Asian Defence Review 2018

Vinod Patney

The year gone by was a defining period in some ways. The Indian prime minister held discussions with the heads of states of several countries. The presence of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders at the Republic Day parade indicated India’s growing influence in the region. Doklam showed India’s will to secure its strategic interest. India drew the world’s attention towards One Belt, One Road (OBOR), a symbol of Chinese colonialism. The leaders of the Quad (Australia, Japan, the US and India) discussed the possibility of a joint regional alternative to China’s growing power. Through sustained efforts, India has also projected itself as a deserving choice for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

The surgical strikes against terrorist camps across the border showed India’s resolve to uproot the nuisance of cross-border terrorism. Through the year, India tried to remove the hurdles in its way to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group. Lastly, as if the threat of cyber attacks was not enough to scare the world, the lethal use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in swarms has literally given a new dimension to war-fighting. The prolonged war in Syria, the global tensions due to the South Korean nuclear stance and the South China Sea imbroglio have shown that permanent peace is a mirage; evading armed conflict is becoming increasingly difficult.

An objective assessment of the situations and sustained efforts are required to achieve and maintain even the most temporary peace. It is necessary to look at the issues objectively. The Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) has been publishing the Asian Defence Review to fulfil this need. This volume, a resource base for all readers, is the eleventh in the series. It aims to add to the pool of information and knowledge in the current strategic discourse that impacts the world in general and Asia, in particular. It flags the important issues related to India’s security environment.

Vinod Patney Air Marshal Vinod Patney SYSM PVSM AVSM VrC (Retd) is one of the most distinguished fighter pilots in the history of the Indian Air Force—a decorated veteran of the 1965 and 1971 Wars. He is a graduate of the Royal Air Force Staff College and a founder member of the premier Tactics & Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE) of the Indian Air Force.

During his long and illustrious career, he held various Command and Staff appointments and was awarded the Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM), for spearheading air attacks during the Kargil War, thus, making him the first air force officer, and the sole recipient of the SYSM till date. He, thus, became the most decorated serving officer in all three Services.

He was a member of the National Security Advisory Board (December 2001 to January 2004). In 2006, he was part of a study on global security ordered by the prime minister and led by the late Shri K Subrahmanyam. Author of the book, Essays on Aerospace Power, he has contributed articles on national security issues and aerospace affairs to a number of eminent periodicals. He has also participated/lectured in seminars/Track-2 dialogues in India and abroad. Presently, he is the director general of the Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi.

Contents

Contributors

1. Massive Retaliation: Is the Threat Less than Credible?
Manpreet Sethi

2. India’s Rendezvous with Non-Proliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament Regimes
Sitakanta Mishra

3. China’s Expanding Footprints in the Central Asian Republics: Implications for India
Poonam Mann

4. China’s Infrastructure Development in India’s Neighbourhood
Puyam Rakesh Singh

5. India-Japan Defence and Security Cooperation in the 21st Century
Piyush Ghasiya

6. Balancing Russia and the United States: India’s Foreign Policy Challenges
Chandra Rekha

7. China-Us Cyber Space Engagements: The Dragon Dethroning The Eagle?
E Dilipraj

8. Cyber Forensics: Moving from the Margins to Mainstream Forensics
Ashish Gupta

9. Sustaining Air Operations: Renewed Interest in Biofuel
Asheesh Shrivastava

10. Uav Swarms: An Emerging Capability
R K Narang