharma
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
How Maoism Lost The Battle & What’ll Keep It Down
March 31 deadline arrives with Naxalism all but wiped out. Smart security ops are one reason. But so is govt outreach in once-forgotten areas. Deepening that is the best guarantee against a revival of extremism
Gulf Within Gulf
US security umbrella has put the region in Iran’s crosshairs, even as US diverted air defences from these Arab nations to Israel. But monarchies’ responses to this strategic tough spot are very different, from Saudi to UAE to Oman
Iran war shows why India’s defence budget needs a 21st-century upgrade
Whether it is the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US-Israel-Iran tensions, or even the relatively short Operation Sindoor, warfare has changed.Wars today are about technology. Software over soldiers
Why the world can’t ignore Iran’s threat to mine the Strait of Hormuz
While Iran claims it hasn’t deployed mines in the waterway so far, the deployment of the floating explosive devices could paralyse trade in the region.
Killer robots, drone swarms, cyberwarfare: Inside Indian military’s AI playbook
The tri-services policy outlines key military applications of AI and calls for close collaboration with industry and academia to sustain a strategic edge, while ensuring ‘meaningful human oversight’
- Manu Pubby
- THE ECONOMIC TIMES
Drones, dark web, sleeper cells: How India plans to tackle Pak-sponsored terror
The Modi govt recently released ‘Prahaar’ — India’s first comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy, outlining a seven-pillar strategy built on ‘zero tolerance’, intelligence-led prevention and a whole-of-society approach
- Jayanta KalitaRajesh Sharma
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Maoist top gun Devuji surrenders. Is a Naxal-free India by March 31 within reach?
Devuji, believed to be in his early sixties, carried bounties ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹1 crore across multiple states. He was widely regarded as CPI (Maoist)’s de facto leader following the May 2025 killing of former general secretary Basavaraju
- Team TOI Plus
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Why this Tata-Airbus ‘made in India’ helicopter could be a game-changer
By early 2027, a manufacturing unit in Karnataka will start rolling out H125, the world’s only chopper capable of flying to Mount Everest. This will help cater to the Indian armed forces’ requirement for a light multi-role helicopter for high-altitude ops
- Rajesh Sharma
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Over 50 jets, refuellers, aircraft carriers, submarines: Is the US ready to strike Iran?
Trump has given a 10-day deadline to Tehran to reach a 'meaningful deal', even as the US continues to assemble a military force capable of striking Iran’s nuclear programme, its ballistic missiles and accompanying launch sites
- Team TOI Plus
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM