DYNAMICS OF SECURITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC
Introduction Indo-Pacific, as a term, was introduced by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in...
Articles
MACKINDER, EURASIA AND CHINA’S ONE-BELT-ONE-ROAD: MACKINDER FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
The lines quoted above reflect Mackinder’s own summary of his Tworld view, developed since his fir...
Rajamandala in orbit?
Indian Naval Despatch, Vol. 4 No. 3 (Winter 2023). “Leveraging Kautilya’s Arthasastra for Constr...
COERCION – AN EFFECTIVE TOOL OR A BARRIER IN STATECRAFT?
Indian Naval Despatch, Vol. 6 No. 1, Dec 25. “Challenges and Inconsistencies Between Theory and Pr...
QUANTUM SENSING FOR UNDERSEA DOMAIN AWARENESS IMPLICATIONS FOR ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE IN THE IOR
Abstract: This paper examines quantum enabled sensing as an emerging application for undersea survei...
NAVAL LESSONS OF THE 2026 AMERICAN ISRAELI CONFLICT WITH IRAN IN WEST ASIA
Editor's Note: This article was originally published in the July 2026 issue of Medals and Ribbons ma...
INDIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL LAWS OF THE SEA PART 5/5: Maritime Claims and Boundary Delimitations
Abstract: The foregoing four parts of this paper (Parts 1/5 to 4/5) published in the preceding editi...
EXPLOITING SATELLITES FOR MARITIME SURVEILLANCE: GROWING CAPABILITIES AND ACCOMPANYING LIMITATIONS
Abstract: The proliferation of satellites, both commercial and military, backed by powerful software...
Xi Jinping, Not the PLA: A Simpler Explanation for India- China Tensions
Indian Naval Despatch, Vol. 4 No. 2 – ‘The Escalating Confrontation over India between President...
Strategic Thinking in the Indian Navy
Introduction There is considerable irony in the fact that it took the recent Sino-Indian border conf...
CHINA’S MARITIME STRATEGY IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA: MASTERSTROKE OR MONUMENTAL BLUNDER?
China’s actions in the South China Sea (SCS) offer a fascinating study in the evolution of its mar...
MARITIME SECURITY COOPERATION: ASSESSMENT OF INDIA’S ACT EAST POLICY
Introduction Southeast Asia has been a region of strategic rivalry for several centuries. As early a...
EVOLVING NATURE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN THE INDO-PACIFIC: THE MALABAR CONFLUENCE
Introduction The contemporary context of the two ocean space of the Indo-Pacific has been an engagin...
INDIA'S STRATEGIC CALCULUS IN THE POST COVID-19 WORLD
Introduction In Ismail Merchant’s classic The Remains of the Day, set in 1930s Britain, the host, ...
STRATEGIC POWER-PLAY IN THE ARCTIC
“India has been following the developments in the Arctic region with interest and is also ready to...
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE STRATEGY FOR INDIA IN SOUTH ASIAN ‘COMPLEX SITUATION’
Introduction While it took over four decades for the leaders of both sides of the Cold War to realis...
A REVIEW OF PAKISTAN’S NUCLEAR DOCTRINE
Introduction For more than thirty years, Pakistan has relied on nuclear weapons to conduct its grand...
PAKISTAN’S TNWs AND INDIA’S MASSIVE RETALIATION – IS THERE A CREDIBILITY GAP?
Introduction The concept of credibility is central to nuclear deterrence. Unless nuclear signalling ...
INDIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN: NEED FOR A ‘RESET’
India’s Stakes in Afghanistan India’s core interests in Afghanistan need to be viewed within the...
EVOLUTION OF A CONTINENTAL STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN LAND WARFARE IN THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT
“The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” Michael Porter Introduction As we continue...
STRENGTHENING MARITIME AND COASTAL SECURITY IN INDIA BY STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES
Disclaimer: Certain sections of this article have been reproduced/ adapted/ encapsulated from earlie...
COHERENT AND COGENT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY - A CHALLENGE FOR ARMED FORCES
“It’s not what you upload, it’s the strategy with which you upload” Will Kenan Introduction ...
OPTIMISING NAVAL FLEETS THROUGH MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT USING AI AND BDA
Introduction The Indian Navy (IN) has undergone a significant transformation over the years from a f...
DE-ITALICIZING ‘JUGAAD’: MAKING INNOVATION SUCCEED
In 2017, the word ‘Jugaad’ officially made an entry into the Oxford English dictionary and was d...
ADHAR KUMAR CHATTERJI - THE ADMIRAL WHO SHED HIS VICE AND BUILT THE NAVY
Disclaimer: This is an expanded version of an article written for ‘The Daily Guardian’ newspaper...
ADMIRAL AB CUNNINGHAM - BRITAIN’S FORTUNE IN WW II
Countries have to often wage war in circumstances beyond their control. At that time, they are force...
MARITIME STRATEGY AND TERRESTRIAL INFLUENCE
“The supreme test of the naval strategist is the depth of comprehension of the intimate relation b...
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SINO-INDIAN BORDER STANDOFF
Introduction Attempts to reduce the ongoing tension on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between Indi...
