- 23 November, 2024
Foreign Affairs, Geopolitics & National Security
Brig Arvind Dhananjayan (Retd)
Articles Lists
STEALTH DRONES: NINJAS OF THE MODERN BATTLESPACE!
December 05,2011. Iran captures a United States’ (US) Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) (nicknamed ‘Wraith’) over the city of Kashmar in Iran’s Northeast. The Iranian Government announced that the stealth UAV, allegedly carrying out surveillance over Iran’s’ n
IRAN’S MISSILE ARSENAL VS ISRAEL’S MISSILE DEFENCE: WHO WILL EMERGE TRIUMPHANT?
As India was busy in preparations for the impending Holy Navratra Festival, the skies over Central/Southern Israel were lit up when Iran launched an unprecedented attack with 180-200 missiles on its adversary in the Southern Levant, on the evening of 1st October 2024. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary
INDIA’S ‘FUTURE READY COMBAT VEHICLE’: SEEKING ENHANCED MOBILITY, FIREPOWER AND SURVIVABILITY
In the present paradigm of operational environments saturated with aerial/ground combat machines, inter-platform lethality/survivability have emerged as essential prerequisites for a combat platform, now and into the foreseeable future. While it may be pertinent to challenge the efficacy and/or surv
EGYPT INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW: SEPTEMBER 2024
In the global airpower arena, advancements in aerospace power are frequent, swift and multi-dimensional. Airpower proves to be a critical facet in the race for global/regional dominance and as a credible deterrent. It therefore pays for countries to keep abreast with the latest trends in aerospace t
GROUND EFFECT MARITIME VEHICLES: A RESURGENCE?
On October 16, 1966, a monstrous 300-foot-long aircraft, longer than a Boeing-747, with a 125-foot wingspan/121-foot tail-stabiliser span, glided over the Caspian Sea. The machine was as high as a six-story building, with a maximum take-off weight of 544 Tons, and a capacity of 55 personnel, includi
High Altitude Platform Systems: Imperative Players in Surveillance, Communications and Kill Chains
In October 2023, Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder stated that the United States (US) had commenced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) persistent surveillance flights over the Gaza Strip to support Israeli efforts to evacuate 240 people being held hostage in the area. These flights wer
S 500 ‘PROMETHEUS’: ENHANCING AIR DEFENCE CAPABILITY INTO THE AEROSPACE DOMAIN
The S-500 Prometey (Prometheus) 55R6M Triumfator-M (aptly named after one of the Titans and the God of fire in Greek mythology!) is an advanced Russian Air Defence/Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) System, designed to augment the S-400 Triumf (read more about the S-400 @ https://chanakyaforum.com/s-400-t
Over The Horizon Radars : Situational Awareness Beyond The Horizon
As part of the United States of America (US) strategy for ‘containment’ of its perceived strategic rivals in the Western Pacific, the US Department of Defense announced on 28 December 2022, that it had awarded a US$ 118.4 Million contract for construction of reinforced concrete pads/foundations
The Indian Navy’s Improving Arsenal: Building Strategic Maritime Might!
The Indian Naval Ensign bears the maxim ‘Sham No Varuna’, invoking the blessings of the Lord of Water. The Octagon of the Naval Ensign is an emulation of the royal seal of one of India’s greatest warriors- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who, incidentally, was instrumental in raising the Maratha
India’s Loitering Munitions: Building ‘Atmanirbharta’ For Lethal Battlefield Engagements!
In a cornerstone advancement towards indigenization of battlefield capability, the Indian Air Force (IAF) received its first consignment of ALS-50 indigenous Loitering Munitions (LM) from Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) earlier this month. The ALS-50 was first showcased at DefExpo-2022, amongst
‘Project Zorawar’ Light Tank: A New Sentinel For India’s High-Altitude Borders!
Image Source: TFIPost As is true for most modernisation projects in Defence Forces the world over, the Indian Army’s proposal for acquisition of Light Tanks was catalysed by the dynamics of t
India’s Military Satellites: The Armed Forces’ Bulwarks For Communication & Surveillance!
