Peace with Pakistan: an idea whose time has passed

A leading indian english language  newspaper has chosen to begin 2010 by stirring up controversy. It has run a series of editorials advocating peace initiatives with Pakistan, despite the manifest unwillingness of Islamabad to punish the perpetrators of 26/11. What might have begun as a practical joke by the newspaper’s editorial staff Read More »

Pitfalls in Arms Procurement Process

Modernization of armed forces is a very capital intensive and long drawn process wherein the armed forces first identify their needs and then acquire the same through some rather complex procedures. Read More »

Defence Offsets: Proving Detrimental to the Services

Post Kargil, indian defence imports had been ranging between three to six billion dollars annually whereas defence exports had been stagnating at meagre 50 million dollars an year. Despite India’s best efforts very little headway was being made on the export front. As a last resort, a proposal was mooted in 2004 to coerce foreign sellers to compulsorily buy Indian defence goods in exchange. While the proposal was being debated, an article Read More »

The killers’ mace of the dark visitors

In February 1999, The PLA Literature and Arts Publishing House in Beijing released a fascinating book written by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui, two Senior Colonels of the People’s Liberation Army. The title of the book was Unrestricted Warfare [available on Lancers Publishers website]1.

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Maoist Threat and Politics

The previous issue of the Indian Defence Review carried a letter from a serving air force officer Group Captain RK Prasad to the Home Minister of India. The officer and his family had been mentally and financially tortured by their own countrymen, who like to call themselves ‘Maoists’. The younger brother of Gp Capt Prasad Read More »

Defence Purchases: time India asserts itself

Press reports have been highlighting Russian refusal to deliver aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov at the contracted price and within the agreed delivery period. It is demanding more money on the plea that the Russian technicians had underestimated the quantum of work required to restore the fire-ravaged ship. Read More »

Arihant: the annihilator

The launching of the Arihant by the Prime Minister (PM) on 26th July 2009 has hopefully, at last, partially lifted the top security veil over the Advance Technology Vessel (ATV) Project. In that light, to the extent feasible, Read More »

Securing Maritime Lifelines

Characterised by globalisation, the present times bear a new flavour for international relations. The economic liberalization undertaken by states has led to a frenzy of commercial interactions amongst them and their increased participation in global arrangements like International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Trade Organisation (WTO). Read More »

Helicopter Operations

Aviation historians delight in tracing the concept of the helicopter to Leonardo di Vinci or even earlier to some vague drawings in China that date back to an era before Christ. Be that as it may, for India the helicopter age started in the mid 1950s when a couple of Sikorsky helicopters flew in the Indian skies for the first time. Read More »

The New ‘Make’ Procedure: A Retrograde Step

Prior to the issuance of Defence Procurement Procedure - 2006 (DPP-2006), all proposals categorised by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) as ‘Make’ cases were handled by the Defence R&D Board (Def R&D Bd). The Department of Defence R&D had evolved a procedure that had adequate inbuilt flexibility for R&D application. Expenditure was debited to the related R&D head.

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“Is war around the corner?”

A few month’s back, Bharat Verma, Editor of the Indian Defence Review, in an article, had predicted that China may attack India by 2012. Frankly, at that time, I did not agree with this prophecy, because in my opinion China would not want a war till it becomes a true super power by 2050,and in any case the Chinese, in my opinion, would only go to war, if they had a 100 percent chance of success.

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