Manoj Ambat's Blog dealing with Defence, Foreign Affairs, Strategic Affairs and Politics

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Attributes- World Economic Forum Source- The Diplomat A uthor- Nitin A. Gokhale In less than a week, President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka will be facing the toughest political battle of his life as the country votes in the presidential elections on January 8. The Sinhala strongman, credited with ending a 30-year war against the separatist Tamil Tigers in 2009 was expected to have a cakewalk until one of his closest colleagues Maithripala Sirisena walked out of the ruling combine and mounted a credible challenge after the fragmented opposition rallied around him. The outcome of the polls will be watched keenly in at least two foreign capitals – New Delhi and Beijing – since both have large stakes in the island nation. While India’s strategic interests in Sri Lanka are vital, it also has cultural and religious ties with the Sri Lankan society going back centuries. China, a relatively new presence on the island, on the other hand, has

In 1902, a professor asked his student whether it was God who created everything that exists in the universe? Student replied: Yes He again asked: What about evil? Has God created evil also? The student got silent... Then the student requested that may he ask a question for him? Professor allowed him to do so. He asked: Does cold exist? Professor said: Yes! Don't you feel the cold dear? Student said: I'm sorry but you are wrong sir. Cold is a complete absence of heat... There is no cold, it is only an absence of heat. Student asked again: Does darkness exist? Professor Said: Yes! Student replied: you are again wrong sir. There is no such thing like darkness. Its actually the absence of light. Sir! We always study light & heat, but not cold & darkness. Similarly, the evil does not exist. Actually it is the absence of love, faith & true belief in God. That student was... Vivekananda...!!!

PLAN Type 96 Class SSBN ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Author- In the Picture) Source- Want China Times China's new Type 096 Tang-class ballistic missile submarine, thought to be in development, may become a serious threat to the United States in the Western Pacific, as it is estimated to be able to carry 24 missiles according to Russian Military Analyst based in Moscow. An article titled China's Nuclear Potential published on Dec. 30 said that it will still takes decades for China to establish sufficient second strike capability. However, China takes much less time to develop its nuclear forces than most Western observers had previously thought. Currently, the People's Liberation Army Air Force still relies on H-6K bombers and Q-5 attackers to conduct nuclear strikes. While Q-5 attackers have been slowly replaced by the more advanced JH-7A, China is unlikely to develop a new stealth bomber to take H-6K's place in the near future, the article sai

President Vladimir Putin ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons /   Author- Kremlin ) Source- The National Interest Author- Nikholas K. Gvosdev If I were a strategist advising the Russian government on key national-security objectives for 2015 (and I am not), here would be five priorities for the year: First, the Kremlin needs to beat back the so-called “Maidan challenge” in Ukraine. Any consolidation of a westward-leaning administration, especially one that successfully undertakes the economic and security reforms that would make it easier to contemplate closer and more meaningful relations between Ukraine and NATO and the European Union, without also guaranteeing Russian equities, remains a critical danger to Moscow’s interests. This challenge, after the Orange Revolution in 2004, was met by the implosion of the coalition that spearheaded the dramatic political shift and by its subsequent inability once in government to deliver on any substantial reforms. While former U

South Korea Navy Submarine ROKS Lee Sunsin ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Author- United States Navy ) Source- The Diplomat Author- Prashanth Parameswaran Thailand may look to procure two or three submarines as part of an increased 2016 defense budget, finally giving the country a capability it has lacked for more than sixty years, The Bangkok Post reported Friday. According to a source from Thailand’s defense ministry, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is expected to propose the procurement of two to three submarines in the 2016 budget, with the country’s defense minister Prawit Wongsuwon already backing the plan in principle pending cost considerations. The navy has been considering submarines from various sources, but the South Korean Chang Bogo Class submarine is reportedly the least expensive at around $330 million each. To the seasoned observer, Thailand’s plan to acquire submarines is neither new nor surprising. Lacking a submarine capability since 1951,

Image credits- Flickr / Indian MEA Source- The Eurasia Review Author- Santosh Sharma Poudel India signed a nuclear and defence deal with Russia during the President Putin’s recent visit to New Delhi. India also concluded agreements with Japan, the US and China in an important display of its traditional diplomacy undergoing nuanced change under Prime Minister Modi. By Santosh Sharma Poudel* Since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, India’s foreign policy has gathered some pace. His visits to Australia, Japan and the United States brought the relationships with these countries to new heights with several economic and defence agreements. He had visited the three states proposed by a former Japanese prime minister to form an ‘arc of freedom’ democratic alliance. While the pacts with Australia were mostly socio-economic, the agreements with Japan and the US covered economic and security interests. Japan pledged economic assistance worth US$35 billion over five yea

Image credits- DRDO Source- The National Interest Author- Robert Farley India’s nuclear weapons program is a cornerstone of New Delhi’s security strategy for the 21st century. For most of the post-war period, India badly trailed the established nuclear powers in weapon quality, quantity, and the sophistication of delivery systems.  In recent years, however, India has indicated a willingness to take the steps necessary to becoming a first rate nuclear power. This article examines the development of the nuclear program over history, the current state of the program and its associated delivery system projects, the strategic rationale of India’s nuclear efforts, and the likely future contours of the program.  The current balance of nuclear power in South and East Asia is unstable, and likely to result in a nuclear arms race involving Pakistan, India, and China. History of the Program: Indian work on nuclear technology began even prior to independence from the Unit

Image credits- Flickr / Prism Journal  Source- The Diplomat Authors- Manish Vaid & Tridivesh Singh Maini In mid December, the second meeting of the Joint-Study Group (JSG) of the regional cooperation framework known as Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Cooperation (BCIM-EC) was held at Cox’s Bazaar (Bangladesh). This concept has been under discussion for more than a decade and a half. The vision for the (BCIM-EC) was first put forth by Professor Che Zhimin, then Deputy Director of the Economic and Technological Research Centre of the Yunnan Provincial People’s Government, during a visit to India in November 1998, at an event organized by the Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi. In August 1999, the BCIM Forum for Regional Cooperation officially came into existence with a meeting held in Kunming, wherein the final statement of this meeting was titled, “The Kunming Initiative.” While academics and c

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons/ United States Navy  , Attributes-United States Navy Source- The Diplomat Author- Koh Swee Lean Collin During a modernization briefing on December 17, Philippine Navy (PN) vice-chief Rear Admiral Caesar Taccad revealed future plans to acquire at least three submarines, as part of a follow-up to the ongoing 15-year P90-billion Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program. The South China Sea disputes are no doubt a key motivation, when the rear-admiral remarked that “the events in the West Philippine Sea actually gave some urgency on the acquisition,” referring to the overall PN plan to purchase new assets, including a ten-year timeline for submarine purchase. The PN’s 15-year Strategic Development Plan, revolving around the “Philippine Fleet Desired Force Mix” envisages a surface, sub-surface and aerial assets including major “big-ticket items” such as six anti-air warfare-oriented frigates, 12 corvettes optimized f