IDSA Occasional Papers

The Acquisition of Rafale Aircraft: Facts and Concerns That Ought To Be In the Public Domain

The acrimonious debate in the public space on the acquisition of Rafale aircraft has been primarily focused on a few issues. The debate does not inform the public about the long, arduous and complex nature of the programme and the joint effort invested in it. The uniqueness of this programme is also not in the public domain. It does not specifically inform the lay person as to the rationale for restricting the numbers to two squadrons, and carries on oblivious of the collateral effect it may have on future acquisition programmes.

Trump’s Own “Star Wars” The 2019 US BMD Review and What It Augurs for India?

The Trump administration’s BMDR, released in early 2019, can be described as the most proactive BMD plan since the SDI days with fillip given to areas like directed-energy, addressing gaps in boost-phase interception and harnessing the space frontier. Besides analyzing the BMDR threadbare, this Volume uses a hitherto unexplored cache of documents to reconstruct the anatomy of the India-US BMD dialogue so to ascertain why it failed and what the BMDR augurs for India’s BMD future.

Analysing China’s Digital and Space Belt and Road Initiative

The recently held second Belt and Road forum in April 2019 based on the theme “Shaping a Brighter Shared Future" gained considerable momentum in the world community. BRI has been an ever evolving concept that has changed considerably since its inception in 2013. It has generated a blend of optimism and consternation around the world.

Authors: Ajey Lele
2019
IDSA Occasional Papers

Pakistan’s Foreign Policy: Trends and Challenges

Pakistan's most critical foreign policy concerns in the last few years relate to the deadlock in relations with India and India's success in isolating Pakistan regionally and internationally due to its support for terrorism. The success of its peace overtures to Afghanistan are constrained by various complexities arising out of the unpredictable situation in Afghanistan and the role of external powers like the US, China and Russia in the ongoing peace process.

Chemical Weapons Convention: Past, Present and Future

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is an arms control treaty that outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons and their precursors. This convention came into force on 29 April 1997. This convention is the effort of some 20 years of negotiations at the Conference of Disarmament (CD).

Authors: Ajey Lele , Natallia Khaniejo
2018
IDSA Occasional Papers

Future Warfare and Artificial Intelligence: Visible Path

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as the most disruptive technology of the current era and is advancing exponentially. AI is growing around the concept of machines acquiring human like intelligence for problem solving. Though still in early evolutionary stage, it is already changing the ways the day to day thing are being done.

Authors: Atul Pant
2018
IDSA Occasional Papers

Defence Planning and Budget Dilemma

The government decided to do away with the five year planning process in 2014. Therefore, there is no 13th plan. Despite this, MoD has gone ahead and formulated the 13th five year plan and submitted it to MoF for information only. Thus, the dilemma of defence planning and budget continues.

India’s Relations with the Latin America-Caribbean Region: Prospects and Constraints

This paper seeks, from a Latin American perspective, to examine India's relations with the Latin America-Caribbean region. It makes a distinction between the hesitant and somewhat apathetic approach of the Indian government towards enhanced ties with the region and the rather more proactive and enthusiastic approach by the Indian business sector which has seen Indian trade with the region growing many fold and increasing at the same rate as China's.

National Unity Government in Sri Lanka: An Assessment

At the close of two years, the National Unity Government (NUG) of Sri Lanka has failed to maintain the confidence and trust of the people it enjoyed during the first three months of its tenure. Having said that, political crisis or instability in Sri Lanka remains unlikely. The NUG is likely to complete its full term, but it will not be a cakewalk.

Hypersonic Weapons

Hypersonic weapons are weapons that move at speeds of Mach 5 or more. Presently, hypersonic weapon technology is a work in progress and these weapons are yet to become fully operational for military deployment.