In 1999 during the Kargil war India felt very acutely the need for air-delivered precision guided munitions. Freefall bombs, as the name implies would fall all over the craggy mountain except where the Pakistan Army’s Northern Light Infantry men were ensconced in their sanghars-stone embankments. By trial and error the Indian Armed Forces finally arrived at the perfect solution-the Bofors weapon fired like a line-of-sight gun instead of a high-trajectory howitzer-and bringing up the straight-firing… Read More »PGM technology

Since conventional weapons are not able to deliver the kinetic punch, leading militaries are now looking for a more potent weapon that can travel near to the speed of light. In the process global militaries are investing heavily in the future R&D of laser weapons that will be precise, lethal and swift. Currently US is the leading country in manufacturing laser weapons and it plans to invest further in developing advanced laser weapons for all… Read More »Modern weapon

With the acceptance of formal invite from Pakistan, it appeared that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would have visited Pakistan this month. It was supposed to be his final major diplomatic endeavor as Prime Minister. But now with all scams under his leadership surfacing and may be due to the pressure from the high command the chances appears to be bleak. However at a personal level Manmohan Singh is still optimistic. Though the motive behind… Read More »False hopes

Much has been said lately about the China-Japan rivalry spreading to the continent of Africa. Perhaps, this is logically so. Japan’s growing interest in Africa as a lucrative market for economic ties and energy security, at a time when China’s ever-increasing economic and political clout is engulfing Africa; is proving to be an extension of already existing competitive rivalry between both the nations. An adding to this tension is their war of words over each… Read More »Tough rivalry

Thailand’s anti-government unrest has taken an increasingly ugly, more violent turn with children killed or injured, their tiny bodies maimed and turned lifeless by shrapnel or gunshots. Thailand’s government will remain paralyzed for months, raising the risk of further street violence and possible damage to the economy, after the country’s Election Commission announced it would try to complete this month’s disputed election in late April. Thailand recently held parliamentary elections amid anti-government protests, which have… Read More »Bleak future

Since many of the Indian airfields are of dual civil-military facilities it would be natural to assume that if anything interferes with the operation of civil aircraft the same would apply to military aircraft as well. Though the latter are by and large “all weather” flying platforms they may be able to take off from a smog-bound airfield but getting back could become a problem without adequate instrument landing systems below. India has been in… Read More »Fresh approach

Poor state of the financial affairs of the country has ensured that the defence budget will not be a game changer in the coming financial year. The Indian armed forces are already feeling handicapped because of inordinate delay in finalizing cabinet sanctioned major defence acquisition plans and the reduced actual provisions for the three services will bother Indian strategic observers in the coming year. The interim defence budget for the year 2014-15 has shown a… Read More »Controlled sanction

Protection against nuclear, biological and chemical attacks is practically non-existent in India in the context of the urban target. So as far as the rural ambiance is concerned NBC protection is being provided only to troops that would be expected either to secure an area after an attack or launch counter-attacks on the enemy in the retaliatory strike concept. In the light of the devastating consequences a nuclear attack will have, one can only expect… Read More »Strong shield

China’s rise in the past decades has been extraordinary. It has grown to become an economic powerhouse and a military giant. But, as the country has grown and evolved from the shackles of its past, the manner in which it has gone about its rise has been viewed as aggressive. Naturally, a country on its path of super economic growth requires maintaining a continued and sustained standard of performance, for which it requires resources–monetary, political,… Read More »China’s hegemony

Almost 15,000 kms long border spanning six countries require constant monitoring but in terms of prioritizing the border areas for more effective surveillance, the Indian Army needs to focus more on the borders with China and Pakistan and to a lesser degree on the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, while other countries like Nepal and Bhutan requires much less deployment of manpower and resources. The borders with Nepal and Bhutan require basic surveillance but the… Read More »Border surveillance