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

PLAN Type-55 Destroyer ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / 果壳军事) Source- The Diplomat Author- Robert Farley What does China have planned for the Type 055 cruiser (or cruiser-size destroyer)? Over the past month, numerous reports have emerged about the progress of the class of large ships. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has reportedly ordered four ships, in two groups. The first ship, building at Dalian, will likely hit the water next year, and potentially commission in 2018 or 2019. Guesses regarding size have ranged from 12,000 to 20,000 tons, with most estimates concentrating on the lower end. Expectations about employment of the ships vary quite a bit, but there is general agreement that the PLAN has determined that it needs a large ship able to operate at great distance from home bases, and that will presumably include anti-air, anti-submarine, and anti-surface capabilities. Like many modern surface combatants, the Type 055 will apparently have feat

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / VOA China Source- The National Interest Author- J. Michael Cole For all the talk about the inevitability of the eventual “reunification” of Taiwan and China and bluster about China’s determination to accomplish the “China dream,” ongoing trends in the Taiwan Strait have made it clear that Beijing’s approach to Taiwan is failing. Short of military conquest, there is very little in the current set of options available to Beijing suggesting that “peaceful unification” is even remotely possible. For a while, Beijing seemed to have a strategy, and if one did not look too closely it even seemed to be succeeding. Occurring at a time of shifting balance of economic and military power in the Taiwan Strait, the election of Ma Ying-jeou of the “Beijing-friendly” Kuomintang (KMT) in the 2008 elections, followed by the signing of a series of agreements and indications of political rapprochement, led many analysts to conclude that the Taiwan “ques

Sergei Chemezov  ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Сергей Березов) Source- Russia & India Report  Russia, which has signed deals worth over $12 billion after the annual Russia-India summit held earlier this month, hopes to finalise a few more major projects shortly. The defence deals signed include India’s lease of a second nuclear submarine, purchase of five S-400 ‘Triumf’ missile defence systems, four frigates and joint manufacture of the Ka-226 helicopters. As it pitches for more projects, Russia is calling itself not just a business partner but an "ally" who has always stood by India, including during its "darkest hours". Among the new deals Russia is pushing is a multi-billion dollar deal for the P75-I project, in which six conventional submarines are to be built with Air Independent Propulsion systems. It is also looking at India’s next aircraft carrier project, along with a deal to jointly develop a fifth generation fighter aircra

Kilo class submarine ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Russian Ministry of Defense) Source- The National Interest Author- Kyle Mizokami Unlike the United States Navy, which went all-in on nuclear power, Russia maintains fleets of both diesel and nuclear-powered submarines. A land power encompassing much of Eurasia, Russian submarines are based much closer to “the action” than American submarines are. While Russia maintains nuclear submarines for distant ocean patrols, its fleet of diesel submarines is more than adequate for conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and the Russian near abroad. The mainstay of the Russian Navy’s conventionally powered fleet are Project 877–class submarines, known as the Kilo class to NATO and the West. Nicknamed the “Black Hole” submarine by the U.S. Navy, the Improved Kilos are extremely quiet. The class has been built more or less continuously for thirty years, a testament to their effectiveness at sea............. ( Now click here to

In the intervening hours on the night of 28'th and 29'th, something dramatic had happened. In revenge of the recent Poonch attack on an Indian army camp, Indian Special Forces took out surgical strikes inside POK in terrorist camps and launch pads killing many terrorists in the process. This is a marked departure from the established norm of self restraint. India has awaken to the fact that the path of appeasement will not work with Pakistan and sometimes you will need to wield the big stick to beat the hell out of Pakistan. Now India is sending out the message to Pakistan that India will not lie low if India is again targeted by Pakistan or their cronies. In a strategic level, Pakistan's bluff of nuclear retaliation is exposed. India now is showing that it will not be cowed down by nuclear blackmail. Pakistan had breached the threshold in recent days when they stepped up terrorist activities inside India. It was in a way a desperate move by Pakista

