Journal of Defence Studies

The Thousand Years War: Russia and the West, by Achala Moulik

History is often written as a sequence of discrete events, each confined to its own time and place. Achala Moulik’s The Thousand Years War: Russia and the West does not...

The Art of War by Sun Tzu (Translator: Lionel Giles)

Sun Tzu’s The Art of War remains one of the greatest works on strategy, warfare and leadership ever written (around 5th century BCE) with an influence that extends far beyond...

Redlines Redrawn: Operation Sindoor and India’s New Normal, by Maj Gen Bipin Bakshi, Air Mshl Rajesh Kumar, Amb Anil Trigunayat and Brig Akhelesh Bhargava

On 22 April 2025, four terrorists armed with automatic rifles carried out a brutal attack on unsuspecting tourists in the scenic Pahalgam valley of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This heinous...

R. Vignesh |
January-March 2026 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Security through Intelligence Sharing: The US–Philippines GSOMIA

The defence relations between the United States and the Philippines dates to 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty (MDT), and has evolved over the years into a modern, mature, comprehensive security partnership....

The Amazing Story of Akash and the Way Forward

The story of indigenous defence technology proving to be a game-changer is often inadequately reported. During Operation Sindoor, the indigenously developed medium-range Akash missile allegedly shot down a PAK JF-...

How Henry A. Kissinger’s Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy Moved Away from History and Back into an Unstable Nuclear Age

Henry A. Kissinger arguably remains a force in strategic thinking circles. On 27–28 October 2025, a two-part documentary on his life was released by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in...

Building Adaptable, Future-Ready Air Forces: Operationalising IAF Doctrine for Multi-Domain Supremacy

Challenges in the warfighting domain have continued to plague the military leadership across the world. The application of the military instrument of power has continued to transform with the evolving...

Anil Golani |
January-March 2026 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Emerging Threat Vectors: Drones and Autonomous Systems in the Indian Defence Spectrum

This article examines the strategic implications of drones and autonomous systems within India’s evolving defence and security environment. It argues that autonomy should not be assessed merely as a platform...

India and the Strait of Hormuz: Strategic Vulnerabilities and Policy Responses in a Shifting Regional Order

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint, is crucial for India’s energy security as more than two-thirds of India’s oil imports pass through this route.1 This article examines...

Indian Drone Ecosystem: Need to Innovate to Dominate

Operation Sindoor saw Pakistan launch massed drone attacks which were neutralised by the Indian counter-unmanned aircraft system grid. Pakistan and its all-weather friends, China and Turkey, most likely will learn...

Rajan Desai |
January-March 2026 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Fighting for Red Hill or Maibam Lotpa Hill: A Decisive Episode of the Battle of Imphal, May 1944

This study examines the nine-day engagement at Maibam-Lotpa Hill (Red Hill) from 20 May to 29 May 1944, analysing its strategic significance and broader implications within the Imphal campaign. In...

Is Xi Jinping in Control for the Fourth Term? A Reality Check

Xi Jinping has amassed more personal power than any Chinese leader in decades. Since becoming General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2012, Xi has systematically centralised authority...

K. Shanaz |
January-March 2026 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Editorial

I am pleased to present to the readers the first issue of 2026, featuring five analytically rich articles, four commentaries and four book reviews. I would also like to inform...

Vivek Chadha |
January-March 2026 |
Journal of Defence Studies

The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama, by Melvyn C. Goldstein

The political status of Tibet in relation to China has been a contentious issue. It has invoked the question of the right of a people to self-determination. Melvyn C. Goldstein’s...

Maitrayee Jha |
October-December 2025 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed, by Abhinav Pandya

In the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Abhinav Pandya’s book Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed, assumes significant relevance as it offers a comprehensive analysis of the operational...

Anushka Chavan |
October-December 2025 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Mao’s Army Goes to Sea: The Island Campaigns and the Founding of China’s Navy, by Toshi Yoshihara, Georgetown University Press, 2022, pp. 158

Mao’s Army Goes to Sea: The Island Campaigns and the Founding of China’s Navy delves into Mao’s initial efforts to build a naval force, tracing the development of the People’s...

Himadri Bose |
October-December 2025 |
Journal of Defence Studies

The AUKUS Submarine Roadmap: A Bridge Too Far?

The year 2025 has proven to be a particularly challenging period for the AUKUS trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US). The developments...

R. Vignesh |
October-December 2025 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Evolving Competitive Militant Landscape of Pakistan and its Implications

The Pakistani policymakers and academia did not envisage an escalation of attacks in Pakistan after the ascendancy of the Afghan Taliban in August 2021.1 In fact, many commentators and analysts...

Harsh Behere |
October-December 2025 |
Journal of Defence Studies

Crossing Lines: Drugs, Insurgency and Disorder in the Indo-Myanmar Borderlands

The intensification of drug trafficking across the Indo-Myanmar border presents a significant challenge to both political and socio-economic stability in the region. This illicit trade not only exacerbates insurgent activities...

Manashi Parashar |
October-December 2025 |
Journal of Defence Studies

The Tribal Connect to Maoist Insurgency in India: The Historical Context and Alleviation Measures by the Government

Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or Maoism in India has been an ongoing internal security challenge since the late 1960s. The current phase of this insurgency has its ground zero in...