Enhanced International Cooperation Through Aided Military Training Programmes: A Study of the US Experience, with Specific Reference to South Asia Major powers have tried to use military training programmes, manifested through military-to-military cooperation running the gamut of training exchanges to joint exercises, to defence-related dialogues through seminars and the like, in order to engage and influence other countries in the furtherance of their strategic interests. The US model is notable for being innovative, flexible, scalable, and broad in its approach, and this has fetched it considerable dividends. Cherian Samuel March 2009 Strategic Analysis
Geopolitical Implications of the Current Global Financial Crisis Sanjaya Baru March 2009 Strategic Analysis
Role of Nanotechnology in Defence Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NT) are emerging fields of science and technology that are witnessing the emergence of an increasing number of new ideas and applications. Many states are seriously looking at military applications of this technology. This paper analyses the impact of NT on defence and looks at its current and futuristic applicability for military purposes, as well as their likely impact on arms control. Ajey Lele March 2009 Strategic Analysis
Violence in Pakistan: Trend Analysis January 2009 The first month of the new calendar year saw a reversal of the trend of declining casualties witnessed during the last three months, whilst the incidents of violence continued to rise constantly maintaining the trend of last three months. The withdrawal of ceasefire announced by the Baloch nationalist groups in September 2008, saw a sudden spurt in casualties in Balochistan. During the month the incidents of violence increased to 430 from 388 in December 2008. T. Khurshchev Singh , Alok Bansal February 28, 2009 IDSA Comments
India’s Confrontation with Terror: Need for Bold Initiatives Since 2001, Islamic terrorists have struck India with frightening frequency and ferocity. The most disturbing aspect of these attacks is that they have spread into the hinterland from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) which was the main focus of the terrorists in the late 80s and the following decade. Thomas Mathew February 25, 2009 Policy Brief
Iran Enters the Space Arena One year ago, in February 2008, Iran launched a sounding rocket into outer space to mark the opening of its first space centre. This rocket essentially belonged to the ‘category’ of instrument-carrying crafts. Such crafts are designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during their sub-orbital flight. Within a year, on 3 February 2009, Iran successfully launched its first domestically manufactured satellite "Omid" (Hope), which was carried into space by the home-built Safir-2 space rocket. Ajey Lele February 20, 2009 IDSA Comments
Maoists’ Attacks on Infrastructure Rebels of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) have been repeatedly targeting infrastructure, which are soft targets. The targets of their attacks include telecommunication towers, Railways and power transmission centres and lines, to name a few. P. V. Ramana February 20, 2009 IDSA Comments
A.Q. Khan’s Acquittal Though anticipated, the timing of the Islamabad High Court’s verdict to release disgraced nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan from house arrest has surprised many, since it came days before the first ever visit by Richard Holbrooke, President Obama’s special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Zardari government has tried to play safe by citing this as a decision taken by an ‘independent’ judiciary. Such arguments are, however, unlikely to find many takers. A. Vinod Kumar February 20, 2009 IDSA Comments
Unholy alliance in North-East India Although insurgency in several areas of the North-East region of India has declined, external manipulation and support to insurgency in Assam, the most populous State in the region, continues to be a problem. Three States in the region, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim, are mostly unaffected by insurgency, while there has been substantial decline in insurgency in Tripura and Meghalaya. Thus, insurgencies in the region are largely confined to Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. M. Amarjeet Singh February 19, 2009 IDSA Comments
India’s Defence Budget 2009-10: An Assessment In its interim budget for 2009-10 the Union Government has allocated Rs. 1,41,703 crores for the country’ Defence Services that include three Armed Forces (i.e., the Army, the Navy and the Air Force), and other Departments, primarily Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Defence Ordnance Factories. This is apart from Rs. 24,960 crores which have been earmarked to defray civil expenditures of Ministry of Defence (MoD) and its affiliated organisations, including, the Coast Guard, and for defence pension (Rs. 21,790 crores). Laxman Kumar Behera February 18, 2009 IDSA Comments
