Volume 3  Number 1 ● Spring 2006 (January-March 2006)

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Joint Operations in Modern Warfare

The principles and practice of joint operations have become increasingly important with the increasing specialisation and effectiveness of different components of military power. Brigadier M. Sabharwal SM, in his prize winning essay, examines the challenges and defines the framework under which they will need to be planned and executed for optimisation of the overall effectiveness of military power.

Brahmastra of Future Wars “THE BRAHMOS”

Cruise missiles have become a critical capability of modern warfare, especially with the introduction of supersonic cruise missiles. In Brahmastra of Future Wars, Lt. General R.S. Nagra PVSM VSM (Retd), outlines cruise missile developments, especially of the path-breaking Indo-Russian joint venture in developing the BrahMos cruise missile and its multiple variants.

International Defence and Military Cooperation

International defence and military cooperation has acquired a new salience after the end of the Cold War where this has started to play an important role in shaping the cooperative security paradigm among states. Colonel A. Muthanna argues that this needs to be planned well and utilised for enhancing mutual confidence among nations.

Trends in Defence Expenditure: India, China and Pakistan

Wing Commander V.N. Srinivas provides an overview of the trends in defence expenditure in India and two of its major neighbours. Some issues of transparency are also examined which provide necessary caveats to the data about China and Pakistan in this crucial area.

Military Modernisation in China : Some Implications for India

The study of Military Modernisation in China has acquired increasing importance across the world in view of the rising power of China. But for China's neighbours this holds a special significance. Group Captain T.D. Joseph VM, looks at the dominant trends in that modernisation process.

Pakistan's Conventional Arms Acquisitions : Priorities and Prospects

Arms procurement trends provide an indication of the security calculus of a country and the strategy it seeks to adopt in shaping its military power. Ms. Shalini Chawla has looked closely at Pakistan's arms procurement during the past fifteen years and come to the conclusion that it appears to be heavily focussed on modernising its air force and aerial strike, especially after its military aggression against India in the Kargil sector in the summer of 1999. This is consistent with the global trend; but it also carries important signs of strategic thinking in Pakistan.

Indian Civil Aviation : A Revolution in The Making

From the times not so long ago when air travel was seen as a luxury in India, the civil aviation scene has erupted into a virtual revolution, as pointed out with his deep insights of military organisations and airline operations by Group Captain R. Chidambaram (Retd). Air travel growth appears to be exploding, reducing the affordability gap with travel by train, especially with the introduction of low cost airlines. The problem, as he points out, is that the civil aviation infrastructure in India is inevitably lagging far behind and needs the urgent attention of policy-makers.

In Search of High Ground The Air Power Trinity and The Decisive Potential of Air Power

Lt. Colonel David K. Edmonds UAF, has introduced an original construct to explore the relationship of the key elements of air power and to create a better understanding of the factors necessary for the most effective employment of air power and the relationship between them. Because air power is so heavily influenced by high-technology, there is a tendency to focus on technology and practice based on the influence of technology, often to the exclusion of theory which airmen often deride. This introduces a weakness in adopting a coherent approach to the full exploitation of air power. The concept of an Air Power Trinity consisting of theory, technology and practice, therefore, assumes great importance through a balance among its three components.