Journal of Defence Studies

Data Theft: Implications for Economic and National Security

With the digitisation of services, such as in the case of governance and banking, or the electronic means of conducting commerce or trade, a large amount of data is generated, stored, processed; this also traverses, over digital devices and networks. The incidents of data theft compromise the integrity of this data. Data is at continuous risk from a myriad of threat actors varying from hacktivists to nation states.

Not War, Not Peace? Motivating Pakistan to Prevent Cross- Border Terrorism, by George Perkovich and Toby Dalton

The book—Not War, Not Peace? Motivating Pakistan to Prevent Cross-Border Terrorism—seems well-timed as it was released just few months before the surgical strikes conducted by Indian forces across the Line of Control (LoC), and appears to reflect the intentions of the Government of India. The central theme of the book is how to motivate Pakistan to dismantle anti-Indian organisations originating in and operating from its territory.

Military Robots: Mapping the Moral Landscape, by Jai Galliott

The ethical use of the military robots is a serious concern and in the last few years this debate has gained significant momentum on various human rights as well as military forums. The book under review deals with the same debate. The author’s idea is to thoughtfully bring forth the relevant arguments that have surfaced over last few years and examine them under the broad lens of ‘just war theory’.

Diplomatic Dimensions of Maritime Challenges for India in the 21st Century, by Yogendra Kumar

The book records the story of India’s development into a modern maritime nation ready to take on the challenges of the twenty-first century. It also tells us how India has steadily built upon its nascent capacities since the early years of independence. In doing so, it begins by giving a brief historical overview of the Indian maritime tradition.

India’s Military Power: A General Reflects, by Lt Gen H.C. Dutta

In this book, the author—a distinguished officer of the Indian Army who retired as an Army Commander in 1983—has written about his experiences and important events in his 37 years of military life. He was commissioned in 1948 in the first batch of gentlemen cadets from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, in post-independence India. He witnessed the Partition of the country and the reorganisation of the Indian Armed Forces, which gave him an insight into the many facets of national security at the grassroots level.

Conceptualising Stress in the Armed Forces: A Public Health Perspective

In recent years, the frequent reports of suicide and fragging cases among armed forces personnel have prompted several questions about the negative effects of stressful life experiences on the well-being of soldiers. The narrow conception of mental health is not enough to understand and explain the status of mental health and well-being of a soldier, which eclipses the interwoven nature of various social determinants of health at workplace, such as the complexity of social categories reflected in class, power and caste structures.

Transfer of Defence Technology to India: Prevalence, Significance and Insights

Transfer of technology has been prevalent in numerous forms across the world, both in the civil as well as defence domains, and India is no exception. These transfers, primarily in the form of licenced manufacture, have provided a significant boost to the production capabilities and self-reliance of developing nations in the past and hold great promise, in the future, for nations that do not have a well-developed science and technology base.

United Nations Peacekeeping Challenge: The Importance of the Integrated Approach, by Anna Powles et al.

The nature of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations has evolved considerably since 1948. Most contemporary conflict zones are full of violence, resulting in a large number of civilian casualties. So much so, that even the peacekeepers have now become major targets of violence and asymmetric threats.

Open Skies: Transparency, Confidence Building, and the End of the Cold War, by Peter Jones

The Cold War period has been significant in international history as well as politics. The two power blocs were never at open war but much went on as part of propaganda against the other. Within this struggle between two ideological teams were also efforts, however ill-conceived, to reduce suspicions and build better relations with the hope for a more secure environment. ‘Open Skies’ is one of such initiatives that have in fact barely been comprehensively recorded until the release of this book.

The Rise and Future of ISIS

The article discusses the rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and focuses on its future. It explores the major milestones in the phenomenal rise of ISIS, which has surprised many geopolitical and military experts. It also briefly traces its journey as it gained ground in parts of Iraq, Syria and Libya, and the support it received from unexpected quarters of the world. The strong presence of ISIS in the digital medium has become a defining feature of the group.