The Indian Land Forces’ pursuit for a dedicated orbital communications platform is finally seeing fructification. In order to equip the Indian Army (IA) with a dedicated advanced communications satellite, the Ministry of Defence has just last month inked a Rs. 2963 Crores contract with New Space I
Distributed Acoustic Sensing: Detection Of Adversary Fires Through Battlefield Fog!
Source-microflown-avisa.com Sound ranging (SR) systems have been the traditional bulwark for locating enemy artillery since World War I. Modern SR systems are also capable of extending such locating capability to the adversary’s small arms (SA) fire and also to the detection of Improvised Explosi
Shipborne Unmanned Aerial Systems: Extending India’s Maritime Reach
In keeping with the requirement to enhance the Indian Navy’s (IN) maritime intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities, the Indian Armed Forces’ Technology Perspective & Capability Roadmap, a vision document for capability building for the Indian Ar
Logistics Drones For The Indian Army
“Mountains are the acid test of logistics- the ability of Armies to provide sustenance and maintain warfighting potential is nowhere more tenuous”
Hybrid UAVs: The Advent of Responsive Combat Capability
Sometime in April 2022, TechEagle, a private start-up firm involved in drone-based logistics, launched the ‘Vertiplane-X3’, claimed to be the fastest hybrid e-VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The firm claims that the Vertiplane-X3 can deliver a 3 Kg
‘Cis-Lunar’ Space: The New Military Battleground!
“There is no battle arena that favours mobility, strategic brilliance and lethality more than Space!” - By the Author Mankind, has, till very recently, looked at the spheroidal area of near-earth space as an altitude-band for satellites with military and civil applications as well as near
India’s MRFA Program: Seeking To Conquer The Skies!
The looming spectre of a collusive, two-front war with China and Pakistan, has necessitated the Indian Armed Forces to plan and carry out quantitative/qualitative right-sizing of their equipment profile to meet this existential threat. This would imply possessing the wherewithal to deal with the mis
India’s Ballistic Missile Interceptors!
India’s Nuclear Policy of ‘No First Use’ behoves that the Nation is prepared to absorb a first strike and still retain capabilities for similar retaliation. Retaining such ‘second-strike’ capability will necessitate that India deploys an effective missile-defence shield in order to thwart
DEFEXPO 2022: A Marque Of ‘Atmanirbharta’ In Defence
The Indian DefExpo 2022 was held from 18-23 October at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The present edition is India’s 12th and largest Defence Exposition, focused towards land, sea and aerial platforms/technologies including those technologies contribut
AUSA 2022: Disruptive Technology Or Old Wine?
The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting (AM) is the largest land power exposition forum in the USA, with a global canvas. Taking place over three days, the AM focuses on showcasing holistic development of the Land Forces. The theme for AUSA 2022, held in Washington DC from 10
A Guerilla Victory At Umberkhind!
Screenshot Portraying The Battle of Umberkhind: Source-inmarathi.com “The conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerrilla wins if he does not lose”.
Planetary Defence: Mitigating Threats From Space!
Asteroid Didymos (L) and Dimorphos 2.5 minutes before impact; the last complete image of Dimorphos, taken by DART 12 Km from the asteroid & 2 seconds before impact. At exactly 7:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time on 26 September (4:44 AM IST on 27 September), Mission Control at Johns Hopkins Applied
Micro-Missiles: Kinetic Response To The Drone-Swarm Juggernaut!
Incidents of use of drones for hostile attacks on civil and military installations have been increasingly witnessed over the last decade since the advent of this paradigm in September 2011, when an unmanned aerial system (UAS), equipped with a C-4 bomb attempted to attack the U.S. Department of Defe
A New Ensign And A New Carrier: Indian Navy’s Red Letter Day
‘Vikrānta (विक्रान्त)- “one who is courageous, bold, strong and victorious”, a synonym for the Lion (Simha)’
The Battle Of Thermopylae: One Of History’s Greatest Stands!
