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INS Nirdeshak: Mapping the Depths of India’s Maritime Strategy in the Indo-Pacific
The commissioning of INS Nirdeshak, the second of India’s indigenously built Survey Vessel Large (SVL) ships, on 18 December 2024, is a strategic development that highlights a less-discussed but increasingly critical aspect of naval power: the undersea battlespace.
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Bay of Bengal: India’s Maritime Backyard and the Cost of Alienating the Resident Power
As India continues to strengthen its naval footprint in the region, any effort by Bangladesh to challenge this balance of power risks pushing the smaller nation into vulnerability and irrelevance.
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Beyond SAGAR: Tactical and Operational Insights from India-South Africa Naval Collaborations
India’s relationship with Africa has long been anchored in shared values, mutual respect, and a commitment to regional stability. Over recent years, this relationship has taken on a new operational dimension, particularly in the maritime sphere. India is committed to its Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) policy. As a result, the…
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The 2019 Easter Sunday Bombings – A Recurrence Of The Reichstag Fire Like Ruse
The bombing that occurred on Easter Sunday in April 2019 in Sri Lanka, initially attributed to ISIS as retribution for the New Zealand Mosque attacks, killing at least 290 people and injuring hundreds, has now been called into question as a potential hoax. This author, Kagusthan Ariaratnam, challenges the official narrative within the context of Sri Lankan foreign policy.…
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Interview: ‘The Prospect for Political Change in Sri Lanka Rests on the Dynamics of the Next Few Months’
Pitasanna Shanmugathas | University of Windsor Faculty of Law, CA The interview was initially published by “JURIST” on October 7, 2024. Sri Lanka elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake as its new president on September 21, marking the first time in the country’s history that a candidate outside the two major political parties has won the presidency. Dissanayake,…
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No Indigenous Naval Shipbuilding: Pakistan’s Continued Dependence on Foreign Military Aid
Despite its status as a nuclear power, Pakistan relies heavily on foreign military aid and imports for its naval modernization. Over the decades, the country has failed to establish a self-sufficient indigenous maritime shipbuilding industry. Instead, Pakistan depends on foreign suppliers – notably China, the United States (US), and Turkey – for advanced naval platforms…
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China’s Covert Support of the Houthis
Introduction After the October 7 attack in 2023 by Hamas on Israel, the Houthi rebels opened their playbook against the Israelis on 14 November 2023 when the rebel group’s leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi announced: “Our eyes are open to constantly monitor and search for any Israeli ship in the Red Sea, especially in the Bab al-Mandab,…
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Unmasking ‘Hegemonic Bully’ China’s ‘Third Sea Force’: The Covert Maritime Militia’s Grey-Zone War
China’s maritime aggression has come to the fore in the recent Sino-Filipino skirmish on the high seas. Given its brutal and overt nature, the development has made the news over the past few days. However, this development is only the tip of the iceberg, reflecting a broader naval design in the hybrid battlespace. Introduction In…
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Justin Trudeau is at the forefront of the fight against authoritarianism
Introduction In a world marked by increasing geopolitical tensions and the rise of authoritarian regimes, leaders who champion democracy and human rights play a pivotal role in shaping the global political landscape. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has emerged as a prominent figure in defending democracy and standing up against authoritarian regimes, particularly in the…
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From the Eyes of a Tiger: International Dimensions of the Sri Lankan civil war – Part I
I was only 17 years old when I was kidnapped from high school and forcibly deployed as a child soldier by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), better known as the Tamil Tigers. I rose quickly in the ranks to become an intelligence officer collaborating closely with the Tiger leadership. Over more than four…