Home Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF
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
Contemporary Land-Centric Operational Environment: Need for Dynamism and Adaptability
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

It was half a decade ago, when the ‘strategic community’ commonly opined that conventional wars were passe, and if and when future wars did occur, they would ‘likely to be ambiguous, uncertain, short, swift, lethal, intense, precise, non-linear

January 09, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies, Defence, Article, LoC, Military technology, LAC, Drones, Army manpower, Counter terrorism grid
Deterrence Exists, though Slender is the Thread!
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

This is an era of confused geopolitics. There were on horizon a transformation of West Asia, with Abrahams Accord, I2U2, Saudi-Iran thaw, IMEC; and then suddenly the fiercest of wars between Israel-Hamas with its other fallouts. The geopolitics of We

November 28, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies, Defence, Article, Terrorism, sanctions, Warfare, CBMs, deterrence, no war no peace, Conventional war
Resilience to Economic Authoritarianism, Treachery and Wars
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Today’s security environment is utterly unpredictable, the world saw three black swan events in as many years –Covid19, Russia-Ukraine War and more recently Israel-Hamas War! In 2023 itself threats originated from state and non-state aggressors,

October 31, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, India, Pakistan, China, economic interdependence, resilience
China: Sifting through Contradictions and Paradoxes
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

There has been a dominant narrative that China is peaking, has fallen off the miracle path, has an ageing population, burdened by high debt and a meddling government, all turning China into a fading power.[1] Indeed, China has a plateful of woes and

September 26, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Article, Chinese economy, China’s internal politics, PRC’s great power ambitions, CCP’s expansionism, weaponization of economy and trade, the China threat to neighbourhood
Does Absence of ‘War’ Mean Peace, in Indian context?
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

A narrow definition of peace is that it is opposite to concept of war, implying where there is no war, there is peace! Again, in a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a non-existence of war and freedom from fear of violence. The proposition

August 07, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, China, War, CCP, Peace, LoC, LAC, Sun Tzu, Influence Operations
China: “Soft use” of “Hard power”
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

China’s geopolitical aims and global ambitions are not a secret. President Xi sees China the most pre-eminent power in Asia and eventually, the world, consolidating trans-continental routes and waterways, and assured political influence among large

July 03, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Article, India, Soft Power, PLA, COVID-19, LAC, Galwan, Hard power
Manipur Ethnic Clashes: Maintenance of Law and Order and Deployment of Army Columns
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Dominant or major communities agitating for redressing their grievances, is not uncommon in India. Even before the ongoing Meitei-Kuki agitation in Manipur, Jats in Haryana, Patidars in Gujarat, and Marathas in Maharashtra have protested for varied i

June 12, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies, Commentary, Manipur, Army columns, Magistrates, AFPSA
Pakistan Army: The Nature of Change!
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

At his maiden press conference as the new Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, on 23 April 2023 said that the “…Pakistan Army was a “national army” and that all politicians and parties

May 19, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies, Defence, Article, Pakistan Army, Imran Khan, ISPR, PTI, Corps Commanders
Pakistan's Foreign Minister in Goa: Standard Case of Rigged Match and Theatricals
Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

In dealing with Pakistan polity, theatricals meant largely for domestic audiences are intrinsic, for these are planned and executed to finesse. As history provides us with references, the systemic is rigged in a deep devious manner, like a child-like

May 09, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies, Article, Pakistan, SCO, Kashmir, G-20, Bhutto
Contact Us