Appointment of Chief of Defence Staff and Creation of the Department of Military Affairs: A Gamechanger
The announcement by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address to the nation of Government's intent to appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) marked the gamechanger event that the country was to embark upon. The subsequent appointment, in December 2019,2 of General Bipin Rawat, to the newly created appointment as its first incumbent and the simultaneous creation of a Department of Military Affairs as a separate vertical within the Ministry of Defence with the CDS as its ex-officio Secretary are each and together tectonic shifts that have moved the balance in civil-military relations to a new normal. It has also disruptively altered the entire edifice of the structure of decision-making relating to matters of the military.
CLAWS Journal; Vol. 13 No. 1 (2020): Summer 2020; 1-18
Centre For Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, India
Copyright (c) 2020 Center For Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, India
Environmental Security: The Challenge of Future
Traditionally, the concept of national security was always associated with the protection of the territorial integrity of the country's borders against any external aggression. Post the Cold War, Human Development Report (HDR) 1994, introduced a new concept of human security, which was a historic departure from the traditional concept of national security. In this concept, much greater stress has been laid on the security of the people through sustainable human development programmes. National security, therefore, has two broad dimensions: traditional and non-traditional. All threats and challenges that impact “human security” are a part of the nontraditional dimension of national security. Similarly, the Commission on Human Security (CHS), constituted in 2000, defines human security as protection of the vital core of all human lives in ways that enhance human freedoms and human fulfillment. It means protecting people from critical and pervasive threats and situations. Based on the threats that influence “human security,” HDR 1994 categorised seven main threats to human security: economic security; food security; health security; environmental security; personal security; community security; and political security.
CLAWS Journal; Vol. 13 No. 1 (2020): Summer 2020; 19-47
Trump Peace Plan: A Good Diagnosis But Bad Medication
Since the time it was unveiled in the White House on January 28, 2020, Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People or more commonly known as Trump Plan, is a non-starter. As it was being announced, two main protagonists—President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—were fighting for their political survival. The US Senate was deliberating the House Resolution to impeach President Trump and moments before the White House event, Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit formally filed charges of corruption against Netanyahu in a court in Jerusalem. However, both leaders managed to weather the political storm; if the Senate acquitted the US President, the inconclusive March 2, 2020, Knesset elections—the third within a year—injected fresh hopes for the Likud leader. However, even the little hopes people had about the Plan were firmly buried in the pandemic coronavirus and the unfolding worldwide health emergency, mounting human casualties, and the impending global economic collapse.
CLAWS Journal; Vol. 13 No. 1 (2020): Summer 2020; 48-64
UAVs and Counter UAVs Technologies in the World and the Indigenous Capability
At any time in history, the concepts of waging a war keep changing by the centuries. It adapts its hue to the socio-political environment and the current military capabilities prevalent in the zone of conflict. Modern wars are characterised by swift and intense conflicts unlike the long-enduring battles of the past. The battles are unlikely to be openly declared wars on another nation or entity but border on small intrusions and incursions. The present-day environment has witnessed the concept of multi-state armies fighting under one umbrella as happened in the Gulf War and Global War on Terror (GWOT) in Afghanistan. Moreover, the emerging hybrid nature of warfare beckons the use of innovative ways of fighting in conventional as well as unconventional conflicts, as we witness on the Northern borders of our country.
CLAWS Journal; Vol. 13 No. 1 (2020): Summer 2020; 65-84
The future battlefield is likely to be largely contactless where unmanned warfare, stand-off weapons, and cyber and clandestine operations will take precedence over tank vs. tank or hand-to-hand combat. Towards this effort, all major countries are creating assets and organizations to consolidate their space assets, galvanize capabilities in the cyber domain, provide a new edge to their special forces, and fine-tune their hybrid warfare options. However, an equally important focus has been on boosting missile inventories and redefining its employment philosophy. Over the years there has been an alarming proliferation of missiles all across the globe, as the technology to build them has become increasingly prosaic; today 31 countries are known to be in possession of ballistic missiles. It is not without a reason that Ian Williams, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) feels that “… we are entering an era of missile renaissance.” The missiles, today, are being increasingly envisioned for conventional use, leading to a serious rethinking of their employment.