ELEVATING INDIA-UK NAVAL AND MARITIME SECURITY TIES POST-BREXIT AND POST-COVID
India looms large in the United Kingdom’s (UK) world view as it emerges after four years of politi...
INDIA AND THE INDO-PACIFIC: REALITIES OF A GREAT GAME?
The pursuit of security, stability and prosperity has always shaped the geostrategy of great powers....
INDIGENOUS SUBMARINE CONSTRUCTION: CHARTING A COURSE
“The only thing that ever frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril.” Winston Churchill,...
CHINA’S THEATRE COMMANDS: PROGNOSIS OF ROLES AND TASKING
Back to the Future China’s incentive to modernise and reorganise the Peoples’ Liberation Army (P...
WARFIGHTING CAPABILITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE JOINT MARITIME THEATRE COMMAND
“Separate ground, sea, and air warfare is gone forever. If we ever again should be involved in war...
INDIA’S DIPLOMACY IN SOUTH ASIA: EVOLVING A COLLABORATIVE STRATEGY IN THE BACKDROP OF COVID-19
Nepal went into the throes of a political turmoil in December 2020. This has not been a one-off inst...
AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE QUAD AS A COUNTER TO CHINA IN THE IOR
“The Greater Indian Ocean region...will be the centre of global conflicts, because most internati...
STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL FOR INDIA
“If India desires to be a naval power it is not sufficient to create a navy, however efficient and...
SPACE THE NEXT FRONTIER: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR INDIA
“Space is for everybody. It’s not just for a few scientists or astronauts. That’s our new fron...
ENHANCING COMMUNICATION AND SURVEILLANCE ON NAVAL SHIPS USING TETHERED DRONES
Background The use of tethered balloons for reconnaissance onboard warships was first experimented w...
AN APPETISING WRONG OR AN INSIPID RIGHT
Duty, Honour, Courage! The Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala, Kerala, functions with the primar...
PROCEEDING WITH DESPATCH: FROM THE OLDEST TO THE NEWEST
Editor-in-Chief Note: This article is a special one from Captain Bill Hamblet, USN (Retd), the Edito...
SAFETY IN THE SURFACE NAVY: THE LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE
In the Indian Navy, as in most work organisations, it is a fundamental characteristic of regular dai...
COMMAND: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Disclaimer: This is a revised and updated text of an occasional paper originally published in 2020 b...
WHY THE NAVY MUST THINK AIR STRATEGY
“The air constitutes a battlefield of equal importance.” Giulio Douhet1 Introduction The Indian ...
THE GEOPOLITICIAN AND HIS EVOLVING MENTAL MAP: THE WORKS OF KM PANIKKAR REVISITED
Introduction Stephen Jay Gould has argued that “the truly awesome intellectuals” have woven vari...
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN: INDIA’S OPTIONS IN TALIBAN CONTROLLED AFGHANISTAN
Introduction Kabul fell into the hands of the Taliban on 15 August 2021, thereby bringing to close t...
WILL CHINA’S DIGITAL CURRENCY BREAK THE DOLLAR’S MONOPOLY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA
“No matter what political reasons are given for war, the underlying reason is always economic.”1...
THE UNRECOGNISED DIVIDEND, A BROKEN BRIDGE
Introduction A navy is about roles, mandates, deployments, training, preparedness, maintenance and t...
NURTURING INNOVATION IN THE ARMED FORCES
Disclaimer: This essay was the prize-winning essay in the IN’s Commodore Nott Annual Essay for 202...
PAINT HOMING TORPEDO
Editorial Note: (This is a sequel to an earlier article titled: Paper Seeking Missile) Krepkiy Oboro...
MARITIME SECURITY CHALLENGES IN THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION (IOR): SHARED CONCERNS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Prologue The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is home to 2.5 billion people, one-third of the world’s pop...
AN OVERVIEW OF SUBMARINE OPERATIONS IN THE 1971 WAR
The 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, fought a half-century ago, remains one of the few post World War II conf...
RE-LIVING HISTORY: A SAILOR’S MEMOIR OF THE 1971 AIR WAR
Editorial Note: This article is a combination and expansion of two articles centred on the 1971 conf...
MORAL COURAGE, THE BEDROCK OF VALOUR: A RETRIEVED LESSON
The National Defence Academy (NDA) located at Khadakvasla, Pune, has been recognised the world over ...
WHY DOES THE ARCTIC REMAINS ELUSIVE? THINK ARCTIC, THINK STRATEGY
Abstract: The Arctic is undergoing rapid transformation, emerging from a frozen polar “cap” into...
NAVIGATING ARCTIC LEGAL COMPLEXITY WAY AHEAD FOR INDIA'S STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE ARCTIC
Abstract: This article examines India’s evolving Arctic interests, the adequacy of existing legal ...
BRIDGING STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY BENEATH THE WAVES – LESSONS FROM FRANCE’S SEABED WARFARE STRATEGY
Fig 1: Representation of Nord Stream Pipeline Damage1 “When we talk about seabed warfare, always c...
