BrahMos after Op Sindoor: Why India needs a dedicated drone and missile force

In this special edition of Battle Cry, host Gaurav Sawant explores the operational prowess of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile following Operation Sindoor and evaluates India's evolving defence strategy. BrahMos CEO Dr Jaiteerth Joshi discusses the weapon's tri-service readiness, precision strikes, stealth capabilities, and the drive towards complete indigenisation with assembly lines active in Nagpur, Pilani, and Lucknow. DG ITBP Shatrujeet Kapoor highlights ongoing friction along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh, stressing that modern drone technology allows smaller forces to effectively challenge larger conventional adversaries. Panellists Lieutenant General PR Shankar, Sandeep Unnithan, and Manjeet Singh Negi examine emerging non-contact warfare trends from the Russia-Ukraine and Iran-US conflicts. They debate the urgent necessity of establishing a dedicated drone, rocket, artillery, and missile force, leveraging existing artillery divisions and domestic manufacturing to plug squadron voids and safeguard national security.