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

INS Arihant ( Source- Indian Navy) Source- The National Interest Author- Akhilesh Pillalamarri The Indian government will be launching a major naval expansion soon that will include the indigenous construction of seven stealth frigates and six nuclear powered attack submarines. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet approved plans to build the 13 new ships at about a cost of one trillion rupees or about $16 billion on Tuesday. The expansion would triple the size of India’s nuclear submarine fleet and comes on the heels of Narendra Modi’s pitch to increase the proportion of indigenous defense production in India. In a recent speech, Modi said that he would like the percentage of domestic procurement in India to increase to 70 percent. According to The Times of India, this decision comes at a time when India has a “critical necessity” to boost its “overall deterrence capability” in the Indian Ocean, especially the region stretching from the Persian Gulf to the St

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena  ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Author MaithriPala Sirisena Official) Source- The Diplomat Author- Shannon Tiezzi While Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is in India on his first official trip abroad, Beijing wants to make sure no one thinks China is being left out. With Sirisena in India, China’s Foreign Ministry announced that Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera will travel to China at the end of February. As Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying pointed out, Samaraweera will be the first cabinet minister from Sri Lanka to visit China since Sirisena’s government took office. “Both sides attach great importance to the visit,” Hua said, adding China’s “hope that the visit by Foreign Minister Samaraweera will be an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on the development of China-Sri Lanka relations under the new circumstances.” Those “new circumstances” – namely, the election of a n

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Author- Henry Le  Source- The Diplomat Author- Lucio Blanco Pitlo III The celebrated revival of the Silk Road would seem to herald the return of China’s charm offensive, winning over neighbors and other countries in the region through increased trade incentives and transport connectivity. If developing a sound soft power strategy is the mark of a rising world power, does this mean China is on its way? Certainly, in the wake of recent episodes of differences and disputes, the initiative should be seen as a welcome development. Nonetheless, some countries along the envisioned route remain wary and skeptical of the real intentions behind this offering, as well as the possible unfavorable conditions that may be attached to it. In addition, while Beijing tends to highlight its economic credentials, the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (hereinafter, SREB/MSR) has strategic, political and security implications that pa

CG of INS Vikrant  ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Author- Indian Navy) In continuation of our weekly series "Make In India", today we feature the INS Vikrant Aircraft Carrier. Designed in India,  the ship will be the combat ships ever designed in India. Designed by the Indian Navy's Naval design Bureau, two ships are planned in the series. The first INS Vikrant will be a STOBAR configuration at over 40,000 tonnes with a compliment of Mig-29 sea borne combat aircrafts and also  Kamov Ka-31 helicopters. Later the LCA Navy will also join the ship. The second ship will be of a bigger design with a displacement of more than 65,000 tonnes and will feature CATOBAR design and will include AMCA navy and assorted platforms which may also include E-2 AEW Aircrafts. This ship may be nuclear powered. It is in design stages and production will start later this decade. It will probably be the first time America will be helping with the EMAILS launch system. These ships and t

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons Source- Eurasia Review Author- Rupak Bhatacharjee Bangladesh is again at the crossroads. The bitter power rivalry and acrimonious relations between the supreme leaders of the two contending parties — Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have resurfaced in the polity after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s completion of one year in office. BNP-sponsored indefinite blockades and frequent bomb attacks on public vehicles have made life miserable and people from all walks of life now want to see Bangladesh free from the stranglehold of squabbling politicians. Despite the AL government’s imposition of restrictions on street demonstrations and mass gatherings, violent agitations and blockades have claimed more than 60 lives since Jan 5. In a significant development on Jan 25, Bangladesh police registered a criminal case against BNP chief Khaleda Zia for instigating a deadly bomb attack on a passenger bus on Jan 23 in the cap

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons  Source- The National Interest Author- Doug Bandow It’s hard to get out of a bad relationship. The good times may be over and the once vibrant connection may be dead, but people just can’t admit that it’s time to say goodbye. Countries have the same problem, especially the U.S. Washington has spent decades collecting allies like many people accumulate Facebook “Friends.” Virtually never, irrespective of the changed circumstances, does America drop an ally. Indeed, the less relevant the ties the more insistent U.S. officials become in demanding that the relationship be “strengthened” and “expanded.” With Valentine’s Day almost upon us, the Obama administration should take an unsparing look at the ever-growing crowd of American allies and ally-wannabes. It’s time for Washington to send the equivalent of a “Dear John” letter to a half dozen foreign capitals. Where to start? There are so many undeserving deadbeat friends. Saudi

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Author- United States Government   Source- The Diplomat Author- Sarah Graham  One of the few remarked-upon passages in Hillary Clinton’s otherwise unenlightening Hard Choices was her recollection of the decision not to inform Pakistani authorities of the U.S. raid to kill Osama bin Laden. In her retelling, the suggestion that the U.S. should tend to the diplomatic sensitivities of its ally was summarily dismissed by the most senior officials in the room. This would pose too great an operational risk given the known links between the Pakistani military and terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban, even, scarily, at the risk that Pakistani authorities might mistake the U.S. incursion for a fully-fledged military attack by someone else. So well known are these terrorist connections, in fact, that sponsorship of terrorism by various elements of the Pakistani state has its own Wikipedia page, and analysts consider the use