Journal of Defence Studies

Frontiers, Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies in South Asia, 1820-2013, by Kaushik Roy

Frontiers, Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies in South Asia is a well written and intelligently composed monograph by Kaushik Roy, a leading expert in South Asian military studies. It primarily deals with frontier issues, insurgency and counter-insurgency (COIN) operations in South Asia from 1820 to 2013, adequately emphasising on the inter-relationships between colonial making of frontiers, state formation, and small wars conducted by the British in this particular region.

Perception Management in Asymmetric Warfare: Lessons for Democratic Practitioners from Ukraine (2014–16) and Gaza (2014)

The perception management component of information warfare has long been recognised as an important tool of warfare, appearing in military doctrines worldwide. The challenges and opportunities of its practice in different political contexts have however rarely merited substantive attention. This article examines the development and trajectory of two cutting-edge examples of contemporary information warfare practice: Russian information warfare in Ukraine (2014–present); and information warfare conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) up to and during Operation Protective Edge.

Indian Defence Budget: Challenging Times

The past decade, and in particular the Twelfth Plan period, have been challenging times for the Indian defence budget. Strategic foresight demands that India’s military strength and capabilities relate to diverse challenges by way of a not unlikely two-front war, the attendant imperatives for a ‘Cold Start’ capability, non-conventional challenges from non-state actors, counter-terrorism capabilities and unavoidable internal security responsibilities.

Data Theft: Implications for Economic and National Security

With the digitisation of services, such as in the case of governance and banking, or the electronic means of conducting commerce or trade, a large amount of data is generated, stored, processed; this also traverses, over digital devices and networks. The incidents of data theft compromise the integrity of this data. Data is at continuous risk from a myriad of threat actors varying from hacktivists to nation states.

Military Robots: Mapping the Moral Landscape, by Jai Galliott

The ethical use of the military robots is a serious concern and in the last few years this debate has gained significant momentum on various human rights as well as military forums. The book under review deals with the same debate. The author’s idea is to thoughtfully bring forth the relevant arguments that have surfaced over last few years and examine them under the broad lens of ‘just war theory’.

Not War, Not Peace? Motivating Pakistan to Prevent Cross- Border Terrorism, by George Perkovich and Toby Dalton

The book—Not War, Not Peace? Motivating Pakistan to Prevent Cross-Border Terrorism—seems well-timed as it was released just few months before the surgical strikes conducted by Indian forces across the Line of Control (LoC), and appears to reflect the intentions of the Government of India. The central theme of the book is how to motivate Pakistan to dismantle anti-Indian organisations originating in and operating from its territory.

Diplomatic Dimensions of Maritime Challenges for India in the 21st Century, by Yogendra Kumar

The book records the story of India’s development into a modern maritime nation ready to take on the challenges of the twenty-first century. It also tells us how India has steadily built upon its nascent capacities since the early years of independence. In doing so, it begins by giving a brief historical overview of the Indian maritime tradition.

India’s Military Power: A General Reflects, by Lt Gen H.C. Dutta

In this book, the author—a distinguished officer of the Indian Army who retired as an Army Commander in 1983—has written about his experiences and important events in his 37 years of military life. He was commissioned in 1948 in the first batch of gentlemen cadets from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, in post-independence India. He witnessed the Partition of the country and the reorganisation of the Indian Armed Forces, which gave him an insight into the many facets of national security at the grassroots level.

Transfer of Defence Technology to India: Prevalence, Significance and Insights

Transfer of technology has been prevalent in numerous forms across the world, both in the civil as well as defence domains, and India is no exception. These transfers, primarily in the form of licenced manufacture, have provided a significant boost to the production capabilities and self-reliance of developing nations in the past and hold great promise, in the future, for nations that do not have a well-developed science and technology base.

Conceptualising Stress in the Armed Forces: A Public Health Perspective

In recent years, the frequent reports of suicide and fragging cases among armed forces personnel have prompted several questions about the negative effects of stressful life experiences on the well-being of soldiers. The narrow conception of mental health is not enough to understand and explain the status of mental health and well-being of a soldier, which eclipses the interwoven nature of various social determinants of health at workplace, such as the complexity of social categories reflected in class, power and caste structures.