Defence and Security Alert - DSAlert.Org

Maj Gen (Dr) G D Bakshi SM, VSM (retd)
The writer is a combat veteran of many skirmishes on the Line of Control and counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. He subsequently commanded the reputed Romeo Force during intensive counter-terrorist operations in the Rajouri-Poonch districts. He has served two tenures at the highly prestigiousDirectorate General of Military Operations He is a prolific writer on matters military and non-military and has published 17 books and over 70 papers in many prestigious research journals. He is also Executive Editor of DSA.

Mr Dani Reshef
The writer is an Israeli citizen, 63, living in the Galilee, Israel. In the mid 70s, he studied History of the Middle-east and Arabic in Haifa University. He is manager and owner of the www.globaljihad.net.

Mr Krishnamurthy Santhanam
The writer is a physicist from the BARC cradle with acknowledged contributions in radiation transport theory, reactor shielding and hazard analysis. He is an alumnus of the International Institute for Nuclear Science and Engineering, Argonne, Illinois. He made path-breaking revelations on the emerging Sino-Pak nuclear and missile nexus. He was Programme Coordinator of the Pokhran II campaign while, simultaneously, spearheading the effort in DRDO to reduce the size and weight of the 1974 device design. He was also Director General, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses IDSA, New Delhi. Presently, he is President of the India-Central Asia Foundation. He has authored / edited more than 12 books. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan award in 1999.

Dr P K Iyengar
The writer is former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission. He joined the Department of Atomic Energy in 1952 as a young research scientist. As Director, Physics Group at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India's premier research centre, he played a leading role, both scientifically and in terms of planning and coordination, in the Peaceful Nuclear Explosion at Pokharan in 1974, for which he was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 1975. He took over as Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in 1984. As Director, one of his first tasks was to take charge of the construction of the DHRUVA reactor, the completion of which was then in question and bring it to a successful conclusion. During his tenure as Chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to the Department of Atomic Energy he initiated proposals for the export of heavy water, research reactors, hardware for nuclear applications, etc., to earn precious foreign exchange.

Dr L V Krishnan
The writer is former Director, Safety Research Group. Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research. Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. A physicist by training, he has served in the DAE for nearly four decades, the first half of which was spent in BARC at Trombay engaged in safety analysis and review of various types of nuclear installations. In the second half of service he was engaged in setting up a Safety Research Laboratory at IGCAR Kalpakkam. Post-retirement, he has co-authored two books. One of them is a historical chronicle titled 'Atomic Energy in India - Fifty Years'. It was published by the DAE in 1998 and had C. V. Sundaram and T. S. Iyengar as the other contributors. The other book titled 'Elements of Nuclear Power' with R. Ramanna as the co-author was published by Gandhi Science Centre of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He is also the co-author of the report published by CSTEP titled 'Nuclear Power - The Road Ahead'.

Dr M Srinivasan
Formerly Associate Director, Physics Group, BARC, Mumbai the writer is from the first batch of the BARC training school. He served as a Reactor Physicist and an experimental Nuclear Physicist at BARC, Mumbai for 40 years (1957 to 1997). His specialisation was in the general area of Nuclear Science and Technology, focusing on the "Physics of Fission Chain Reactions and Fusioning Plasmas". At the time of his retirement he was Head, Neutron Physics Division of BARC and also Associate Director of its Physics Group. His main contributions were in the design, construction and experimentation with the three Purnima series of experimental nuclear reactors at Trombay and played a key role in the 1974 Pokhran nuclear explosion experiment. He was responsible for initiating Fusion Plasma experiments culminating in the building of the huge 500 KJ Capacitor Bank Facility at Purnima laboratories. During the last seven years of his research career at BARC he was deeply involved in the study of the controversial new field of "Cold Fusion".

Dr Anupam Mondal
The writer is Scientist "F" and Jt. Director, Head, Division of Pet Imaging, Molecular Imaging Research Centre, INMAS, Delhi.

Lt Gen Shantonu Choudhary (retd)
The writer retired as Vice Chief of Army Staff in January 2005. He has served in Military Operations and Military Intelligence Directorates and has been an instructor in Defence Services Staff College. He is a widely read officer who writes regularly on national security.

Air Marshal P Bandhopadhyaya (retd)
The writer is a key player in revolutionising the position and prominence of women in the Indian ared forces. She was a first woman Air Marshal of India and the first fellow of the Aerospace Medical Society of India. She is also the first Indian woman to have conducted scientific research at the North Pole.

