Journal of Defence Studies

International Law on the Use of Force against Terrorists since 9/11: The Contrasting Cases of Israel and India

The international law on the use of force against terrorists has experienced a radical revision since the rise of transnational jihad of Al-Qaeda. It has sufficiently expanded to accommodate actions against terrorists in foreign territory in the wake of terrorist attacks, particularly when the foreign State is hosting terrorists and not cooperating with the victim State. However, the new legal framework does not give carte blanche to States to use force against terrorists. While using force States must strictly follow the law.

Economic Sanctions as an Option to Fight Pakistan Sponsored Terrorism

Nuclearisation of the Indian subcontinent limits conventional military options available to India for punishing Pakistan’s employment of terrorism as a tool of state policy. While India has rightly balanced the use of diplomatic and limited military means over a period of time, even as these remain relevant, the option of economic sanctions deserves deeper analysis for its efficacy and impact. Economic measures can be undertaken both in the form of direct and indirect actions against a target country, individual or an organisation with varied degrees of impact.

Military Change: Survival of the Most Adaptable

The Greek philosopher Thucydides famously stated the proximate words: ‘The only constant [in life] is change’. (Even the most stable isotope, Tellerium-128, changes; it will decay to half its mass in 2.2 septillion years!) Change, therefore, is inevitable and takes place in every animate and inanimate thing and becomes necessary to remain relevant in the environment that one lives in. If your enemy changes his way of fighting and you do not, then a dysfunction in countering your enemy is inevitable.

Heading East: Security, Trade and Environment between India and Southeast Asia, by Karen Stoll Farrell and Sumit Ganguly

Heading East, Security, Trade and Environment between India and Southeast Asia, co-edited by Sumit Ganguly and Karen Stoll Farrell, consisting of 11 chapters and one introductory note by the editors, broadly deals with India’s Look East/Act East Policy (LEP/AEP).

The Ashgate Research Companion to Military Ethics, by James Turner Johnson and Eric D. Patterson

‘Ethics’, derived from the Latin word ethice, means a set of moral principles which guides actions towards ‘normative’ discipline.

Is India’s Nuclear Doctrine Credible?

Recent debates by former officials and analysts on India’s nuclear doctrine highlight certain credibility problems. Two inter-related pillars of the doctrine—the pledge of ‘No-First Use’ (NFU) and the assurance of a ‘massive retaliation’ response to a nuclear strike—have been scrutinised.1 The backdrop shaping the debate is the pressing need to discover options to produce a de-escalation or deter an escalation in Pakistan’s sub-conventional war. This is the context for the ongoing contestations around India’s nuclear doctrine.

Frontiers, Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies in South Asia, 1820-2013, by Kaushik Roy

Frontiers, Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies in South Asia is a well written and intelligently composed monograph by Kaushik Roy, a leading expert in South Asian military studies. It primarily deals with frontier issues, insurgency and counter-insurgency (COIN) operations in South Asia from 1820 to 2013, adequately emphasising on the inter-relationships between colonial making of frontiers, state formation, and small wars conducted by the British in this particular region.

ALH Dhruv and the Indian Helicopter Industry: Unrealised Potential, Promises and Challenges

For more than half a century, independent India’s aircraft manufacturing has been dominated by, and entirely limited to, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The helicopter, in particular, was seen almost exclusively as a platform of military utility. Therefore, other than the defence forces, paramilitary and a few state governments, civilian use of helicopters was almost unheard of until recently. Commencing from the 1990s, awareness about the utility of helicopters for civilian use increased rapidly due to its widespread use by political parties during elections.

Perception Management in Asymmetric Warfare: Lessons for Democratic Practitioners from Ukraine (2014–16) and Gaza (2014)

The perception management component of information warfare has long been recognised as an important tool of warfare, appearing in military doctrines worldwide. The challenges and opportunities of its practice in different political contexts have however rarely merited substantive attention. This article examines the development and trajectory of two cutting-edge examples of contemporary information warfare practice: Russian information warfare in Ukraine (2014–present); and information warfare conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) up to and during Operation Protective Edge.

Indian Defence Budget: Challenging Times

The past decade, and in particular the Twelfth Plan period, have been challenging times for the Indian defence budget. Strategic foresight demands that India’s military strength and capabilities relate to diverse challenges by way of a not unlikely two-front war, the attendant imperatives for a ‘Cold Start’ capability, non-conventional challenges from non-state actors, counter-terrorism capabilities and unavoidable internal security responsibilities.