Indian Defence Review

Republic Day 2020 – A Parade of Many Firsts

January 26 invokes a patriotic fervour in all of us. It is quite a show when the uniformed soldiers march in unison, freshly painted military equipment trundle down the Rajpath and the aircrafts make a fly past above. Braving a truant weather, thousands of citizens line up from Raisina to Red Fort to witness this...

Are We Missing Woods for Trees?

A recent statement of newly appointed Chief of Defence Statement Gen Bipin Rawat is being blown out of proportion. Like any concerned Indian, Gen Rawat had expressed his disquiet against growing radicalisation in the country which is targeted, particularly, at the youth for the obvious reasons. He had suggested that no...

Middle-East Conundrum and Indian National Security

The second decade of the 21st century has had an inauspicious start in the Middle East. The killing of an Iranian General in American drone strike has raised the temperatures in the Middle East to an intolerable level and an intensification of conflict in that theatre is very likely. India has two basic interests in the...

Middle-East Conundrum and Indian National Security

Dragon inveigles Naypyitaw

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Myanmar on January 17, 2019 carried the hallmarks of China’s strategy of planning and preparations decades in advance. Economic and military aid to Myanmar had been ongoing past several years with China investing in multiple projects including oil-gas pipeline from the Indian...

Is China-Myanmar Economic Corridor turning out to be another CPEC for India?

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Myanmar on January 18, 2020 at a time when it was struggling global criticism over its treatment of the Rohingya Muslim minority. It is learnt that the two countries two sides signed 33 memorandums of understanding, agreements, exchange letters and protocols, 13 of which were related...

Republic Day 2020 – A Parade of Many Firsts

1971 War: Battle of Sylhet-The first Special Heli Borne Operation

The first Special Heli-Borne Operation of the Indian Army was not a pre-planned operation. It just popped up, out of nowhere and was executed exceptionally well by a small team of 10 Mi-4 helicopters led by Group Captain Chandan Singh. The operation was a brain child of the legendary Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Sagat...

14-16th Dec 1971 - Inside Enemy Camp

Late night 14th December 1971, Peshawar, West Pakistan. General Yahya Khan, then President of Pakistan was giving a party in his newly constructed house. There were a few selected guests and a Bengali woman Mrs. Shammim (also known as Black Pearl) was one of those chosen ones. She was Gen Yahya’s latest `close`...

Are We Missing Woods for Trees?

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....

Kashmir: Lessons from the Rise and Fall of a Decorated Cop

For the J&K Police, which till now was being lauded for its resolute anti-militancy operations despite being targeted by terrorists, Dy SP Davinder Singh being caught red-handed while ‘escorting’ two high-profile Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorists out of the Kashmir Valley has come as big shock and embarrassment....

Reforms in Defence Acquisition

Defence is a strategic component of Sovereign India and the Services have the onerous responsibility to discharge this ‘integrity’ mandate. The expenditure, that the country commits, though not in the ‘charged’ category, is nevertheless a holy cow in Parliamentary debates. It roughly accounts for 2% of India’s...

Defence Minister flags-off 51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun from L&T’s Armoured System

Armoured Systems Complex is currently producing 100 ‘K9 Vajra-T’ 155 mm 52 Cal Self-propelled Tracked Howitzers under first major Make in India Program of the Indian Army All the 51 Guns have been dispatched ahead of schedule – a testimony to planning prowess and execution efficiency of L&T Defence Minister...

Lockheed Martin has appointed William Blair as Vice President and Chief Executive for India

Lockheed Martin has appointed William Blair as Vice President and Chief Executive for India. In this role, Mr. Blair will lead the growth and development of Lockheed Martin’s business in India and serve as the executive representative for all of Lockheed Martin’s programs, products and services in the country. He...

India and Israel Partnership is Comprehensive and Strategic in Nature:...

Dr Ron Malka is the Ambassador of Israel to India. In an exclusive interview to Manish Rai, Editor of Viewsaround...

26-January-2001: Lest We Forget

As we go into celebrating our 73 Republic Day, putting on display for the world to see, our culture alongside our...

Emerging Technologies in Contemporary Ocean Warfare

It is being widely debated that the revolution in science and technology and its role in military strategy would prove to be game changers in international politics and in the dynamics of international affairs. The impact of science and technology is such that they have provided enough scope for increasing military deterrence and its ever-increasing role in the security calculus of a nation is...

Army Chief has assured that nation remains secure in strong hands of its Armed Forces

The Indian nation celebrates Army Day on January, 15 every year with great fervour. January, 15 has a historical significance; it was on this day, in 1949, that the Indian Army divested itself from British control with General (later Field Marshal) K. M. Cariappa taking over as the...

Lessons for China

The just-concluded presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan might remain a turning point in the life of not only the island but the entire region. President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) defeated Han Kuo-yu from China-friendly Kuomintang by more...

Soleimani’s Killing Redefines US-Iran Rivalry

Major General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was killed in an American drone strike at Baghdad Airport on January 03, 2020. General Soleimani was a senior and popular military figure in Iran. He was the...

2019: The Year that Was in Kashmir!

Looking back, one can safely say that the year gone by was a mixed bag for Jammu and Kashmir in both the political and security domains, as well as that the going wasn’t totally smooth because of many momentous issues that came up during 2019. On February 14, more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in one of the deadliest attacks in Kashmir’s Pulwama district when a local Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide...