Military Affairs

About Centre

The Centre for Military Affairs comprises of a mix of serving officers of the Indian Armed Forces and civilian experts. The Centre adopts an inter-disciplinary approach to various issues that impinge upon India’s national security in general and the armed forces in particular. Its research focus is on issues that impact upon national security and capacity-building of the Indian armed forces. Specific areas of focus include: emerging contemporary challenges in warfare, jointness, defence co-operation, maritime security, and military training needs. In addition, the Centre also addresses China- and Pakistan-related issues with a bearing on their interface with Indian security. The Centre closely interacts with military establishments in India and abroad and contributes to policy making by conducting research in areas of significance for the armed forces.

The Indian Navy’s Arabian Gulf Diplomacy

By engaging GCC navies through joint exercises, port calls, and training programmes, the Navy has successfully created a durable template of maritime relations in the Western Indian Ocean.

Abhijit Singh
September 24, 2015
IDSA Comments

The Context of the Cease-Fire Decision in the 1965 India-Pakistan War

The ceasefire decision was influenced by the combination of three factors: absence of the prospect of a swift victory, concerns about Chinese military intervention, and concerted diplomatic pressure from major powers.

S. Kalyanaraman
September 21, 2015
Special Feature

China-Russia Naval Ties and the Balance of Maritime Power in Asia

A growing Sino-Russian-Pakistani maritime nexus in the IOR poses a challenge to India’s influence in the Indian Ocean and heralds a potential change in the Asian balance of maritime power.

Abhijit Singh
August 27, 2015
IDSA Comments

Politics and the Military

A dissatisfied military is not in the interest of India which has to contend with multiple internal and external security issues. The nation at large and the political leadership must be alive to the prevailing sentiments and act appropriately.

N.S. Brar
August 24, 2015
IDSA Comments

Decoding China’s Military Strategy White Paper: Assessing the Maritime Implications

China’s new military strategy as it applies to the Indian Ocean is not a matter of a minor shift in the balance of maritime power, but one that impacts India’s capacity and will to impose a deterrent cost.

The New U.S. Maritime Strategy: Seeking ‘Clarity’ in an Era of ‘Shifting Reality’

The new version of US maritime strategy candidly recognises China’s maritime expansion and territorial claims as a source of regional unrest, but stops short of recognising the A2/AD challenge even as it pronounces “all-domain access” as a strategic prerequisite.

Abhijit Singh
April 07, 2015
IDSA Comments

Artillery modernisation: needed for firepower

Despite the lessons learnt during the Kargil conflict, where artillery firepower paved the way for victory, modernisation of the artillery continued to be neglected. The recent acquisition of 814 truck-mounted 155 mm/52-calibre guns is a step in the right direction.

Gurmeet Kanwal
November 27, 2014
IDSA Comments

Macchil Verdict: Reading Between the Lines

The incident raises important issues. First, the role of honours and awards in such crimes, second, the impact of punishment on the morale of troops who undertake a challenging responsibility and last, its impact on the population of the disturbed area at large.

Vivek Chadha
November 25, 2014
IDSA Comments

Modi’s Australia visit: Maritime Cooperation in Focus

The government’s ‘Act East Policy’ needs to legitimise the ‘Indo-Pacific’ concept. Interestingly, only a few months after the release of the 2013 White Paper, Australia released a Country Strategy Document on India which identified the Indian Navy as possessing the most potential for a close maritime partnership

Abhijit Singh
November 13, 2014
IDSA Comments

Indian Army’s Modernisation Plans: Call for Pragmatism

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence’s figures reveals that the army's equipment modernisation is steadily falling. In 2008-09, the army spent 27 paisa of every rupee on capital expenditure. This fell to 24 paisa in 2009-10; 23 paisa in 2010-11; 20 paisa in 2012-13 and just 18 paisa in the last two years. Resultantly the army’s ambitious plans to transform from a ‘threat-based to a capability force’ by 2020 are being consistently thwarted.