Indian Defence Review

Beijing’s Humla in Nepal

China has done a silent territorial ‘humla’ (attack in Hindi) on Nepal by usurping the land of Humla, a part of Karnali Pradesh – one of the 77 districts of Nepal. The boundary pillars went mysteriously missing and having constructed nine buildings on the village land, China quietly redrew its map that displays this...

Accession Day with a Difference

26th October is a red letter day in Indian history. On this day in 1947 the then ruler of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir finally signed the Instrument of Accession (IOA) paving way for merger of the princely state with India. The delay in signing the Instrument of Accession and its subsequent implications leading...

The Coronavirus Pandemic and the New Global World

We still do not know the future trajectory of Coronavirus or its mid or long-term impact. Nevertheless, governments have been under pressure to reopen their economies, albeit in a calibrated manner. This is in contrast to WHO warning of a second wave. Since a vaccine may not be available in the forthcoming future, we...

Beijing’s Humla in Nepal

Accession Day with a Difference

The Coronavirus Pandemic and the New Global World

Air Defence of India: Evolving Options

Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) attempted a large force ‘reposte’ on February 27, 2019, in response to Indian Air Force’s (IAF) deep air strikes on targets in Balakot. The PAF launched a 24-aircraft force comprising F-16, JF-17 and Mirage-V in a wide area on India’s Western border in broad daylight. They included...

INS Kavaratti: A Versatile Anti-Submarine Warfare Platform

“Indian Naval Ship Kavaratti”, the last in the series of four Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes’ (ASWC) built for the Indian Navy by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata, a Mini Ratna Category 1 & leading shipyard of the country, under Project 28, was commissioned today. GRSE had...

Fighting a Two Front Collusive War

‘Si vis pacem, para bellum’ in Latin means ‘If you want peace, prepare for war’. India learned this the hard way in 1962, but learnt it well, as demonstrated by its resounding victory in 1971, the biggest after WW II. One may wonder why we are discussing this subject now, even though the threat has existed for...

Kashmir: Self appointed, self serving leadership is now in self preservation mode

In the wake of the bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and abrogation of Article 370, the political structures in Kashmir that were aligned with separatism and soft separatism have been left without viable agendas. Articulation on the subject can draw a lead from the “Gupkar Declaration” of 4 August, 2019....

The Islamic State Footprints are all over India

There are some very significant indicators, which indicate the widespread footprints of the Islamic State in India. Recently in Bengaluru, a 28 year old ophthalmologist, Abdur Rehman, was arrested by the NIA for his links with the Islamic State. In 2014, soon after completion of his MBBS, Rehman had travelled all the...

Gupkar Declaration 2.0

Not content with anti-national, seditious, pro-separatist Gupkar Declaration signed on 04 August 2019, a day prior to the historical announcement of Modi Government, the six leaders of Kashmir centric political parties including the descendant of Indian National Congress, Nehru-Gandhi Congress, have again issued a new...

Complexification and Public-Private Positioning in the Land Forces Armament Sector

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, restructuring has pervaded the land forces defense industry. Without the needs demanded by such a threat, a transformation precipitated in the Western industrial apparatus. Land defense systems have become increasingly complex, while economic conditions have altered the industry...

Thales Partnering with the Indian Air Force for a better tomorrow, today

With initiatives and policy decisions on several fronts, India is marching steadfastly towards an era of Atmanirbharta. The country has shown will and muscle to become a global manufacturing huband lead the modernization of the armed forces. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is historically known to providing the country with...

Indian Defence Private Sector: Some Initial Successes Yet Miles To Go

The much publicised Strategic Partnership Model (SPM) launched with a laudable aim to allow the growth of the private sector through the route of Joint Ventures with foreign OEMs failed to deliver initially due to lack of clarity on many issues. The SPM, from the word ‘Go’, was put through so many amendments that it...

Turkey’s power play in Nagorno Karabah

The small regional conflict in Nagorno Karabah in Caucasus erupted again on September 27th. The conflict has over...

Indo-US 2+2 talks on Defence, Security and Chinese Incursions in Eastern Ladakh

India and the United States will hold their third edition of 2+2 ministerial dialogue on October 27 during which the...

DRDO: Steering the March towards Self-Reliance

The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) an agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence (MOD) of Government of India (GOI) is responsible for military research and development. The organisation was raised on 12 July 1948 as Defence Science Organisation by the eminent Indian scientist, Dr D S Kothari. It was renamed as DRDO in...

Step up pressure on Xi; bring France into Quad

An Indian army convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, northeast of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir. The Indian military said it apprehended a Chinese soldier Monday, Oct. 19, in the remote Ladakh region, where the two countries are locked in a monthslong...

Tribal Invasion of 1947: Blackest Chapter in the History of J&K

The time span from 22 October to 26 October, 1947 is remembered as the blackest chapter in the history of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir that now stands re-designated as the Union Territory of Jammu Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh. This period marks the illegal...

China and the Korean War: A Cracked Mirror for the (Global) Times?

An intriguing Global Times editorial was published earlier in October to mark the PLA’s 70th anniversary of “victory” over US forces in Korea. The analysis, rather economical with facts, suggests that will, strategic wisdom, the Chinese character, superiority of the...

Afghanistan and India 2020 Emerging Perspectives

Afghanistan in 2020 is at critical crossroads arising from uncertainties in wake of US-Taliban Doha Accords impelled by US political expediencies. However, one glimmering certainty is India’s continuing commitment to Afghanistan’s secure and stable future. India’s principled stand on the Afghanistan Peace Dialogues has borne fruit in that India always maintained that any Peace Dialogue determinations could not be impelled by political...