Nancy Pelosi: Helen of Troy or Angel of Peace?
Many years hence, someone will look at a Nancy Pelosi sculpture in a museum and burst into poetry, like Christopher Marlowe did, “Was this the face that launched a thousand…
Making Buddha Smile Again!
The word Buddha originally means—the enlightened one. Operation Smiling Buddha was the code name of India's first successful nuclear bomb test on 18 May 1974. Forty-eight years later, Buddha is smiling again and the…
Nancy Peloci’s Avoidable Visit to Taiwan: Fall Out
The controversial visit to Taiwan (2nd August 2022) by the US Speaker, House of Representatives, Nancy Peloci is over but has left some questions unanswered. Meanwhile, the visit’s fall out…
When Beijing Was Burning Xi was Playing Personal Games
A great fire destroyed Rome for six days in the summer of AD 64. Famous Roman historian of that time, Tacitus, recorded that 70 percent of the city was destroyed…
Nuclear Weapons: Destruction, Deterrence, Hoax or an Imaginary Cocktail
The two deadly dates of 06 Aug 1945 and 09 Aug 1945 witnessed the first use of nuclear weapons by USA over the two cities of Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki…
The Pelosi Visit to Taiwan: Why All the Tension?
It happened all of a sudden. A visit to Taiwan by US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi was known to be on the cards around this time.…
‘Defence of Japan 2022’: Moment of Reckoning
Japan's annual ‘Defence of Japan’ (DOJ) 2022 was released in July. It appeared after the assassination of former PM Abe, a leading light of Japan's enhanced defence capabilities. The ruling…
Staking Out and Striking Ayman al Zawahiri
It took ten years to take out Osama bin Laden (OBL) after chasing him through the mountains of Afghanistan. He was ultimately cornered in Abbottabad 800 meters from the gates…
The Farnborough Air Show 2022: Prospects For India?
The Farnborough International Air Show (FIAS)-2022, in vogue since 1948, was held at Farnborough, UK from 18 to 22 July 2022. The five-day event is the world’s largest airshow, hosted…
A Quad Of A New Kind: Tech Quad
Machines, big and small, all rely on one component, semiconductors. Be it computers, telecommunications, household appliances, banking, security, healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, and last but not least, war-making machinery, all depend…
International Affairs
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Can Either Russia or Ukraine Reasonably Claim to be ‘Winning’ the War in Ukraine?
By PTI and Chanakya Forum
Sri Lanka: Road From Anarchy Towards Stability
By JK Tripathi
Ukraine War: Why Moscow Could Go Nuclear Over Kyiv’s Threats to Crimea
By PTI and Chanakya Forum
Sri Lanka’s Crisis – Not Just About the Economy
By PTI and Chanakya Forum
Japanese Elections After Shinzo Abe
By Gurjit Singh
The General’s Desk
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (R) 
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (R)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
OP-ED
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President Biden, Please Transit from the 20th to the 21st Century
By Prof Madhav Das Nalapat
-
India is Only Aligned to its National Interest
By Kanwal Sibal
-
Xi Jinping’s Record Promotion of Generals – Loyalty or Insecurity?
By Vikram Sood and Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury
-
Amar Jawan Jyoti – Needless Controversy
By Kanwal Sibal
Cockpit Conversation
Cdr Sandeep Dhawan
Cdr Sandeep Dhawan
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
Policy & governance
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Chinese Hand Behind Sri Lanka’s Crisis and The Indian Dilemma
While the economic crisis has been in the making for over a decade in Sri Lanka, but the way it has unfolded is beyond comprehension. The visuals of citizens of the nation entering the Presidential palace, the PM’s residence, national broadcaster and so many other Gov
By Maj Gen Ashok Kumar
Controversial Remarks on Prophet Mohammed: External Dimensions of its Fall Out
The controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammed made by Nupur Sharma, the official spokesperson of the ruling party (BJP) and by Naveen Kumar Jindal, the BJP’s media head of Delhi Unit, have stirred the proverbial hornets’ nest both at home and abroad. This was bound
By Achal Malhotra
India’s Commitment for Global Food Security
Amid the negative impact on global food supplies and oil prices due to the Ukraine war, India on Monday said that it is “committed” to working constructively in mitigating the adverse impact of the conflict on food security, even as it underlined that the developed
By PTI and Chanakya Forum
Infrastructure in the Deep Peninsula for National Security and Self-reliance
A Swarajya report https://swarajyamag.com/infrastructure/vo-chidambaranar-port-to-expand-with-rs-7200-crore-project-to-compete-with-colombo-and-singapore-as-transhipment-hub about VOC port in Thoothukkudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu, and its plans to expand into a contain
By Rajeev Srinivasan
Weapons platform
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Rafale or F/A-18 ‘Super Hornet’: Who Will Board India’s Vikrant?
