Ajey Lele

Shangri La Dialogue: Is Indian Participation a Necessity?

India’s ministerial presence at the Shangri La Dialogue could have helped India to articulate the new government’s strategic thought and expand from the realm of military diplomacy to defence diplomacy. So, is India’s defence establishment blind to probable benefits of participating in the Dialogue or are they thinking differently?

Ajey Lele |
May 29, 2015 |
IDSA Comments

The US-North Korea Cyber Dispute

US authorities have claimed that North Korea was behind the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures. But North Korea has strongly denied this claim. Now, both countries are threatening to fight this ‘battle’ in cyber space.

Ajey Lele |
December 26, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Strategic Materials: A Resource Challenge for India

Publisher: Pentagon Press
2014

There are a few minerals which are categorized as ‘strategic’ because of their importance for the industries and owing to natural and man-made difficulties in their procurement. There has been an attempt here to contextualize the importance of strategic materials from a national security perspective. This study presents a macro view with regard to India’s strategic minerals architecture and undertakes analysis to understand current and futuristic challenges and opportunities in this sector, and offers a few recommendations based on the assessment undertaken. Issues related to Rare Earth and new materials are also discussed.

ISBN 978-81-8274-786-9,
Price: ?. 795/-
E-copy available

India Mission to Mars: Ready to Orbit

The orbit insertion scheduled for September 24 will be a landmark achievement. The Mars accomplishment could assist the global efforts towards the possible human colonization of the Red Planet and would automatically increase India’s status.

Ajey Lele |
September 19, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Relevance of Cloud Computing for Defence

Technology has always played the key role in defining the outcome of war. A modern-day military is investing in cutting-edge technologies to leverage their benefits in the evolving nature of warfare, which encompasses every aspect of science. In the case of information and communication technology (ICT), the research and development has unleashed vast potential for civilian and military applications, which vary from simple logic execution to high-end supercomputing.

India getting closer to a satellite navigational system

The uniqueness of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is to have a system with satellites in the geostationary orbit. India needs to exploit the ‘regional nature’ of the IRNSS to the fullest and effectively engage various states from Africa, Asia and Oceania region by using ‘satellite navigation diplomacy’.

Ajey Lele |
April 07, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Heavy Satellite Launch Vehicles: An Assessment

This brief has carried out an assessment of the launch vehicles used globally for launching of heavy satellites into the geostationary orbit. This assessment is mainly based on the comparison of the various features of different launch systems and the characteristics of the propellants put in use.

Ajey Lele, Parveen Bhardwaj |
February 19, 2014 |
Issue Brief

India’s Nuclear Triad: A Net Assessment

This paper discusses such delivery mechanisms commonly known together as nuclear triad in the Indian context. The paper has four major parts. The first part attempts to set the context for the overall discussion. The second, third and fourth parts deals with the evaluation about missile forces, aerial platforms and submarine based platforms for nuclear weapon delivery on the targets.

Mission Mars: India’s Quest for the Red Planet

Publisher: Springer
ISBN 978-81-322-1521-9
Price: 49,99 €
The objective of the book is to find an answer to the rationale behind the human quest for the Mars exploration. As a comprehensive assessment for this query is undertaken, it is realized that the basic question ‘Why Mars?’ seeks various responses from technological, economic and geopolitical to strategic perspectives.

Ajey Lele |
2013 |
Book

Asian Space Race: Rhetoric or Reality?

Publisher: Springer

This book explores the character and contours of the Asian Space Powers. At present, Asian states like China, Japan and India are found investing in space technologies with analogous social and scientific and probably with divergent military intents. Other Asian states like Israel, South Korea and Malaysia are also making investments in the space arena. States like Iran and North Korea are faulted for using space launches as a demonstrative tool to achieve strategic objectives. This work examines this entire maze of activities to unearth where these states are making these investments to accomplish their state-specific goal or are they also trying to surpass each other by engaging in competition.

ISBN 978-81-322-0732-0,
Price: 129,95 €