Cdr Sandeep Dhawan (Retd)
A veteran of the Indian Navy, Cdr Dhawan served in the Navy from 1988 to 2009. He was a Maritime Reconnaissance Pilot and a Flying Instructor. He is a geopolitical analyst and writes for various online websites and organizations.
Articles Lists
F-47 NGAD: What We Know So Far
On March 21, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump made a highly anticipated announcement. The Pentagon awarded the contract for the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) future fighter aircraft to Boeing. It is somewhat coincidental that the 47th President of the United States has des
INDIA’S QUEST FOR AN INDIGENOUS NAVAL FIGHTER
The first Indian naval air station, INS Garuda, was commissioned in May 1953. However, it wasn't until 1959 that naval aviation received its first fighter, the Hawker Sea Hawk. This was followed by the formation of INAS 300, the White Tigers, which consisted of 36 Sea Hawks. The Sea Hawks saw action
CRITICALITY OF AIRPOWER IN THE INDIAN NAVY
On December 4, 2024, the Indian Navy (IN) celebrated Navy Day. The Indian Navy has made significant progress since its inception, growing from a fleet of just 35 warships at the time of Independence in 1947 to a current fleet of 150 warships and submarines, with an additional 62 ships and submarines
HOW WOULD INDIA NAVIGATE THE CHAOTIC NEXT DECADE
As the excitement surrounding Donald Trump’s election as the 47th president of the United States begins to fade, it’s time to analyse the future trajectory of India over the next decade, which I refer to as a chaotic decade. Back in 2018, I predicted in a series of articles that starting in 202
Ring of Conflict Zones Around India – Clear and Present Danger
Last year, I discussed how India’s neighbouring countries were increasingly burdened by debt, which I referred to as the ‘Ring of Debt.’ I also predicted that after this phase, anti-India forces would move into the ‘transition phase,’ followed by the ‘dominance phase.’ With Sheikh Hasi
Why the Bangladesh Crisis is a Major Concern for India
After weeks of demonstrations and violence that started in July 2024, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on 5th August 2024. The World’s longest-serving female head of state is presently in India and her plans include asylum in London. Who Was Behind the Con
Why Should Be India Considering The F-35 Fighter Jets
Hours before the US Defence Secretary Robert M. Gates's visit to Beijing in January 2011 aimed at improving defence ties, China’s military conducted a test flight of a new stealth fighter jet. Surprisingly, Gates wasn’t aware of the usual Chinese military’s show of strength gimmick during any
P8I Poseidon – Brain and Muscle
In June 2017, residents of Sikkim saw a strange, gray-colored aircraft loitering in that region for days together. On scrutiny, they found the Indian Navy written on its fuselage. What was an Indian Navy aircraft doing in that part of India? The puzzle for them was more intriguing than the puzzle of
Red Sea Crisis: How Has It Impacted India
Today it is household news that how on the eve of 5th January 2024, the Indian Navy’s Marine Commandos (MARCOs) rescued 21 crew members of the merchant ship MV Lila Norfolk, including 15 Indians, from the pirates, off the Somalia coast. However, the question arises — what is the Indian navy doin
Pakistan: Surge in terrorism poses formidable challenge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Islamabad [Pakistan], December 13 (ANI): The surge in terror in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to persist as an unsolved problem as despite countless military operations spanning almost a decade and resulting in substantial casualties among both security forces and innocent civilians, Dawn reported. T
Taiwan: China’s Achilles Heel
By enacting a national security law in 2020, China swiftly took away Hong Kong from the overreach of the Western powers. It was a rude awakening. While China didn’t keep its 1997, 50-year no-interference agreement, this time around no British or French warships sailed into the Pearl River to punis
China’s 2024 Threat To Indian Democracy
The Indian state of Karnataka went to elections on May 2023. It was surprising to note how the Chinese media gave coverage to a state election in India, a phenomenon that was not seen before. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) published articles with heading like “What Congress’ Win over Modi
China’s Invisible War With India And The World
On 15 June 2020, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) backstabbed the Indian Army patrolling team during the Galwan Valley Clash. The whole nation was angry, but the flag-bearers of the India-China Friendship Association (ICFA) were unwavering in their support for China. ICFA didn’t see any r
Threat Of Chinese Rocket Force And The Indian Options
The recently leaked U.S. intelligence documents have an aspect that is overlooked by many — the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF). The leaked top-secret documents reveal a report by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff intelligence directorate, which talks about a successful test by PLARF
A War With China – Is India Prepared?
Col Grant Newsham’s new book “When China Attacks: A Warning to America,” is a wake-up call for the United States. The book argues that the dispute between the US and China cannot be solved by reasonable discussion. The West also thought that increasing commercial activities will make China mor
Lessons For India: From Russia And China With Love
In January 2022, I predicted the exact timeline of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The United States was the only country that was making noise about the imminent Russian attack on Ukraine. The rest of the western world was living in Utopia. https://twitter.com/InsightGL/status/1485657113385144322?s
The Battle of Balloon and Missing Stanislav Petrov
At the height of cold-war, on September 26, 1983, Soviet Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov was on duty monitoring the early-warning system codenamed Oko, or Eye. Its function was to detect the launch of an American nuclear attack. Its command centre was in Moscow inside a massive bunker beneath the secret c
India’s Three Wars
On January 18, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a video conversation with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops. He inspected the combat readiness of the troops stationed at Kunjirap under the Xinjiang Military Command near Ladakh. Interestingly his address coincided with massive tri-se
Indian Military Reforms: Delays, Dispassion and Dissociation
India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will attend the Combined Commanders’ Conference in Karwar in March 2023. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Anil Chauhan will also be present. It is expected that the Indian military leadership will take decisive steps towards creating the much-awaited milita