Mr Saurabh Sharma
The writer is a PhD scholar in the Centre for South, Central, Southeast Asian and Southwest Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His academic interests include post conflict reconstruction and management with particular reference to Afghanistan.

Prof Srikanth Kondapalli
The writer is Professor in Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is also an Honorary Fellow at Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi and Research Associate at Centre for Chinese Studies, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. He learnt Chinese language at Beijing Language & Culture University and was a post-Doctoral Visiting Fellow at People's University, Beijing from 1996-98. He has published two books, two monographs, co-edited two volumes and several articles in edited books and in national and international journals and newspapers.

Dr B R Deepak
The writer is an Associate Professor of Chinese Studies in Centre of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is also the Managing Editor of THINK INDIA Quarterly.

Dr Sudhir Kumar Singh
The writer is Assistant Professor, Dayal Singh College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India and has written many books and articles on the thematic issues related to foreign policy. He did his PhD from School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi, India.

Air Marshal B K Pandey (retd)
The writer is former AOC-in-C HQ Training Command, IAF, Bengaluru and served for three years in a Diplomatic Assignment at the Indian Embassy during the years of turmoil (1989-1992) in war-torn Afghanistan. He was responsible for setting up the only English Medium School in Kabul at that point in time. He has also been Operations Manager at ARC, an intelligence organisation.

Dr Manpreet Sethi
The writer heads the project on Nuclear Security at the Centre for Air Power Studies. She is author of the books Nuclear Strategy: India's March towards Credible Deterrence (2009) and Argentina's Nuclear Policy (1999); co-author of Nuclear Deterrence and Diplomacy (2004) and editor of Towards a Nuclear Weapons Free World (2009), Global Nuclear Challenges (2009). Her research papers on nuclear energy, nuclear strategy, proliferation, disarmament, ballistic missile defence and related issues have been published in national and international academic journals and books. She regularly lectures at training establishments of Indian Armed Forces and has participated in Track II meetings.

Mr Sanjeev Kr Shrivastav
The writer is a Researcher at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).

Dr Bidanda Chengappa
The writer is presently associated with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi, India. He has been a consultant with the Directorate of Net Assessment of the Ministry of Defence and a Senior Fellow with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. He has lectured widely at army fighting formations, paramilitary and police training institutions. He has authored two books: One on Indian national security and foreign policy towards China and another one on Pakistan's Islamisation, besides a research monograph on the Pakistani ISI Directorate. He holds a masters in strategic studies from the Madras University and a PhD in Political Science from the Bangalore University.

Lt Gen Sudhir Sharma (retd)
The writer is a graduate of the Staff College at Camberley (UK), and commanded his unit as part of IPKF in Sri Lanka and later J&K. He was Military Adviser, Indian High Commission at London (UK). He retired as the Quarter Master General of the Army, wherein he made major contribution in modernising the logistic chain management of the forces. Decorated twice by the President for his exemplary service and devotion, he is an MPhil in defence studies. He writes on strategic issues and gives lectures on decision making and positivity to the corporate sector.

Prof P L Dash
The writer is former Professor and Director, Centre for Central Eurasian Studies at the University of Mumbai, India and is currently a visiting Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He has authoredand edited 11 books and published over 130 articles. His area of interest includes Russia and the post-Soviet space, ethno-national problems in the CIS, security and Indo-Russian relations.

Maj Gen Dhruv C Katoch (retd)
The writer is the Additional Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, India.

Dr Arvind Gupta
The writer an IFS officer is presently on deputation to the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, India as Lal Bahadur Shastri Chair in Strategic and Defence Studies. Prior to joining the IDSA, he was Joint Secretary at the National Security Council Secretariat. At the IDSA he heads the South Asia and Internal Security Clusters and edits the Institute's flagship bi-monthly journal Strategic Analysis.

Prof Nalini Kant Jha
The writer is Professor and Head of Politics and International Studies, Center for South Asian Studies and Director, UNESCO M. S. Institute for South Asia Cooperation at Pondicherry (Central) University. He is a prolific writer and has published many books on Foreign Policy, Nuclear Synergy, Peace and Security etc.

Dr Arun Mohanty
The writer teaches at School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He is the editor-in-chief of the research journal Eurasian Report. He has published 7 books. He specialists in Russian foreign and security policy, Russian economy, Indo-Russian bilateral relations.

Dr Sharad K Soni
The writer teaches at Central Asian Studies Division, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has specialised in Mongolian and Central Asian Studies with particular focus on Mongolia, Kazakhstan as well as Tibet and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions of China, besides Mongol culture areas in Siberian Republics of Tuva and Buryatia.

