Search: For - defence

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NDA government has no reason to be secretive about Rafale deal
Feb 09, 2018

NDA government has no reason to be secretive about Rafale deal

The opposition is right to demand information on the pricing. Providing information on the cost of an aircraft, its engine, missiles, radar warning receivers, radars, does not undermine the country’s security.

Netanyahu persuades Modi to take back Spike deal
Jan 24, 2018

Netanyahu persuades Modi to take back Spike deal

India has a need for some 40,000 anti-tank missiles and the 8,000 or so Spike missiles would fill only part of its requirement.

New beginnings and old complexities in India-Maldives ties
Oct 10, 2024

New beginnings and old complexities in India-Maldives ties

The visit has been mutually beneficial, especially with the signing/renewal of MoUs, adapting the Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership vision, and India’s offer of financial assistance.

No-First-Use
Apr 29, 2013

No-First-Use

The absence of a standard formulation on the no-first-use of nuclear weapons in the latest Chinese defence white paper has raised questions about a likely evolution in Beijing's nuclear doctrine.

Nuclear Developments in Iran: Comprehending the Indian View
Apr 21, 2015

Nuclear Developments in Iran: Comprehending the Indian View

This paper examines Indian policies and decisions on Iran's nuclear programme and reveals a number of critical factors which have influenced New Delhi on this matter in varying degrees.

Old-fashioned trust and credibility bind India-UAE ties
Feb 14, 2024

Old-fashioned trust and credibility bind India-UAE ties

A convergence of strategic interests and regular interactions have resulted in one of India’s most dynamic and consequential bilateral relationships

One step forward, three backwards
Feb 08, 2011

One step forward, three backwards

One does not need a historiographer's findings to understand the central problem that the Indian state is facing in its defence procurement in current times. It lies with intentions, structure and accountability.

Pakistan's balancing act in West Asia
Jun 10, 2014

Pakistan's balancing act in West Asia

Saudi Arabia's recent $1.5 billion grant to Pakistan re-affirms the depth of the relationship that the two countries share. It has also brought into focus their expanding defence ties and raised concerns about Pakistan's possible role in the Syrian civil war.

Picking up the tab for peace
Sep 29, 2015

Picking up the tab for peace

As the world today looks up to India as a net security provider, Delhi needs to recast its peacekeeping strategy by modernising its decision-making structures, expanding domestic defence capabilities, and strengthening its military diplomacy.

Playing hardball at the other Davos
Jun 05, 2013

Playing hardball at the other Davos

Considering the importance of the Shangri-La Dialogue and India's declared "Look East" policy, the absence of its Defence Minister A.K. Antony was inexplicable. This was especially so because Mr. Antony was scheduled to be in Singapore a day after the meet, en route to Australia.

Principle of 'closest partners'
Oct 01, 2013

Principle of 'closest partners'

The US has placed India in the category of 'closest partners' for defence cooperation. The official spin was that New Delhi would now be on the same footing as the closest allies of the US such as Britain. That may be the endpoint that New Delhi and Washington have decided upon, but it is far from the current reality. Both sides would need to do an enormous amount of work to attain that goal.

Priorities for Prime Minister Hasina's New Term in Bangladesh
May 09, 2024

Priorities for Prime Minister Hasina's New Term in Bangladesh

Sohini Bose, Ed., “Priorities for Prime Minister Hasina's New Term in Bangladesh,” ORF Special Report No. 225, May 2024, Observer Research Foundation.

Pune exposes policing lapses
Aug 14, 2012

Pune exposes policing lapses

A study done in 2010 by Observer Research Foundation for the Integrated Defence Staff, Government of India, Navigating Near: Non Traditional Security Threats to In dia, 2022', highlighted the huge deficiency that India faces and also recommendations to address some of the gaps

PWG Firepower Increasing
Aug 22, 2003

PWG Firepower Increasing

Left-wing extremists, Naxalites of the People's War Group (PWG), have traveled a long away from fielding hand-held, traditional farm tools as weapons. Their sagacity is, indeed, amazing. Perhaps, to state in a lighter vein, they would give a complex to India's defence technologists, if not put them to shame.

Rafale: The deal is kosher, politics over it is not. The price we are paying is national security
Mar 05, 2019

Rafale: The deal is kosher, politics over it is not. The price we are paying is national security

The political ambitions of a few could potentially derail the Indian defence purchase mechanism for a long time to come. This will delight our nation's adversaries.

Re-examining India’s Nuclear Doctrine
Jul 08, 2015

Re-examining India’s Nuclear Doctrine

This paper follows the proceedings of a workshop organised by ORF in August 2014 to re-examine India's nuclear doctrine. The workshop explored the challenges posed to India by Pakistan's introduction of battlefield nuclear weapons or Tactical Nuclear Weapons (TNWs), New Delhi's interest in acquiring a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, and the growing threat perception from China.

