Home Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF
India must not lower its guard along LAC with China
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The continued discussions between the military commanders and diplomats of the two sides resolved most of the issues over the past four-and-a-half years. China’s transgressions over a large frontage along its Line of Actual Control with India in

October 26, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Article, China, LAC, India News, DH Spotlight
Viksit Bharat and Surakshit Bharat: Wheels of the Same Chariot
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

India aspires to be and is steadily on the way to be a developed nation by 2047, and to which end, Viksit Bharat and Surakshit Bharat (Prosperous India, Secure India) are wheels of the same chariot, being driven in the same direction. In both of thes

September 30, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies, Defence, Article, China, GDP, LAC, Ladakh, buffer zones, Viksit Bharat, friction points, PLA Surakshi Bharat
Armed Forces Need to be Prepared for War in Order to Preserve Peace
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

(Title of the article is taken from the Statement made by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at the Joint Commanders Conference in Lucknow, on 05 Sep 2024.) Wars have remained ageless, timeless and a dynamic paradox, though they are messy, with no

September 13, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies, Defence, Article, India, Pakistan, China, C4ISR, Battlefield transparency, combat military capabilities, Kill Web
Indian Army’s Transformation: The Dilemma between Qualitative and Quantitative Transition
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

A lot has been written of Indian Military’s ongoing modernisation and transformation, both terms used interchangeably. Truth is these terms differ in their purpose and impact, magnitude and scope. Military modernisation refers to acquisitions of m

July 29, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies, Defence, Article, PLA, Army Modernisation, ISR, Satellite, EW, military transformation, Operational readiness, system destruction
Future Politico-diplomatic Initiatives with China and the Border Dispute
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The phase of intense politico-diplomatic relationship between India and China got over in May 2020, having lasted nearly thirty years plus. Of the guiding mantras of diplomacy and deterrence, the former was centre-stage, and the latter was underplaye

July 03, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Article, India, China, PLA, Aksai Chin, Trade Deficit, LAC, Corps Commanders level talks, patrol clashes
To Redefine War in Indian Context is Mandatory
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

In 1942 Quincy Wright wrote in A Study of War, that to different people war may have different meanings. While Brittanica Encyclopaedia states that war, in the popular sense, is a conflict between political groups involving hostilities of considerabl

June 24, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies, Defence, Article, India, China, Conflict, PLA, Ladakh, Kargil, NCW, Russia Ukraine war, Clausewitz
West Asia and the Case of Measured and Controlled Escalation: A Trend in Future Warfare
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

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
India-China Relations: Envisioning the Long Haul!
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Hu Xijin the former editor of Global Times on X (formerly Twitter) quoted a senior Colonel of PLA stating ‘Zangnan has been Chinese territory since ancient times. Where does Arunachal Pradesh come from? If a border war does break out, India will su

April 08, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Article, US, China, Indian Ocean Region, Border management, Indian Navy, Trade Deficit, Arunachal Pradesh, Corps Commander level talks
Chilling Geostrategic Environment: An era of ‘Authoritarian Conflict Management’
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Are we getting close to a global confrontation or are these fears grossly exaggerated? Lately, the French President had spoken of sending ground troops to Ukraine, there are reports of 12 CIA bases in Ukraine, and 50 British troops (SAG) are in Ukrai

March 12, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, Israel, Russia, War, Myanmar, Nuclear, NATO, Ukraine, Gaza, Hamas, Sahel region
Ongoing Russia-Ukraine War 2022-2024: Battleground of Adaptations and Innovations
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The war that commenced on 24 February 2022 between Ukraine and Russia, has limited parallels with the ongoing war! The sheer dynamism in adaptation, by initiative, ingenuity and vitality of the battleground and industrial interface, is a lesson by it

February 23, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, Russia, Ukraine, Drones, HIMARS, Decoys, End game, EW
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