Publication

Editorial Note

2015 is a very special year for the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses, marking 50 years since it was established on November 11, 1965. Celebrating the landmark, the current issue of Strategic Analysis carries a section on ‘Fifty Years of IDSA and Strategic Thinking in India’. This section comprises reminiscences by authors who either headed the Institute or served as part of its faculty, about the Institute’s role in shaping strategic thinking and contributing to policy planning in the country over five decades.

Nuclear Strategy in the Modern Era: Regional Powers and International Conflict by Vipin Narang

Vipin Narang offers a critical analysis of why states adopt certain strategies and postures over others and how these choices affect their ability to deter conflicts. With the world already into the second nuclear age, strategic equations are no longer defined by a ‘bipolar global superpower competition involving massive nuclear arsenals with the capability to destroy each other multiple times over’ (p. 1).

Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific by Robert D. Kaplan

The South China Sea has been an area of intense focus in post-Cold War international affairs. The primary reason that explains the growing significance of the South China Sea in contemporary world politics is the regional tension and competition involving China and smaller adjacent countries around the sea. The engagement of the extra-regional powers, which has the potential to aggravate the situation, is another factor that compels International Relations (IR) practitioners to keenly watch the developments there. In this context, Robert D.

Japan in Peril? 9 Crisis Scenarios by Rebuild Japan Initiative Foundation

For a long time Japan has upheld the values of pacifism, democracy and industrial and economic prosperity. However, protection of these values seems to be at stake now as Japan is grappling with a number of challenges on the domestic and foreign policy fronts. Various scholarly works have been undertaken to research these challenges. However, given the limited scope of these studies, they have so far failed to offer a comprehensive view of all the major challenges. This book rectifies that and offers an in-depth analysis of nine major challenges faced by Japan.