Category: Blogs

Blog: Towards Indian GI Janes

A middle ground has to be found with the ultimate and long-term aim of making, not only officers, but all ranks of all arms and services of the armed forces, wherever feasible, open for recruitment to women.

First person: The final countdown

The engines pounded away into your correspondent’s chest, as he watched the brilliant flame that pushed the shuttle from the launch pad, at a distance of almost four miles from the press site observation area, into the clear skies above and beyond in a matter of a few seconds, and into Low Earth Orbit in barely four or five minutes.

Blog: India attacked in Kabul again

The violence in Kabul on Friday which resulted from Taliban suicide bombers running amuck is largely being seen as an attack on Indian interests in Afghanistan, the third such incident; a repeat of the suicide bombings of the Indian Embassy in July 2008 and October last year.

Blog: Antony the fighter jock!

Our man seems to be no less enthused by fighter aircraft than the average guy. Turns out, he walked unannounced into the Eurofighter stall and going straight to the Flight Simulator, clambered in, said eyewitnesses.

Blog: Carriers, missiles and frequent flier miles

The Indian Navy’s Indigenous Aircraft Carrier Vikrant, being constructed at Cochin Shipyard is likely to be launched into the sea in the first quarter of 2011, a little later than earlier scheduled (end of this year). Also, the army’s Request For Information (RFI) issued for MANPADS VSHORAD has caused some bewilderment. And the Ministry of Finance seems really serious about economizing and is looking around now to cut hidden or less obvious perks.

Blog: US guns for India a done deal?

It looks like India is going to purchase light artillery guns from the US after all. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified the US Congress of the sale of 145 units of the British Aerospace Land Systems’ M777 howitzer to India for US $ 647 million, offering a caveat saying, ‘this notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded’.

Blog: The cost of the Af-Pak withdrawal

What would be the objectives achieved by the US and it’s allies in Afghanistan? Will the departure of the US and its allies leave the region safer than before the US invaded Afghanistan? Would the Afghan people have hope left for a fair go; an even chance?

Blog: China on my mind

StratPost’s Saurabh Joshi tries to analyze the fortnight-long controversy over intrusions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army across the Line of Actual Control into India and the larger environment between the two countries from which this flare-up has arisen.

Blog: Vendors employing Direct Sales Agents for MMRCA deal?

The USD 12 billion order is so important for arms vendors that at a recent defense seminar in New Delhi, one of the speakers, a representative of a foreign air force was told, first politely, and then rather sharply, to wrap up his speech because it seemed to be more of a sales-pitch for one of the aircraft in contention for the MMRCA deal, than an academic talk on his experiences with aircraft from different generations.

Blog: The idiosyncracies of Indian Army Generals

The Indian army is abundant with stories of the peculiar demands Generals present to aides, junior officers et al. These stories usually come out and are exchanged during the Commanders’ Conferences, when all the brasshats get together in Delhi and the junior/middle-rung officers at Delhi Cantonment are left bemused at the requests(orders) they have to accommodate.