Nuclear Strategy in the Modern Era: Regional Powers and International Conflict by Vipin Narang Vipin Narang offers a critical analysis of why states adopt certain strategies and postures over others and how these choices affect their ability to deter conflicts. With the world already into the second nuclear age, strategic equations are no longer defined by a ‘bipolar global superpower competition involving massive nuclear arsenals with the capability to destroy each other multiple times over’ (p. 1). Reshmi Kazi | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
My Years at IDSA This year, the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses celebrates 50 eventful years of its existence. In my association with the Institute, between 2005 and 2011, an effort was made to strengthen the Institute’s overall capacity to contribute to strategic thinking in India. In this effort, I was ably assisted by the Institute’s scholars and my other colleagues. There was clear emphasis on institution building, rather than individual research efforts. N. S. Sisodia | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific by Robert D. Kaplan The South China Sea has been an area of intense focus in post-Cold War international affairs. The primary reason that explains the growing significance of the South China Sea in contemporary world politics is the regional tension and competition involving China and smaller adjacent countries around the sea. The engagement of the extra-regional powers, which has the potential to aggravate the situation, is another factor that compels International Relations (IR) practitioners to keenly watch the developments there. In this context, Robert D. Sampa Kundu | September 2015 | Strategic Analysis
Radicalisation of Muslim Converts At the moment, the radical Muslim convert threat does appear to be limited to Europe and America where the converts are ‘less visible’. Surya Valliappan Krishna | August 31, 2015 | IDSA Comments
GSAT-6: India’s Second Military Satellite Launched India’s increasing investments in space for strategic purposes clearly indicates the rising relevance of space assets for the armed forces. Ajey Lele | August 31, 2015 | IDSA Comments
Exchange Rate Variation in Defence Contracts The 19th August amendment to the Defence Procurement Procedure of 2013 extends the provision of exchange rate variation to Indian vendors under all the procurement categories of capital acquisition. Amit Cowshish | August 31, 2015 | IDSA Comments
How Pakistan Gains From the Cancelled NSA-Level Talks It was not in Pakistan’s interest that the NSA meeting should take place. It is to their credit that they managed to do that by waving a red flag at the Indians through their first briefing on the planned NSA talks by mentioning their invitation to the Hurriyat leaders for a meeting in Delhi prior to the NSA talks. G. Balachandran | August 28, 2015 | IDSA Comments
China-Russia Naval Ties and the Balance of Maritime Power in Asia A growing Sino-Russian-Pakistani maritime nexus in the IOR poses a challenge to India’s influence in the Indian Ocean and heralds a potential change in the Asian balance of maritime power. Abhijit Singh | August 27, 2015 | IDSA Comments
Defence Offset Guidelines – A Long Overdue Tweak The 5th August amendment to the offset guidelines exemplifies how difficult it is to let go of unnecessary controls. Amit Cowshish | August 27, 2015 | IDSA Comments
Probing a Sea option for Turkmen Gas This fresh move on the Indian Prime Minister’s part is perhaps meant to signal to Pakistan that if the latter continues with its hostilities and political rhetoric towards India, then India and other countries may consider an alternative arrangement. Sanket Sudhir Kulkarni | August 27, 2015 | IDSA Comments
