Saudi Arabia’s decision to partner with India for securing the Gulf region signals the arrival of a new security actor in the Indian Ocean. This decision follows the attacks on Saudi oil tankers and missile attacks on its overland oil processing facilities. The Indian and Saudi Arabian navies will engage in their maiden bilateral naval …
The recent decision by the Trump administration to withdraw the United States (US) troops from Syria has created new challenges in the region. Many US military officials criticized Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria citing the safety of Kurdish people who fought alongside the US military against ISIS in the region. The former head of …
What constitutes victory in war is a slippery concept that is yet to receive a universally accepted definition. True enthusiasts of military operations cannot escape being in awe of the German Blitzkrieg and Squad tactics during World War II. However, the brilliant field accomplishments of these tactics could not deter the Allies from achieving strategic …
The re-election of Prime Minister Modi has created a new wave of hope and excitement among the Korean political, diplomatic and business elite. After Tagore and Gandhi, Modi is undoubtedly the most popular Indian statesman in South Korea today. Never before has an Indian political leader received as much appreciation for his work as Modi …
Defence diplomacy acts as a support mechanism to sustain cooperative structures in the strategic domain, to safeguard strategic spaces, and explore mutual cooperation in defence. This translates as a soft deterrent against any adversary. Defence relations between India and Vietnam have acquired importance against the backdrop of China’s island-building activities in the South China Sea, …
Military lessons, starting from Pulwama to the eventual release of Wing Commander Abhinandan, should be left to the military alone, while non-military lessons must be rationalized to suit national narratives. On the afternoon of 14 February 2019, a 22-year old home grown suicide bomber with 350 kilograms of military grade explosives in a minivan …
The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted its biggest war-game exercise ever – Gaganshakti 2018 – during 8-22 April. In the past the IAF has conducted many aerial exercises.
In its quest for strategic security and greater economic leverage, nation states are in a constant strife to coin new terminologies that legitimize their area of operation. 21st century world politics is highly impacted upon by globalization with greater emphasis on liberalizing markets, connectivity, joint development, and cooperation, all through the prism of soft power. International Relations is a complex game wherein nothing remains constant, not even power equations.
The ongoing diplomatic process in the Korean Peninsula is historic in many ways. Donald Trump is going to be the first sitting U.S. President to meet a North Korean leader this May. Also, if both the Koreas agree to hold a Moon- Kim summit it would be the first face to face meeting between leaders of the two countries after a decade.
India’s declaratory nuclear doctrine of 2003 has predominantly been read to suggest the threat of massive countervalue retaliation – use of strategic nuclear weapons to target countervalue assets like population and industrial centers of the adversary. Critics have questioned the credibility of massive countervalue retaliation as a deterrent to Pakistan’s first use of tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs). In response, senior Indian government and military officials have recently suggested that India’s nuclear response can be proportionate as well.
