Towards a Proactive Military Strategy: ‘Cold Start and Stop’

Ali Ahmed

Archive data: Person was Research Fellow at IDSA from July 2008 to February 2012 Joined IDSA July 2008 Expertise Defence doctrine and strategy, Military Affairs, Internal security, Military sociology Education… Continue reading Towards a Proactive Military Strategy: ‘Cold Start and Stop’ read more

The article reviews the Cold Start doctrine in light of the limited war doctrine. It argues that the launch of strike corps entails a risk prone war expansion. War termination should therefore be short of the launch of strike corps offensives. It suggests a ‘Cold Start and Stop’ strategy with limited offensives by integrated battle groups being used to coerce Pakistan. Pakistani amenability to Indian war aims would be dependent on India offering incentives diplomatically alongside. India’s limited war doctrine, currently not articulated, must be informed by such a war waging strategy. Making force usable in the nuclear age requires certain doctrinal and organisational changes suggested in the article.