Ajey Lele

China launches a communications satellite for Pakistan

China’s launch of Pakistan’s first communications satellite demonstrates a deepening of their technological cooperation.

Ajey Lele |
August 24, 2011 |
IDSA Comments

Breivik’s Interest in Anthrax and Religious Extremism

The history of the use of biological agents by non-state actors indicates that radical groups, religious fanatics and even disgruntled scientists have engaged in bioterrorism

Ajey Lele, Gunjan Singh |
August 02, 2011 |
IDSA Comments

GSAT-12: Boosting Transponder Demand

The larger issue which the GSAT-12 launch brings to the fore is that of the mounting demand for satellite transponders and India’s capabilities in this regard.

Ajey Lele |
July 19, 2011 |
IDSA Comments

The Last Space Shuttle Flight

The US is stopping the shuttle programme by design and not for want of technology or money; nor does discontinuing the space shuttle indicate that the US has lost the space race.

Ajey Lele |
July 13, 2011 |
IDSA Comments

Success of GSAT-8 and Future of India’s Space Programme

While the GSAT-8 has been successfully launched, the future of the GSLV programme continues to be under a cloud after the twin failures in 2010.

Ajey Lele |
May 25, 2011 |
IDSA Comments

ISRO’s Successful PSLV-C16 Flight

With the successful sixteenth flight of the PSLV-C16, the “feel good” factor has returned to ISRO which was buffeted by failures and controversy over the last year.

Ajey Lele |
April 25, 2011 |
IDSA Comments

Yury Gagarin and Space Rivalry

On the 50th anniversary of Gagarin’s space flight, the space scenario appears to be at a crossroads. Because of the economic and other geopolitical compulsions, major powers are found trading cautiously.

Ajey Lele |
April 20, 2011 |
IDSA Comments

Taking the Arms Control Debate Forward: The Hague Code of Conduct and India

This article evaluates the opportunities associated with The Hague Code of Conduct (HCoC) for India. HCoC is a stand-alone agreement against ballistic missile proliferation. Since the 1974 Pokharan nuclear tests it has been tricky for India to get into the non-proliferation mainstream. The success of the 2005 Indo-US nuclear deal is a first step towards global acceptability of India's non-proliferation and disarmament policies. Now, it is important for India to start supporting the international norms which do not affect their strategic programmes.

Ajey Lele |
March 2011 |
Strategic Analysis

Engaging Iran in the New Strategic Environment: Opportunities and Challenges for India

In recent years, Iran has come to acquire a significant place in the West Asian region with the ability to influence regional politics. For India, relations with Iran are vital. In the changed strategic environment, both India and Iran have been working towards improving their bilateral relations. However, there are several challenges, especially for India, in this regard. If the Iran-US confrontation intensifies, for example, India may find it difficult to pursue a smooth relationship with Iran.

The US Space Priorities under the Obama Administration

The 21st century may not hold the same strategic logic of the 1960s and 1970s towards discovering outer space. Over a period of time, particularly after the end of the Cold War, space appears to have lost some, if not all, of its strategic significance. During 2004, the then US president, George W. Bush, had argued that the 21st century moon exploration initiative by the US should be viewed as part of a journey and not a race. Mostly, the peaceful voyage of global activities in space got a jolt when China conducted an anti-satellite test (ASAT) during January 2007.