North Korea: Launching a Satellite to Demonstrate ICBM Capability North Korea may not have reached the level of expertise to develop an ICBM indigenously. But, in terms of declaration of intent, it has achieved all that it wants. Ajey Lele | February 18, 2016 | IDSA Comments
Chasing a mirage in Munich? The Munich deal, abortive though it is, proves that Russia, by engaging militarily in a substantive manner, has placed itself at a decidedly advantageous place at the negotiating table as compared to the United States. K. P. Fabian | February 18, 2016 | IDSA Comments
Syria’s Unending Tragedy Syria’s plight is likely to get worse before it gets better. More Syrians will be killed and the powers that be do not care. K. P. Fabian | February 10, 2016 | IDSA Comments
Rocket Launchers for Small Satellites The increase in demand for small satellites is not supported by the best launch options. Various existing options have huge limitations. It is believed that ‘proliferation’ of small satellites technology is possible only if reliable and cost-effective launch options are made available. Ajey Lele , Tushar Shrivastav | February 04, 2016 | Issue Brief
2011 Revolution in Egypt: Five Years Later It will be wrong to conclude that Egypt will remain unfree for too long. Did Napoleon’s accession to power put an end to the French Revolution? K. P. Fabian | February 03, 2016 | Issue Brief
Indonesia’s Terrorism Challenge Notwithstanding the relatively lower death toll, the January 14 attack has caused alarm in the region given that it came as proof of the claim made by the IS in 2014 about intensifying its activities across Southeast Asia. Sampa Kundu | February 03, 2016 | IDSA Comments
Operation All Out against Bodo Militants: What Next? The Centre needs to focus on setting up mechanisms to ensure rehabilitation of displaced persons and surrendered militants as well as their participation in governance Sushil Kumar Sharma | February 02, 2016 | Issue Brief
Dark Web and Encrypted Apps: ISIS Communicates in the Black As ISIS strives to spread its tentacles in India, it would definitely build up a network of sympathisers and probable recruits, connected digitally with its operatives spread across the globe and available online round the clock. Munish Sharma | February 02, 2016 | IDSA Comments
Galvanising ‘Make in India’ in Defence: The Experts’ Committee Chips In In spite of spending close to Rs 500,000 crore on capital acquisitions between 2002–03 and 2014–15, the Indian Armed Forces continue to suffer from a chronic shortage of equipment and ammunition, low levels of serviceability of equipment already in service, and a heavy dependence on imports. The procurement programmes keep getting stalled or take inordinately long to fructify. There are several reasons for this morass; the primary ones being disjointed defence planning, limited budgetary support for modernisation of the armed forces, procedural complexities, and bureaucratic indolence. Amit Cowshish | January 2016 | Journal of Defence Studies
India’s Afghan Muddle: A Lost Opportunity by Harsh V. Pant The book provides a brief history of Afghanistan from ancient times to year 2014, and brings out the strategic interest of world powers in the country. It highlights that Afghanistan has seen considerable turmoil, upheavals and external forces battling for strategic control since the 1970s. In 2001, this culminated into an ‘international war against terror’ post the 9/11 attacks in the US by Al Qaeda, the leaders of which were then sheltered by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Y.M. Bammi | January 2016 | Journal of Defence Studies