India’s Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)-1, christened INS Vikrant (in honour of the 50th anniversary of participation of its similarly named predecessor in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan conflict), was launched in August 2013 and completed its fourth phase of sea trials on
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
‘Counter-Adversary’ Radars- A Profile
While military radars have multifarious designs, roles and uses, most radars are designed for a specific function- whether that be surveillance/ target acquisition, weapon location, meteorological, or Counter - Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS). The very nature of the fun
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
IAF’s ‘VAJRAYUDHA’ : THE ‘ASTRA’ AIR TO AIR MISSILE
“Vajrayudha, also known as Vajra, is Lord Indra’s personal weapon that shoots thunderbolts. The word’s literal meaning is lightning.” A testimony to India’s self-reliance in the Defence Sector and progress in the arena of air-launched weapons was the inking o
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
Germany’s IRIS-T SLM Air Defence System: A Shot In The Arm For Ukraine?
The Russia Ukraine War (RUW) is replete with instances of large and small-scale ground battles or duels, both in built-up and rural areas. While inputs emerging from this imbroglio differ in opinions on relative successes by either side so far, what stands out unambiguo
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
Defence & Strategy
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Indigenisation: The Unsung, Unknown and Untold Story of IAF
In a recently organised seminar at Pune, AOC in C Maintenance Command mentioned the indigenisation plans and achievements by IAF. The crux of his statement was achieving self-reliance for 95 % of the spares required for maintaining a wide variety of aircraft and ground
By Air Vice Marshal Samir Borade, VSM (Retd)
Pakistani Army Colonel Shot Dead in Baluchistan – Ominous Signs?
There’s a war on that nobody has noticed. Or cares to report on, even in India. In Pakistan, it’s been wiped off mainstream media, sometimes due to fear, but mostly due to indifference. Baluchistan may be a core resource for Pakistan, but by Rawalpindi’s standards
By Dr Tara Kartha
Lessons From Ukraine
Omar Khayyam wrote: Yes, the first morning of creation wrote what the last dawn of reckoning shall read. However, in the present case the tragedy is unfolding sans a script. In the case of Ukraine, the war will end with a cease-fire, not with either belligerent in
By K P Fabian
Checkmating Chinese BRI Through INSTC
In December 2021, Russian President Putin visited in India among a lot of din, which was followed by a largely unnoticed visit of Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Oman in April this year. The two
By Levina
First Battle Of Panipat
GREAT BATTLES THAT SHAPED HISTORY In the ‘Trilogy’ of the Battles of Panipat, wherein three historical battles were fought, none impacted the destiny of the Indian Subcontinent for the next 230 years as did the First Battle of Panipat. While many epistles and a mul
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
Pakistani Army Colonel Shot Dead in Baluchistan – Ominous Signs?