IDENTIFYING AND ANALYSING CHINA’S STRATEGIC APPROACHES DURING THE KOREAN WAR, 1950-53
Abstract: This essay critically examines China’s strategic approaches during the Korean War (1950-...
CHALLENGES AND INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COERCION
Abstract: This article endeavours to critically examine the theory and practice of coercion in conte...
A FRAMEWORK FOR PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS IN BACKDROP OF OPERATION SINDOOR
Abstract: Perception Management has emerged as a niche and sophisticated sphere of Strategic Communi...
AN ASSESSMENT OF CHINA’S GROWING AIRCRAFT CARRIER CAPABILITY
Abstract: China’s rapid expansion of aircraft carrier capabilities is reshaping the Indo-Pacific s...
THE “COSTS” OF NOT DOING RIGOROUS COST ESTIMATION
“In the year 2054, the entire defence budget will purchase just one aircraft. This aircraft will h...
INDIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL LAWS OF THE SEA PART 4/5: PEACETIME MILITARY ISSUES AND NAVIGATIONAL FREEDOMS (CONTD.)
Abstract: The preceding and current parts of this paper (Parts 3/5 and 4/5) analyse the convergences...
INTEGRATION OF SEA GLIDERS IN INDIAN NAVY OPERATIONS
Abstract: The underwater domain is critical in shaping maritime dominance which directly influences...
AN ANALYSIS OF UNDERSEA CABLE SABOTAGE OPERATIONS AND STRATEGIC COERCION
Abstract: The growing trend of undersea cable sabotage in recent years has emerged as a significant ...
TWO OH OH’ - THE COURSE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
Every naval officer carries a few memories from his training days that refuse to fade, moments that ...
RULES-BASED MARITIME AIR ORDER – PASSIVE RESILIENCE TO REALPOLITIK
Indian Naval Despatch Monsoon Edition, Vol. 4 No. 2, “Rules-Based Maritime Air Order”1 by RAdm S...
TRANSPARENT OCEANS – IMPLICATIONS FOR NAVAL OPERATIONS
Abstract: Rapid advancements in satellite technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning ...
GROWING IMPERATIVES OF SUBMARINE CABLES FOR INDIA
Abstract: Undersea communication cables, submerged along sea and ocean beds, form the silent arterie...
OF TEST PILOTS AND THEIR LITTLE UNDERSTOOD WAYS
TEST PILOT Ten thousand grand for a dozen g's And no one can take a thirteen of these And all I do f...
REGIONAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE IN BIMSTEC: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Abstract: The Bay of Bengal Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Coope...
Analysing Vikrant’s Role in 1971 A Little Differently
This commentary by Dr Joshi counters some of the arguments put forth by Cdr Karthik Balaji in his ar...
Ethical “Snitching”: Learning From Arun Khetrapal
In his outstanding article, Cdr Allan Rodrigues (Retd.) recounted the incident of a young Squadron C...
CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN THE TALK AND THE WALK
A series of articles in the Despatch have brought to the fore some difficult but essential conversat...
COMMAND OF THE SEA, SEA CONTROL AND SEA DENIAL IN CONTEMPORARY NAVAL WARFARE
While to other countries, the Indian Ocean is only one of the important oceanic areas, to India it i...
SMALL MAYBE MORE LETHAL: INDIAN NAVAL FORCE STRUCTURING CONSIDERATIONS
Introduction Background: History corroborates the close linkage between maritime power and the devel...
GREY ZONES IN BLUE WATERS
If the colours black and white are analogous with definitive choices at the opposite ends of the spe...
A Legal Analysis on Freedom of Maritime Air Operations Under International Law
It is vital to maintain “freedom of navigation and [to] strengthen the international legal regime ...
INDIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL LAWS OF THE SEA Part 1/5: Security/ Criminal Jurisdiction at Sea (The Divergences)
Abstract: As India takes to the centre-stage of geopolitics in the maritime-configured Indo-Pacific ...
THE USE OF NAVAL POWER IN SHIVAJI’S ERA: BATTLE OF BASRUR
Abstract: This article explores one of the often-overlooked maritime triumphs of Chhatrapati Shivaji...
RISE OF TURKIYE’S DEFENCE EXPORTS: LESSONS FOR INDIA
Abstract:This paper dissects the remarkable ascension of Turkiye as a prominent player in the intern...
MAXIMISING SUCCESS IN NAVAL OPERATIONS: THE CASE FOR INVESTING IN MISSION COMMAND
To do great things is difficult, but to command great things is more difficult. - Friedrich Nietzsch...
NDIAN AND BRAZILIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL BASE - BEST PRACTICES AND MUTUAL LEARNING
A Nation with a strong defence industry will not only be more secure, but it will also reap rich eco...
THUCYDIDES TRAP: PHILIPPINES IN THE BALANCING ACT
Introduction The Peloponnesian War, documented by Greek general and historian Thucydides, has given ...
RIDING THE TIDE: ANALYSING THE UTILITY OF UNMANNED SYSTEMS
The introduction of unmanned systems to the battlefield doesn’t change simply how we fight, but ...