“Victory belongs to those that believe in it the most and believe in it the longest” Randall Wallace “No retreat, no surrender. That is Spartan Law. We will stand and fight….and die. A new age has begun: an age of Freedom! And all will know that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to def
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft: India’s ‘Garuda’ And Global Leader
“Garuda is described as the King of the birds ….. a protector with the power to swiftly travel anywhere, ever vigilant…. Garuda is invoked as a symbol of …. violent force, speed, and martial prowess.” -Extracts From Wikipedia The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is India’s visio
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 in even years, with its ‘twin’, the Paris Airshow a close second, hosted in odd years. Due to the COVID-19 pan
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 multitude of versions have been w
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 10 July 2022. The Aircraft Car
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 heritage and treasures. India
‘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 function would require specific t
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. The famous phrase ‘Land of Fi
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 of the Rs. 2971 Crores deal by
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 unambiguously is the fact that the Comm
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 land systems, including Artillery weapon systems. A plethora of articles on the p
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 operate company (subunit) or batt
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 drone of the Russian Air Force.
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 airport facilities as a launc
Military Contours Of The Russo-Ukraine War
The world is presently captivated by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis, which saw Russia commencing the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February this year. This operation is a fallout of the Russia- Ukraine conflict that has been burning since 2014. The present Russia-Ukraine War (RUW) is the largest scal
Autonomous Copters : Full-Scale Autonomy In Rotary Wing Operations
08 February 2022. The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced the first unmanned flight of a Black Hawk helicopter fitted with DARPA’s Aircrew Labour In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS). This was the first unmanned flight of a full-scale rotary-wing aircraft. The de
The Singapore Air Show 2022: Opportunities For The Indian Armed Forces?
The Singapore Air Show (SAS) 2022 was held at the Changi Exhibition Center, Singapore from 15 to 18 February 2022. The last SAS, held in 2020, saw diminished participation in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. SAS 2022 was estimated to see 13000 attendees and 39 participating Nations, with representa
India’s Stealth Ships: Lethal And Silent Power Projection
19 December 2021. The Indian Navy (IN), in order to commemorate an earlier, but equally significant Operation VIJAY (the day the IN liberated Goa from the Portuguese 60 years ago), put to sea INS Mormugao on her maiden sea sortie. INS Mormugao is India’s second Project 15B Class indigenous stealth
The New-Breed of Protected Mobility Vehicles– Do They Fit the Bill?
While the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle ( FICV) Program of the Indian Army (IA) (earlier covered in detail @ https://chanakyaforum.com/indias-futuristic-infantry-combat-vehicle/) aims to make the mechanized forces self-sufficient in tracked Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICV), including a significant fi
‘AKASH’- Boosting India’s Ground-Based Interception
The protection of India’s sovereign borders is the paramount responsibility of the Indian Armed Forces. In doing so, the country must be prepared to thwart an incoming adversary threat from all three dimensions. While land and maritime threats take time to manifest, the temporal margins in the cas
ASAT Systems: Space Weaponization – A Boon Or Bane?
Unavoidably, advanced weaponry tested by dominant space powers raises hackles and concerns over ‘excessive militarisation’ and escalation of the global ‘Arms Race’. Expectedly, the world raised eyebrows when, on 11 January 2007, China successfully tested an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon- t
India’s New Missiles: ‘Brahmastras’ In The Quiver!
Brahmāstra (ब्रह्मास्त्र): A divine weapon, irresistible, one given (created) by Lord Brahma himself India’s ‘Brahmastras’, or its Surface to Surface Missiles (SSMs) were born out of the DRDO’s Integrated Guide Missiles Development Program (IGMDP) which was la
Sound Ranging Systems: Pivotal Assets for Weapon Location
In the race for advancement of military capability, it sometimes occurs that the advantages of time-tested technology are overshadowed by the inexorable push for equipment that is more readily and suitably adapted to functioning in a fluid, mobile and adverse conflict environment. This statement wou
Maritime Unmanned Systems: Shaping A Seamless Ocean
Hypothetical Scenario-25 August 2024. In response to continued development of military infrastructure by China in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea (SCS), the US Navy, in consonance with its Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS), embarks the Sea-Hunter, a Medium Displacement Unman
Maritime Reconnaissance Platforms: Key to Multi Domain Awareness
In the global scenario of ever-shrinking battlespaces, populated by regular and non-State belligerents, there is a need to equip our Armed Forces with the capability for persistent, accurate and robust Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) in all three domains. However, by sheer virtue
SWATHI WLR: Aatmanirbhar in Elusive Weapon Locating Capability
The Kargil War of 1999, amongst its many lessons, brought to the fore the importance of accurate indirect-fire weapon location, in order to neutralise the adversary’s Artillery assets and minimise casualties to own troops on ground. Lack of adequate capability in this regard proved costly, as most
The Dubai Air Show 2021: Opportunities For The Indian Armed Forces?
