Publication

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 the readers about a forthcoming special issue titled “The Year of Reforms: Reshaping India’s Defence for the Decade Ahead”, work on which is in progress. We plan to bring out another special issue subsequently.

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

Mutual security, economic and regional interests continue to sustain the EU–Türkiye cooperation despite persistent political and normative disagreements.

• Abhishek Yadav |
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• IDSA Comments

The India–Bhutan rail connectivity initiative is a pivotal project for bilateral cooperation and regional integration.

• Sneha M |
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• Issue Brief

The Balikatan Exercise 2026 underscores efforts to enhance interoperability, maritime security, and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

• Simran Walia |
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• Issue Brief

US President Donald Trump’s visit to China from 13-15 May 2026 is taking place against the backdrop of intense trade and technological competition between the two countries.

• Mayuri Banerjee |
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• IDSA Comments

The successful test of the Agni-5 with MIRV capability serves as a clear signal of India’s credible nuclear deterrence posture.

• Ajey Lele |
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• IDSA Comments

Over the past decade, India's Act East Policy has shifted from occasional interaction to a steady, institutionalized presence across Southeast Asia and Oceania. This monograph argues that by prioritizing normative alignment, maritime security, and collaborative partnerships over coercive power, India has solidified its standing as a credible regional stakeholder. Future success depends on deepening functional cooperation and improving project execution to translate this established influence into long-term strategic relevance and regional stability.

• Abhay Kumar Singh , Om Prakash Das |
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• Monograph

The oceans, covering seventy percent of the Earth’s surface, are not just natural frontiers but important domains in the evolving global security agenda. According to the World Bank Group, “Maritime transport is the backbone of global trade, as more than eighty percent of goods are transported by sea”. The idea of maintaining “good order at sea” emerged through this and has gained momentum with globalization, as stable maritime trade became vital for peace and prosperity. The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are heavily reliant on the oceans for their economic development. Problems such are terrorism and piracy, climate change, maritime border issues, and others have hindered the economic and sustenance activities in the oceans, in turn hampering the economies of SIDS and global maritime sector.

• Sharvari Devendra Patil |
• July-December 2025 |
• Africa Trends

Africa's rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies and decentralised finance (DeFi) reflects both structural economic pressures and technological opportunity. Driven by currency volatility, inflation, financial exclusion, and a young, mobile-first population, crypto assets, particularly stablecoins have become embedded in everyday transactions, remittances, and value storage across the continent. However, this digital transformation has generated significant security risks. Drawing on recent law-enforcement operations such as INTERPOL-AFRIPOL's Operation Catalyst, this paper examines how cryptocurrencies and DeFi platforms are increasingly exploited by organised crime networks and terrorist groups for money laundering, fraud, extortion, and terror financing. The analysis highlights how pseudo-anonymity, weak regulatory frameworks, peer-to-peer exchanges, and crossborder ease of transfer enable a growing crime-terror nexus in Africa. While crypto technologies offer pathways for financial inclusion and economic resilience, their unregulated expansion threatens to undermine regional security and governance. The paper argues for calibrated regulation, institutional capacity-building, and financial literacy as essential to balancing innovation with security imperatives.

• Meghna Pradhan |
• July-December 2025 |
• Africa Trends

The civil war in Sudan, ongoing since April 2023, has evolved into a protracted power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with severe humanitarian and regional consequences. This article examines the conflict through the lens of the United Arab Emirates' strategic engagement, highlighting how Sudan's geopolitical location, gold resources, agricultural potential, and Red Sea access have positioned it as a key node in Abu Dhabi's regional ambitions. It traces the historical evolution of UAE-RSF ties, particularly through Sudan's participation in the Yemen war and the consolidation of RSF control over gold mining and trade networks linked to Dubai. The analysis further explores allegations of Emirati arms transfers to the RSF, the role of transnational logistics corridors, and the paradox of the UAE's dual posture as both mediator and alleged enabler of violence. The article argues that external economic and military involvement has intensified Sudan's internal conflict, prolonging instability and exacerbating humanitarian suffering across the Horn of Africa.

• Devendra Kumar |
• July-December 2025 |
• Africa Trends