Category Archives: MEA/foreign policy

What’s with Modi on Maldives?

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[Yameen in Beijing with Xi] Has the Prime Minister lost it? Lost all sense about what works to keep the neighbourhood out of China’s grasp? Lost his marbles over the need to administer Abdulla Yameen, the calculating autocrat in Male, … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Culture, Decision-making, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Indian Politics, Maldives, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, Missiles, SAARC, South Asia, South East Asia, United States, US., Weapons | 13 Comments

Indo-US tech trade and US-North Korea talks — Bluetick News

Posted on August 25, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[Pompeo, James Mattis and Bolton, left to right, in line] With the main govt TV channels (including Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV) closed off to my views and mainline private channels not interested in exploring topics of strategic … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Politics, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, nonproliferation, North Korea, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons | 12 Comments

‘Staggering Forward’– an invite!

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

This is an invitation to all the esteemed readers of the ‘Security Wise’ blog to join in the event to launch my latest book – ‘Staggering Forward: Narendra Modi and India’s Global Ambition’ published by Penguin, scheduled for Thursday, August … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice | 18 Comments

Vajpayee — Nehruvian in domestic politics, yes, but also strategically foolish

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[The Dalai Lama and Vajpayee, PM) Amidst the paens of praise and hossanas being sung to honour the memory of the recently departed former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it may be churlish to bring up the wrong things done … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, disarmament, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian democracy, Indian Politics, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, nonproliferation, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Relations with Russia, Russia, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Tibet, UN, United States, US. | 19 Comments

IAF control of combat aircraft development at HAL: Is that a good thing?

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

  [HAL Marut HF-24 production line] The Rafale deal has gone into a death spiral. With BJP stalwart leaders Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie making a cogent case about things going awry with the purchase of 36 Rafale combat aircraft … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, corruption, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Politics, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, society, South Asia, Technology transfer, Weapons | 13 Comments

Will Modi buckle under Trump’s pressure on Iran?

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[Modi & Rouhani in Tehran) US President Donald Trump did what is by now the new normal, tweeted a pixilated policy — this time regarding the reimposition of sanctions on Iran. He twittered thus:  “The Iran sanctions have officially been cast. … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Central Asia, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China 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, Iran and West Asia, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, Missiles, Russia, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US., Weapons | 41 Comments

The subterranean objectives of STA-1

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

[Trump, to his left, General James Mattis, and Commerce Secretary William Ross] The September 6 timeline for the 2×2 talks between the Indian and US foreign and defence ministers was approaching fast. This is a postponement of the July 6 … Continue reading →

Posted in arms exports, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, civil-military relations, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian democracy, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Japan, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Northeast Asia, Pakistan, Relations with Russia, Russia, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons | 29 Comments

If Imran Khan is PM, it will be hard line against India

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

(Shireen Mazari on the right) A leader is known by his/her advisers. The policies the leader is likely to pursue are telegraphed by what  these advisers may have said and written. Should the Pakistan Tehreeq-i-Insaaf (PTI) party win the general … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, domestic politics, 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 Politics, Internal Security, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Missiles, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Weapons | 10 Comments

New Delhi must reset its overt tilt to the US

Posted on July 17, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

(Friendship in fine fettle?) Conflicting signals are emanating from Delhi. Washington cancelled the 2+2 talks scheduled for July 6 involving the foreign and defence ministers because it believed the BJP government was going off script. India indicated it would not … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, Central Asia, China, China military, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, indian policy -- Israel, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Intelligence, Internal Security, Iran and West Asia, Israel, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, North Korea, Northeast Asia, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, South Asia, Strategic Forces Command, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Terrorism, United States, US., West Asia, Western militaries | 16 Comments

Reasons for not inviting Trump to India

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Bharat Karnad

  (Two strongman buddies) Returned from a summer holiday to read that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contemplating inviting US President Donald J Trump as the chief guest for the 2019 Republic Day celebrations in the expectation that this will … Continue reading →

Posted in asia-Pacific/Indo-Pacific, Asian geopolitics, China, civil-military relations, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, Europe, Geopolitics, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Iran and West Asia, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, nonproliferation, North Korea, Northeast Asia, Nuclear Weapons, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian military, SAARC, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia | 18 Comments