Interviews
The Challenge of China
By: Lt Gen Vinay Shankar | Issue: Book Excerpt: Threat from China | Date: 11 Feb , 2012
The recent denial of a visa by China to one of our senior most serving army officers has taken the Indian Security and Diplomatic establishment by considerable surprise, more so when the visa was...
Opening-Up of Myanmar
By: B Raman | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 07 Feb , 2012
The three-day (Nov.30—Dec 2, 2011) visit of Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, to Myanmar— the first by a US Secretary of State since the visit of Johan Foster Dulles in 1955—...
It is time to wake up to Chinese incursions
By: Claude Arpi | Issue: Book Excerpt: Tibet - The Lost Frontier | Date: 07 Feb , 2012
Kiren Rijiju, the 36-year-old firebrand Member of Parliament representing Arunachal Pradesh (West), does not share the government’s and Indian Army’s perceptions about Chinese incursions in...
India: Back to France
By: B Raman | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 04 Feb , 2012
< !DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> The Government of India must press ahead with its last-lap negotiations with Dassault Aviation of France for the finalisation of the definitive contract for the acquisition of 126 Rafale...
India's space endeavour
By: Gp Capt Joseph Noronha | Issue: Vol. 26.3 July - Sept 2011 | Date: 01 Feb , 2012
Space exploration has its moments of sheer ecstasy but it can be terribly unforgiving as well. Just 63 seconds into the launch of India’s most advanced rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite...
Indian Air Force - Quo Vadis?
By: Air Marshal BK Pandey | Issue: Vol 26.2 Apr-Jun 2011 | Date: 01 Feb , 2012
Even as the IAF prepares for the great leap into the next generation it must be realised that to erect an edifice there is the imperative of foundation. Visions of a powerful modern Air Force are...
Indian Air Force: Looking into the future
By: Gp Capt Joseph Noronha | Issue: Vol. 26.4 Oct-Dec 2011 | Date: 30 Jan , 2012
When everything arrives together it may easily result in wastage of time and money. There may be sophisticated equipment lying unpacked in a corner because no one knows how to use it. There could...
Indian Air Force Airlift Capability
By: Air Marshal BK Pandey | Issue: Vol. 26.3 July - Sept 2011 | Date: 15 Jan , 2012
Since the nation gained independence on August 15, 1947, combat elements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been involved in three conflicts, two major and one minor – and all of them have been...
The India factor in Afghanistan
By: VK Shashikumar | Issue: Vol 23.3 Jul-Sep 2008 | Date: 14 Jan , 2012
In 2001 US and its allies launch the war against terrorism after the world is stunned by the horrific terror on the WTC twin towers in New York. Seven years later Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar...
Pakistan's export of fake currency via Nepal
By: VK Shashikumar | Issue: Vol. 23.4 Oct-Dec 2008 | Date: 13 Jan , 2012
At most places along the 751 km Bihar-Terai contiguous no-man’s land on the India-Nepal border are dirt tracks. Solitary signpost marks the international boundary here. On one side is Bihar, on...
Game Plan for Return of Musharraf
By: Bharat Verma | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 11 Jan , 2012
< !DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> There is a clear link between Musharraf’s announcements to fight elections in 2012 and lead his party, propping up of Imran Khan, and Pakistan Army and the ISI. In a pre-planned move Musharraf...
Future of Asian Air Power-2030
By: Air Commodore Ramesh Phadke | Issue: Book Excerpt: Asia 2030 - The Unfolding Future | Date: 08 Jan , 2012
Air power has been with us for nearly a century. Within less than a decade of the historic first flight of a ‘heavier than air machine’ at Kitty Hawk in the US on 17 December 1903, the...
Intelligence Reform
By: Vikram Sood | Issue: Vol 24.1 Jan-Mar 2009 | Date: 17 Dec , 2011
‘Nothing should be as favourably regarded as intelligence; nothing should be as generously rewarded as intelligence; nothing should be as confidential as the work of intelligence.’ Sun Tzu, The...
The Revolt in East Pakistan
By: Maj Gen Sukhwant Singh | Issue: Book Excerpt: India's War since Independence | Date: 07 Dec , 2011
When I reported on posting to Major General (later Lieutenant General) K.K. Singh, then Director of Military operations, on 12 March 1971, as his deputy, he said in his characteristic...
1971 War: The Navy in War-I
By: Maj Gen Sukhwant Singh | Issue: Book Excerpt: India's War since Independence | Date: 01 Dec , 2011
In their heyday of empire building the British consolidated their possessions by the gun power of the Royal Navy. Being essentially a trading nation, they shipped raw materials from the colonies...
1971 War: The Air Force in War-I
By: Maj Gen Sukhwant Singh | Issue: Book Excerpt: India's War since Independence | Date: 01 Dec , 2011
The public clamour for Indianisation of the armed forces in the early 1930s led to the establishment of the Indian Sandhurst Committee. Along with other recommendations the committee insisted...
India Lags Behind in Shipbuilding
By: Vice Adm Rajeshwer Nath | Issue: Vol 22.3 Jul-Sep 2007 | Date: 16 Nov , 2011
There has been consistent boom in shipbuilding since 1990s. The main reason for this has been the rise in the volume of International trade due to healthy long range economic and energy demands....
China takes over Nepal
By: Claude Arpi | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 10 Nov , 2011
What is going on in Nepal? If one goes by the latest news, nothing good for India. Why did Mr. Shyam Saran, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy had to pay a quick visit to the former Himalayan...
The communication gap in Defence Procurement
By: Maj Gen Mrinal Suman | Issue: Vol. 26.3 July - Sept 2011 | Date: 27 Oct , 2011
Despite repeated assertions of the Government that the huge potential of the private sector must be tapped to achieve self sufficiency in defence production, little progress has been achieved on...
The Indian Army: The first challenge - I
By: Major K.C. Praval | Issue: Book Excerpt: Indian Army After Independence | Date: 22 Oct , 2011
Field Marshal Wavell was no prophet. But he was unquestionably a great soldier who admired the Indian Army. Indian troops had fought under him while he was Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, during...