Category Archives: Iran and West Asia

Solidifying India-Israel relations with miltech quid pro quo; 1982 Indo-Israeli plans for Kahuta strike

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

The Israeli President Reuven Rivlin begins his six-day trip to India today — the first by the Israeli head of state. This is a lead-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long awaited state visit in January 2017 to Israel to … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Culture, Cyber & Space, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, indian policy -- Israel, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, Israel, Military Acquisitions, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, SAARC, society, South Asia, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia, Western militaries | 13 Comments

Trumping the system

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

A hard bargain, but good for India ——- DONALD J TRUMP COCKED a snook at the political system, smashed the competition within his own party, alienated just about every constituency in America, rhetorically trampled on old shibboleths, openly courted President … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Asian geopolitics, China, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Army, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Russia, South Asia, Special Forces, Strategic Relations with the US & West, US., Western militaries | 11 Comments

US elections — News X Round Table

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Over the last weekend the News X TV channel aired a “round table” with Kanwal Sibal, the longtime Syrian journalist in Delhi al-Awwad, Pramit Chaudhri of Hindustan Times, and myself, on whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump is better for … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, China military, domestic politics, Geopolitics, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Iran and West Asia, Israel, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US., West Asia | 3 Comments

“Subcontinental drift?” — an American take on recent writings on India, the US, and South Asia

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Reproduced below is a review article by Daniel Markey, former US State Department official and currently on the faculty of the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, published in ‘The American Interest’ and available at:http://www.the-american-interest.com/2016/07/01/subcontinental-drift/ The … Continue reading →

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Mistake upon strategic mistake

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Analysts at home and abroad have noted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s curious efforts to siddle up to the US president Barack Obama at the recent G-20 summit, as if seeking little pats on the back for finally committing India to … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Central Asia, China, China military, civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, Defence Industry, disarmament, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, nonproliferation, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, Western militaries | 27 Comments

Has India Put Its Sovereignty at Stake by Signing LEMOA With US?

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Nothing defines a treaty ally or a client state of the United States better than the “foundational” accords now on the anvil, the first of which – the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) – was signed in Washington by … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Asian geopolitics, Central Asia, China, China military, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Iran and West Asia, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, society, South Asia, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia, Western militaries | 2 Comments

LEMOA — A most serious strategic mistake, and Consequences

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

India has signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the United States, with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Defence Secretary Ashton Carter doing the formalities in Washington. It is, perhaps, the most serious strategic mistake made by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Asian geopolitics, Central Asia, China, China military, corruption, Culture, Defence Industry, disarmament, domestic politics, DRDO, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Iran and West Asia, Japan, Military Acquisitions, nonproliferation, Northeast Asia, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, SAARC, satellites, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia | 53 Comments

Modi’s LEMOA will make targets of Indian bases

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar is set to visit the US Aug 29-Sept 1. News reports suggest he will travel thither expressly to sign the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), a suitably worded derivative of the standard Logistics Support … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, Australia, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Indian Politics, Iran and West Asia, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia, Western militaries | 13 Comments

Why Donald Trump is Good for India

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

NOTHING IS MORE dreaded by liberal America than the potential presidency of Donald J Trump. He means to blow up the foundations of the existing global order along with the current set of US foreign and military policies. Notionally ‘Republican’ … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, disarmament, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Politics, Iran and West Asia, Japan, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, nonproliferation, Northeast Asia, nuclear industry, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, Vietnam, Weapons, West Asia | 11 Comments

Wish IAF had PAF’s innovative, cost-benefit, mindset

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Bharat Karnad

There’s a report about the Pakistan Air Force acquiring a squadron of Mirage 2000-5s from Qatar. (See http://www.tacticalreport.com/view_news/Qatar:-Talks-with-Pakistan-over-Mirage-2000-5s/5055) But for the interventions by ACM S Tyagi (Retd) — yea, the same IAF chief since fingered in the Agusta-Westland scam, sixty … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Australia, China, China military, civil-military relations, corruption, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian ecobomic situation, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia | 61 Comments