Journal of Defence Studies

India’s Response Options to Pakistani Nuclear First Use

The promise of 'massive' nuclear retaliation may prove inadequate in staying Pakistani nuclear hand in face of Indian offensives. Inflicting 'unacceptable damage' may appear disproportionate to its leadership if in response to lower order nuclear first use. Therefore, nuclear retaliation could well be of quid pro quo or quid pro quo plus levels with damage not amounting to an 'unacceptable' order.

Indian Aerospace Power

Modern aerospace power is the only instrument that would give the country an assured capability to project precision fire power at great distances with or without mid-air refuelling and AWACS support and therefore, continues to remain the best instrument for deterrence and instantaneous and calibrated response to emerging threats. Whatever India decides, it cannot but modernise its aerospace power.

Mark Fitzpatrick, The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: Avoiding Worst-Case Outcomes, 2008, Routledge, Oxon

This book explores the options for building a fence between dormant Iranian nuclear-weapons ability and a real weapon, both in practice and in terms of observation. There is no definite firewall between the peaceful nuclear activities as Iran claming allowed under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and weapons abilities, but there are some ways to make the difference between the two wider and more visible.

Keynote Address at the National Seminar on Defence Acquisition

Our defence forces require timely and cost effective acquisition of defence equipment to enable them to meet any challenge to the country's security. Especially all of you who represent the strategic community know very well that we are living in an era of challenges from many quarters. The emerging security scenario is very challenging. Nobody can say what will happen in some of our neighbouring areas. The situation is that critical.

Surveying State of Art Weapon System Availability: Merits of RFI System

…..SQRs form the basis of any procurement /development/R&D project
undertaken by SHQs, the process of formulating the same should be free of
vested influences, maintaining the confidentiality.

Address at the National Seminar on Defence Acquisition

Acquisition efficiencies represent the most vital element in India's quest for optimal defence capability build up in the desired time and cost horizons. The focused attention bestowed by MOD and Services Headquarters in recent years on this critical theme is a clear assertion of the country's resolve to acquire full spectrum military strength over the next 15-20 years.

Paper Evaluation of Technical Offers

……if Paper Evaluation were achieving its aim of ensuring that only those equipments that meet the technical parameters were invited for field evaluation and if that conclusion was to be true then such equipments should by and large clear field evaluation. However, experience does not suggest that. ……. modify …… existing procedure of Paper Evaluation to achieve the desired results much faster in the context of our acquisition philosophy of SUNDER – SASTA – AUR TIKAU alluded to earlier.

Firming Up the “Buy”, “Buy & Make” and “Make” Decision and Relevance of the Pre-Feasibility Study

The Government has professed it's inclination to promote indigenous production of defence products over and over again but unfortunately something seems to be holding the ministry back in taking on the issue wholeheartedly. In order to go full steam on the bandwagon of indigenization……..Scrap the present elaborate categorisation process completely and replace it by a simpler process….

The Challenges of Contract/Project Implementation

To prevent diffusion of responsibility, dedicated teams should be in place for the entire duration of a project, especially for non-R&D projects. The team should be mandated to stick to sanctioned time and cost but sufficiently empowered to make minor alterations in the scope. The team may be asked to sign a performance and integrity related MoU and assured of necessary support. This should include assured funding support because old projects may sometimes gasp for funding as new priorities take over with change of key decision makers.

Special Address at the National Seminar on Defence Acquisition

The present defence procurement and management structures in the Ministry of Defence were set up in 2001 in terms of the recommendations of the Group of Ministers on reforming national security system constituted in the wake of the Kargil conflict. The GOM recommended setting up of an acquisition wing with the task of expediting the acquisition of capital equipment required for the modernisation programmes of the three Services.