IDSA Comments

Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad: Timely, but Unlikely to Succeed

Will the Pakistani civilian leadership cease to placate the Islamist forces for their own electoral gain? Will the Army rein in the jihadis it has been using to retain “strategic depth” in Afghanistan?

Prospects of US–German Relations under Trump

In respect of trade and commerce, some uncertainties are looming over both US-German relations and US-EU relations.

Gautam Sen
March 15, 2017
IDSA Comments

Defence Expenditure: A Challenge for Defence Economists

The basic challenge for defence economists is to demonstrate that there are other feasible ways of skinning the cat during budget formulation. But the challenge is also inextricably linked with the need for rationalisation of defence expenditure.

Amit Cowshish
March 14, 2017
IDSA Comments

Sri Lanka’s Fighter Selection – An Opportunity for India

From all angles – political, economic, diplomatic and military – India is in a position to meet the SLAF’s potential combat aircraft requirements.

North Korea’s ‘Chemistry’ with WMDs

North Korea has blatantly breached the chemical weapons ‘red line’ in the killing of the half-brother of Kim Jong-un in Kuala Lumpur on February 13.

Ajey Lele
March 06, 2017
IDSA Comments

Russia’s Policy Shift towards Taliban and Pakistan

Russia’s efforts to differentiate between the Islamic State and Taliban are a mistake given that both groups share a similar ideology, albeit with slight variations.

Bangladesh and the Rohingya: Implications of Refugee Re-location to Thengar Char Island

Bangladesh may be able to manage the Rohingya refugee problem only as a short-term expedient, albeit with considerable economic implications.

Gautam Sen
February 28, 2017
IDSA Comments

Whither the Mexican Air Force Combat Fleet?

The main threat to Mexico comes from illegal privately-operated aircraft which are heavily involved in smuggling. The inability of the Mexican Air Force to guarantee the integrity of its own airspace is therefore a matter of concern.

Rebooting the Defence Budget

There is a strong case for abandoning the present approach of looking at the defence budget through the narrow prism of allocation and utilisation, and instead focus on outcomes.