From High Seas To High Altitude: 24 Journalists Complete MoD's Intensive 3-Week Defence Correspondents Course

Mumbai: The annual Defence Correspondents Course (DCC), organised by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s Directorate of Public Relations (DPR), was concluded following an intensive three-week tri-service operational orientation. The prestigious course, attended by 24 journalists from across the country, aims to foster synergy between national media and the Armed Forces.

DCC 2026 saw active participation from a cohort of 24 selected journalists representing mainstream print, electronic and digital news agencies across India. The Free Press Journal's senior reporter Dhairya Gajara was one of the participating members in this course.

The course has been designed to bridge the knowledge gap between civilian reporting and military doctrine. It took participants across multiple military establishments, detailing the operational realities of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army.

The three-weeks course commenced at Visakhapatnam where Journalists were briefed on maritime power projection, carrier operations, coastal security frameworks and deep-sea surveillance across key naval bases and onboard frontline warships. The Eastern Naval Command's CSO (Ops) Rear Admiral Manoj Jha highlighted the importance of the media–military interface.

The module familiarised media professionals with the Indian Navy’s organisation, operational activities and maritime security responsibilities through lectures, interactions, visits to naval establishments, ships and submarines, and a sea sortie onboard a frontline warship, providing participants first-hand exposure to naval operations at sea.

Media personnel visited a forward Air Base in the Eastern Air Command AOR for an orientation on Indian Air Force operations and capabilities. The participants experienced first-hand the IAF's tactical airlift, combat readiness, air defence cover and high-altitude logistics operations crucial to perimeter security.

Apart from specially curated sessions on the service's history administration and logistics, the correspondents visited helicopter and Fighter Squadrons, the advanced simulator complex, surveillance units and the Air Traffic Control centre, where they received briefings on their respective roles. Moreover, Garud commandos outlined their training and operational responsibilities. The visit concluded with a demonstration of night flying by helicopters and fighter aircraft. 

The Army leg of the course commenced from Arunachal Pradesh's Tenga with visits to Bumla, Holy Waterfall and other forward areas. Exposure to these areas offered the correspondents a deeper understanding of the demands of border management and the importance of sustained operational preparedness in challenging terrain, high-altitude conditions and operational environment.

The final leg brought correspondents into forward operational environments, demonstrating mountain warfare logistics, border infrastructure and real-time counter-insurgency postures.

The course concluded with a valedictory ceremony at Tezpur following completion of all three legs. The ceremony was chaired by Gajraj Corps’ General Officer Commanding, Lieutenant General Neeraj Shukla, along with MoD's Additional Director General for Media and Communication, Vijay Kumar, course conducting officer Lt Col Athul Sreedharan, and senior DPR officers.

Lt Gen Shukla highlighted the vital role played by informed journalism in shaping public perception and defending the information domain. He underscored that while timely reporting keeps citizens engaged, maintaining operational security remains essential during military movements and border developments. ADG Kumar emphasised the dual imperative of accuracy and national interest, noting that the DCC equips journalists with the necessary tactical context to avoid falling prey to unverified claims, social media misdirection, or sensitive real-time leaks.

The course provided the media personnel a comprehensive exposure to naval, air and ground defence capabilities with training to verify operational claims and guard against adversaries leveraging sensitive information during crises. It also established open channels between military spokespersons and defence journalists to ensure accurate, balanced and context-driven national security coverage.

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