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

Source- The Diplomat Author- Ankit Panda USS Lassen, DDG-82 ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / United States Navy) Early Tuesday morning, the U.S. Navy confirmed that the USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, had completed the first in a series of planned freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea. The operation is the strongest assertion yet by the U.S. Navy that it rejects any maritime claims for Chinese features that were submerged at low-tide in their original, pre-land reclamation state. The FONOP does not, as some reporting has suggested, directly challenge or contest the sovereignty of specific maritime features in the South China Sea. The United States continues to take no position on the actual sovereignty of various disputed maritime features in the South China Sea. Based on the reports available at the time of this writing, the U.S. Navy has not specified the exact location or duration of the Lassen‘s passage

INS Arihant ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Indian navy) Source- Russia & India Report The India-Russia partnership has resulted in a string of successful defence projects, but none is more strategically important than INS Arihant, India’s first indigenously developed nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine. The 6000 ton Arihant, which has completed sea trials, is likely to undergo its maiden missile test-firing this month. The test will in all likelihood involve the 700 kilometre range K-15 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) or the 3,500 kilometre K-4. If successful, India will finally be able to complete its nuclear triad, giving the country’s strategic planners multiple options if it comes to a nuclear confrontation. A nuclear triad refers to the three components of atomic weapons delivery: strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and SLBMs. Of the three elements of the triad, the SLBMs are considered the most importa

Chinese DF-21 A Missile ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Max Smith) Source- The National Interest Author- Michael Peck It's time for America to worry about Chinese ballistic missile defenses (BMD). That's the conclusion of a new study by the Federation of American Scientists, which found that while Beijing has not yet decided to build strategic missile defenses, Chinese leaders are seriously thinking about it. "Unlike some years ago, there is little doubt today that China is developing a strategic BMD capability; their flight tests alone make that clear," said authors Bruce MacDonald and Charles Ferguson, who spoke with more than 50 Chinese and American experts, including Chinese officials, military officers and academics. While Chinese BMD is in the development stage, it does give Beijing the option of deploying a missile defense capability – or not – depending on its assessment of the international situation. "At a minimum, it ap

Taiwanese Air force F-16 ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Al-Jezeera English) Source- The National Interest Author- Kyle Mizokami The balance of air superiority over the island of Taiwan is slowly shifting. Once assured by a fleet of sleek, modern Republic of China Air Force fighters, the rise of China—and the decline of Taiwan’s defense budget—has gradually changed the equation in favor of China. Following the end of the Chinese Civil War, the government of the Republic of China evacuated to the island of Taiwan. Less than two hundred miles separate the island from a hostile Chinese mainland. Yet as long as Taiwan maintained a strong navy and air force, and more importantly, as long as China remained poor, Taiwan might as well have been on the far side of the moon. But China is no longer poor, and it is building a military that matches its newfound wealth. China is able to build more combat aircraft than Taiwan can support, and has embarked on a two simul

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / AKS 9955 Due to the ongoing Navarathri celebrations, we are taking a small break. We will be back on Vijayadhashami day (23.10.2015).  Thank you .  

Navarathri Durga pooja ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Jonoikobangali) Navaratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Devi are worshipped. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra" (also spelled Dasera). Navaratri is an important major festival and is celebrated all over India and Nepal. Diwali the festival of lights is celebrated twenty days after Dasera. Though there are total five types of Navaratri that come in a year, but Sharad Navaratri is the most popular one. Hence, the term Navaratri is being used for Sharada Navaratri here. Significance The beginning of spring and the beginning of autumn are considered to be important junctions of climatic and solar influences. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of the Div

South China sea ( Image credits- VOA) Source- Want China Times China-US relations appear to be heading down the wrong path after American military officials recently indicated that US ships and aircraft would be sent to disputed waters in the South China Sea notwithstanding China's territorial claims in the region, says Duowei News, a US-based Chinese political news outlet. "Make no mistake, we will fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits," said US defense secretary Ash Carter on Oct. 13, in response to a question about China's aggressive land reclamation activities in the South China Sea, where it is engaged in territorial disputes with countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines. "We will do that in the time and place of our choosing," he added. Carter's statements came a day after the New York Times reported that the US plans to conduct naval patrols within 12 nautical miles of China's man-made islands in t