Indian Defence Review

Yet another attempt to force an ethnic exodus from Kashmir?

The recent killings in Kashmir have two dimensions, i.e. Territorial and Civilizational. Matters pertaining to the Line of Control (LoC), observance and violations of Cease Fire, Counter Terrorist operations, Surgical Strike, and Balakot Air Strike fall under the Territorial dimension. The recent killing of a...

BSF gets extended powers to search in borderStates. Why the fuss?

The Govt of India, in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 129 of the Border Security Force Act, 1948 (47 of 1968)”, has extended BSF’s jurisdiction to 50 km in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam and Punjab where earlier it was 15 km. Some of the States like Punjab is saying this to be an...

Politico-Military Strategy for the 1971 Indo-Pak War: A Perspective

Abstract National strategy during a war cannot be primarily confined to the military, but rather embody the wide gamut of national interests. Military strategy is derived from the political strategy which leads to the evolution of national policy. It must also include the common consensus of members of different...

Yet another attempt to force an ethnic exodus from Kashmir?

It is Pakistan State Versus Islam

The demand for Pakistan was to secure homeland for Muslims. This was logically tenuous, as a sizeable chunk of Muslim population despite their pro-Pakistan proclivities chose to stay in India. In the 1946 elections, 86 percent of the Indian Muslims had voted for the Muslim League, but when they realized that they were...

China and Taiwan Relations Act

Much is being said about US President Joe Biden telling reporters at the White House on October 6 after returning from Michigan that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reaffirmed their agreement on Taiwan. He said, “I’ve spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree, we will abide by the Taiwan agreement. That’s...

Politico-Military Strategy for the 1971 Indo-Pak War: A Perspective

Who were the Mysterious ‘Tibetan 419 Troops’ in 1962?

China always speaks of the 1962 War against India as a ‘Self-Defence Counter-Attack’. In this context, the setting up of the Z-419 Force was a turning point in the unfolding confrontation between India and China. Though some Chinese records call it ‘the Tibetan Z-419 Army’ (“Z” standing for ‘Xizang’ or...

The Concept of Theatre Command in the Indian Context

On July 02, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat stated, “Do not forget that Air Force continues to remain a supporting arm to the armed forces, just as artillery or the engineers support the combatant arms in the Army,” thus attempting to relegate Indian Air Force (IAF), the world’s fourth...

BSF gets extended powers to search in borderStates. Why the fuss?

Unstable Pakistan is attempting to increase Terrorist activity in Kashmir

As General Qamar Bajwa, the all powerful chief of the Pakistan Army, prepares to drift into retirement and ignominy, he would be ruing the day he decided to place all his political eggs in the basket of Imran Khan and his political party, the Tehreek-e-Insaaf (TeI). The concept was in line with the thought process of...

India’s National Security Options in a Penta-Polar World – Scenario 2030

We claim that a penta-polar world is emerging. We also claim that, “To be there in 2030-2035, India needs to play out the penta-polar world dynamics through a multi-alignment strategy backed up by a future narrative of her own, even though she will continue to be the playground as well. Above all, India should...

Corporatisation of OFB & Fault lines of India’s Military Industry Capability

Corporatisation was listed as one of the 167 transformational ideas to be implemented in the first 100 days of NDA manifesto (2019). The delay in corporatisation of 41 ordnance factories which have a hoary history of 246 years, with a credible record of providing requisite firepower to the defence services during the...

U-UAP presented Ka-226T Climber at the "Army" forum

Ulan-Ude aviation plant of Russian Helicopters Holding (Rostec State Corporation) presented at the static display of the Army-2021 International Military and Technical Forum in Patriot Park a sample of the latest modification of light multipurpose Ka-226T Climber helicopter, which will begin flight tests this...

New Mi-171SH Storm arrived at the "Army-2021" under its own power from Ulan-Ude

The upgraded Mi-171Sh Storm military transport helicopter arrived under its own power from Ulan-Ude aviation plant of ”Russian Helicopters” (Rostec State Corporation) at the international military-technical forum “Army-2021”. The five thousand kilometers flight took five days. “The multifunctional special forces...

Pakistani Taliban a Cause of Concern For Islamabad

The attacks carried out by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) aka Pakistan Taliban have increased to the highest level...

Decoding Attacks on Minority Communities in Kashmir

Taliban Angle While the Pakistan backed Taliban was rapidly gaining ground in Afghanistan, there was widespread...

Tinsel town, Social Media Project Misleading Image of Indian Army

Social media platforms may have demolished the monopoly of their mainstream counterparts and paved the way for the masses to have a voice of their own and influence public discourse. But nobody speaks about the flip side; the capacity to foster and propagate manufactured narratives, rendered more lethal by their very plausibility and phenomenal reach—way beyond anything imaginable until ten or...

Stop China from Erasing ‘The Heart of the World’

Have you heard of the “Hidden Land of Pemako”? It is the area where China is planning to build mega hydropower stations in the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) during its forthcoming 14th Five Year Plan. This project, three times the size of the Three Gorges...

Taliban Snub US on Counter Terrorism

The first in-person talks between the US and the Taliban after US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan were held in Doha, Qatar on October 9-10. These followed two days of discussions between visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman with Pakistani officials in Islamabad...

Studies in Low-Intensity Conflict: The Tibetan Rebellion

First published in Print issue of Indian Defence Review 3.1, Jul-Dec 1988. The Rise of Low-intensity Conflict The ides of March in 1988 will always go down as a significant period in recent history. The signing of the Geneva Accord marked a major retreat of Soviet power from...

Nothing new in Dragon’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomacy; it actually started when India was ‘nice’ to China

India has to fight her own battles alone, and should not expect any ‘friend’ to come to her rescue, especially when facing China Nothing new in Dragon’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomacy; it actually started when India was ‘nice’ to China In a couple of months, India will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh from the tyranny of the Pakistani generals. It is perhaps an occasion to take a look back at some of the...