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The Platform for Indian Defence Industry
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S NOTE
Dear Reader,
Since we last communicated with you through the medium of our newsletters, the new government has taken over a t Delhi. Bharatshakti.in welcomes the dispensation and hopes to be witness, along
with our nation, to a comprehensive growth of the country. We wish the new government all the best.
A new Defence Minister has also been handed over the reins of the Ministry of Defence. A political heavy weight, the three services hope to find a more receptive MoD and a push for modernization.
However, the budget presented on the floor of Parliament doesn’t reflect national security being prioritized adequately by the government. Notwithstanding the fact that the processes for huge
contracts like 110 fighter aircrafts have been rolled out, the money required for modernization remains elusive.
The army is apparently pushing its transformation agenda. A new Deputy Chief’s vacancy has been accepted by the government. Some verticals have been remodeled to streamline functioning.
The test beds for Independent Battle Groups are apparently proving successful. The strike corps for mountains has also been restructured. It will now have only two divisions with 23 Mountain Division being made available to it based on requirements.
As far as the Air Force is concerned, Chinooks and Apaches are on their way. By the end of the year the Rafales should also be landing in India. The S 400 remains a bone of contention
between us and the US. However, with Turkey also not budging, we are not the only ones trying to retain our sovereign decision making in as far as strategic defence purchases are concerned.
The Navy has issued its Expression of Interest for manufacture in India of six submarines under the P 15I project. The submarine fleet is already in depleted state. The construction of
an Indian Aircraft Carrier - IAC1, INS Vikrant is in progress. According to latest reports, it should be ready for trials by 2021.
This newsletter also provides you the link to certain very pertinent issues on which our contributors have written. Some of these are a must for professionals in the defence field. A few of
these are appended beneath.
Don’t forget to check out our Videos section. Our founder Nitin Gokhale’s video blog on military history and issues of relevance.
I would also request you to visit our Issue Briefs pages. We have started gathering material that would give you a balanced view on contemporary issues of concern.
That’s all from my table today. Do make BharatShakti.in a habit.
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SOME OF OUR ANALYTICAL PIECES
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ANALYSIS
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US China Trade War: An Uncertain Future
June 01, 2019; By: Col RN Ghosh Dastidar( Retd)
The US – China Trade War is on. Even after repeated meetings, an escalatory ladder is all that is visible. Both countries have major stakes. For the Chinese their grand Belt and Road Initiative could easily take a hit if their growth rate goes further south. It could also affect social cohesion in a totalitarian state. For the Americans, it’s maintaining their leadership position in the global order. The author analyses the cause and effects of this new format of a war: The Trade War.
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Strengthening Indo-UAE Ties: Modi’s Act West Policy
June 04, 2019; By: Abhishek Pratap Singh
The US – China Trade War is on. Even after repeated meetings, an escalatory ladder is all that is visible. Both countries have major stakes. For the Chinese their grand Belt and Road Initiative could easily take a hit if their growth rate goes further south. It could also affect social cohesion in a totalitarian state. For the Americans, it’s maintaining their leadership position in the global order. The author analyses the cause and effects of this new format of a war: The Trade War.
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Politicisation of Armed Forces or Leveraging Military for Political Gains
June 10, 2019; By: Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam (Retd.)
There has been much debate in the media with academics, policy-geeks and practitioner-scholars lamenting about the politicization of the Indian military in recent times. This voice has gained momentum during the post-Balakot political campaigning season and is currently the subject of much discussion on whether the next five years are likely to see further politicisation and even the ‘saffronisation’ of the Indian military. The author’s proposition in this piece is to clearly highlight the difference between politicization of the military and leveraging the gains of successful military action, or exploiting the fall-out of military failures, for political gains.
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India’s Quest to Develop Hypersonic Weapons
June 13, 2019; By: Brig Yogesh Kapoor (Retd)
The Hypersonics are hurtling into our lives at more than sonic speeds, apparently. These weapons may have the power to totally change the battlefield. They can serve both as deterrents, as also weapons of offence. Currently, the US is the leader in the field with the Russians and Chinese trying to catch up. Indians too, are in the arena. As we publish this article, there are reports of tests of hypersonic platforms being carried out by India. The author provides an update on the progress made in the field.
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Modi’s Security Outreach ‘Neighbourhood First’ 2.0
June 16, 2019; By: Ravi Shankar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off the diplomatic chapter of his second term with ‘Neighbourhood First 2.0’ policy in focus. Though it has been India’s foreign policy priority for some time, the emphasis has shifted from SAARC to BIMSTEC and Indian Ocean Region (IOR), in particular. Does it a signal a major shift in India’s neighbourhood policy?
