Indian Defence Review

Pakistan: Wages of ‘Keeping Snakes in the Backyard’

It was in 2011, when former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had warned Pakistan about the dangers of providing safe sanctuaries and sustenance to terrorists by saying that “you can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours.” She further added that “Eventually those snakes...

Pakistan heading for a fall is all the more dangerous for the world

A few days back, two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a police checkpoint in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan. In the ensuing fire-fight, an officer was killed, while two policemen sustained injuries; one of those injured succumbed to his wounds later. The assailants were also killed, however, no...

Hundred Years of Peace with India: A Non-Starter from the Word Go

As expected there was a wave of euphoria amongst the Indian liberal community. They see the Pakistani National Security Policy as a success of all their Track 1.5, Track 2 and the other Umpteen tracks…. dialogues which are basically a compromise of India’s interests. Let us consider a fictitious scenario wherein...

Pakistan: Wages of ‘Keeping Snakes in the Backyard’

Pakistan heading for a fall is all the more dangerous for the world

Hundred Years of Peace with India: A Non-Starter from the Word Go

Managing a Congested Airspace over the Future Battle Area

The number of platforms and projectiles in the Tactical Battle Area (TBA) has increased exponentially. The friendly and adversary aerial systems are not only increasing in numbers, but are also of a variety of sizes from micro UAVs to large aircraft and they are also travelling from very slow speeds to many times faster...

Does the World need Ethical Weapons?

Artificial intelligence-powered weapons have radically transformed the battlefield. But can, or should they also be made to follow ethical rules? Although many nations still practice the tried and tested military tactics and techniques of World War II vintage, major powers, particularly the US, China, Russia and Israel,...

Increasing Retirement Ages vis-à-vis Savings in Defence Spending & Pension: A Discussion

Introduction & Acknowledgements Study of military history in our Defence institutions appear to dominate our thought process so much that we appear to ignore other realities of the present, even the recent past. One such is the ephemeral proposal of reducing the outgo on pay and pensions in the Defence budget by...

Kashmiri Pandits offered three choices by Radical Islamists

On Jan, 04, 1990, a local Urdu newspaper, Aftab, published a press release issued by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, asking all Pandits to leave the Valley immediately. Al Safa, another local daily repeated the warning.These warnings were followed by Kalashnikov-wielding masked Jehadis carrying out military-type marches openly....

India needs to Forcefully respond to Chinese Psychological Operations

Winters used to be looked upon as a lie-low time along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. In present times, the extreme cold conditions are utilised by China for launching sophisticated information battles and psychological operations. This year the intensity seems to be more than normal. In India there is an...

Indo–Pacific Oceans Initiative

Concept of Indo-Pacific Eminent historian and scholar Radhakumud Mookerjee in his seminal work on Indian Shipping, while tracing the history of maritime activities of Indians from historic times, brought out that India was linked with all major movements in the world which had influenced the history of mankind. In his...

Indigenous IJT Completes Six Turn Spin

The Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), designed and developed by HAL for stage –II training of IAF pilots has successfully demonstrated the capability to carry out six turn spins to the LH and RH sides. The aircraft was piloted by Gp. Capt HV Thakur (Retd) and Gp. Capt A Menon (Retd). Given the right resources and...

C4ISR and Autonomous Capabilities

A military leader, as a pre-condition, must be able to exercise Command and Control (C2) over the forces subordinated to him if he is to accomplish his mission. The United States (US) Department of Defence defines C2 as the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached...

Rosoboronexport Presented top 5 new Russian Export Products of 2021

Rosoboronexport JSC (part of the Rostec State Corporation) has summed up its efforts to promote Russian weapons and military equipment on the world market in 2021. “In 2021, the global arms market has largely adapted to work under coronavirus pandemic conditions. Exhibition activities have resumed largely, contacts...

China Should Know That it’s Investment is not Safe in Balochistan: BNA

Two important Baloch armed groups Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and the United Baloch Army (UBA) recently announced...

'Was it an Atomic Bomb?' - asked Bose

On 7 August, Bose was still unaware of what had happened at Hiroshima. In fact, the news of what had happened at...

14th Round : Endless Negotiations, ‘Insipid’ Line, Unsettled Border, Rising Hostilities

It can be argued, when Henry McMahon drew an “insipid” line sitting in beautiful surroundings in Simla Office over one hundred years ago, he was only being dutiful in maximizing British control in Central Asia in the “Great Game” being played between England and Russia during the nineteenth century. Interestingly, both China and India were not signatories to the Simla Accord in...

Pakistan National Security Policy a Flawed Exercise

Pakistan has recently released a public version of its National Security Policy (NSP) document. The document has been authored by Moeed W Yusuf, who was earlier, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning,...

No Breakthrough in 14th Round of Military Level India-China Talks

There was no breakthrough in the 13-hour marathon military level talks between India and China on 13 January 2022 with Beijing showing reluctance to complete troop disengagement at a friction point in eastern Ladakh while refusing to discuss steps to diffuse the bigger problems of...

History of Israel-Palestine Conflict

Prelude to the Middle East Crisis Modern day Israel or as it is popularly known as “The Promised Land” has been repeatedly conquered and passed on from one ruler to another from 700 BCE onwards. The history of Palestine, as it was called archaically, is that of the region...

China’s Economic Invasion of Sri Lanka

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka (Jan 8-9) to mark the 65th Anniversary of Sri Lanka-China diplomatic relations and 70th anniversary of the Rubber-Rice Pact between both countries signed in 1952; a trade agreement for Sri Lanka to supply rubber to China in exchange for rice. Interestingly, Yi is celebrating 70th anniversary of the Rubber-Rice Pact at Colombo when China’s reputation is mired with the shipment...