Analysis

I. The Big Story: China-India Brief Xi’s Tibet Visit General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Tibet this week. This is his first visit to Tibet since he started heading the party, state and military. Previously, Xi visited Tibet in 2011 when he was the Central Military Commission’s (CMC) Vice Chairman and the People Republic...

By describing the political landscape leading up to the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989, Vijay Gokhale details the nuances of the decision-making process of China’s party-state system It’s been over a year since the start of the ongoing China-India stand-off in eastern Ladakh that resulted in the deaths of 20...

At the recently concluded annual general body meeting of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), the flavour of the discussion was the think tank’s autonomy. The meeting discussed the resolution on renaming the institute, by affixing Manohar Parrikar to its existing nomenclature. The Narendra Modi government had changed the name...

The new iteration of Russia’s national security strategy and the latest Xi-Putin joint statement offer important clues to wedges that can be exploited in Russia’s relationship with China and Japan. On 2nd July, President Putin approved a new iteration of Russia’s national security strategy. The overwhelming focus on preserving the...

It would be naïve to expect that anything good would emerge from the public spat between Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on the politically mandated creation of the Theatre Command System. There is nothing wrong in professional disagreements but to...

PLA Promotions: Profiles; Arms Control, Military Diplomacy, Military-Political Work, Precision Munitions Eyes and Brain, Submarines; Conscription I. The Big Story: PLA Promotions The Central Military Commission (CMC) has promoted the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) four senior ranking officials this week. Xu Qiling, Wang Xiubin, Liu Zhenli and Ju Qiansheng were promoted as Generals....

Download the document as PDF Examining the integration of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) with the future structures of India’s Theatre Command system provides an opportunity to improve an important facet of national security. In essence, it involves two dimensions – Internal Security and Border Guarding including coastal areas....

Drones captured the imagination of the Indian public last week by dropping explosives on a military target close to the India-Pakistan border. Fear ensued, with Pakistan and drones coalescing in the public perception. Terrorism has revealed another arrow in its arsenal, and India seemed unprepared despite threat recognition for several...

China’s 100 New DF-41 Silos; China-India Brief; Naval and Merchant Ships Magazine; J-20s and CCP Centenary China has begun construction of more than 100 new silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in a desert near the northwest city of Yumen. Commercial satellite images obtained by researchers at the James Martin Center for...

Terrorist acts often reveal their intentions by the choice of targets. The drone attack on the IAF’s Jammu airbase on the night of June 26/27 may have more tactical and strategic strands than meets the eye. The combination of the choice of target, the method of attack, and its timing...