Asian Defence Review 2012

Jasjit Singh

With the shift of global power from West to East, we have entered the era of an Asia-centred century. The rise of China and India, the recovery and resurgence of Russia on one side and Japan on the other, and the nature of the international order are leading to enormous changes. These transformational changes in the military, economic and political dynamics of Asia are accelerating with the passage of time. Historically, changes in the international order and equations of power among national have been almost inevitably accompanied by conflicts and wars.

The challenge ahead of the international community in general and Asian countries in particular would be how to ensure that this is avoided, and competition, so necessary to shaping the future, is managed below the levels of armed conflict. This is crucial for most countries like India so that their comprehensive national development can progress without adverse developments. In order towork toward such goals, it is necessary to look at security and military-related issues as objectively as possible.

This volume, a resource base for the professional and the general reader, is the sixth in the series of the annual publication of the Centre for Air Power Studies under this title, which aims to fill a critical information and knowledge gap in current strategic literature dealing with military strategy, defence politics and trends in military capabilities that impact countries in Asia. In particular, it covers some of the important areas that affect Asian countries, with a focus on China, India and Pakistan, to provide the requisite regional balance.

Jasjit Singh Air Commodore Jasjit Singh AVSM, VrC, VM (Retd), is presently the Director General of the Centre for Air Power Studies and the recipient of Padma Bhusan for a life-time’s contribution to national defence and security as the country’s leading defence expert. He headed the country’s premier think-tank, the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) for 14 long years till 2001. He is the founder Director of the Centre for Air Power Studies and has authored, and edited numerous books including Air Power in Modern Warfare; India’s Defence Spending, and The ICON (biography of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh). He is a Fellow of the world Academy of Art and Science and has lectured extensively in universities, defence and war colleges, and international forums in India and abroad.