The Dubai Air Show (DAS) 2021 was held at the Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai from 14-18 November 21 and is the first and largest such event since the cancellation of consecutive shows in Europe at Farnborough and Paris in the last two years. The biennial event has been held since 1989 a
India’s Dhanush Howitzer: Has The Phoenix Risen?
In an effort towards modernising its Artillery profile, the Indian Army (IA) embarked upon the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) post the 1999 Kargil War, with a vision towards streamlining the procurement/development of 3000 pieces of Artillery weapon systems. The Dhanush 155mm /45 calibr
India’s Arjun Mark-1A Vs Pakistan’s VT-4: Rival Chariots of Fire
No manoeuvre machine on land can cause the adversary as much anxiety and fear of being annihilated as can the Main Battle Tank- indeed there is no sound more terrifying than the rumble of steel over battle grounds- the terror of these deadly chariots of fire. -By the Author The development of the
India’s Rafale vs Pakistan’s JF-17: Who Steals The ‘Thunder’?
Historically, the moniker of ‘fighter aircraft’ came into use much after the advent of such machines. The British Royal Flying Corps (the Air Arm of the British Army in World War I, until the Royal Air Force formally came into existence in April 1918) and later the Royal Air Force referred
JADC2: Spearheading All-Domain Operations
Source:news.usni.org Hypothetical Scenario (04 July 2028). A North Korean ICBM is launched from outside Pyongyang. 10 seconds into the launch, its heat ejecta is picked up by a US surveillance satellite. The Pentagon seeks inputs from Commander of US Forces Korea (USFK) and the US Indo-Pacific
Hypersonic Weapons: New ‘Sprint Kings’ In Strategic Weapons Race
Image Source: Raytheon Technologies It was reported on 16/17 October in several periodicals/dailies that China had tested a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) in August this year (this was promptly refuted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on 18 Oct, who stated that a ‘space vehicle’ was tested, an
EXCALIBUR: Precision Targeting On The Battlefield
Image Courtsey: YouTube Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya witnessed the lethal effect of precision weapons that are true force multipliers in the modern battlefield, where NATO used these projectiles to devastation. The increasing pressure of world opinion against unjustified coll
Airborne Early Warning & Control: Force Multiplier In The Sky
Netra AEW&C: Source-drdo.gov.in On 08 September, the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared a US $ 1.5 billion proposal from the Indian Air Force (IAF) to indigenously build six Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Netra Block-2 Systems mounted on the Airbus A-321 aircraft to be pu
The UNMANNED WINGMAN: A Loyal Ally in the Skies
Image Courtsey: theaustralian.com.au Hypothetical Scenario- August 2025: A UAV takes off from Jammu Sector for a surveillance mission along the Working Boundary (WB), in response to Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) reports of an incursion by a small armoured column somewh
MR-SAM: Boosting Efficacy of India’s Air Defence
India’s’ Air Defence (AD) arsenal witnessed a significant fillip with the Hon’ble Defence Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh handing over of the first deliverable Firing Unit of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) to the Chief of Air Staff at Air Force Station Jaisalmer, Rajasthan on 09
Unmanned Ground Vehicles: Augmenting Our Frontline Warriors
Outcomes in battles are a fallout of the side with better morale and will; but also the one with superior training and equipment. Indeed, all other factors considered, the side that uses technology to its advantage in any duel, skirmish or battle is more likely to win than not. -By the Author O
Integrated ASW Defence Suite: A Key Enabler Towards Ocean Dominance
As a further fillip to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ drive and towards the goal of self- reliance in the Defence Industry, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has, on 27 August, concluded a contract for 14 Integrated Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Defence Suites (IADS) worth Rs. 1350 Crores with Mahindra D