Ms Shebonti Ray Dadwal
The writer is a Research Fellow with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. Specialising on energy security and climate change-related issues. She has worked as Senior Editor in The Financial Express and has also served as Deputy Secretary at the National Security Council Secretariat. She was awarded the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Chevening Fellowship on "The Economics of Energy" in April 2009.

Mr Kapil Dhanraj Patil
The writer is a Research Associate at the Indian Pugwash Society and specializes in Nuclear Strategy, Arms Control and Disarmament issues. He is currently working on a DAE project on "Emerging Nuclear Order in Asia: Implications for India's National Security". He received the University of Pune's Special Certificate for academic excellence during the MSc programme in Defence and Strategic Studies.

Mr Cecil Victor
The writer has covered all wars with Pakistan as War Correspondent and reported from the conflict zones in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in South East Asia as well as from Afghanistan. He is author of India: The Security Dilemma.

Prof Anuradha M Chenoy
The writer is Professor, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.

Mr Claude Arpi
The writer is a senior journalist and author of repute. He specialises in geopolitics and Indo-EU (Indo-French) relations.

Mr Dattesh D Prabhu Parulekar
The writer is Assistant Professor (International Relations), at the UGC Centre for Latin American Studies, Goa University, Goa, India.

Dr Pankaj Jha
The writer is Associate Fellow at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. He has done his PhD from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. His areas of interest include Southeast Asia, terrorism, defence industry and related economic issues. He has written extensively on the issue of terrorism in Southeast Asia, including issues pertaining to radical Islam and counter terrorism policies.

Ms Kalyani Unkule
The writer is Research Assistant at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, India. She is an alumni of London School of Economics and has interned with the House of Lords, UK, South Centre, Geneva and several other national and international NGOs.

Dr Rashmi Bhure
The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of Politics, SIES College, Mumbai, India. She has been awarded Ford Foundation Scholarship in International Relations. She has authored a book on Terrorism in Kashmir and contributes regularly to newspapers on US Foreign Policy.

Ms Joyce Sabina Lobo
The writer is Research Assistant at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi and is pursuing her PhD at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her areas of interest cover Energy Diplomacy, Eurasian Security Issues including Military and Security Policies.

Mr Rai Mahimapat Ray
The writer is Junior Research Fellow, pursuing his Doctoral Research in the field of Central Asian Energy Studies, from the School of International Relations, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.

Mr Rajeev Lala
The writer is pursuing his Doctoral Research in the field of Central Asian Energy Studies, from the School of International Relations, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.

Ms Pallavi Pal
The writer is a Research Intern in the Eurasia Cluster at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, India.

Mr Rajorshi Roy
The writer is a Research Assistant, Eurasia Cluster, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, India and his area of specialisation is Russian studies.

Dr Prem Shankar Jha
The writer has been Editor of The Economic Times, The Financial Express, and The Hindustan Times. He was the Information Adviser to V. P. Singh, former prime minister of India. He has authored many books and has been visiting Professor of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, visiting Fellow of Nuffield College Oxford, visiting Fellow of the Centre for International Studies, Harvard University and is the first holder of the Chair on India's economy, at Sciences-Po, in Paris.

Dr Rajiv Nayan
The writer is a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi since 1993, where he specialises in export control, non-proliferation and arms control. He was a Visiting Research Fellow at Japan Institute of International Affairs, Tokyo, where he published his monograph - Non-Proliferation Issues in South Asia.

Dr Vijay Khare
The writer is Associate Professor Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Pune, India. He is also founder director of International Forum For Democracy And Peace (IFFDP), Istanbul. His areas of interest include Internal Security, Terrorism, Non-Traditional Security, Conflict Resolution, Peace and Conflict Studies and International Relations etc.

Maj Gen Dr Mrinal Suman (retd)
The writer heads Defence Technical Assessment and Advisory Service (DTAAS) of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He did MSc in Defence Studies and Doctorate in Public Administration. He commanded an Engineer Regiment in the most hostile battlefield in the world i.e., the Siachen Glacier. He was awarded a gold medal for being 'the most outstanding engineer of the year'. He was the first Technical Manager [Land Systems] when the newly created Acquisition Wing was established in the Ministry of Defence in 2001. He has been closely associated with the evolution and promulgation of the new defence procurement mechanism.

