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Breaking News
The Question of Junagadh and Independent India’s First Joint Military Operation
The Integrated Defence Staff released the first-ever public joint doctrine for the Indian armed forces (JDIAF-2017) in April 2017[1]. The Indian defence services have since been working in all earnest…
India on the European Horizon
India@75 is no longer an emerging power, but has emerged as a credible regional and global actor of consequence. It is a rising power to be reckoned with. More importantly…
New Zealand Finds its Voice on Security
By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand has long been seen as the moderate, even absent, voice on China in the "Five Eyes" western alliance, so much so that…
India’s Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS)
The National drive to ‘Make in India’ in order to achieve self-reliance in industrial capabilities, particularly in Defence manufacturing, has spawned several projects, ranging from the TEJAS aircraft to various…
Analysis-Neutral Switzerland leans closer to NATO in response to Russia
By John Revill BERN (Reuters) -Switzerland's fabled neutral status is about to face its biggest test in decades, with the defence ministry tilting closer to Western military powers in response…
Battle Rages for Ukrainian Region of Donbas
By Jonathan Landay and Tom Balmforth RUSKA LOZOVA, Ukraine (Reuters) - Russia pummelled positions in the east of Ukraine on Sunday, its defence ministry said, as it sought to encircle…
India’s Sri Lankan Moment has Arrived
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it was highlighted by Russia that Ukraine joining NATO will result in Russian security getting compromised. It was due to this reason that…
UAE Leader Khalifa- Architect of Close UAE-US Relations
DUBAI (Reuters) - Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who died on Friday, was a pro-Western moderniser whose low-key approach helped steer the United Arab Emirates through a tense era in…
North Korea’s COVID-19 Outbreak – A Major Health Crisis Unleashed
By Soo-hyang Choi and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's admission that it is battling an "explosive" COVID-19 outbreak has raised concerns that the virus could devastate a country…
Diminishing Role of Russia in Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict: A Fall Out of Russia-Ukraine War?
Armenia is once again facing a serious political crisis. Street protests are being held to demand PM Nikol Pasinyan’s resignation who in popular perception is on the verge of making…
International Affairs
View AllMarcos as Philippine President – A Boon for China, Bane for US?

Shanghai COVID Crisis – Political Spotlight on Key Xi Ally

Russia-Ukraine War- A Lost Opportunity for Turkey’s Westward Outreach

Ukraine: The March of Folly Continues











OP-ED
-
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
-
Factional Infighting in Chinese Communist Party
By Vikram Sood and Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury
Cockpit Conversation
Cdr Sandeep Dhawan

Cdr Sandeep Dhawan











Policy & governance
View AllA Foreign Policy Aligned With India’s Interests
India’s Foreign Policy is changing. Not towards non-alignment, as most foreign commentators have written, but towards ‘alignment’ with India’s interests …as well as common sense. On April 11, during the 4th edition of the India-US 2+2 Dialogue, External Aff

Modi’s West Europe Tour: An Assessment
Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed his whirlwind three days’ tour of three west European nations. True to his reputation, the itinerary was packed with talks with the German Chancellor, participation in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit in Denmark and, on the side lines

China’s Latest Headache – Baloch Black Widow Strategy
In 2015, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said, “If the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] is like a symphony involving and benefiting every country, then construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the sweet melody of the symphony’s first

Complex Web of Creditors, Politics, Threatens Sri Lanka’s Restructuring
By Jorgelina do Rosario LONDON (Reuters) - Social unrest, political uncertainty and a complex web of creditors could scupper Sri Lanka's push for a swift overhaul of its $12 billion overseas debt, analysts warn, saying the South Asian nation is fast running out of ro

Weapon platform
View AllWhat are Chemical Weapons and Are They Illegal?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has expressed concern that Russia could deploy chemical weapons in the war and there has been an unconfirmed report of their use in the besieged southern port of Mariupol. Chemical weapons production, use and stockpiling is ban

Fully Integrated Soldier Systems
Contemporary conflicts of the not-so-distant past mandated the dismounted Infantry soldier to don personal (protective) battlefield attire and bring to battle his small-arms and any other close-quarter (CQB) battle weaponry. The Infantry soldier was also expected to ope

Drones In The Russia-Ukraine War
The world is now familiar with the purported video grab and statement issued by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, claiming the destruction of a Ukrainian Ground Force (UGF) multiple launcher rocket system (MLRS) vehicle by a precision strike from a dron

North Korea’s Missiles: Road To Advancement Or Armageddon?
16 March 2022. North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea - DPRK) caused a shudder with the alleged launch of a ballistic missile (BM) from its international airport at Sunan, leading to opinions that Kim Jong-Un was ‘courting disaster’ by using civilian