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Pakistan: A State Progressing From Failing to Failed
June 22, 2019; By: Lt. Gen. P R Shankar (Retd)
India has a problem just beyond its borders that has abundant ramifications on our side of the divide. Even with the recent infusion of billions of dollar by a few countries, the Pakistani economy shows no signs of progress. The same goes for social cohesion, law and order and almost every other factor that could form a part of the matrix in identifying failing states. Imran’s chants and the Pakistani military driven governance is unable to stall Pakistan’s southwards skid. The author provides a no holds barred assessment.
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Sudan: A Blaze of Democracy on the Nile
June 26, 2019; By: Ambassador Anil Trigunayat
The African continent has too many hotspots. A lot of these are led by ambitious men with little or no concern for the populace they want to rule over. Autocrats are aplenty just as the Generals in the fray. Sudan has been and is in turmoil. A 15- member Transitional Council with both military and civilian representatives was meant to bring in lasting stability. The article examines the situation and makes an attempt to assess how far is peace, if at all, from the doorsteps of the Sudanese populace! |
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5G Roll Out: “Bolt” Causing the Blues
June 30, 2019; By: Brig Yogesh Kapoor, VSM
Reliance and dependency on technology almost always come with attendant consequences. When national economies become heavily dependent on 5G networks with networking ancillaries laden with backdoors and other vulnerabilities, the implications could be geopolitical- the reason the US has placed Huawei on the entity listing, citing security considerations, with fears that Huawei’s equipment could be used as a Trojan horse by Chinese Intelligence Services; although the truth may lie somewhere in between for economic considerations. |
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SOME OF OUR EXCLUSIVE PIECES
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EXCLUSIVES
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A Tug of War for Assam Rifles
May 30, 2019; By: Nitin A. Gokhale and Brig SK Chatterji (Retd)
The issue of dual control of Assam Rifles (AR)–currently under operational control of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and under administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)–has once again come to the fore with the Assam Rifles Ex-servicemen Welfare Organisation having filed a case in the Delhi High Court seeking to place the AR under complete control of the Army. Not willing to sort out the issue at their level, Secretaries of both the ministries have apprised the Court that they will accept the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). This issue, pending for a long time, comes up every now and then because of peculiar circumstances and rules under which the Assam Rifles has been operating. A bit of recap is in order here to understand the background. |
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Defence Ministry on Fast Track to Boost Exports
June 19, 2019; By: Ravi Shankar
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is rolling out a series of ambitious initiatives to boost exports, which has been doubling every year for the past three years. India’s defence exports have jumped seven times to nearly Rs 11,000 crore in just three years. In 2016-17, the total defence export from India was only Rs 1,500 crore. In 2017-18, the figure reached Rs. 4,500 crore. This year it stands at Rs 10,745 crore. The increase in defence exports is expected to move up exponentially with Defence Ministry unveiling an ‘Open General Export License’ scheme soon. |
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Pakistani Defence Budget: A Close Crop, Not a Crew Cut
July 03, 2019; By: Brig S K Chatterji (Retd)
Pakistan’s expenditure on its armed forces seemed to be have plateaued when the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Chief Major General Asif Gafoor announced that the Pakistani armed forces have opted for a cut in defence expenditure. However, the final figures are less punishing. In spite of all the election promises that Imran Khan had held out, the spluttering economy has not displayed any signs of revving up to provide for a year-on-year increase that last year amounted to a massive 18 per cent for the defence forces. |
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Army’s Three Rs Plan Gets Going
July 06, 2019; By: Nitin A. Gokhale
Restructuring, resizing and reorganisation of the Indian Army, conceived and debated since 2016 (the DB Shekatkar Committee report, four different studies undertaken by Army HQ) is now getting into second gear with a couple of important approvals coming through in recent days. While the reorganisation of the Army HQ has gained momentum last week and has been widely reported, important steps in testing the concept of Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) has kicked off on the western front and an important change in the ORBAT or Order of Battle of 17 Mountain Strike Corps has been initiated. |
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At BharatShakti.in, our RFI/RFP pages attempt to inform you of business opportunities. While the Industry Capabilities listing page gives you details of various IDIs, their product range, niche capabilities and contact information, thus easing your search for the right partner for your business activities. Our Policy page is a repository of knowledge, hosting relevant government and departmental documents required for transacting in the area defence production. It also devotes space to FAQs on defence procurement that would be updated.
We at BharatShakti.in invite you all to be a part of our team. Do visit our pages regularly. Write to us, list your defence capabilities with us and engage with us. It's BharatShakti's faith and belief that the Indian Defence Industry is capable of addressing most of the requirements of Indian Armed Forces. |
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