Lt Gen Aditya Singh (retd)
The writer retired on 30 September 2007 as GOC-in-C, Southern Command, the largest and senior-most Command of the Indian Army. Prior to this he had been C-in-C, Andaman & Nicobar Command from January 2005 in the aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami of 26 December 2004. In this capacity he was also the Vice Chairman and Operational Head of the Integrated Relief Command responsible for the emergency relief and rehabilitation of the ravaged Islands. He now devotes time to strategic and national security issues, looking after educational establishments and building institutions.

Mr Kshitij Aditeya Singh
The writer is an Independent Consultant for emerging technology applications with a focus on security and defence. He has worked in an Observatory for Nanotechnology providing policy and strategy support to the European Parliament as a domain specialist for security. He is an alumnus of Universities of Cambridge and Sheffield.

Dr Venkateshwaran Lokanathan
The writer is currently Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations at Manipal University, Manipal, India. He has also worked as a Research Officer at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi. His areas of interest include broader contours of International Security Affairs with specific focus on the United States, China and South Asia.

V Adm Venkat Bharathan (retd)
The writer is former Vice Chief of Naval Staff. He also served as Indian Naval Attache in Washington DC, USA.

Mr Yogesh Rajendra
The writer is Programmer YC-NISDA, University of Pune, Pune, India. He specialises in networking, cyber security, data compression and cryptography. He has published more than 10 research papers in various National and International Conferences.

Mr Hormis Tharakan
The writer was Secretary (R) in the Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India and Director-General of Police, Kerala. Currently, he is a Member of the National Security Advisory Board and is also a Visiting Professor at the Department of Geopolitics, Manipal University. He writes on strategic issues and police reforms. He is now a former Member of the National Security Advisory Board!

Brig Dr Arun Sahgal (retd)
The writer is Consultant with IPCS and Founder Director Net Assessment, Integrated Defence Staff and former Member National Task Force on Net Assessment and Simulation.

Dr M C Abani
The writer is former Head, Radiation Safety Systems Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Member Secretary, BARC Safety Council. He is recipient of Dr. A. K. Ganguly Oration Award for his contributions in the field of Radiation Protection. Presently he is working as a Senior Specialist (Nuclear) at National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), New Delhi.

Maj Gen J K Bansal (retd)
The writer is Member, National Disaster Management Authority, Govt. of India. Prior to this he served in Army Medical Corps and Defence Research and Development Organisation. He is the pioneer of Radiation Disaster Medical Management Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Delhi. He established NBC Mitigation Division and NBC Training Centre at Defence Research and Development Establishment, Gwalior.

Prof (Dr) M P Kaushik
The writer is programme Director NBC Defence Technologies. He has been visiting scientist to Utah State University, Logan, USA and has served Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) in various capacities. He has more than 120 research papers and 16 patents to his credit.

Dr Rakesh Kumar Sharma
The writer is Scientist 'G', Additional Director and Head, Division of CBRN Defence, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi.

Dr A S Bawa
The writer is Director Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysore, India. He has received many awards for his outstanding contributions to the field of food science and technology. He has more than two hundred and fifteen publications and one hundred and fifty presentations in National and International journals.

Prof K S Sidhu (retd)
The writer is former Head, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies and former Registrar, Punjabi University, Patiala, India. He specialises in Indian Security and the Indian Ocean / South Asia region. He has authored five books and 45 research papers and articles.

Brig Dr B K Khanna (retd)
The writer is Senior Specialist (Training and Capacity Development) in National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), New Delhi. He did his PhD in 'Internal Threat to India - Policy and Options' and has been in Disaster Management field for over 37 years. He is visiting faculty in 34 universities / training institutions in India and has been decorated with Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

Dr Sanjeev Bhadauria
The writer is Associate Professor, Dept. of Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India.

Dr Rajendra Prasad
The writer is Professor in the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies (DDSS) and Dean, Faculty of Science, DDU Gorakhpur University, UP, India.

Prof Gopalji Malviya
The writer is Head, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Madras, Channai. His areas of specialisation include Sino-Indian Relations, Peace and Security in South Asia and Comprehensive Security Issues. He is also Research Advisor to National Defence College (NDC), New Delhi and Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington.

Dr S Utham Kumar Jamadhagni
The writer is Asst. Professor, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Madras, Chennai. His areas of interest are Strategic Dimensions of Indo-US Relations, Maritime Security Issues and Conflict Resolution. He is visiting faculty at Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington.

Dr Ajey Lele
The writer is a research fellow at IDSA, New Delhi. He has done his PhD in International Relations from JNU, New Delhi. His areas of interest include issues related to Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) Non-Military Threats and Strategic Technologies. He has recently authored a book titled 'Strategic Technologies for the Military'.

