Japan in India’s Northeast: The Indo-Pacific Connect Japan is likely to play a decisive role in positioning Northeast India as a powerhouse through improved connectivity, opening up trade corridors and driving better economic integration. Titli Basu | April 19, 2022 | IDSA Comments
Sino-Russian Cooperation and Competition in Central Asia The Central Asian region with its five post-Soviet republics is geopolitically important for its proximity to Afghanistan, West Asia, China, Russia and the Caucasus. These republics have been wooed by many powers keen to gain access to their rich resources. Russia, the regional hegemon has been slipping in the economic domain, while China’s fortunes and national power are on the rise. This article seeks to examine the standing of these two powers that are both cooperating and competing in Central Asia and suggest the way ahead for India Dhiraj Ramanand | April-June 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
Combat Stress in Conflicts: Home and Abroad International peacekeeping operations have been one of the hallmark developments in the post-Cold War era. While it is true that these operations started almost immediately after the end of World War II, they really gathered momentum post the fall of Berlin Wall in 1989. The shadow of veto by warring permanent members gave way to cooperation and greater consensus emerged to solve the world’s problems in trouble spots through United Nations (UN)-led multinational peacekeeping operations. The UN peacekeeping has a long but checkered history. Atanu K. Pattanaik | April-June 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
Belarus: Russia’s Cat’s Paw Belarus has managed to escape the scanner of major countries reserved for rogue nations despite blatant violations of the laid-down international rules. Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, despite his moral credentials badly shaken after trumped up elections in 2020 still seems to be holding firm ground due to the unstinted support offered by Russia, an acknowledged military powerhouse. AV Chandrasekaran | April-June 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
Russia–Ukraine Conflict and Kazakhstan The Russia–Ukraine conflict has put Kazakhstan’s foreign policy to a severe test. Though there are similarities between Ukraine and Kazakhstan, the NATO factor doesn’t exist in the case of the latter. In Kazakhstan’s approach to the Russia–Ukraine conflict, it is possible to discern a distinct tilt towards Russia. Gitesh Sarma | April 12, 2022 | IDSA Comments
Recalling Air Power in the Indian Context With the announcement of the proposed theaterisation of the existing structure of the armed forces, there have been numerous exchanges of ideas, formal and informal discourses, official and unofficial exchange of views and perspectives in recent months. During such exchanges, a standpoint of equating the Air Force of a nation with the Artillery has emerged and it requires to be put in a proper perspective. Indian military history has unfortunately not highlighted the lethality and importance of air power, which is the root cause for incorrect understanding of air power. Swaim Prakash Singh | April-June 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
India–United States Maritime Collaboration Ensuring maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific region is key security imperative and one of the key objectives of India’s engagement with the US and other partners. Anurag Bisen | April 08, 2022 | Backgrounder
About the Genomic Origin and Direct Source of the Pandemic Virus The debate over the genomic origin and direct source of the pandemic virus has intensified due to recent analyses concerning activities that had taken place in Wuhan prior to the initial outbreak and thereafter. Revisiting various aspects which are related to this development appears to be imperative, as certain early indications seem to converge with those analyses, while other recent analyses are contradictory. Download Complete Article [PDF] Dany Shoham | April-June 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
Advancing Relations between India and Greece Bilateral relations between India and Greece have grown steadily over the years. A few additional steps can further enhance and deepen the strategic cooperation between the two countries. Ioannis E. Kotoulas | April 07, 2022 | IDSA Comments
India and the Philippines: Towards a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the Philippines would be fruitful in not only strengthening the bilateral relations between the two, but also in adding heft to the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific. Akash Sahu | April 01, 2022 | IDSA Comments