Shielding of Strategic Security Interests and Its Implications
Drones have the capability of causing disruption and damage to military and economic assets. They are capable of effectively engaging strategic security interests. While they have been used frequently in Afghanistan and decimated a few leaders what shook the world was the events of September 14, 2019. During the early hours, as many as 18 drones and seven cruise missiles attacked two Saudi Arabian oil plants destroying nearly 50 percent of the country's global supply crude. The Houthi rebel group in neighboring Yemen allegedly claimed responsibility for 10 drone attacks. However, the United States and the Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia speculated a major role was played by Iran in it. Iran has denied the charge. Reports state that almost 25 drones were used which points more to Iran than Houthi. The attacks decimated Saudi Arabia's oil facilities and cut the country's oil output by 5 million barrels every day. This led to a surge in oil prices as Saudi Arabia is the world's leading oil exporter.
Role of Organisations as Non-State Actors in International Relations
Nation-states have traditionally occupied an inviolable position as sole actors on the world stage. States act as rational autonomous entities that follow their self-interest with the goals of security, sovereignty, and survival in perspective. In their pursuit of security, states amass resources that allow their military and economic capabilities to increase their power relative to other states. The primacy of states within International relations, however, is now being questioned by the emergence of nonstate actors in world affairs and the changing nature of global governance. State power can be exercised along with the influence of soft power, economy-based decisions, and the role of private actors or organizations, all of which have now become legitimate mediums of governance in the present-day International system.
Rise of Fifth Estate: Challenges and the Way Ahead
From news to social media, from net banking to e-commerce, online gaming to ordering food at home, technology has paved its way into our lives. Technology has become our nervous system and any disruption to it can cause paralysis in an individual's life. The individual's personal information, which one never shares in physical space, has moved to the cloud and is sold for a few bucks in the market. Technical gadgets have become so advanced that one can get a real feel of a war zone, a robbery scene, a terrorist attack, or a high-speed jet inside a room wearing suitable gaming kits. The physical meetings have moved to virtual space. Technology is virtually 24x7 with us knowingly or unknowingly. Technology is an enabler and at the same time, it has enhanced the potential of lawbreakers. The biggest challenge, as the technology advances, remains that of security and legality in virtual space, because in virtual space there are no boundaries, limited laws can be applied and illegal activities continue through the dark web, albeit in a legal way.
COVID-19 and Xi Jinping's Fight and Win Strategy: Implications for China
On January 28, 2020, in a meeting with the World Health Organization's (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the spread of novel coronavirus epidemic in Wuhan (the capital of central China's Hubei province), Chinese President Xi Jinping remarked, saying, “The epidemic is a devil. We will not let it hide.” Furthermore, Xi affirmed that China has full confidence and capability to win the battle against the virus outbreak. As noted, on March 10 at Wuhan, Xi declared: “Victory for Wuhan, a victory for Hubei, and victory for China!” What is striking to note, as China declared its win over the epidemic, WHO on March 11, declared COVID-19 as a global “pandemic.”
India-Persian Gulf Relations: From Transactional to Strategic Partnerships
India's relations with the Gulf countries have been exceptionally significant since ancient times and are multifaceted. The two have maintained historical ties with each other in terms of trade, energy, security as well as a vast expatriate population. While the Indo-Gulf relations are dominated by energy cooperation, recent years have experienced a shift in their dynamics. Owing to Persian Gulf countries' quest to achieve Vision 2030 through economic diversification, Indo-Gulf relations have seen an expansion in other non-conventional areas such as security cooperation and strategic partnerships. India is not in a military alliance with any of the major powers, however, it shares close strategic and military relations with many major countries in the world. Owing to the growing stature of India and its clout at the global table, India started to build strategic partnerships with major countries such as France, Russia, Germany, and the US, etc., in 1997. It is noteworthy that India has extended its strategic partnerships with as many as four countries in the Gulf, namely, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE since 2003.&nbsp; This shows that over a period of time the region holds immense significance for India's ascendance as a growing regional and global power.