Real Politics, Imagined Futures: The Influence of Geopolitics and Technological Development on Science Fiction Since the 20th Century
Jul 10, 2024

Real Politics, Imagined Futures: The Influence of Geopolitics and Technological Development on Science Fiction Since the 20th Century

This brief examines the reciprocal relationship between science fiction and real-world technological, geopolitical, and policy developments throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. Beginning in the 1940s, the analysis explores how the genre has evolved amid historical events such as the World Wars and the Cold War, and the rise of digital technology. The brief gives particular attention to the role of science fiction during periods of criti

Rebooting US-India Strategic Partnership
Jun 02, 2015

Rebooting US-India Strategic Partnership

Carter's commitment to deepening defence cooperation with India and Parrikar's determination to recast India's defence structures set the stage for a rebooting of the India-US strategic partnership.

Reclaiming the Indo-Pacific: A political-military strategy for Quad 2.0
Mar 27, 2018

Reclaiming the Indo-Pacific: A political-military strategy for Quad 2.0

After a decade, officials from India, Japan, Australia and the United States convened in Manila in November 2017 to renew their quadrilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. While the agenda of the quad is still unknown, this paper presents a political-military strategy for the grouping directed at shaping Chinese behaviour in the region. Viewing strategy through the ends-means-ways lens, the paper describes key objectives of dissuasion, deterre

Recommendations for India-US Development Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
Jul 15, 2021

Recommendations for India-US Development Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

Defence cooperation is the dominant component of the India-US bilateral relationship. India seeks to leverage this aspect in the Indo-Pacific to diversify the scope of nascent plurilaterals, integrate with US frameworks to expand cooperation with regional nations, and consolidate its position as the preeminent partner for extra-regional players. This brief recommends that India take advantage of ongoing development initiatives with the US and ide

Recommendations on Arms Procurement Reforms in India
Sep 25, 2012

Recommendations on Arms Procurement Reforms in India

The Observer Research Foundation's programme on Defence Procurement Reforms, following a seminar organised in May, 2012, has now moved to the second stage of identifying initiatives that can be taken in the executive and legislative branches. This Paper presents practical recommendations to improve capacities and decision-making methodologies in India's arms procurement system.

Record of Indian arms industry remains one of failure
Apr 11, 2013

Record of Indian arms industry remains one of failure

The demand for cash that all political parties have to contest elections has been the fountainhead that has created a bureaucratic, military and defence decision-making structure which ensures that we keep running at the same place when it comes to creating a vibrant military industry complex in the country.

Resolving the India-China Boundary Dispute: Incentivising Cooperation, Enlarging Bargaining Space and Promoting Constructive Strategies
May 25, 2012

Resolving the India-China Boundary Dispute: Incentivising Cooperation, Enlarging Bargaining Space and Promoting Constructive Strategies

Pessimism towards a foreseeable settlement of the India-China border dispute is not unfounded. At the political level, there is a "trust deficit" which impedes cooperation. Despite the existence of multi-tiered mechanisms to facilitate resolution, there has hardly been any progress on the issue in recent years. This paper identifies the obstacles and explores how a peaceful settlement of the India-China border dispute could be arrived at in the f

Resurgence of Al-Qaeda in South Asia Post-US Drawdown
Jul 10, 2015

Resurgence of Al-Qaeda in South Asia Post-US Drawdown

An examination of the prospects for al-Qaeda following the US drawdown in Afghanistan and the likely threats which the region, and India in particular, might face in the future. A supplementary scrutiny of ISIS, and the group's possible expansion in the region, is also proffered.

Riding the tiger
Apr 18, 2019

Riding the tiger

With elections in progress we find that our choices are extremely limited.

Risk or Reward? – The Impact of Private Security Contractors and Militias in Afghanistan
Aug 17, 2013

Risk or Reward? – The Impact of Private Security Contractors and Militias in Afghanistan

To supplement the still lagging Afghan and ISAF security capabilities, alternative structures have been used or created, especially in rural or hard-to-reach areas. Two important groups among these are private security contractors (PSCs) and 'community defence' organisations or local militias. This paper assesses the impact of these entities on Afghan stability. Beginning March 19, 2003, the United States invaded Iraq, drawing both material an

S-400 CAATSA sanctions ball in US court
Nov 18, 2021

S-400 CAATSA sanctions ball in US court

The US wants to grab a major share of the Indian defence hardware market. But any imposition of sanctions will dampen chances of defence cooperation gaining further traction

Securing Afghanistan: Historic Sources of India’s Contemporary Challenge
Sep 10, 2013

Securing Afghanistan: Historic Sources of India’s Contemporary Challenge

This paper looks at debates from the days of the British Raj until now that have shaped India's strategic thought on Afghanistan. It highlights the impact of India's territorial construct on its strategic imagination and argues that India's Afghan policy is determined by its political geography. Afghanistan has proved to be a security lynchpin in South and A Central Asia over the last two decades. Home to a variety of militant networks with regi

Selling Arms for buying Peace
Sep 27, 2004

Selling Arms for buying Peace

Pakistan¿s port city of Karachi has been buzzing with military activity beginning September 2004. There have been two important events: first the inauguration by President Musharraf of the third IDEAS-2004 defence exhibition at the Expo Centre, Karachi.

Selling Arms for buying Peace
Sep 27, 2004

Selling Arms for buying Peace

Pakistan¿s port city of Karachi has been buzzing with military activity beginning September 2004. There have been two important events: first the inauguration by President Musharraf of the third IDEAS-2004 defence exhibition at the Expo Centre, Karachi.

