New Russia-West Confrontation: War of Attrition or Escalation? The article analyses the ongoing Russia-West confrontation manifested mainly in the armed conflict in Ukraine, the world’s largest war of sanctions, a growing confrontation in cyberspace and politics, the erosion of the system of arms control treaties and a sharp reduction of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. Russia and the West are fighting not only for influence in Ukraine but also over the future of international relations on a global scale in the coming decades. Konstantin Khudoley November 2022 Strategic Analysis
A Decade of US ‘Pivot to Asia’ The Biden administration has further reinforced and strengthened US strategic priorities towards the Indo-Pacific, a decade after the ‘Pivot to Asia’ by the Obama administration. Anushka Saxena October 27, 2022 IDSA Comments
The Reality of AI Drones: Are they Overhyped? Drones, often referred to as ‘dull, dirty and dangerous’, are fast becoming crucial to militaries around the world as a force multiplier Kritika Roy October-December 2022 Journal of Defence Studies
Drone Warfare: History, Evolution and Future When Tesla and SpaceX Founder Elon Musk, in a room full of US Air Force personnel, asserted that autonomous drone warfare is the future and will replace fighter jets, it sparked a controversial but crucial debate.1 The decade post 9/11 saw the proliferation of drones in the military domain. Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been used extensively to disable conventional weapon systems in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Ukraine. Hence comes the conundrum of replaceability and disruptiveness of conventional warfare vis-à-vis drone warfare. Krutika Patil October-December 2022 Journal of Defence Studies
Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS): Future of Warfare The history of war is replete with instances where a nation that has effectively, and innovatively harnessed technology has been victorious. From innovations stem revolutions in military warfare, and the current world order is witnessing a very profound and rapid revolution through the employment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), be it in conventional conflicts such as Nagorno–Karabakh (Azerbaijan–Armenia), the current Russia–Ukraine conflict or the unconventional ‘Global War on Terror’ in Afghanistan. Apratim Sharma October-December 2022 Journal of Defence Studies
AI and the Future of Air Combat in India In his autobiography Hawkeye, Israeli fighter ace Giora Even-Epstein recalls flying the Fighting Falcon F-16, and comments that “Flying an F-16 was different than any other plane I’d ever flown. It felt like it was the computer more than the pilot that was flying the plane.” Bulbul Prakash October-December 2022 Journal of Defence Studies
Maintenance Ecosystem of Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) in Military Aviation India’s commercial drone industry is growing and the drone market is expected to become a multi-billion-dollar industry over the next decade. In this drone era, the smaller drone systems, that is, small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) are also gaining traction in Indian armed forces for use in Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) and as armed sUAS for kamikaze role. A. Karunakaran October-December 2022 Journal of Defence Studies
IADD Reinvigorates India’s Defence Cooperation with African Countries The second India–Africa Defence Dialogue at DefExpo 2022 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat has opened multiple pathways for defence cooperation between India and Africa. Ruchita Beri October 18, 2022 IDSA Comments
Threat of Radicalisation in Syria’s ISIS Prisons Concerns of radicalisation in SDF-run facilities in Syria remain high, given that reports flag corruption, crime, and deplorable security conditions at these camps. Saman Ayesha Kidwai October 18, 2022 IDSA Comments
Understanding the PLA’s Command and Leadership System The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has established a leadership and command system to enhance its capability to conduct joint operations. M.S. Prathibha October 17, 2022 Issue Brief