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Papers by Manmohan Bahadur

Strategic Analysis, Jan 2, 2014

The conflict in Syria is inexorably turning into a quagmire as more entities get dragged into the... more The conflict in Syria is inexorably turning into a quagmire as more entities get dragged into the sludge. From a hands-off policy to one of humanitarian support, the West has progressed to arming rebels, while Russia has shown that it is determined not to let down its ally by continuing arms shipments to the Assad regime. Meanwhile, other actors are chipping in to add to the misery; the latest reports refer to Sudan sending arms to rebels through (and financed by) Qatar. As the crisis meanders into its third year, the chant of greater proactiveness from human security proponents is getting louder, reminiscent of international interventions of the past two decades in various parts of the world. George Bush Jr. famously said at the start of the Afghan campaign, which commenced after the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks, ‘Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbour or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime’. Although this speech can convey many meanings of two opposites—‘freedom and fear’ or ‘just or unjust’—it is the generalisation in terms of being either on the side of ‘good’ or ‘evil’ that perhaps conveys its Manichean intent. Who is the arbiter of what is good and what is not? One could not have questioned Jesus on his evangelical declaration, ‘Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters’ (Matthew 12:30). But a mortal entity or a country as an arbitrator? Ever since the Bush declaration, the United States has created a new yardstick against which to measure a country as ‘friendly’ or otherwise, to it or to its allies. This was exemplified by an essay in Time magazine, which termed countries that did not vote in the Security Council for ‘toppling’ Col. Gaddafi (which included India) as being on the wrong side of history. It went on to call them fence sitters and their behaviour ‘shameful’: pretty strong language for a staid magazine that is accepted as an opinion-maker! Is this the way America and the West perceive countries who do not follow their thinking or their action plan? Subsequent to this Security Council vote, there have been many more on Syria in which India’s voting pattern clearly illustrated that a carte blanche cannot be given to the power wielders of the world to carry out interventions for the sake of human security. The toppling deed in Libya and the gory end of Col. Gaddafi are long past; after these, one prognosis for Libya was spelt out as a descent into chaos, akin to what happened after the equally brutal killing of President

Defence & Diplomacy Vol. 9 No. 1. of Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi., 2020

This essay looks at an ongoing scientific programme of the Defence Advanced Research Projects Age... more This essay looks at an ongoing scientific programme of the
Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the United
States’ Department of Defence called Insect Allies, that claims to be
a project to protect agricultural crops but has an insidious aim that
can also get it the tag of being an agriculture warfare venture. The
programme was launched in 2016 with $27 million funding and a
four-year timeframe. The project violates the universally accepted Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and coming on the heels of the Covid-19 virus pandemic, any tinkering with the food supply chain in any part of the world would have catastrophic results round the globe - just as the spread of the Corona virus shows.

The evolution of war and conflict has been in step with the progress of mankind and civilisation.... more The evolution of war and conflict has been in step with the progress of mankind and civilisation. What probably started as simple differences and conflicts between and among clans, transformed over time to war as one now knows it - short or long but bloody. War has mutated over the years with the introduction
of new elements -- technology has been one of the important ones that has been instrumental
in changes in war and has been a big disrupter down the ages. The advent of ICT has added in rapid, and sometimes instantaneous, flow of information over great distances - even world wide. The results have been manifest in what has come to be termed as hybrid warfare. Where does air power come-in? And how does it gel with other instruments of national power?

Pakistan’s belligerence being witnessed now could be the first signal of an emerging puppeteer. I... more Pakistan’s belligerence being witnessed now could be the first signal of an emerging puppeteer. Islamabad has perfected the art of manipulating Western thinking by pulling nuclear and terrorist strings; the Chinese investment in, and its dependence on CPEC, could actually constitute a new string in that expert puppeteer’s hands.

Defence and Diplomacy, 2017

China's Aviation Industry has grown in leaps and bounds over the past decades. A look at the late... more China's Aviation Industry has grown in leaps and bounds over the past decades. A look at the latest advancements of some major programmes that are underway.

Air Power Journal of Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi., 2017

UAVs are part of common lexicon and very soon would be part of daily life. Till the very recent p... more UAVs are part of common lexicon and very soon would be part of daily life. Till the very recent past, they flew in segregated airspace under the control of the military and for military tasks. As they proliferate in the 'civilian' domain, this essay looks at the immense challenges in integrating them in national airspace for unhindered everyday operations, like commercial aviation. As UCAVs mature in the coming years, integrating them would be an even bigger issue.

Israel follows a policy of disproportionate high response to violence from its adversaries, throu... more Israel follows a policy of disproportionate high response to violence from its adversaries, through which it builds up 'cumulative deterrence.' While this policy has given it longer periods of 'no-violence', will it usher in sustained periods of peace? Many of its own leaders do not think so? So, is there a way out?

Where does Indian Air Power see itself in 2032, the Centenary of the Indian Air Force, and 2047, ... more Where does Indian Air Power see itself in 2032, the Centenary of the Indian Air Force, and 2047, the Centenary of independent India. An analysis

The security environment for India is complex. As major events and changes, political and militar... more The security environment for India is complex. As major events and changes, political and military, take place in India's area of interest, what should India's leadership look out for.

A tribute to UN Peacekeepers on International Peacekeepers' Day

Strategic Analysis

Human security, as an agenda, is essentially a Western concept. It brings into confrontation the ... more Human security, as an agenda, is essentially a Western concept. It brings into
confrontation the political foundations of an institutional state versus the legal unaccountability of ideologues and institutions who work the masses and the media to ‘topple’ a stable, albeit perhaps a dictatorial, system, which could result in an even
more appalling end state. Nobody holds a brief for a dictator who harms his own
people. But linking human security to state security and reaching a stage where a state or the international community empowers itself to make the former override the latter through an intervention is a situation fraught with serious consequences.

Can air power coerce and to what degree? The paper analyses the historical usage and arrives at s... more Can air power coerce and to what degree? The paper analyses the historical usage and arrives at some recommendations

The use of Air Power In UN operations is on the increase. What lessons can one learn from its use... more The use of Air Power In UN operations is on the increase. What lessons can one learn from its use till now in peace enforcement operations? This paper elaborates on this aspect.

The article analyses whether India and US can be 'partners' or would the relationship become a 'd... more The article analyses whether India and US can be 'partners' or would the relationship become a 'dependency.'

Other by Manmohan Bahadur