VICTORY THROUGH GRAND IDEALS
“Victory Through Grand Ideals” gives our readers something to think of. This article by Lt Col K...
THE LAY APART STORE
Editor’s Note: This article is an adaptation by the author of a piece posted on his blog on 03 Mar...
WE PUT THE SCREWS ON!
Editor’s Note: This is an adapted version, with permission of the author, and DESA/NHQ since it wa...
AI AND BIG DATA ANALYTICS IN NAVAL OPERATIONAL PLANNING
Abstract: Advanced navies, including the Indian Navy (IN), have adopted the Naval Operational Planni...
BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE AI ECOSYSTEM IN INDIA’S ARMED FORCES
“Some of our leaders want to build a wall against the hurricane…my argument is that you have to ...
A PARADE OF ‘PARADIGM SHIFTS IN NAVALESE
In the high-stakes game of ‘Gradus ad Navalis’, naval officers of all manner of rank and special...
LIVING IN TRANSPARENT OCEANS – LOOKING BEYOND TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS
Indian Naval Despatch Spring 2024 - Vol. 5 No. 1 “Transparent Oceans – Implications for Naval Op...
DISORGANISING FOR INNOVATION?
Putting Sea Control and Sea Denial to Work
Dr Prakash Gopal has, indeed, written a well-researched article, Command of the Sea, Sea Control and...
CLARIFYING PRESENCE AND POWER PROJECTION
Indian Naval Despatch Spring 2023 - Volume 4 No. 1. “Command of the Sea, Sea Control and Sea Denia...
HUGHES SALVO MODEL BROADSIDE
Indian Naval Despatch Spring 2023 - Volume 4 No. 1. “Small May be More Lethal: Indian Naval Force ...
RULES-BASED MARITIME AIR OPERATIONS
Indian Naval Despatch Spring 2023 - Volume 4 No. 1. “A Legal Analysis on Freedom of Maritime Air O...
HOW HAVE LAND POWERS ENDEAVOURED TO GAIN STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE OVER SEA POWERS: DOES HISTORY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?
Abstract:The world has witnessed many instances of severe competition between land and sea powers an...
THE ESCALATING CONFRONTATION OVER INDIA BETWEEN PRESIDENT XI AND THE PLA
Editor’s Note: “This essay was simultaneously posted on the author’s website on 02 September 2...
AN ETHICAL APPROACH TO LETHAL AUTONOMOUS WEAPON SYSTEMS
In cases not covered by the law in force, the human person remains under the protection of the princ...
UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER’S EDUCATION AND TRAINING METHODS: AN “AUSSIE” REFLECTION ON IN-RAN OFFICER EXCHANGE, MAY TO JUNE 2009
Editor’s Note: Nearly 15 years ago, the author had an opportunity to respond to an invitation from...
PLA’S MULTI-DOMAIN PRECISION WARFARE
‘Precision guided weapons will become the main means of attack’ - Chinese Science of Military St...
CHARTING TO DIPLOMACY: LEVERAGING HYDROGRAPHY AS A DIPLOMATIC TOOL
Abstract: The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) represents a dynamic and strategically vital maritime space,...
ACQUISITION OF USCG CUTTER (EX- MUNRO) FOR SRI LANKA: A FIRSTHAND EXPEREINCE
Abstract: This article provides an in-depth account of the acquisition and transition of the United ...
CHINA’S STRATEGIC APPROACHES DURING THE KOREAN WAR 1950-53
Editor’s Note: -This essay is the author's adaptation of a course paper written at the Royal Colle...
NAVAL WARFARE'S DIGITAL REVOLUTION: THE IMPACT OF CYBER OPERATIONS
Abstract: The naval battlefield is evolving with the integration of cyber warfare into traditional m...
WHAT THE RED SEA AND UKRAINE SUGGEST ABOUT DISTRIBUTED LETHALITY
IN Despatch Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the August 2024 USNI Proceedin...
INDIA AND THE INTERNATIONAL LAWS OF THE SEA1 PART 2/5: Security/ Criminal Jurisdiction at Sea (The Emerging Convergences)
Abstract: This part of the paper follows from its Part 1/5 carried in the preceding volume of the IN...
INDIAN SPACE REFORMS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SPACE DEFENCE
Abstract: Space reforms unfurled by India in 2020 have catapulted the indigenous space sector to hig...
SECURING NAVAL NETWORKS: QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION AND POST-QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY
Abstract: In an era where quantum computing is poised to revolutionise computational capabilities, t...
LEAVE ACTION MESSING TO THE SHIPS
This piece is inspired by an article written by RAdm SY Shrikhande in an earlier issue of Naval Desp...
MESSING WITH ACTION! FORGETTING FIRST PRINCIPLES?
The thought-provoking contribution by Cmde Kesnur above, encouraged me to share some additional angl...
SEAPOWER AND THE IMPERIAL CHOLAS
Editor’s Note. This research paper was specially written by the author for INDES. He presented a m...
MARITIME PRIORITIES IN THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION
Note: This article is adapted from the address delivered by RAdm Aaron Beng during the 3rd Goa Marit...
