Journal of Defence Studies

The Battle of Imphal: March–July 1944

The year 2014 is the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Imphal. To mark the occasion, this article looks at who fought it; how and where the fighting unfolded in Manipur; how it was a battle fought in the air as well; and the link with the INA and the Chindits. It also notes the many reminders of the Second World War in Manipur today and concludes with a brief overview of the state’s overall experience of the war. The article aims, in effect, to introduce the reader to the Battle of Imphal, an extraordinary event in India’s history that has received little to no attention till date.

Distortions in the Discourse on Modernization of Armed Forces

The strategic discourse on defence and security matters in India revolves around familiar themes and sub-themes, ranging from larger issues such as the absence of a clearly articulated national security policy to somewhat fractious issues such as the higher defence management, civil-military relations and modernization of the armed forces.

Indian Ocean Maritime Security Cooperation Needs Coherent Indian Leadership

Maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is a central issue for regional and extra-regional actors. Traditional and non-traditional security challenges largely converge at sea as they impact economic, environmental, energy, human, food and national security. As the major regional power and an emerging Asian great power, India’s willingness and capacity to provide strategic leadership is critical to engendering a cooperative spirit of shared destiny. India’s growing naval capabilities indicate a strong commitment to maritime security.

Marine Eco-concern and its Impact on the Indian Maritime Strategy

Maritime strategic planning cannot be done in isolation of marine eco-concerns. Marine species are known to perceive the environment around them through acoustic signals, and depend on sound for numerous functions like foraging, communication and navigation. Noise as a pollutant has found scant reference in the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) document of 1982—the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas (UNCLOS). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is yet to include noise as a pollutant in its 1978 MARPOL Convention.

Proxy Warfare, by Andrew Mumford, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013

Proxy war, over the centuries, has become a significant attribute in shaping the desired strategic outcome of a conflict through indirect engagement. History is strewn with numerous conflicts where proxy war has been used by states to achieve their strategic goals without committing their own troops, resources and finances. Although large research material is available on contemporary warfare, international relations and related security studies, there is, however, a void existing in analysing proxy warfare and its tenets. This book by Andrew Mumford is a serious effort to bridge this gap.

The New Soldier in the Age of Asymmetric Conflict, by Rumu Sarkar

Asymmetric warfare has existed from the time of the famous tale of David and Goliath. Post-World War II, the world has witnessed these conflicts in Vietnam, Palestine, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The United States (US) is currently the sole superpower, and even countries with strong armed forces are developing asymmetric capabilities to respond to military threats posed by the US. Countries like China, Russia, Israel, Syria and India have to respond to asymmetric challenges which require innovative tactics in comparison to regular conventional warfare.

Red Revolution 2020 and Beyond: Strategic Challenges to Resolve Naxalism, by V.K. Ahluwalia, New Delhi: Bloomsbury

Literature on the Maoist movement continues to pour in. The government too has officially described it as the biggest threat to the internal security of the country. No wonder that scholars of different hues are making their contribution.

Exploring Risks and Vulnerabilities: An Alternate Approach to Maritime Security Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region

Maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has become a central consideration. Shared risks and common vulnerabilities for state and non-state actors, generated by traditional and non-traditional security challenges, converge to a significant extent at sea. Risk-based approaches offer the potential for regional and extra-regional actors to engage in a constructive and non-confrontational dialogue that can assist collective security cooperation.

Vulnerabilities in the Capital Acquisition Process

From the stage of inception of a procurement proposal till the signing of the contract, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) diligently follows a fairly elaborate procurement procedure for capital acquisitions, as also for revenue procurements. The purpose of laying down a procedure is to minimize discretion and bring in transparency at every stage to eliminate the possibility of undue influence on decision making. But this does not seem to have worked very well for the MoD as instances of corruption keep surfacing every now and then.

Troubled Waters: Exploring the Emerging Dynamics between Navies and Private Security Companies in Anti-piracy Operations

The return of piracy to the Indian Ocean in modern times has culminated in the resurgence of the private violence industry in the maritime domain. For the first time in modern history, the private military security industry will work alongside traditional navies on the field. The dynamics between the two major security actors in the anti-piracy operations make for an interesting study. This article argues that there exists much potential for fruitful engagement between the two actors: PMSCs and navies.