There’s a war on that nobody has noticed. Or cares to report on, even in India. In Pakistan, it’s been wiped off mainstream media, sometimes due to fear, but mostly due to indifference. Baluchistan may be a core resource for Pakistan, but by Rawalpindi’s standards
By Dr Tara Kartha
China Plundered, India Blundered And Sri Lanka Surrendered
On Wednesday, Ranil Wickremesinghe, present acting President, was voted in as the next President of Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan parliamentarians. Sri Lankans are not rejoicing this news. The angry protesters have been demanding his removal from office for weeks. Earl
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
SCO to admit Iran as a full member; Belarus applied for membership: SG Zhang Ming
Beijing, Jul 15 (PTI) The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is all set for expansion with Iran joining the grouping as its ninth member while Belarus has applied for membership, its Secretary General Zhang Ming said on Friday. The decision to admit Iran was made in
IMF wants stability in Sri Lanka to resume talks on bailout deal
Colombo, Jul 15 (PTI) The IMF on Friday said that it is deeply concerned about the current crisis in Sri Lanka and hopes for a resolution of the current situation to resume talks as soon as possible on a bailout package for the island nation. Sri Lanka is going th
The Battles Of Tarain
Great Battles That Shaped History The Indian Subcontinent through the ages, extending from the ancient era upto the establishment of British Rule in the 18th Century, has been a Bellum or battleground for invading powers, who set their sights on Bharat’s magnificent
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
NATO’s Madrid Summit and the Potential Expansion to Include Finland and Sweden
With war in Eastern Europe, and one involving Russia, could a NATO summit be far behind. Ever since 1991 when the Soviet Union finally broke up and NATO rejoiced in victory there hasn’t been an occasion as serious as the one being currently encountered in Europe. We s
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
A Mirage Called Pakistan, Why It Is, What It Is
Pakistan is known as the sick man of Asia. It is a young country blessed with natural resources and strategic locations. However, after 75 years, it lags behind all the nations in almost all the fields that got independence around the same time. The present state of Pak
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
Lessons From Ukraine
Omar Khayyam wrote: Yes, the first morning of creation wrote what the last dawn of reckoning shall read. However, in the present case the tragedy is unfolding sans a script. In the case of Ukraine, the war will end with a cease-fire, not with either belligerent in
By K P Fabian
Checkmating Chinese BRI Through INSTC
In December 2021, Russian President Putin visited in India among a lot of din, which was followed by a largely unnoticed visit of Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Oman in April this year. The two
By Levina
India’s Strategic Communication – Need for a Policy and Capability Development
In the last ten years or so, the number of times I have spoken on the need for a policy on strategic communication along with a coordinated capability for India, actually surpasses the number of times I have spoken on Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) or the Line of Control
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
The Significance of India’s Continued Presence at G7 Summits
In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic and the economic havoc it has wreaked on the world, everyone's concern is about stability, to return to a situation of normalcy and ensure recovery. Thus, the G7 summit at Schloss Elmau, the picturesque venue in southern Germany
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
India and United Nations – Role in Peaceful Conflict Resolution of the Russia-Ukraine War
“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we can attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.” - Sun Tzu (Ch
By Lt Gen (Dr) SK Gadeock
China’s New Aircraft Carrier Fujian: Hit or Miss
While the United States was wrapping up its Valiant Shield 2022 exercise on 17 June, China launched its third aircraft carrier with all the fanfare. The launch was postponed twice due to logistical and technical issues. The aircraft carrier has been named Fujian with th
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
The Battle Of Hydaspes: Was It Ancient India’s Rubicon
GREAT BATTLES THAT SHAPED HISTORY Geography has always been central to planning and conduct of battle. Indeed, ancient and even modern wars have been fought astride natural features or obstacles, with rivers enjoying rôle primordial in conflicts through the ages. T
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
The Air War in Ukraine – Complexities and Challenges
As the Ukraine conflict enters 112th day, the global attention continues to be focused on the conflict between the two largest nations of Europe, Russia and Ukraine. Russia is moving closer to achieving its aim of extending total influence, if not annexing eastern Ukrai
By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)
Xi’s Re-election: Opportunity For World, Curse For China
China is gearing up for the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party to be held later this year. According to the consensus view, President Xi Jinping’s historic bid for a third term as the party’s General Secretary is assured. The Chinese President
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
Infrastructure in the Deep Peninsula for National Security and Self-reliance
A Swarajya report https://swarajyamag.com/infrastructure/vo-chidambaranar-port-to-expand-with-rs-7200-crore-project-to-compete-with-colombo-and-singapore-as-transhipment-hub about VOC port in Thoothukkudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu, and its plans to expand into a contain
By Rajeev Srinivasan
Central Armed Forces and Internal Security
India since its independence has been constantly embroiled in several internal problems. The Government of India has had to put in lot of efforts to put down many separatist fires including that in Kashmir which continues to drain us both in terms of finances and casual
By Sanjiv Krishan Sood
Conflict over Oil and Gas in the 21st Century: Is India Prepared?