Recalling Androth’s ‘Recall’ Organisation
A picture of an Indian Naval ship named Androth recently launched by GRSE brought back memories of m...
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH... LIFE GETS INTERESTING Humour Lives in Uniform
After close to four decades in the Navy, a question that I have been asked a thousand times is “Wh...
MARITIME TRADE WARFARE AGAINST CHINA: CONSIDERATIONS FOR INDIA
Abstract: The paper, based on a comprehensive thesis written during the author’s NHCC, analyses is...
EXTRA-REGIONAL MARITIME POWERS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN REGION: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INDIAN NAVY
Abstract: The Indian Ocean region has been progressively taking centre stage on the global maritime ...
MILITARY VALUE OF OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT: A MYTH OR REALITY?
Ninety per cent of intelligence comes from open source. The ten per cent, the clandestine work, is j...
WE DARED, WE DID AND WE WERE HUMBLED
This is a short narrative about one ship, INS Kochi, one super cyclone named Tauktae and of a SOS so...
MILITARY MODERNISATION IN THE 21 CENTURY: THE DRAGON’S WAY
Abstract: China, aiming to secure its national ambitions and status as a global power, has been at t...
MAURITIUS: A KEY PARTNER IN IOR SECURITY; A DISCUSSION WITH - MR. ANIL KUMAR DIP, PMSM COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MAURITIUS
(This is a brief discussion on 09 Nov 2021, where the Police Commissioner of Mauritius, Mr Anil Kuma...
INDIA-PAKISTAN AND LIMITED WAR
India and Pakistan have fought largely conventional wars bereft of the apocalyptical shadow of a nuc...
BALANCE OF POWER IN ASIA CHINA HAUNTS IT, INDIA - UNITED STATES DEFENCE COOPERATION CAN BLUNT IT
“Nobody is nobody’s friend, Nobody is nobody’s well wisher Persons become friends or enemies o...
CHINESE AND INDIAN “NEW REGIONALISM” AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO ISLAND STATES AND LITTORALS IN THE IOR
In the post-1945 period, Regionalism emerged as a political-security-economic variant and dominated ...
MILITARY SATELLITES FOR INDIAN NAVY’S MARITIME OPERATIONS
Overview To say that the maritime environment has become increasingly complex is to state a truism. ...
THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF INS BETWA: SETTING HER UPRIGHT AND FIGHTING FIT
INS Betwa (F39) is an indigenously designed and built, steam propelled, guided missile frigate of th...
RISE OF AN ASSERTIVE TURKEY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA
In Samuel Huntington’s 1993 book, Clash of Civilizations and the Making of the World Order, he pos...
COMMAND AND CONTROLAT SEA: INSIGHTS ON NAVAL STRATEGY
Indian Naval Despatch Spring 2023 - Vol 4 No. 1 “Command of the Sea, Sea Control and Sea Denial in...
MORE SHADES OF GREY IN BLUE WATERS
Indian Naval Despatch, Vol. 4 No. 1 (Spring 2023). “Grey Zones in Blue Waters” by Cmde Himadri B...
OPTIMIZING NAVAL FORCE COMPOSITION: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE HUGHES SALVO MODEL
Indian Naval Despatch, Vol. 4 No. 1 (Spring 2023) “Small May be More Lethal - Indian Naval Force S...
STRENGTHENING IN-RAN COOPERATION: REFLECTIONS ON A DECADE OF PROGRESS
Indian Naval Despatch, Vol. 4 No. 2 (Monsoon 2023). “Understanding Each Other’s Education and Tr...
CONCEPT OF GREY ZONES: A DESCRIPTIVE FRAMEWORK
THE AIR FORCE’S LEAP OF FAITH INTO STRATEGIC THINKING: WARFARE AND AEROSPACE STRATEGY PROGRAM (WASP)
Editor’s note. This article has been written by the author as a member of the faculty of the Colle...
STATECRAFT AND STRATEGY OF SHIVAJI MAHARAJ IN BUILDING A PROGRESSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE EMPIRE
Editor’s note and abstract: This essay is the author’s distillation of one part of From Indus to...
DISCUSSION WITH BRIGADIER MICHAEL ROSETTE, CHIEF OF DEFENCE FORCE, SEYCHELLES PEOPLE'S DEFENCE FORCE
Editor’s note. At the Goa Maritime Conclave in October 2023, on behalf of the Indian Naval Despatc...
RECENT TRENDS AND LEGAL DIMENSIONS IN EMPLOYMENT OF AUTONOMOUS MARITIME SYSTEMS IN PEACE AND WAR
Editor’s note. In pursuit of examining ethical and operational issues of autonomous systems in the...
CHARTING THE TRACK TOWARDS AN ATMANIRBHAR NAVY BY 2047
Abstract: The Indian Navy has been at the forefront of defence indigenisation in India. Most Indian ...
LEADING FROM THE FRONT: THE MANEKSHAW WAY
Abstract: Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw’s career exemplified exceptional leadership amidst historica...
