Comment & Briefs

“Weapons differentiate between Air Forces and Flying Clubs” is an often heard adage. Weapons capability is an integral part of an Air Power matrix. In the last three months, a number of successful indigenous weapons trials in India indicate a positive move in the right direction even if a little late in certain cases and after multiple failures in others. India’s dependence on foreign vendors for weapons and weapon platforms is well known and it is the largest importer of weaponry.

India should invest in creating a competitive solar module sector across the manufacturing chain, from procuring primary resources to the finished product.

The benchmark price could be different from the initial cost estimate because, in many cases, the negotiation stage is reached several years after in-principle approval.

Crown Prince Salman has been using oil as a tool to further his political ambitions both domestically and internationally, and Saudi Aramco acts as a nucleus around which his ambitions revolve.

A long coastline, ports, and availability of airfields all make Odisha a strategic asset that provides considerable leverage for securing India’s national interests and enhancing influence in South East Asia.

Xi envisions China as a key player in shaping the new global order with Chinese characteristics. His grand strategy is in consonance with the Chinese strategic culture of ‘thinking deep and far’

The inclusion of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Charter of the Communist Party of China indicates that it is not merely an economic policy but rather a ‘political project’.

The IAF is not without options, all of which are currently at some stage of realization. What is lacking is a sense of urgency on the part of all the parties concerned.

On October 12, 2017, Fatah and Hamas, the two dominant factions in Palestinian politics, signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo to end their decade-long conflict.

China and to a lesser extent Pakistan have helped North Korea with its nuclear and missile development programmes.