Indian Defence Review

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...

India-Taiwan Relations

Taiwan is in the news not because China is Taiwan’s topmost trading partner which imported 27.9 percent of Taiwanese exports worth US$91.9 billion during 2019 while India was at rank 12 from the top at one percent export of Taiwan at US$3.3 billion, but because China is threatening to annex Taiwan and Taiwan’s...

Accession Day with a Difference

The Coronavirus Pandemic and the New Global World

India-Taiwan Relations

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...

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...

India Factor in Pakistan’s Internal Matters

An editorial of 7 Oct, in Pakistan’s well established newspaper, The Dawn, states, ‘the colonial curse of the sedition law hangs over us like the sword of Damocles, with dozens of political leaders and lawmakers being booked overnight in a case of alleged rebellion against the state.’ It added, ‘for too long, journalists, politicians, academics and activists critical of the state have...

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...

Failure of ISI’s ‘Name-Game’ to Divert International Attention from Terrorist Activities

In order to blunt Pakistan’s sponsored proxy war in J&K, intelligence agencies have been keeping very close tabs on terrorist groups and the continuous string of successes achieved by security forces in anti-terrorist operations leaves no doubts regarding the existence of an...

Invasion of J&K State in 1947: Does the Date Matter?

Come 22 October and we gear up to observe it as the Black Day. It would, in no uncertain terms, an apposite way of revisiting that day in 1947 when invaders who were being led, armed and supported by the Pakistan army, strolled into the territory of the princely State of Jammu & Kashmir. I say ‘strolled’ into our space because they had been welcome and were now being aided and guided by their co-religionists who formed half of the...