Short-sighted Submarine saga
Aug 29, 2013

Short-sighted Submarine saga

The tragic accident of Sindhurakshak should serve as a clarion call for the Navy and the higher defence establishment for introspection over the institutional inadequacies and the need for re-evaluating policy decisions.

Short-sighted submarine saga
Sep 09, 2013

Short-sighted submarine saga

The tragic accident of Sindhurakshak should serve as a clarion call for the Navy and the higher defence establishment for introspection over the institutional inadequacies and the need for re-evaluating policy decisions. A refocused attempt to rectify the growing lack of underwater platforms and warship inventory is the dire need of the hour.

Singapore as India's bridge to southeast Asia
Sep 03, 2024

Singapore as India's bridge to southeast Asia

Singapore’s centrality in India’s Southeast Asia outreach is reflected in the two countries’ cooperation in multilateral forums

Sino-Indian Border Infrastructure: Issues and Challenges
Jul 31, 2023

Sino-Indian Border Infrastructure: Issues and Challenges

This paper looks at the recent Chinese infrastructural developments along the Sino-Indian border, including building of highways, road links and oil pipelines that have improved the country's force deployment and sustenance capabilities. The paper also assesses India?s infrastructure initiatives on the border front and argues that they are inadequate, especially in light of the Chinese developments.

Small Satellites for India’s Security: A Techno-Entrepreneurial View
Jan 25, 2016

Small Satellites for India’s Security: A Techno-Entrepreneurial View

The past decade has witnessed the proliferation of small satellite technology in various domains including the military, academe and commerce. is paper explores the idea of utilising small satellites technology (of the order weighing less than 150kg) for specic aspects of India's space security interests. It will describe some of the programmes and missions of global leaders in space security, and examine specic applications of small satellite te

Soft Kill’ or ‘Hard Kill’? The requirements for India’s space and counter-space capabilities
Nov 15, 2019

Soft Kill’ or ‘Hard Kill’? The requirements for India’s space and counter-space capabilities

Despite testing and confirming the acquisition of Kinetic Energy Weapons (KEW)—an integral part of strategic defence systems that are an alternative to nuclear warheads—India remains in need of a more robust military space programme. The country’s principal rival in the space military arena, China, has significantly more expansive and diverse capabilities. Although KEWs as part of its counter-space programme are not a panacea for India’s

Solving India’s Nuclear Liability Conundrum
Jan 22, 2015

Solving India’s Nuclear Liability Conundrum

This Paper offers a broad and objective analysis on the controversial issue of 'uclear liability', India's concerns and provides a recommendation for a coherent and comprehensive approach to resolve this conundrum.

Somalian Piracy: An Alternative Perspective
Nov 10, 2010

Somalian Piracy: An Alternative Perspective

The tendency of nation States to attempt solving the problem of modern piracy exclusively through the employment of their naval and military might is a flawed effort and has, more often than not, proved unsuccessful. At best, it has resulted in a temporary suppression of the problem that has inevitably re-manifested itself at a later stage.

South Asia South Asia Weekly 57
Feb 02, 2009

South Asia South Asia Weekly 57

Last week, president's brother and defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa slammed Non-government organizations, domestic and foreign particularly United Nations and International Committee of Red Cross for being pro-LTTE and anti-government.

South Asia South Asia Weekly 8
Mar 02, 2008

South Asia South Asia Weekly 8

In Sri Lanka, everybody is uncertain about the future. Nobody knows what happens next. Take for instance, the victory march of Sri Lankan Army (SLA) which was once again bogged down by the LTTE's resurgence. Though the week started with the forward march of the Sri Lanka defence forces after the killing of the three senior female LTTE leaders at sea including Lt. Colonel Kalai Arasi,

South Asia Weekly 97
Nov 08, 2009

South Asia Weekly 97

In a move that was not unexpected, Sri Lanka's Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Sarath Fonseka resigned from his post, which was created exclusively for him by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government soon after the end of the ethnic war.

South Asia Weekly Report 80
Jul 13, 2009

South Asia Weekly Report 80

A major reshuffle of the Sri Lankan defence establishment took place last week. General Sarath Fonseka took over as the Chief of Defence Staff, a newly created post, with powers to map out military strategy and planning. Gen.

South Asia Weekly Report 85
Aug 17, 2009

South Asia Weekly Report 85

The Sri Lankan government has decided against cutting back expenditure on defence, given that a fragile peace has been established only recently after the decimation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

South Asia Weekly | Volume IX; Issue 51 |
Dec 19, 2016

South Asia Weekly | Volume IX; Issue 51 |

US Secretary of Defence Ash Carter made his final trip to Afghanistan on 9 December as President Barack Obama winds down his presidency

Sri Lanka: Indian PM's visit on cards?
Jun 10, 2011

Sri Lanka: Indian PM's visit on cards?

The week-end Sri Lanka visit of the Indian troika comprising National Security Advisor (NSA) Shivshanker Menon, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar is important to both the nations for reasons that are more than the obvious.