Coastal patrolling and unmanned surveillance After the 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai and the feverish efforts launched to close the gaps in the maritime security infrastructure, India has come a long way in ensuring that another such attack from the sea will be more difficult to execute. How synergetic will be the effort will only be known when the next crisis occurs and we have another round of blame game and accusations as happened after… Read More »Bridging gap
The state of maritime surveillance and security appears to be no better than it was when Pakistani terrorists came into Mumbai on 26 November 2008. The case in point is the appearance of MT Pavit on the seafront after drifting for about a month in the north Arabian Sea, still drifting from one beach to another endangering shipping in an already accident prone Mumbai harbour. The Indian Navy which was made responsible for the total… Read More »Failing to track: Surveillance at sea and network connectivity
The face that Boko Haram has not only survived the harsh reprisals of 2009 but has also since been able to expand both the reach and scope of its operations ought to be a wakeup call to both the Nigerian government and international community. The suicide bombings targeting symbols of Nigerian state authority and international engagement represent a major advance in Boko Haram’s capabilities and a significant shift in its message. The upsurge in attacks… Read More »Brewing trouble: Growth of Boko Haram in Nigeria
The war in Kachin commenced in June 2011 after the 17-year old ceasefire between the Burmese government and Kachin rebels was broken. The Kachin people in Burma have been demanding autonomy for the past six decades but have been left disappointed. Being a resource-rich region and bordering China, Kachin becomes very important geo-politically. The war between the Burmese tatmadaw and Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the military wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), has been… Read More »Getting embroiled: War in Kachin could spell disaster
The specter of post 2014 Afghanistan is haunting the regional powers. The Great American retreat is perhaps forcing the allies and enemies of Taliban to discuss their fate on a common platform. The Americans and their western allies may be living in illusion that Afghanistan will continue to be ruled by the democratic forces. However, it is not a million dollar question and the regional powers have taken it as a foregone conclusion that the… Read More »New alliance: India-China exploring joint strategy for Afghanistan
The French government’s decision to sell several Mistral-class amphibious warships to Russia has aroused concerns that the Russian Navy will use the vessels to intimidate or even invade its neighbors. Yet, the ship would add little to Russia’s already substantial military advantage over many other countries. In a stark confession, former US President George W Bush had once admitted that Russia’s military dominance will remain impact making and it can not be decimated. Actually, US… Read More »Changing scenario: Impact of Europe-Russia defence industry ties
China’s assertive rise in the first decade of the twenty-first century has been unequivocal in its economic and strategic rise. As China’s economic growth burgeoned, its resources sourcing outreach increased in dramatic dimensions. China is seized with three dimensions of a ‘strategic dilemma’ that has resulted in its aggressive overdrive. Its zest for a power rise is based on the perception that it should aggressively monopolise natural and mineral resources that would fuel its rapid… Read More »Coercive orbit: Chinese maritime build-up in South-East Asia
On the invitation of Bangladesh, China which has been eyeing for a naval base in Bay of Bengal has decided to initially develop Sonadia Islands as a deep sea port for Bangladesh which may later turn out to be another Gwadar-giving a high voltage headache to Indian defence establishment. China has agreed to fund 99 per cent of the Sonadia Islands deep water port project and by 2015 the first phase will be completed. The… Read More »Adding a pearl: China looks for a naval base in Bangladesh
China’s once-a-decade leadership change in November brought to focus the opaque character of Chinese politics and what direction it will take in years to come, given the underneath tensions in the heavily guarded Chinese polity which are now being realized in public domain. The 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China meeting in November, with over 2200 delegates, confirmed Xi Jinping as the next Party Chief as well as the President of PRC, while… Read More »Defending mainland: China’s leadership change and its implications
On the occasion of the 11th BCIM (Acronym of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar) forum meeting, held in Dhaka on 23-24 February 2013, a car rally from Kolkata to Kunming was flagged off. The initiative has ambitions of Indo-China road connectivity passing through Bangladesh and Myanmar. In the pattern of ASEAN-India car rally, the rally followed the route through Dhaka, Silchar (Assam), Imphal (Manipur) and Mandalay and Ruili (Yunnan). But this long route has been… Read More »Connecting pass: Apprehensions and options