Indo-Iranian Chabahar Port ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Amirhossein Nikroo) Source- Eurasia Review Author- Mehraveh Kharazmi Iran and India are going through a new stage in their bilateral relations. The two countries, which have maintained cordial relations characterized by low tension in the past centuries, are now opening a new chapter, whose impact can even transcend the limits of their bilateral ties. Iran’s relations with India, which had become restricted to import of non-essential goods from India in return for selling Iran’s crude to Indian oil companies due to anti-Iran sanctions and because Tehran did not have much of an option, have now entered a totally different phase. This is true because following the endorsement and implementation of Iran’s nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of countries, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran has now more options for the establishment of political and economic relations with various coun

Image credits- Indian Navy Source- The Diplomat Author- Abhijit Singh Ever since it was signed late last month, India’s logistics agreement with the United States has been a contested issue in India’s strategic circles. The pact has attracted some criticism from a section of India’s political and strategic elite who feel it restricts India’s freedom of military action. The critics appear convinced the pact does not benefit India strategically in the same way as it advantages the U.S. military. As a leading Indian defense analyst put it, “the government seems to have been guided more by the fear of being accused of succumbing to pressure from Washington and less by an evaluation of whether this might benefit India’s military.” As a result, Indian defense ministry officials find themselves under pressure to explain why they believe an agreement with the United States on military logistics is in India’s best interests. Meanwhile, supporters of the pact claim that it only

PLA Ground Forces ( Image credits- VOA) Source- The National Interest Author-  Liang Xiaojun For a great power to lead the world there are a few qualities that it should bring to the table. These include, but are not limited to, material strength, an aspiration for recognition, and sufficient international support. Does China currently possess these qualities? Material strength is the idea that a great power can survive a natural disaster or a man-made catastrophe by virtue of its geographical advantage or large population. Russia, for instance, was able to hold back Napoleon’s ambitions and, later on, undermine Hitler’s aggression. The United States also had enough material strength to play a dominant role in rebuilding the world after the devastation of World War II. And, more recently, China’s material strength led it to dominate the regional response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 global financial crisis..... ( Now read on )

Wishing all our readers a Happy and a Prosperous Onam

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Jacob Jose Source- Eurasia Review Authors- Tan Ming Hui and Lee YingHui Responding to both domestic and external pressures, China sends a strong signal by raising tensions in the East China Sea. Japan is likely to continue engagement of Southeast Asia to balance the perceived Chinese provocation. Can China and Japan explore conciliatory options to avoid a worsening security situation in the region? ..........( Now read on )

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / USN Source- The National Interest Author- Abhijit Singh China is waging a relentless propaganda campaign against its opponents in the South China Sea. Following the Hague arbitral tribunal’s verdict rejecting Beijing’s historical rights within the nine-dash line, China’s publicity managers have raised their game with devastating effect. With well-timed reports suggesting a plan for a Chinese ADIZ in the South China Sea, the fresh reclamation of reefs and shoals in the Spratly group of islands and even reports of military aircraft patrols over the disputed islands, they’ve managed to convince many regional watchers that China has emerged as a dominant maritime power in the Asia–Pacific.( Now read on .........)

Mother Teresa  ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Manfredo Ferrari)   As Mother Teresa is canonized by the Vatican today, giving her sainthood, it is time for us to travel through the lives and time of this enigma we call, Mother Teresa. She has a special place in the hears and minds of us Indians, because it is here that she spent the better part of her life helping the poor and destitutes of Kolkata. A tribute to this angel of mercy: Mother Teresa or Saint Teresa also known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, MC, was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. She was born in Skopje (modern Republic of Macedonia), then part of the Kosovo Vilayet in the Ottoman Empire. After having lived in Macedonia for eighteen years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life. Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, which in 2012 consisted of over 4,500 sisters and was active in 133 countries

PLAN SSN ( Image credits- Internet image) Source- The Diplomat Author- Franz-Stefan Gady China will provide the Pakistan Navy with eight modified diesel-electric attack submarines by 2028, the head of the country’s next-generation submarine program told the Pakistan National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defense during the committee’s visit to the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad on August 26, according to local media reports. The Pakistani senior naval official’s statement in front of the committee members provides official confirmation that the program is moving ahead, although it is still unclear whether a contract has been signed. In April, a senior Pakistan Navy official announced that Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) had secured a contract to produce four of the eight submarines, which will be fitted with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems. ( Now read on ....... )