Conventional Forces
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Strategic Stability & Restraint in South Asia
The interplay of global power competition and nuclear weapon states sharing disputed borders continue to make South Asia one of the most volatile regions in the world today. February 2021 marked two years since the 2019 India-Pakistan Pulwama-Balakot crisis, as…
India-China Strategic Competition and the Costs of the Ladakh Crisis
The Ladakh crisis is not over yet. Disengagement from front-line positions, begun with fanfare in February, has since stalled. Chinese troops remain encamped in several positions on previously Indian-controlled territory and talks to dislodge them have been fruitless. Quite apart…
Understanding India’s Defense Budget 2021-22: Expectations Vs. Reality
India’s 2021 Defense Budget is reflective of the Indian government’s current strategic priorities and experiences of the past year. Despite the economic constraints from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, one of the Indian government’s top priorities in 2021 is expected to…
The IAF and “Deterrence by Punishment” in the Ladakh Crisis
In early May 2020, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) intruded into the Indian side of the disputed and un-demarcated Line of Actual Control (LAC) to unilaterally change the status quo. Despite the numerous rounds of talks between the Corps Commander-level…
Understanding the Rafale’s Induction into the IAF
On September 10, 2020 the first batch of five Rafale fighter aircrafts were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the presence of French and Indian Defence Ministers at Ambala Air Base. The remaining 31 Rafale are anticipated…
Nuclear BrahMos: On the Anvil?
In 2018, Joy Mitra examined the role of the BrahMos missile system in India's deterrence posture towards China and the potential ramifications this might have for broader strategic stability on the Subcontinent. His words, republished below, remain a timely assessment…