Two primary strategic assumptions dominated the last few years of the twentieth century. First, that the global economic fulcrum is slowly but surely tilting away from the industrialized west to the east, particularly towards Asia. The 21st century is predicted to be th
By Debnath Shaw
Tour of Duty – A Regressive Reform
“The Indian soldier costs the minimum and delivers the maximum” It is often said that the only recipe for a certain victory in the war would be American military hardware, British doctrines, German generals, INDIAN SOLDIERS and an Italian enemy. The commitment,
By Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia (Retd)
India’s Strategy for a Two Front Threat
Developments around the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has thrown up certain factors that are pertinent to India’s security and the need to find more secure alternatives to our present overwhelming dependence on Russia to sustain all three military domains viz., Army,
By Preet Malik
Indo-Pacific: The Quad Summit Returns Focus to the World’s Biggest Potential War Theatre
How much the world is nearing a catastrophic confrontation and how intimidated China feels about the response to its coercive aggression in the Indo Pacific, was made evident by the fact that even as the just concluded summit of the Quad was ending in the Japanese capit
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
Performance of Delhi students of classes 3 and 5 below national average: Govt survey
New Delhi, May 25 (PTI) A government survey in 2021 has found that the performance of Delhi students of classes 3 and 5 in language, mathematics and environmental science was below the national average. The performance of Delhi students of classes 8 and 10 was better
The Military Power, Strategy, and Conquests of the Chozha Empire
The military strategies of great conquerors are always fascinating for any young and aspiring academician to analyse. The world has seen the birth of many impressive empires from the Greek, Persian, and Mongol empires to the modern-day Ottoman, British, and Russian empi
By Aakrith Harikumar
Crying Need for an Indian Bridge on Pangong Tso
Recent satellite images indicate advance preparation and commencement of construction for another bridge over Pangong Tso, which will be capable of sustained movement of armoured vehicles, mechanised infantry vehicles and other heavy vehicles. While some analysts believ
By Maj Gen Ashok Kumar
Coordinated Border Management for Impregnable Border Security
“If this nation really wants to create an effective border security, we need to have a debate that includes discussion about actual solutions to our problems, which means taking all of political grandstanding and baiting, out of the equation”, says Raul Grijalva, an
By Captain RC Sharma
J&K : Is There a Serious Threat to Today’s Good Times?
It is always good to review the security situation in regions which have faced major internal security challenges in the past. In the case of J&K, which suffered intense terrorism for over 30 years, the situation continues to remain a developing one because the Paki
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
President Biden, Please Transit from the 20th to the 21st Century
Known for his courtesy and integrity, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr spent his formative years in the US Senate during a period when relations between the Cold War 1.0 contending powers, the USSR and the US, were testy at best, and even close to a collision during some perio
By Prof Madhav Das Nalapat
Lengthening Shadows of the Ukraine Crisis
Wars inflict lifelong misery on innocent population without discriminating young and old, women and children or nationality. Regardless of the outcome, they bear the brunt. This has been the story in Vietnam, Serbia, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan. Ukraine promises to be n
By Lt Gen CA Krishnan
Weapons Platform
Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
By Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
The General’s Desk
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (R)
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (R)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
By Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)
OP-ED
-
President Biden, Please Transit from the 20th to the 21st Century
By Prof Madhav Das Nalapat
-
India is Only Aligned to its National Interest
By Kanwal Sibal
-
Xi Jinping’s Record Promotion of Generals – Loyalty or Insecurity?
By Vikram Sood and Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury
-
Amar Jawan Jyoti – Needless Controversy
By Kanwal Sibal
Cockpit Conversation
Cdr Sandeep Dhawan
Cdr Sandeep Dhawan
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
By Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
