Indian Defence Review

North East Peace Accords

As the government deadline of October 31, 2019 for final settlement to the Naga dispute approached, there were reports of talks with NSCN (IM) running into rough weather. But then came good news of NSCN (IM) coming on board ‘without’ a separate Naga constitution but with a ‘conditional’ flag. Latter reportedly...

Baghdadi Dead : What it means for Terrorism in West and South Asia?

President Trump’s announcement that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State(IS) commander, died during a US military operation in Syria, later confirmed by ISIS itself, was a welcome news for all fighting terrorism or suffering from it in any part of the world. This was followed by death of their spokesperson and...

J&K’s New Map Ruffles Many Feathers

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India issued a new political map of India on 02 November 2019, which has not only rattled Pakistan but also ruffled many feathers including a shut up call to the likes of Dr Farooq Abdullah who had publically challenged the Government of India’s stance on Pakistan Occupied...

Baghdadi Dead : What it means for Terrorism in West and South Asia?

Moscow Will Dominate Middle East For Long

On one hand United States military outposts and bases are being emptied or destroyed after Washington withdrew from the North East Syria and left its Kurdish allies and on the other hand Russian forces are moving in to take over these empty bases. This clearly illustrates that how Russia is filling in the gap left by...

Whither Sri Lanka ?

As China’s clout grows in the Indo-Pacific, so does its obduracy, vile and cunning. Solomon Islands government recently said that a contract signed by one of its provinces to lease entire island of Tulagi to a Chinese company is unlawful and should be terminated. Recall Pakistan leasing Shaksgam and Gilgit-Baltistan...

Unmanned Platforms in the IAF: The Need to Bolster

The DRDO has had some success with small UAVs but projects worthy of the IAF’s needs and wants appear to be very distant in the future. Slow rates of progress and minimal levels of technology lagging far behind the sharply rising curve of UAV development worldwide, have meant that the IAF is dependent on imports which...

UAVs & UCAVs: The Next Generation Threat

The evolving UAV threat poses a significant challenge to all ground forces. Of the emerging combat force multipliers, UAVs are unique in their integration with existing systems as it requires little more effort. Relative to other reconnaissance platforms, UAVs are both technologically attainable and affordable. The...

Commemorating the Spirit of Infantry

I AM THE INFANTRY You have seen me everywhere In thick of battle without a care From Mahabharata to the present day I have so far kept the enemy at bay Rifle and bayonet in my hand My gutsy charge the foe couldn’t stand And at my feet lay victory I am the Infantry. Warfare really started with me Thereafter came...

North East Peace Accords

J&K’s New Map Ruffles Many Feathers

Transformation in J&K: Momentous, righteous and challenging

On October, 31, as the Diwali festivities culminated, our nation embarked on a historic and path breaking transformation. The state of Jammu and Kashmir emerged with a new Avatar of two Union Territories. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir comprises of 22 Districts including areas of Muzaffarabad and Mirpur. The...

UAVs & UCAVs: The Next Generation Threat

Technology in Warfare: Is India Lagging Behind?

There are more than 250 government or private drone developers or manufacturers in China. Some are working closely with technical universities and the government. China is investing heavily in Swarm Technology and Artificial Intelligence. With the rapid rate of development and astonishing test results, China appears to...

The Way Ahead: Making India Self Reliant in Defence

On May 31, 2017, in a major policy reform intended to promote ‘Make in India’ in defence manufacturing, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the much-anticipated Strategic Partnership model for the Indian private sector. The model, whose concept was first suggested by the Dhirendra Singh Committee in its July...

FATF credibility is at stake: How many more shades of grey for Pakistan?

Instead of downgrading Pakistan to the ‘blacklist’ from its ‘grey list,’ the Financial Action Task Force...

India should not forget its history

“India should not forget its history,” Bhutto observed on the eve of the India-Pakistan conflict in 1950....

The Final Nail in the Coffin of Pakistani Manipulations in J&K

Network and landline connections in Jammu and Kashmir, that have remained restricted in parts since 05 August this year, have been restored in full. All post paid mobile services are functional now. Since most people in the state have post-paid connections, it implies that telephonic connectivity stands restored. It is reiterated that on August, 05, the Parliament of the Nation passed...

Baghdadi and his impact on India

Abu Bakar al – Baghdadi seems to have died finally if we trust the announcement made by the US President Donald Trump. Baghdadi, carrying a reward of $ 25 million on his head, had proclaimed the creation of an Islamic State, captured huge chunks of land in Iraq and Syria and was...

Was Modi-Xi Chennai meet a ‘civilisational’ encounter?

Indian commentators have always been fond of the word ‘civilisational’, it was already so during the Nehruvian days, it continues today; it must be something anchored in Indian genes. As I never really understood the meaning of the term, I finally looked it up in the...

Japan's 2019 Defence White Paper and the Contest for Southeast Asia

In Japan’s annual Defence White Paper released on 26 September, China’s growing military might has been given priority over North Korea’s belligerence as the country’s main security threat. This is the first time Japan has so explicitly identified China as a security threat...

Will Turkey be Able to Establish a ‘Safe Zone’ in Syria?

On October 09, Turkey launched Operation ‘Springs of Peace’, a military excursion into north eastern Syria to establish a ‘safe zone’ with the objective of preventing the Syrian Democratic Forces (Quwwāt Sūriyā al-Dīmuqrāṭīya or SDF) from controlling areas along the Turkish-Syrian border. This is part of Turkey’s longstanding goal to have a military presence in Syria to neutralise the alleged “terror corridor” run by the...