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

Credits-  http://www.losbarcosdeeugenio.com/credit_en.html Source- Russia & India Report Author- Alexander Yemelyanenkov , RIR Another diesel-electric submarine owned by the Indian Navy, the Sindhukesari, will be in the Zvezdochka ship repair centre for repairs in Russia later this summer. It is being awaited at the Severodvinsk centre, where five similar Russian- built submarines of the Indian Navy were earlier sent to undergo repairs and modernization. The India Embassy in Moscow sent a delegation headed by the naval attaché Commodore Tarun Sobti recently for an inspection visit to Severodvinsk, RIR has learnt. The authorized Indian representatives have checked the enterprise’s industrial and consumer sites for readiness to receive the Sindhukesari diesel-electric submarine for repair. During the visit, Sobti examined the ship lifting facilities and main production plants, which will be involved in the repair of the Indian submarine, Eugene Gladyshev, offici

USS America, LHA-6 ( Credits- Wikimedia Commons / United States Navy) Source- The National Interest Author-  Nikolas K. Gvosdev Earlier this month, I had the privilege of being on a panel as part of the Naval War College’s Regional Alumni Symposium, discussing the strategic importance of the Black Sea region, along with Michael Kofman of the Center for Naval Analysis and Chris Marsh of the School of Advanced Military Studies. After all, as Marsh noted, the Black Sea is assuming much greater importance as part of China’s ambitious “one road, one belt” system, designed to link the Asia-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic worlds—a point made graphically clear by Parag Khanna’s “connectography” maps, while Kofman called attention to Russia’s new power-projection capabilities emanating from Crimea. Yet for all our eloquence in calling for the Black Sea to assume greater importance in American strategic thinking, equally compelling cases were being made for why additional U.S. attention

Agni Missile ( Credits- Wikimedia Commons / Antônio Milena (ABr)) Source- The Diplomat Author- Robert Farley Do states acquire weapons because of security needs or out of a desire for prestige? Analysts have asked this question about a wide range of weapons, including advanced fighter jets, nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers, battleships, and (perhaps most importantly) nuclear weapons. On the prestige side, nuclear weapons convey modernity, power, and a spot in the “room where it happens”–particularly prestigious because the room only holds a few countries. On the security side, nuclear weapons can provide a last ditch alternative against a superior foe. The question of weapons and prestige has bedeviled political scientists and the answer seems to be: “Both, but more of one or the other under particular circumstances.” Recent work by Jayita Sarkar (reviewed by Sumit Ganguly) helps contribute to this question, at least in the context of India’s pursuit of nuclear wea

S-400 Triumf ( Credits- Wikimedia Commons / Соколрус) Source- Russia & India Report Author- RT.COM Russia and India are yet to sign a contract for the supply of advanced S-400 air defence systems, a senior Russian official said in response to an Indian claim, which said the deal was already signed. “The contract has not been signed yet,” the head of Russian state-owned technology giant Rostec Sergey Chemezov said. Earlier Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Defence Production of India, said the deal was already signed. Singh is attending an international security forum in Moscow. Russia's Defence Ministry has not yet commented on the reports. The S-400 is the latest and most advanced of the long-range surface-to-air missiles produced by Russia. The Russian military is the only operator of the system, but China and India are expected to be the first foreign nations to receive it. Media reports in 2015 said that India wants to buy five S-40

Image credits- VOA Source- The National Interest Author- James Goldrick China's leadership faces difficult decisions in the South China Sea. China is at some risk of achieving what it sees as a military success at the price of losing the peace. There is increasing evidence that its land creation (for they are not 'reclamation') activities in the South China Sea are developing a network of bases that will support fixed sensors, such as radars and underwater arrays, as well as the operations of air and seaborne surveillance units. The cumulative effect intended by Chinese planners appears to be to make it too dangerous during a conflict for other nations, most notably the US, to conduct significant military operations in the area, whether on, under or over the South China Sea; and certainly to make sure that none will go undetected in peacetime. China's goal is to be able to regard the sea areas south of Hainan Island as a safe haven for its naval f