'India has gone some way to meeting its objectives because it has established a deterrent value that Pakistan will have to take into account when it plans future terrorist attacks.'
'India has been preparing for the last 15 days... it won't be easy for Pakistan if it tries to dominate escalation.'
The government needs to answer the critical question of whether it has accepted any restrictions on its infrastructure creation activities, asserts Ajai Shukla.
Almost five years later, the three services have still not fully understood that joint/theatre commands are not a discussion point; they are the prime minister's diktat on a military reform measure that is in line with what armed forces around the world have implemented, points out Ajai Shukla.
Neither the BJP, nor the Congress before it, made any manifesto commitments on defence spending, even though allocations have plummeted from 4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the late 1980s to less than 2 per cent today, points out Ajai Shukla.
India's tactical and operational response demonstrated its ability to prosecute tri-service operations, even without a formal tri-service doctrine or the higher command structure needed to coordinate it, points out Ajai Shukla.
DRDO's latest tank will face trial in Rajasthan's summer which will be followed by 'user trials' ahead of facing battle in high-altitude deserts of eastern Ladakh and Sikkim, reports Ajai Shukla.
During these seven decades, the IAF has lost 2,374 aircraft to crashes. They include 1,126 fighters and 1,248 non-combat aircraft. In addition, 229 trainers and 196 helicopters have crashed. These crashes have resulted in the deaths of 1,305 skilled pilots, note Ajai Shukla and Devesh Kapur.
Indian policymakers must realise that in buying small quantities of equipment, it becomes hard to start manufacturing them in India, explains Ajai Shukla.
In the confrontation in Doklam, where Indian and Chinese soldiers were lined up eyeball-to-eyeball, senior Indian commanders recount they could sense the uncertainty in the Chinese. While Indian soldiers had to be restrained from pushing the Chinese troops back, our chief interpreter heard the Chinese officers threatening to open fire on PLA soldiers who wavered or withdrew, reveals Ajai Shukla.
Throughout 2022, China turned to the PLA as an increasingly capable instrument of Statecraft, strengthening its ability to 'fight and win wars' against a 'strong enemy', points out Ajai Shukla.
'Rajnath Singh's message was very clear: India's focus is on developing self-reliance.'
While Pakistan enjoys rough parity with India in legacy weapon systems, it is beginning to enjoy superiority in drone warfare, thanks to the RPVs supplied by China, explains Ajai Shukla.
India's historical focus on its continental borders has overshadowed its maritime ambitions, but that is changing quickly, notes Ajai Shukla.
In the two years since the PLA's intrusions into Eastern Ladakh, the Border Roads Organisation is sparing no effort to build and upgrade road highways from Tezpur to the McMahon Line.
HAL is working closely with GE to develop the LCA's export potential.
To threaten China and Pakistan, and then to sharply cut back on military funding, bespeaks a remarkable trust in Beijing and Islamabad that is not borne out by anything they say or do, notes Ajai Shukla.
Tired jargon does not portend transformative change. The new chief needs to focus, says Ajai Shukla
The Indian Air Force is wasting crores of Rupees on replacing the Avro-748, which has been a bits-and-pieces aircraft without any real operational role, says Ajai Shukla
For years, New Delhi and Washington have negotiated the purchase of 145 M777 howitzers. Ajai Shukla reports
Antony will irretrievably sully his legacy by scuttling an operationally crucial appointment, says Ajai Shukla
Top military officers, including Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, had been summoned to make presentations on military uniforms.
16 Indian Army divisions face China, 20 face Pakistan and two divisions are reserves. This powerful signal can hardly be missed in China or Pakistan, notes Ajai Shukla.
Saab believes co-developing Tejas Mark II would end need for Rafale. Ajai Shukla reports
The Indian Air Force has alleged that the Russians reluctant to share critical design information, besides technical and cost issues. Ajai Shukla reports
The fast interceptor craft delivered can patrol the coastline at a scorching speed of 45 knots.
The new mountain strike corps, created to deter Chinese adventurism and launch offensives, will financially damage India's military. Ajai Shukla reports
The Chinese navy's growing aggression in the Western Pacific is bringing together a range of allies.
A five-year contract to provide comprehensive maintenance support for India's fleet of 12 C-130J Super Hercules tactical airlifter aircraft.
The 'On-Board Oxygen Generation System' developed for the Tejas can produce 1,000 litres of oxygen every minute.
New Delhi has consigned to itself the role of the underdog, says Ajai Shukla
Ajai Shukla on the titanic mis-spending of lakhs of crores by the Indian defence forces
The structural trends in Pakistan raise the possibility that the army's opinions may increasingly have to parallel, not shape, the public's, says Ajai Shukla
Good navies keep their battleships alive. India's first aircraft carrier will be reborn as its first indigenously built carrier, reports Ajai Shukla
Vapid banalities like 'We will provide our brave jawans with the best equipment in the world' encourage IAF buying sprees such as the Rafale and the Pilatus. Ajai Shukla reports
The only way out of the downward spiral of purchases, scams, cancellations and blacklistings is the systematic and relentless indigenisation of defence equipment, says Ajai Shukla
With India becoming the second-biggest victim of cyber-attacks after the United States, the government wants to install a foolproof security cover; but it could invade the privacy of Indians, says Ajai Shukla
Top DRDO scientists say indigenous missiles would cost barely half as much as a foreign alternative, reports Ajai Shukla.
The framework aims at creating a secure cyber space for users to enjoy confidence in electronic transactions, reports Ajai Shukla
New Delhi, which views Pakistan in the context of an outdated and intellectually lazy narrative of implacable hostility, needs a clearer understanding of a rapidly changing Pakistani playfield, feels Ajai Shukla
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