Gunners Shot

                            I received some great reactions from many quarters on the Article- A Sino-Indian Conflict Matrix . One Pakistani felt that China could paralyze Indian command, control and communication systems in 15 minutes, cut off logistics in 6 h, overrun Indian defenses in 36 hours and have the Indian army begging for ceasefire in 48 hour s . That I suppose is the standard Pakistani dream these days –Chinese destruction of India and instant success of CPEC.   Both unattainable. My issue is that it finds reflection in some weak or uninformed Indian and International minds. An analyst who is more of a Pakistani and Chinese acolyte these days, felt that I have outlined “ an obsolete scenario, it does not account for PLAs military reforms & Multi Domain Approach and is oblivious of disruptive technologies in PLA armory ”. One view was that China will hit us with 2000 missiles and we will be ...

The Suspension When I read the news that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had suspended the extension given to Gen Bajwa as Army Chief, a coin dropped in the slot. The question which came to my mind – Is this happening? Where will it lead? Is it the beginning of the disintegration of Pakistan?   Will this unnatural country finally break? Seen alone it means nothing. However, viewed in the larger context of its politics, leadership, economy and other major problems there is something happening in Pakistan which is not normal. It needs some focus and analysis. The Military Judicial Divide “ Let us also discuss, without mincing words or feeling shy, the role of the armed forces and the intelligence agencies in the governance paradigm”. This statement was made by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in Jun 2019 ( https://www.dawn.com/news/1491032 ). Six months back. Tension between the Armed Forces and the Judiciary has been building for some time. I wrote about it ...

                                    The Chinese military buildup is the most expansive seen since WW2 with the Chinese wanting to build the strongest military on earth. Weapon systems and capabilities being developed are awesome. Many in India and around the world are thinking – will India stand a chance in a conflict with a China which is trying to match USA? Prima facie it appears a walk over. However, it needs deeper analysis. At the outset, India and China are economic powers in this ‘Century of Asia’. Both are responsible nuclear powers with strong militaries. The chances of an armed conflict are remote. Almost nonexistent if one thinks sanely. However, the military buildup does not add up. While the Chinese proclaim a peaceful rise, they also talk of six wars they will have to fight in this century. An indication of this is the buildup and upgrade of airfields as also construction of blas...

At Army Futures Command, we believe in utilizing the best expertise, whatever the source, to create innovative solutions faster and better. We’re on a quest to modernize the way the Army does business by creating a space of endless possibilities to explore, develop, and test new methods, organizations, and technologies . Above all else, we want to make sure Soldiers have what they need, before they need it, to protect tomorrow… today. .......... My wish list Preamble This article has been motivated by “Imbalance of Power. India’s Military Choices in an Era of Strategic Competition with China” ( https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/imbalance-of-power ) and   “Do Generals Matter” ( https://warontherocks.com/2019/06/do-generals-matter/ ) and   War is Changing. Are We? ( https://palepurshankar.blogspot.com/2019/10/war-is-changing-are-we-by-lt-gen-p-r.html ) amongst others.   However the real trigger for these thoughts is a conversation I had with a...

I got this mail from my son who is a software engineer and felt I had to share with one and all who are following my blog. To be honest I do not understand too much of the technicality of what he is conveying to me. However I understand the points he is trying to make since he has put across issues in a way I can understand. I am sure you can too and hope some one in the NSAB, IDS, MOD and Service HQs takes note of it and starts something constructive. Sitting in IIT Madras I am prepared to do anything it takes to thwart such attacks. All it needs is an approach from any concerned agency or person to work out a plan and execute it.   As we enter Digital India age, we are also opening up to a greater degree of Cyber Attacks which is all part of Multi Domain Operations which I have highlighted in my previous articles. https://palepurshankar.blogspot.com/2019/10/era-of-disruption-in-military-affairs.html https://palepurshankar.blogspot.com/2019/10/war-is-changing-are-we-by-lt...

Journal of the United Service Institution of India , Vol. CXLIX, No. 617, July-September 2019 Author: Lieutenant General P R Shankar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd) Period: July 2019 - September 2019 Abstract China, our main adversary, has moved closer to superpower status and has embarked on a military expansion by embracing high end disruptive technologies. It seeks parity with the United States of America (USA). It’s military technology and capability building plan is generally outlined in the recently released White Paper titled ‘China’s National Defence in the New Era’. Analysis indicates that the plan, though credible, has issues and will hit implementation roadblocks. On the other hand, India’s military ...