The objective of this commentary is to determine several parameters of the shooting down of slow flying objects.1 If we have some basic information regarding the motion of the drone/helicopter and we also know the velocity with which the bullet will be discharged, then we may evaluate the angle of projection (a) so that the bullet will shoot down the drone/helicopter even if it has manoeuvring effect due to acceleration or retardation. Obviously, the conclusions of the commentary will also hold if any other objects in the air replace the drone/helicopter.

• Neeraj Pant , Satyanarayana Gedela |
• October-December 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or the unmanned aircraft, commonly called ‘drones’, have emerged as the new face of a technologically oriented warfare today. They provide the state with the technological capabilities to strike with utmost accuracy without the risk of endangering human lives of the armed forces. Today, drones have become the strategic weapons of choice for most of the states, including India.

• Manish |
• October-December 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

Terrorism continues to be a major source of concern to nations as it poses a serious and evolving threat. It also constitutes a direct challenge to the national security and, more importantly, to national unity. India has been in the crosshairs of terrorism for over four decades hence it is imperative that there should be a robust technology driven anti-terror mechanism in place to effectively counter terror. Unmanned aerial vehicles would fit the bill perfectly in India’s fight against terror, especially urban terror.

• AV Chandrasekaran |
• October-December 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

Unmanned systems pose grave threat to several countries and their interests due to a number of reasons: low barrier of entry into the procurement sector, commercial availability off the shelf (COTS), ubiquity, persistence and low radar cross section (RCS). Due to this, counter drone systems have been either deployed piecemeal or existing air defence systems have been used to fill the gap. The Indian Armed Forces have a very limited experience of dealing with either drones or counter-drone systems in an operational environment. The Jammu attack using improvised drones was a wake-up call.

• Akshat Upadhyay |
• October-December 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

Majority of conflict situations in which the United Nations (UN) intervenes today are complex and as per their mandates, joint efforts of both men and women are required to make the peacekeeping operations as effective as possible. In many instances, maintaining good relations with the civilian population is a prerequisite for effective peacekeeping, as it often implies easy access to information at the grassroots level and increased security for UN personnel and the local population.

• Ingudam Yaipharemba Singh |
• July-September 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

The United Nations Charter requires that all UN personnel mustmaintain the highest standards of integrity and conduct. The UN is committed to ensuring that all its personnel deployed globally serve with professionalism, courtesy and dignity. Allegations of Misconduct as well as Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by peacekeepers from various nations have often tarnished the image of the mission they represent and UN in general.

• V. Vidyashankar |
• July-September 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

The Second World War created many apprehensions as the world had not witnessed catastrophe of that scale before. It raised many concerns for global peace, and led to the creation of United Nations (UN) primarily to prevent the world from the scourge of the Third World War. The UN Charter mandates the creation of a peacekeeping force for securing and creating conditions for lasting peace within the states and between the states. Since then, we have witnessed many ups and downs in the global order. There have been times when somehow war of a global scale was prevented.

• Rajeev Yadav |
• July-September 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

Liberia has witnessed intense internal strife, conflicts and total breakdown of law and order in the past. A West African organisation, ECOWAS and United Nations operated together in Liberia to obtain a peaceful settlement. It was the first UN peacekeeping mission undertaken in collaboration with a peacekeeping operation already being undertaken by a regional grouping. Though there are obvious advantages of regional groupings taking such initiatives there are numerous nuances which emerge when such organisations operate together.

• Mandip Singh |
• July-September 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

The United Nations peacekeeping operations (UNPK) have been evolving continuously and Bangladesh as a country has been playing an important role in it. The country wants to remain a dominant contributor to UNPK even in future as the participation brings several advantages in military, diplomatic, economic and social arena. Meanwhile, it has also been realised that to make the UNPK more effective, women have to play an important role as there are certain functions which women can perform better.

• Anand Kumar |
• July-September 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies

When UN peacekeeping missions get deployed, adherence to the UN norms helps the missions get legitimacy, earn credibility, and find better acceptance in society. The UN norms namely the three principles of peacekeeping, which were conceptualised in 1958 have further evolved with different interpretations making the norms ambiguous impacting the performance of the UN peacekeeping operations.

• A.K. Bardalai |
• July-September 2022 |
• Journal of Defence Studies