US Space Force Courtesy: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
19 July 2018

U.S. Space Force: reconfiguring military for space

Washington is planning to integrate its military space operations. Each arm of the United States Armed Forces has had a space command until now but uniting these discrete units into a new Space Force is a step ahead. The U.S.’ big-picture ambition is ‘full spectrum battle-space dominance’ and the contest to achieve it has implications for the defence and space industry

download (1) Courtesy: Caixin Global
5 July 2018

China’s disquieting FDI in high-tech

China’s foreign direct investment is shifting away from natural resources to high-tech areas, such as Artificial Intelligence and robotics. The scale of these acquisitions, along with questions about intellectual property and national security, are causing widespread concern in the West

Sameer Patil-Arc of Border Security-May 11 Courtesy: Gateway House
21 June 2018

Arc of India’s Border Security

Border regions and communities, some of them far from the heartland, constitute India’s first line of defence, a critical link in its national security. India’s 15,000-km borders touch seven neighbouring countries: Afghanistan (abutting Gilgit), Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar. Border regions have their own local dynamics, often shaped by subnational and religious identities that do not necessarily align neatly with political borders. Some also serve as flourishing corridors for illegal smuggling of goods and humans. Technology plays an important role in better protecting borders, but in some cases it has made borders obsolete. Despite their importance, border regions do not receive the full attention of the Indian mainstream, except when border tensions arise.

Central_beijing Courtesy: Wikipedia
5 April 2018

A tech upgrade for India-China relations

Chinese technology companies that are steadily establishing themselves in India have the potential to transform the scenario for entrepreneurs, consumers and governments even in the face of geopolitical tensions. The Indian government should view this development as an opportunity and an asset

CableMap-web Courtesy: Gateway House
5 April 2018

Version 1: China’s strategic edge in covert communications

China is steadily deploying state-of-the-art communications systems to connect its strategic and economic assets in Asia. It is then linkingthe Asian mainland to Africa, and Africa to South America. The investment spree is rapidly making Beijing a major player in global telecommunications – and ‘informationisation warfare’.