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.

Israel’s Laser-based Missile Interception System

The laser-based aerospace defence assets, as and when they are fully developed and deployed, could prove to be a potent deterrent.

Atul Pant
February 07, 2020
IDSA Comments

Air Defence Command – A Bold Test Case

The proposal to create an Air Defence Command is a bold move. Rather than resorting to less contentious issues to commence the integration process, the CDS has selected a very pertinent and significant operational issue. However, the way the proposed Air Defence Command is structured will be crucial as it will set the tone for further integration of all three services.

Kishore Kumar Khera
January 27, 2020
Issue Brief

Automation of Kill Cycle: On the Verge of Conceptual Changeover

Considering the loss of tactical advantage that would come about by not adopting automation and autonomous weapon systems in future, militaries would invariably be obligated to adopt the concept of full automation while keeping humans on the loop.

Atul Pant
January 24, 2020
IDSA Comments

Military Logistics Agreements: Wind in the Sails for Indian Navy

Availability of logistics support facilities with partner countries will further enhance the ability of the Indian Navy to maintain appropriate ‘presence’ for extended periods in the wider Indo-Pacific.

Roby Thomas
November 26, 2019
IDSA Comments

Aircraft Carriers – The Keystone to India’s Maritime Security

Considering the wide expanse to be covered on both sides of the Indian Peninsula, and the possibility of concurrent operations on either side, it is imperative that India maintains an operational carrier battle group on both sides, and at all times.

Roby Thomas
October 30, 2019
Issue Brief

CDS: A Pragmatic Blueprint Required for Implementation

The blueprint for the operationalisation of CDS would require intensive deliberation to make sure that no aspect of its implementation is left unaddressed.

Amit Cowshish
August 30, 2019
IDSA Comments

Appointment of Chief of Defence Staff: A Historic Decision

The decision to appoint CDS is an important milestone in India’s quest for complete integration of its defence forces; a significant step towards seamless coordination, better efficiency, and greater effectiveness of the national defence architecture in meeting the challenges of the 21st century.

Will India Ally with America?

India’s decision to ally with America would be contingent upon the degree of convergence between their positions on core issues and the extent of military assistance needed in a two-front war scenario.

S. Kalyanaraman
August 20, 2019
IDSA Comments

Finally a CDS for the Indian Armed Forces

While the scope of responsibility of the CDS is being worked out, it would be instructive to see what changes could be implemented immediately within the current organisational structures through greater jointness, before getting into the gamut of full integration which should be the logical end state.

Alok Deb
August 19, 2019
IDSA Comments

Indian Navy’s Annual HADR Exercise: A Collaborative Humanitarian Response in IOR

The Annual Joint HADR exercises, conducted by Indian Navy, help in proactively preparing participating nations with tools for developing standard operating procedures (SOPs), streamlining interoperability and practicing procedures for collaborative participation when necessary.