Articles

Israel and the HHH- War of Attrition and Revenge

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

July 31 was the casting date for a much-feared escalation in the Middle East as Israeli leadership acknowledged killing of the Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr (July 30) but keeping enigmatic silence on the killing of the Hamas top leader and negotiator ....

August 28, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy , West Asia , Commentary , Israel , Gaza , Houthis , Netanyahu , Hezbollah , Biden , Hamas , Ismael Haniyeh

Kargil After 25 Years: Assessing Technological Impact on India’s Armed Forces

Pankaj Phanase Commentary

The Kargil war of 1999 was not just a conflict between two traditional rivals but a major direct confrontation between two nuclear powers that had defied global norms by conducting nuclear tests. This saga was catalysed by technological achievements,....

August 22, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence , Commentary , Israel , technology , surveillance , Intelligence , Kargil War

Assassination of Hamas Leader Haniyeh in Tehran

Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

Since the missile exchange between Israel and Iran in April last, the tensions in the region had subsided though the war in Gaza was simmering. There was some hope that Israel and Hamas were nearing a deal on hostage release and ceasefire. The target....

August 09, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy , Commentary , Israel , Iran , Gaza , UN , Hezbollah , Hamas , Haniyeh , Palestine authority

Global Developments and Analysis: Weekly Monitor (17-23 June 2024)

Economic

China's influence on U.N. space agency grows as top funder

China has been making the largest voluntary contribution to a United Nations outer space agency in recent years, underscoring the country's growing ambition i....

July 02, 2024 Israel , South China Sea , Putin , Covid-19 International Daily Scan , Nuclear Power , Hajj , UNOOSA , Shale , China-EU , China data

Hellfire from the Heavens – A Perspective on Contemporary Aerial Strikes

Air Marshal Diptendu Choudhury (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

Punitive response with the employment of air power is nothing new, and goes back to the British ‘watch and ward’ missions that the Indian Air Force undertook with the Royal Air Force in 1937, towards policing the recalcitrant tribes of Waziristan....

June 04, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies , International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , Israel , Missiles , Iron Dome , Ukraine , Gaza , GPS , Air Power , Hamas , Drones , VKS , rockets , Electronic warfare , Katyusha rockets

Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: March 2024

Anurag Bisen, Senior Fellow, VIF

During the month, the VIF Neighbourhood Experts Group hosted a roundtable discussion to analyse recent developments in Nepal and their implications for India. It emerged that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's removal of the Nepali Congress from the....

May 29, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy , Israel , Nepal , Iran , elections , India-South Korea relations , military , instability , Economic Recovery , Hamas , India- Sri Lanka relations , Political Landscape , Gaza Conflict , National People’s Congress (NPC) , Economic Roadmap , Geopolitical Challenges , President Yoon

The Changing Nature of Warfare: Lessons for India

Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF Article

The Russia-Ukraine war and the war in Gaza provide several pointers to how the nature of warfare is changing. Indian strategic thinkers need to carefully study these wars and imbibe the lessons. Indian armed forces are in the process of being reorgan....

May 24, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies , International Relations and Diplomacy , Defence , Article , Israel , India , Iran , Air defence , Lessons , Drones , doctrine , Long wars , nuclear doctrine Ukraine war

Crisis in the Middle East

Amb D P Srivastava, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

The Gaza war has continued beyond seven months. Amidst stepped-up diplomatic efforts, the fate of the hostage deal continues to be uncertain. The US Secretary of State Blinken visited Saudi Arabia and Israel. Israeli forces have entered Rafah. There ....

May 20, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , Israel , Iran , IRGC , Gaza , America , Hamas , hostages , Rafah

Key Changes in India’s Approach Towards West Asia over the Last ten Years: From Link West to Act West

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins of India in 2014, there were some concerns within the Arab and the Muslim world that India’s foreign policy will tilt towards Israel at the expense of the Palestinian cause and historic relation....

April 30, 2024 West Asia , Israel , India , China , GCC , West Asia , OIC , Red Sea , I2U2 , IMEC , Reflections on PM Narendra Modi's Foreign Policy , Reflections on PM Narendra Modi's Foreign Policy

West Asia and the Case of Measured and Controlled Escalation: A Trend in Future Warfare

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

On the night of 13/14 April 2024 Iran launched an unprecedented 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120-130 ballistic missiles against Israel. Iran stated that bombardment was in response to the 01 April 2024 air strike on the Iranian consulate buildi....

April 29, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , Israel , Iran , Air defence , Nuclear Weapons , Ballistic Missile , Iron Dome , Netanyahu , Drones , cruise missile , Future Warfare