Rakesh Krishnan Simha

–The writer is a globally cited defence analyst based in New Zealand. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda

Why the IAF Needs to Plan for the Post-Flanker Future

  With the Americans bringing the F-35 stealth fighter and the F-21 (a rebadged F-16) to Aero India, there will be a deluge of articles in the media that India and the US are about...

Indian Army’s Leadership Crisis – Lessons from Four Conflicts

  "The safety, honour and welfare of the country comes first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command comes next and your own ease, comfort and safety come...

Sea Change: Why the Indian Navy Must Pivot To A Balanced Fleet

  In 1963, T.N. Kaul, India’s ambassador in Moscow, asked Russian Defence Minister Marshal Rodion Malinovsky what sort of defence preparedness India needed. The Indian Navy’s official history ‘Transition to Triumph’ records the Russian minister’s...

Limited War Equals Limited Success: Lessons from Russia’s Ukraine War

  "A mistake in strategy cannot be undone in the same war,” said German General Erich von Ludendorff at the end of World War I. In the Ukraine War, Russia had all the advantages -...

Deadly Dragonflies: How Nano Drones Are Making A Big Impact In The Battlespace

  In 2018, India’s elite Special Forces unit, the National Security Guard, acquired the world’s smallest micro drone, the Black Hornet. Weighing just 33 grams and able to fly 25 minutes on a single charge,...

India’s Blackjack Gamble: Does the IAF Really Need Russia’s Tu-160 Strategic Bomber?

  For the past 75 years the Indian Air Force has displayed complete disinterest in acquiring a strategic arm, remaining content with operating at the theatre level within the geographical confines of the subcontinent. Despite...

Space Superpower: Why India Must Take the Lead in the Final Frontier

  Sometime in 2024, the Gaganyaan mission will launch a three-member Indian crew into low-earth orbit, making India the fourth nation (after Russia, the US and China) to acquire human spaceflight capability. The Indian Space...

Carrier-Killer: Why India Needs a Maritime Strike Bomber

The fastest way to sink an enemy warship is by attacking it from the air. Modern combat aircraft can travel hundreds of kilometres an hour, patrol far from their bases, and use standoff weapons...

Invasion of the Stars

  Space has always been part of China’s strategy for future conflict. Since 2003, when it became only the third country to undertake manned spaceflight, the Dragon has aggressively surged ahead in several critical areas,...

No First-Use: India Must Change its Nuclear Gambit Against China

China is a bully, and like all bullies, the communist dictatorship only understands the language of force. In 2017, when the Indian and Chinese militaries were engaged in a Mexican standoff in Doklam, China’s...

Fighting The 2.5-Front War: Innovation is the Key

The term “two and a half front war” pertains to the Indian armed forces preparing to simultaneously fight conventional wars to the North and West, while also battling any insurgency that might be ongoing...

Czar Phobia: Why Vladimir Putin is the Man the West Loves to Hate

  The West – or more precisely the Anglo-American axis – hates Vladimir Putin’s guts because they can’t stand an independent leader who works for his country’s best interests. They got Salvador Allende of Chile...

War In Europe: How Ukraine Is Paying the Price for Bear-Baiting

  The US and its Western cronies such as Canada, Britain, Turkey and Estonia have trained and armed the Ukrainian military for well over a decade and yet Kiev is unable to put up a...
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