Aerial Refuelling of Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft To truly exploit this newly tested operational capability, IAF will have to augment its fleet of in-flight refuellers and train an adequate number of aircrew, mission commanders, fighter controllers and systems operators. Kishore Kumar Khera | December 06, 2017 | IDSA Comments
Blue Flag 2017 and Beyond The Indian Air Force’s participation in Israel’s Blue Flag 2017 multilateral exercise adds an important layer to the matrix of cooperation between India and Israel. S. Samuel C. Rajiv | December 01, 2017 | IDSA Comments
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Prospects and Pitfalls For the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to succeed, China needs to engage in serious and sincere dialogue with BRI participants, ensure respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, uphold the internationally accepted norms of transparency and observe principles of financial responsibility, among other key issues. Ashok Sajjanhar | November 28, 2017 | IDSA Comments
US reorients policy towards Myanmar after Tillerson Visit It may be appropriate if the US were to complement its substantial humanitarian and economic assistance by encouraging or even exerting pressure on Myanmar to implement the KAC recommendations. Gautam Sen | November 27, 2017 | IDSA Comments
Weapons are the Combat Differentiators: The BrahMos Air Launched Cruise Missile “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. Kishore Kumar Khera | November 27, 2017 | IDSA Comments
Astana Talks: A Prelude to Peace in Syria The tangible results of the Astana process lie in the reduction in violence and functioning of de-escalation zones. Lakshmi Priya | November 27, 2017 | Backgrounder
Can renewables make India energy secure? India should invest in creating a competitive solar module sector across the manufacturing chain, from procuring primary resources to the finished product. Shebonti Ray Dadwal | November 22, 2017 | IDSA Comments
Problems of Costing in Defence Procurements 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. Amit Cowshish | November 20, 2017 | IDSA Comments
The Saudi Aramco IPO and Crown Prince Salman’s Ambitions 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. Chithra Purushothaman | November 16, 2017 | IDSA Comments
Odisha’s Potential Role in Enhancing Security in the Bay of Bengal 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. Bhabani Das | November 13, 2017 | IDSA Comments
