The MiG-21 episode demonstrates that procurement is always strategic.
Choices about what aircraft to acquire, who builds them, who supplies the spares, who trains the pilots and technicians are decisions with political consequences lasting for decades.
'Non-compatible with Western Civilization' is about as vague and jingoistic as it gets and Trump saying this gives full license to his acolytes to go full throttle on making life as difficult and scary as possible for as many non-white people as possible,' notes Sree Sreenivasan.
'She was brave. She didn't care a hoot. And India was not the strongest of nations as it is now.'
'She was brave. She didn't care a hoot. And India was not the strongest of nations as it is now.'
This comes despite Russia on Monday stating that Lavrov and Rubio held a "constructive" conversation as part of preparations for the meeting between their two presidents in Budapest, Hungary, Russian media has reported.
India emerged from the war militarily bruised and strategically altered. The United States, under the guise of friendship, had succeeded in achieving what open alignment never could: The psychological and political repositioning of India within the Cold War order, points out Dr Kumar.
India has wrapped up its operation at a strategic air base in Tajikistan's Ayni following the lapse of a bilateral agreement, people familiar with the matter said this week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday formally admitted for the first time that the country's air defences were responsible for shooting down an Azerbaijani airliner last December, an incident that killed 38 people, reports Associated Press.
After Donald Trump became president of the United States, he unleashed economic weaponisation, upsetting the old world order, leading to much unrest. If that wasn't all, the threat of an imminent nuclear war was issued by the US, Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan. In today's fractious times, Dr Paulos Mar Gregorios would have made a dent, notes His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III.
'The longer India hangs out to dry, the worse the New Delhi-Washington relationship gets.'
China has commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, featuring advanced electromagnetic catapults, amidst rising tensions and military modernization efforts.
What appeared to be a generous act of friendship was, in truth, a manoeuvre within a much larger strategic game. The United States used the 1962 war not just to aid India but to test how far it could be pulled into the Western fold, points out Dr Kumar.
Bolton slammed Trump's tariff policy, asserting that it has "shredded" decades of Western efforts to align India away from its Cold War ties with the then Soviet Union (Russia) and address the growing threat from China.
HAL executives said deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A to the IAF would begin within this year, but only after the successful completion of the weapons-firing trials currently underway.
The MiG-21's sharp silhouette and supersonic roar will live on in the memories of those who flew it, those who maintained it, and those who watched it streak across the sky as a symbol of India's strength, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Amid US-China trade tensions and economic vulnerabilities, India must seize the 'China +1' opportunity, deepen reforms, secure FTAs, and globalise its firms for long-term growth, suggests Ajay Shah.
HAL has assured the IAF that 12 Mk1A aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2025-2026.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed optimism about Russia-US relations, citing potential cooperation in the Arctic and Alaska. He acknowledged the current low level of relations but sees improvement with President Trump's administration. Putin also emphasized the importance of Russia's sovereignty and the role of its nuclear industry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his upcoming visit to India in December and expressed his intention to address the trade imbalance between the two countries, particularly concerning India's crude oil imports from Russia. He also lauded India's independent stance on international issues and highlighted the strong relationship between the two nations.
Red Square and VDNKh easily rank among the most striking places I've visited -- both for their historical significance and architectural splendour.
My admiration for Russian culture, vision and ambition grew with every step as I clocked the miles, Nitin Sathe tells us after a visit to Moscow and St Petersburg.
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian to travel to space in 1984. Here's what you should know about the national icon.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anurag Thakur has told students at a school event in Himachal Pradesh that Lord Hanuman might have been the first space traveller and urged students to value the country's millennia-old traditions, knowledge and culture.
'It would be a huge mistake to think that Gorbachev's reforms did not achieve anything.' 'We all live in the world, which is in many respects a result of Glasnost and Perestroika.'
As many as 2,493 graves were identified as belonging to foreign terrorists who were killed in counter-insurgency operations.
These individuals often lacked identification to conceal their networks and maintain Pakistan's plausible deniability.
The Indian Air Force is set to retire its fleet of MiG-21 fighter jets at a decommissioning event in Chandigarh. The event will mark the end of an era for the aircraft that has been a key part of the IAF's combat fleet for over six decades.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned US President Donald Trump about the dangers of a 'dead hand' after Trump criticized Russia and India's close ties and their 'dead economies'.
China calls the shoal Huangyan Dao. China has already deployed some of its biggest CCG vessels in the area to assert its claims.
India, the land that gave the world Darjeeling and Assam tea, risks losing its place at the global tea table, not because of its leaves, but because of its lost opportunities, notes Kanika Datta.
'The strategic difference over technology and territory between India and China remain great and security interests on both sides will likely prevent a short-term rapprochement of any depth.'
'India has the deciding vote in the 21st century...India is a significant player in the 21st century and is poised to become even more powerful.'
Mrs Gandhi's power ebbed and peaked with the times. Mr Modi's has almost been constant, barring the few months of hard dip after the 240 seats of 2024, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton says President Trump's policies have damaged US-India relations, pushing New Delhi closer to Russia and China.
Gorbachev was the last leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
The collective West has always opposed strong leaders and economic development in India, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Chusovitina became the Soviet all-around champion at 13 and the world champion on floor in 1991.
10 Heroes of the 1965 War which ended on September 23 60 years ago.
'Xi is an individual led by a harder calculus and would scoff at melting over gestures.' 'That we did not know this was our failure,' asserts Aakar Patel.
If the US' renewed closeness with Pakistan ends up strengthening Pakistan's military, it will clearly show that Washington no longer wants a strong India and could be ready to let China dominate Asia, notes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Glimpses from India and around the world that will make you smile and cry.
'As humans, we haven't changed much'
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