LEVERAGING KAUTILYA’S ARTHASHASHTRA FOR CONSTRUCTING OUTER SPACE RAJAMANDALA
Abstract: Outer space continues to propel, entice and catapult the human mind’s inquisitiveness an...
INDIA’S NAVAL DIPLOMACY IN THE VANILLA ISLANDS
The Vanilla Islands comprise the states of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles, as also th...
WAR ON THE HUMAN MIND: IS IT THE SIXTH DOMAIN OF WARFARE?
Abstract: Warfare, classically, is expected to influence the domains of land, maritime, air, space a...
COMMANDING THE RED SEA: MAHAN, CORBETT, AND THE HOUTHI THREAT1
Editor’s note. Since Mahan and Corbett are seen as foundational maritime strategists in Indian pro...
“PRAAADE! PAY ‘TENSHUN”: NAVAL DIVISIONS AND I
In the Navy, everyone’s familiar with the Parade Gunner’s booming command, “Praaade, Pay Tensh...
TRAINING FOR ETHICAL CONDUCT
एकंसद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति (There is one truth, wise me...
DISPUTED IMBLs AND ADIZs - IMPLICATIONS FOR MARITIME AIR OPERATIONS
The waters of the world form one vast expanse. While land may be enveloped by the sea - and the Cont...
BOTH WATCHES
An outstanding article by Lt. Cdr Rajiv Lochan on a subject that has largely been left unaddressed a...
MIGHTY OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW
It was obvious that few of the teenagers who entered the Academy had received the benefit of moral o...
A VIEW FROM DOWN UNDER: ETHICS AND EARLY OFFICER TRAINING
This comment has been received from Lt Col MD Saunders, Australian Army (Retd) on the article, ‘An...
SEAPOWER AND THE IMPERIAL CHOLAS
This observation has been received from Mr Dennard H D’Souza, a Senior Research Associate at the M...
FORGOTTEN PAGES OF HISTORY
This viewpoint has been received from Prof (Dr) Utham Kumar Jamadhagni, HoD, Dept of Defence & Strat...
INDIAN ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM RELEVANCE TO NATIONAL SECURITY
This disquisition is a transcript of the valedictory address delivered by the current Chief of the N...
LESSONS FROM SYNCRETIC TRAINING: FLASH BACK TO 1969 IN THE SOVIET UNION
Perhaps the most difficult decade for our armed forces was the 60s. The Sino-Indian war of 1962 expo...
The India–US Relationship: Transcending the Geopolitical Imperative
Abstract: India–US relations have been on an upswing in the recent past. This essay argues that th...
OPERATIONAL INTEGRATION OF UNMANNED ARIAL SYSTEMS FOR MILITARY AIR LOGISTICS
Abstract: Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have emerged as a transformative capability that can redefin...
VICTORY DAY AND UNDERSEA AUTONOMY: CHINA’S STRATEGIC MESSAGE
Abstract: The rapid evolution of autonomous undersea systems is transforming naval warfare, with ext...
THE CROSS-STRAIT FISHERS’ DISPUTE IN PALK BAY AND POSSIBLE PATHWAYS FOR RESOLUTION
Abstract: This essay examines the evolution of the cross-strait fishers dispute in the Palk Bay, a s...
MARITIME ANTI-PIRACY ACT, 2022: STRENGTHENING INDIA’S LEGAL ARCHITECTURE FOR MARITIME SECURITY
Abstract: This article examines the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022, enacted by India to address the ...
INDIA’S ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMBINED MARITIME FORCES (CMF): STRATEGIC RATIONALE, OPERATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND WAY AHEAD
Abstract: The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) has immense strategic and geopolitical significance as a vi...
ECONOMIC WARFARE: SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS, SANCTIONS AND ENERGY SECURITY
Note: The views expressed here are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ...
THE LOW-COST FORTRESS: EVALUATING ANTI-DRONE MESH AS AN ECONOMICAL COUNTERMEASURE FOR NAVAL ASSETS
Abstract: The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the vulnerability of high-value naval asse...
VICE ADMIRAL SWARAJ PRAKASH AND “KEEPING YOUR WITS ABOUT”
While going through the editing cycle for the account of Vikrant’s engine room and the 1971 war, m...
Increasing Security Needs for Submarine Cables
Lt Cdr Abhishek Kesari's essay provides a good understanding of submarine telecommunication cables, ...
Roosevelt and his Fleet Commanders: Effective Strategy Through Disciplined Civil-Military Relations
Abstract: Effective strategy requires bridging the gap between civilian authority and military decis...
Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME): Transforming Maritime Security in the IOR
Abstract: The Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) initiative, launched in April 2025, rep...
Overcoming Maritime Security Challenges Within ASEAN
Abstract: The shift in the global economic centre of gravity to the east; 80% of global trade being ...
Understanding Chinese ‘Four Sha’ Claim in the South China Sea: Strategic Objectives Through New Subtlety
“A piece of paper that is destined to come to naught.”1 -Liu Zhenmin, China's Vice Foreign Minis...
Utility of Prospect Theory for Assessing China’s Grand Strategy under Xi Jinping
Abstract: Xi Jinping, now nearing the end of his third term as President of China, has had immense i...