Defence & Strategy
View AllThe Sinking of Moskva – Challenges for Large Surface Ships
The Russian warship cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, sank on 14 April 2022 during the conflict in Ukraine. The ship was hit by two R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles. Russia confirmed that a fire erupted and the ship sank. It is the largest Russia

Russia’s Ukrainian Quagmire Providing Tough Lessons for China
By Greg Torode, Martin Quin Pollard and Yew Lun Tian HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) -From countering a Western "information war" during a Taiwan conflict to using "shock and awe" to swiftly subdue the island's forces, Chinese strategists are soaking up lessons from Russ

Nuclear Resurgence for Peace and War
The emergence of Covid-19 and climate change as existential threats to mankind had relegated the nuclear danger to a second level threat till the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. In 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev had said that the threat of nuclear war had disappeared as Moscow a

Agnipath, and the Changing Character of Army’s Rank and File!
The writing on the wall clearly indicates that the decision to implement the ‘Tour of Duty,’ called Agnipath, in the Army has been taken and the implementation modalities are being worked out. The issue has also been extensively debated in media, and in summation th

A Foreign Policy Aligned With India’s Interests
India’s Foreign Policy is changing. Not towards non-alignment, as most foreign commentators have written, but towards ‘alignment’ with India’s interests …as well as common sense. On April 11, during the 4th edition of the India-US 2+2 Dialogue, External Aff

The Sinking of Moskva – Challenges for Large Surface Ships
The Russian warship cruiser Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, sank on 14 April 2022 during the conflict in Ukraine. The ship was hit by two R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles. Russia confirmed that a fire erupted and the ship sank. It is the largest Russia

India’s Transformational Diplomatic Leap into Europe
I cannot recall India’s relations with Europe, as a whole, ever being anything more than transactional. Despite the Indian public’s fascination for Europe and the US, it’s only the latter who could develop a deeper relationship with India, now progressing on the s

Modi’s West Europe Tour: An Assessment
Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed his whirlwind three days’ tour of three west European nations. True to his reputation, the itinerary was packed with talks with the German Chancellor, participation in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit in Denmark and, on the side lines

Overcoming Fear, the Kashmiri Way
Despite all the turbulences over the last few decades, Kashmiris never forget to welcome their guests who travel here from every nook and corner of the world. Known for its unique hospitality, Kashmir during the recent times has emerged into a new conundrum, courtesy ki

Is Pakistan Losing its Footing in Afghanistan?
Pakistan and Afghanistan’s relationship has been hitting stalemates in recent times, this comes at the junction of ramped-up attacks across the Durand Line on both sides. Ever since the fall of Kabul in August 2021, Pakistan has witnessed an increased number of attack

Russia’s Ukrainian Quagmire Providing Tough Lessons for China
By Greg Torode, Martin Quin Pollard and Yew Lun Tian HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) -From countering a Western "information war" during a Taiwan conflict to using "shock and awe" to swiftly subdue the island's forces, Chinese strategists are soaking up lessons from Russ

China’s Latest Headache – Baloch Black Widow Strategy
In 2015, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi had said, “If the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] is like a symphony involving and benefiting every country, then construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the sweet melody of the symphony’s first

How Russia-Ukraine Copied Finland War Without Lessons
Finland is a unique country with a distinct language and culture. However, its possession was always contested between Sweden and Russia. Though Finland mainly remained under Swedish control in 1809, it was annexed by Russia. Using the end of World War I and the Bolshev

Complex Web of Creditors, Politics, Threatens Sri Lanka’s Restructuring
By Jorgelina do Rosario LONDON (Reuters) - Social unrest, political uncertainty and a complex web of creditors could scupper Sri Lanka's push for a swift overhaul of its $12 billion overseas debt, analysts warn, saying the South Asian nation is fast running out of ro

Solomon Islands Pact with China Impacts Australian Elections
By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) - For the first time in decades, the actions of a foreign state have taken centre stage in an Australian election campaign, analysts said, as China's security pact with the Solomon Islands reverberates into neighbour Australia's dom

Nuclear Resurgence for Peace and War
The emergence of Covid-19 and climate change as existential threats to mankind had relegated the nuclear danger to a second level threat till the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. In 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev had said that the threat of nuclear war had disappeared as Moscow a

Book Review – ‘On the Cusp of a Holocaust : The Talibanization of Kerala’
Dr B S Harishankar, author, historian, archaeologist and member of the academic council of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, has written a brief monograph that makes for compelling reading. The book, published by the Bharatiya Vichara Kendram, Trivandrum

