With most of the India’s immediate neighborhood gradually getting engulfed in internal strife and political instability, Bangladesh offers hope and opportunity for India to expand its policy of cooperative partnership without seeking any reciprocal rewards and thus create for itself a congenial atmosphere for its national development and increase its regional and international clout. The first ever visit of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to Dhaka in the first week of March, 2013 would help promote… Read More »Fresh winds: India-Bangladesh relations and cooperative approach

The India-Israel defence cooperation received a major boost with the visit of the facilities in Israel by the Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne on 22nd January, 2013. The IAF chief, who is also the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff committee, was in Israel to review bilateral defence cooperation and also to oversee the joint development and production programme of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM).… Read More »Mutual gain: India-Israel missile cooperation

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