Is Gwadar Doomed to Fail?
Abstract: Gwadar port, a flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and a cornerston...
India and the International Laws of the Sea, Part 3/5: Peacetime Military Issues and Navigational Freedoms
Abstract: The two preceding parts of this paper (Parts 1/5 and 2/5) were published sequentially in t...
Naval Wargaming: Harnessing Digital Twins Technology for Enhanced Strategy and Decision-Making
An Operational View on Unmanned Surface Vessels in Offensive Roles
Abstract: Explosive-laden Unmanned Surface Vehicles (E-USVs) rapidly have emerged as a transformativ...
Quantum Leap: Revolutionising Naval Communications in the Digital Age
Strategies for Improved Repair and Maintenance of Cable Infrastructure
"India intends to invest in maintenance, repair and financing of undersea cables in the Indian Ocean...
INDIGENISATION OF INNOVATION IS THE MANTRA
This comment has been received from Capt Srinivas B Inje, who belongs to the Indian Navy’s Naval A...
Ethical Friction in the Fog of War: A Study of Ethical Conduct in Warfare
This observation has been received from Capt Suraj James Rebeira, a Navigation and Direction special...
Defence IoT Applications: Creating the Proverbial Ubiquitous Network
This viewpoint has been received from Capt Vikram Ahuja, an Electrical Engineer by specialisation, o...
Will China’s Digital Currency Break the Dollar’s Monopoly and its Implications for India
This reflection has been projected by Shri Shrish Pratin Pattalwar, a qualified Mechanical Engineer...
Influence of Strategic Culture / Sun Tzu on Chinese Actions in the 1962 Indo-China Conflict
“The different measures suited to the nine varieties of ground; the expediency of aggressive or d...
Why the Need for Theatre Commands Must Be Debated
Name a new play, and he’s the poet’s friend, Nay show’d his faults-but when would poets mend? ...
Strategic Power Play in the Arctic: Impact on Global Economic and Defence Structures
Background The Arctic has evinced the interest of explorers and statesmen since dawn of the modern a...
Admiral Kanhoji Angre: A Visionary Leader
Background Even though the Western Coast of ancient and medieval India had a rich tradition of intre...
Atoms for Peace: India’s SSBN Fleet and Nuclear Deterrence
Editor’s Note: This article is reproduced here with the permission of the Australian National Univ...
China’s Strategic Culture and its Influence on Security Strategy
Culture is the root and foundation of strategy. Strategic thinking, in the process of its evolutiona...
The Politics of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
Introduction The ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor’ (CPEC), an unprecedented package of economic...
Indian Naval Satellite Communication Challenges and Way Ahead
Introduction The tryst of the Indian Navy (IN) with a dedicated Defence Communication Satellite bega...
Challenges and Opportunities in the Central Asian Region
Introduction This paper would be studying India’s relationship with the five nations of the Centra...
Blockchain Technology and Naval Applications: Better Late than Never
We must take the blockchain as an important breakthrough for independent innovation of core technolo...
Technology in Leadership, Training and Human Resources Management
Human Resources - People Matter Human Resources (HR) is the biggest asset to any organisation and op...
Governance in Maritime Zones of India: Imperatives for the Indian Navy
Introduction The terror attacks of 26 November 2008 commonly known as 26/11 in Mumbai compelled the ...
Vikrant’s Operations in the Eastern Theatre during the 1971 War: A Case Study on the Centrality of Aircraft Carriers to India’s Maritime Security
“During the 1965 war, Vikrant was sitting in Bombay harbour and did not go out to sea. If in the 1...
Often Forgotten: The Aim of ASW
Most people when queried on the aim of ASW tend to answer “To Seek, To Classify, To Destroy.” Th...
ETHICAL FRICTION IN THE FOG OF WAR: A STUDY OF ETHICAL CONDUCT IN WARFARE
You are a naval aviator, shot down over enemy territory, injured, abused and incarcerated. This is n...
GEOGRAPHY’S ROLE IN GAINING COMMAND OF THE MARITIME COMMONS: AN ANALYSIS THROUGH THE LENS OF THEORY AND HISTORY
History is replete with numerous contests between nations to control the maritime commons. Economic ...
THE NAVY STILL PUNISHES TALENTED RISK TAKERS
Indian Naval Despatch Editor-in-Chief’s Note: This article is published here with the concurrence ...
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION IN THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES: A FOOTSOLDIER’S PERSPECTIVE
Introduction Professional Military Education (PME) is the foundation on which the ability of militar...
INNOVATE TO DOMINATE
Note: The title of this article is innovated from the quote ‘Cooperate to Dominate’mentioned in ...
WAR IN UKRAINE: IS DECISIVE VICTORY ACHIEVABLE ANYMORE?
It was supposed to be a ‘special military operation’ by the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine that...
THE DARDANELLES CAMPAIGN: RELEVANCE FOR 21ST CENTURY
Introduction World War I was a war of global proportions centered in Europe that began on 28 Jul 191...