Living with Geopolitical Unpredictability : India’s Current Strategic Challenges
The last two years have seen geopolitical turbulence of higher intensity than what one can remember any time in the recent past. Perhaps the period 1989-91 was comparable, as the Cold War order was then imploding and the Soviet Union was giving way to the formation of 1

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – Can India be the Manufacturing Hub
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) began making unmanned aerial system (UAS) with the Fluffy target drone in 1970s, which was replaced by the reusable, subsonic, pilotless target aircraft Lakshya that first flew in 1985. Around 30 were produced and ope

Xi Jinping Sticks with COVID Stance Despite Anger, Economic Headwinds
By Yew Lun Tian and Tony Munroe BEIJING (Reuters) - For many leaders, mounting public anger and a rapidly worsening economic outlook would be cause for worry and a policy rethink. But Chinese President Xi Jinping, who doubtless would prefer smoother sailing in the

Lessons from a Conference Hundred Years Back
This year marks the centenary of the Washington Naval Conference which was held in the capital of the United States from November 1921 to February 1922. This Conference, well known at that time as a major disarmament measure, is rarely studied in India. It is quite unde

Perceptions in India-Nepal-China Relations
Nepal is sandwiched between the two giant economic and politically powerful nations – India and China. Perceptions play a more decisive role than the reality of Nepal’s ties with India and that of its relationship with China. Scouring through recent literature fr

India-USA: 2+2 Could be 5
Indian diplomacy during the Russia-Ukraine crisis has been on a high drive. Recently, she has also been a favorite destination (virtual or physical) for dozens of dignitaries including Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan, special envoys and foreign ministers especial

Ukraine: One Chessboard, One Master
As the war in Ukraine inches towards the seventh week, there is a weariness among the warring nations; unconcerned people across the globe are clapping at the sight of missile attacks, as if it is a video game. Ukrainian mothers are counting their fallen sons and daught

Mariupol : Ruins of Port Could Become Russia’s First Big Prize in Ukraine
By Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets (Reuters) - The Sea of Azov port of Mariupol, reduced to a wasteland by seven weeks of siege and bombardment that Ukraine says killed tens of thousands of civilians, could become the first big city captured by Russia since its inv

Even With Sanctions, Russia Can Afford to Feed its War Machine
By Mark Trevelyan and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen LONDON (Reuters) - Russia can afford to wage a long war in Ukraine despite being hammered by Western sanctions aimed at crippling its ability to sustain the campaign, defence experts and economists say. Russia's invasi

Western Powers are Funding the War on Ukraine
The debate on imposing the ‘‘Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act’’ on India is at an all-time high in the United States as India decides to maintain neutrality on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis and imports 13 million barrels of oil from the

Air Power in Ukraine Conflict
The global attention continues to be focused on the conflict between the two largest nations of Europe, Russia and Ukraine. The war began with contest of influence over Ukraine. The Western powers were trying to bring Ukraine into European Union (EU) and NATO fold. It w

India is Only Aligned to its National Interest
Our abstentions in the UN on various resolutions on the Ukraine conflict have exposed us to political attacks in the West. We are expected to join it in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Our resistance to do so is being decried by opinion making circles in US a

The Chinese in New Delhi: Indicators of an Altering World Order
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited New Delhi on 24 March 2022, against the run of geopolitical play, adopting a visit format generally frowned upon by India. He decided to fly in after spending some time in Pakistan and came via the Kabul route, thus ostensibly

Russia’s ‘Defensive’ Use of Nuclear Weapons Policy
Even before the Russian military machine entered Ukrainian territory on February 24, the potential threat of escalation to a nuclear conflict had been raised. In the days before the invasion, Russia conducted a large-scale exercise involving simulated long-range convent

Japan Decides To Keep Russian Gas
By Yoshifumi Takemoto, Yuka Obayashi and Ritsuko Shimizu TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's announcement on Thursday that he would not abandon a massive Russian gas project was decided weeks ago when he told top officials in private he wouldn't

Sardar KM Panikkar : A Maritime Visionary
A great historian, statesman, educationist, diplomat, journalist and bilingual writer, Kavalam Madhava Panikkar (1895-1963) has been consigned to history as having given the wrong advice to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on China during the negotiations on the 1954 Agr

Who Is Rocking Imran Khan’s Boat?
Almost two years ago, I had written the highly successful but controversial article — “Is Pakistan Heading For Another Dictatorship.” Many people, including Pakistanis, objected to the articles’ findings, stating that in modern-day Pakistan, there is no place fo











OP-ED
-
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
-
Factional Infighting in Chinese Communist Party
By Vikram Sood and Shantanu Roy-Chaudhury
Cockpit Conversation
Cdr Sandeep Dhawan

Cdr Sandeep Dhawan










