President Trump’s ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign and Iran’s Endgame Iran—US relations are in a state of flux due to President Trump’s draconian sanctions, what is dubbed the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign, to force Iran to renegotiate the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran’s ‘counter pressure’ policy, in contrast, has sought to blunt the effects of sanctions and compel the Trump administration to return to the nuclear deal. This article examines the basic thrust, goals and shortcomings of Trump’s anti-Iran campaign, and also explores Iran’s policy choices and responses to face off Trump’s campaign of ‘maximum pressure’. Mohammed Nuruzzaman November 2020 Strategic Analysis
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Defence Indigenization: The Case of Bullet-Resistant Jackets Post-COVID, the renewed emphasis on indigenisation in India calls for a fresh, in-depth examination of the entire range of issues and policies pertaining to the development of a capable domestic base for the defence industry and technology. Sanjay Mitra November 2020 Strategic Analysis
China’s India Policy in the 1950s: From Friendship to Antagonism What led to the Sino-Indian militarized confrontations in 1959? I argue that Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai became a victim of changed perceptions in China. As long as China’s external and internal environment was relatively secure, India was seen as a potential ally, and Sino-Indian relations thrived. As external and internal pressures on China mounted, India’s behaviour vis-à-vis the Dalai Lama’s flight from China and the territorial dispute was perceived by China as reactionary. Daniel Balazs November 2020 Strategic Analysis
Expanding Role of PLAAF in China’s National Security Strategy China’s great power ambition and actions have been fuelled by its spectacular economic growth and military modernization. The need to sustain the economy and energy flow makes the East and South China seas vital to it. Its vulnerabilities also lie on its seaboard. To dominate the maritime spaces, it needs to own the contiguous airspace as well. The prescient Chinese leadership has transformed its Air Force into a strategic instrument of power, to protect its economic lifelines, geo-political interests and regional dominance. Diptendu Choudhury November 2020 Strategic Analysis
The South Caucasus Imbroglio: Armenia–Azerbaijan Conflict Armenia and Azerbaijan have come to blows over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh after a quarter of a century. There are numerous geo-strategic interests at play in the conflict that will impact regional peace and security. Deepak Kumar October 28, 2020 IDSA Comments
Other Capital Procurement Procedure: A Chip off the Old Block The OCPP is a mix of revenue and capital procurement procedures, based on the Defence Procurement Manual 2006. It could have been an opportunity to lay down a more self-contained procedure. Amit Cowshish October 23, 2020 IDSA Comments
Brendan Taylor, American Sanctions in the Asia Pacific Brendan Taylor claims that his book is the first systematic analysis of American sanction policy in the Asia-Pacific during the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The book is divided into six chapters which include introduction, conclusion as well as policy recommendations. Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastav October 2010 Journal of Defence Studies
The Costliest Pearl: China’s Struggle for India’s Ocean by Bertil Lintner The ‘string of pearls’ is a western narrative about China’s economic and/or military engagements with countries in the Indian Ocean littorals with a strategic outlook of encircling the Indian peninsula. Most of these engagements are established in locations overlooking the important trade Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOC) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The ‘string of pearls’ theory, enunciating an expansionist view of China in the Indian Ocean, is what makes Bertil Lintner’s book a knowledgeable read for Indo-Pacific watchers. M. Doraibabu October-December 2020 Journal of Defence Studies
New Internet Protocol: Redesigning the Internet with Chinese Characteristics? China’s proposal for a new Internet Protocol (IP) is a reflection of its desire to revamp and mould the Internet. This is in line with its ambitions to rise to the “commanding heights” of the scientific and technological competition. Munish Sharma October 15, 2020 IDSA Comments
Learning from Russia: Comparing Russian and Chinese Military Reforms Understanding the Chinese Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) has been a challenge for military thinkers and planners due to opacity and secrecy within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). This article delves into the traditional relationship between the erstwhile Soviet (now Russian) and Chinese militaries and draw parallels between the two RMA. It argues that in many ways the Chinese RMA has followed the Russian RMA, which was driven by the latter’s experiences in modern wars in Georgia, Ukraine, Crimea, and Syria. The article concludes that the PLA has suitably modified the Russian military doctrines, reorganisation and restructuring as well as the induction of military equipment to suit the threats and challenges that confront it. Military thinkers and planners would do well to study the Russian RMA to extrapolate the future trajectory of the changes that are underway in the PLA. Mandip Singh October-December 2020 Journal of Defence Studies