THREE SECURITY CHALLENGES FACING HUMANITY IN A POST PANDEMIC AND MULTI-POLAR WORLD
Introduction Nobody, not even the best-known scientists and epidemiologists of the world, seems to k...
EVOLVING MARITIME CONTOURS OF INDO-BANGLADESH RELATIONS
“If we offer something to Bangladesh, it's obvious that Bangladesh is offering something to us. ...
DEFENCE IoT APPLICATIONS - CREATING THE PROVERBIAL ‘UBIQUITOUS NETWORK’
“The Internet of Things is not a concept; it is a network, the true technology-enabled Network of ...
COUNTERING CHINA THROUGH COOPERATIVE INFORMATION OPERATIONS
Introduction Information is a vital instrument of National Power. Nations pursue Information Operati...
TIME FOR AN INDIAN NAVY REGIONAL OPERATIONS COORDINATION CENTRE (INROCC)
“…India’s ‘mission ready’ naval posture in the Indian Ocean isn’t sustainable” - Obser...
HYPERSONIC WEAPONS AND MARITIME OPERATIONS
Time is a pivotal factor in warfare, which can be used to overturn other factors of space, force and...
I AM SURE THE CAPTAIN REMEMBERS...
It was eight thirty in the morning when I went to the gangway on the foc’sle. We were to have the ...
IS BIG STILL BEAUTIFUL? THE RELEVANCE OF THE LARGE CAPITAL SHIP
INDIAN NAVY’S OFFICER INDUCTION: BEYOND THE ENGINEERING-CENTRIC RECRUITMENT POOL
Abstract: The article analyses the engineering-centric officer recruitment model of the Indian Navy ...
THE COMMAND DILEMMA A ROGUE'S YARN FROM THE GULF OF ADEN
Editor's Note: Certain operational details, locations and timelines have been generalised for securi...
“BETA, AAKHIR TUM KARTE KYA HO?” (Son, What is it that You Do?)
(This article is adapted for INDES from a version previously published on social media and is reprod...
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI Author: Yuval Noah Harari Pu...
Anger Management The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan
Anger Management The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan Author: Ajay Bisari...
Chokepoints – American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare
Chokepoints – American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare Author: Edward Fishman Published by: P...
Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia
Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia Author: Sam Dalrymple Published by: F...
RECENT GLOBAL CONFLICTS: LESSONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA ON FUTURE WARFARE AND DEFENCE MODERNISATION
Abstract: Recent conflicts, including the Russia–Ukraine War, the West Asia conflict and India's...
AI-ENABLED DECISION SUPERIORITY IN CONTEMPORARY CONFLICTS: LESSONS FOR THE INDIAN NAVY
Abstract: Recent conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and the Red Sea have demonstrated that combat advantage...
TERRITORIAL RAJAMANDALA OF ISRAEL AND ITS FOREIGN POLICY CHOICES A KAUTILYAN PERSPECTIVE
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily refl...
FROM COASTAL DEFENCE TO STRATEGIC REACH: THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ISRAELI NAVY, 2011-26
Author's Note: The author conducted an online interview with Dr Ehud Gonen on 22 June 2026. Dr Gonen...
DIRE STRAITS: INDIA'S STRATEGIC CROSSROADS AT HORMUZ
Editor's Note: This article was substantially completed in November 2025 and analysed the potential ...
CHINA'S EXPANSIONIST POLICIES IN THE IOR: THE WHYS AND WHEREFORES
Abstract: China's expanding presence in the Indian Ocean Region is commonly explained through the le...
DISCERNING CHINA’S MARITIME “GRAY ZONE” ACTIVITIES
Abstract: China claims large swaths of the South China Sea (SCS) enclosed within the infamous Nine-D...
PEOPLES LIBERATION ARMY NAVY (PLAN) SUBSURFACE SEA DENIAL, INDIA'S ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, AND THE COUNTER STRATEGY TO 2047
Abstract: The debate on subsurface threats to India is often framed around the wrong question. The q...
THE “ZERO-DEGREE” FLEET: WHY AN ICE-CLASS REPLENISHMENT OILER (ICRO) IS INEVITABLE FOR INDIA’S ARCTIC STRATEGY
“Dependence on other countries is our biggest enemy. And together we must defeat this enemy of Ind...
HUMAN ENGINEERING: A CRITICAL ENABLER OF SUBSURFACE WARFARE
Abstract: Submarine warfare is one of the most challenging operational environments, where maintaini...
EPISTEMIC DEVALUATION: THE CONFLUENCE OF LLMS, REFLECTIVE JUDGEMENT AND PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION
Abstract: This essay examines a critical paradox of the contemporary information environment while a...
Autocracy, Inc. – The Dictators Who Want to Run the World
Autocracy, Inc. – The Dictators Who Want to Run the World Author: Anne Applebaum Published by: Dou...
UNIT X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War
UNIT X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War Authors: Raj M. Shah ...
The Money Trap: Grand Fortunes and Lost Illusions Inside the Tech Bubble
The Money Trap: Grand Fortunes and Lost Illusions Inside the Tech Bubble Author: Alok Sama Published...
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