Converting cantonments to military stations The Excelsior 09 May 2023 A government notification of 27th April stated that Yol, a cantonment in Himachal Pradesh, will be the first to be converted into a military station and civilian areas, thus far a part of the cantonment, will be merged with the local municipality. The army would exercise full control over […]
Defence budgets and capability development The Statesman 01 May 2023 The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its latest report listed India as the fourth largest military spender in the world, the leaders being the US, China and Russia, who account for 56% of global defence expenditure. It claimed Indian defence expenditure increased by 6% in 2022 to […]
India’s changing security threats The Statesman 14 Feb 2023 There is a belief that a weak Pakistan is not good for India. As Pakistan weakens, its ability to contain growth of terrorist groups would also diminish, converting the region, spreading from the Indian border to Afghanistan, into a hotbed of terrorism. Pakistan currently faces much more than just an […]
Theatre commands and the national security strategy The Excelsior 10 Jan 2023 Speaking at the 4th General K V Krishna Rao Memorial Lecture in New Delhi, General Naravane, the former army chief, said, ‘Theaterization is not an end, it is only a means to an end and that end has to be specified first in the form of a national […]
A message through adventure activities The Excelsior 16 Dec 2022 The Indian army’s Eastern Command recently concluded its first Trans-Theatre Adventure Activity. This event, which commenced in August took almost four months, included a series of adventure activities, conducted close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) spread from Sikkim to Arunachal, a region forming part of the Eastern […]
Many challenges to theatre commands The Statesman 22 Nov 2022 The current CDS, General Anil Chauhan, has been relatively silent on media networks as compared to his predecessor, General Bipin Rawat, though he would be addressing the agenda entrusted to him. His major reform is establishment of theatre commands. The government has repeatedly stated its intent on the subject. […]
The new CDS takes his post The Excelsior 03 Oct 2022 Gen Chauhan (promoted from Lt Gen and reinstated from retirement) has been appointed as the second CDS. While many may contend that the appointment is political, the fact remains that the prerogative of appointing is solely that of the government in power, who select an individual whom they […]
It takes long to build military traditions The Statesman 27 Sep 2020 The non-nomination of a CDS, for almost 10 months, displays that there is an intentional delay in uniting the forces under one head. For a layman to believe that the government has been unable to find a suitable replacement, is laughable. The reason is that the government […]
Ukraine war: Is it the end of the road for tanks in modern warfare First Post 21 Sept 2022 The Moscow Times, in an article of 6th Sept, stated that Russia has thus far lost over 1000 tanks in its Ukraine operations. Over 50% of armour casualties were in the first seven to eight weeks of the war when […]
The case for and against a third aircraft carrier The Statesman 13 Sep 2022 The launching of INS Vikrant, India’s second aircraft carrier, is truly a moment of pride for the nation. It took thirteen years to build and cost over Rs 20,000 crores. Aircraft and helicopters for it have yet to be procured. Its construction provided 15,000 personnel […]