Dr Manju Lata Gupta
The writer is scientists in the Radioprotective Drug Development group, Division of Radiation Biosciences, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) Delhi, India.

Ms Savita Verma
The writer is scientists in the Radioprotective Drug Development group, Division of Radiation Biosciences, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) Delhi, India.

Dr Rakesh Datta
The writer is Professor and Chairman of the Dept. of Defence and National Security Studies, Panjab University. Chandigarh, India.

Mr Praful S Adgale
The writer is a PhD Research Fellow working in YCNISDA, University of Pune, India. His areas of expertise include International Terrorism, National Security, European Studies and Nuclear Terrorism.

Dr Harsh K Sinha
The writer is reader, Dept. of Defence and Strategic Studies in DDU Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur. He has been a fellow of Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Colombo and his areas of interest are conflict and media, strategic culture and non-traditional security threats.

Ambassador Rajiv Sikri
The writer was a career diplomat and retired in 2006 as Secretary in India's Ministry of External Affairs. He has served as India's Ambassador to Kazakhstan and headed the Departments dealing with West Europe as well as the Soviet Union and East Europe in India's Ministry of External Affairs. Now a strategic consultant, he is associated with leading think tanks in India and abroad. He is the author of "Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India's Foreign Policy".

Dr Ahmad Reza Taheri
The writer is Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Iranshahr, Iran. He is an expert on Iran and Western Political Philosophy. He has published many books and contributed articles in academic periodicals.

Dr Jagmohan Meher
The writer teaches Political Science, International Relations and Area Studies at National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Pune, India. He is a former Fulbright Fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and author of the books, America's Afghanistan War: The Success That Failed and Afghanistan: Dynamics of Survival.

Prof P M Kamath
The writer is former Professor of Politics, University of Mumbai and currently Hon. Director, VPM's Centre for International Studies, Mumbai and Adjunct Professor, Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal University, Manipal, India.

Brig Rumel Dahiya (retd)
The writer retired from Net Assessment Directorate at Integrated Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces in 2009 and joined IDSA in February 2010 as Advisor, Net Assessment and Defence Studies. He previously served as a Defence Attache to Turkey, Syria and Lebanon and with the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan. He also served with Military Operations Directorate of the Indian Army. He has had extensive command and staff experience during his 32 years military career, including that in counter-insurgency situations. He is a graduate of the National Defence College and Defence Services Staff College. He was awarded the Sword of Honour and Gold Medal at Indian Military Academy on his commissioning.

Ms Sandhya Jain
The writer is a contemporary affairs analyst and independent researcher. She writes a fortnightly column for The Pioneer and edits the web portal www.vijayvaani.com

Prof Chintamani Mahapatra
The writer is currently Chairman, Centre for Canada, US and Latin American Studies and Professor at the School of International Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Delaware, USA, Commonwealth Scholar at the University of London, Foreign Policy Fellow at University of Maryland, USA, Salzburg Seminar Fellow in Austria and a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Defence Studies Centre, Canberra.

Dr Tej Pratap Singh
The writer is Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He has been awarded Faculty Research Fellowship by Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, (SICI) and Charles Wallace Visiting Fellowship by Cambridge University. He is also Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow.

Dr Prem Mahadevan
The writer is Senior Researcher for Intelligence, Sub-state Conflict and Organised Crime at the Center for Security Studies in Zurich, Switzerland. Between 2002 and 2009, he completed an undergraduate degree in War Studies and postgraduate and doctoral degrees in Intelligence Studies from King's College, London. He has written extensively on Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies and his articles on Indian counter-terrorism have been made recommended reading for military officers in North America and Western Europe.

Ms Aditi Malhotra
The writer is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, India.

Mr Subimal Bhattacharjee
The writer is currently Country Head for India of General Dynamics, one of the top five US defence corporations. He is a well known strategic thinker and columnist on issues of cyberspace and security. The views expressed are personal.

Lt Gen Dilip Bhardwaj PVSM, AVSM (retd)
The writer is a Former Director General of the Mechanised Forces.

Lt Gen S N Handa, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (retd)
The writer was commissioned into the Fifth Battalion of the Third Gorkha Rifles in November 1971 on the eve of Indo-Pak War 1971 and saw action with his battalion in the Kargil Sector. He commanded his battalion in Op Rakshak in the Punjab and was Deputy General Officer Commanding of an infantry division in the deserts during Op Parakram. Having commanded the Ahmedabad based Golden Katar division he was Chief of Staff of the Srinagar based Chinar Corps. Later he commanded the Jodhpur based Desert Corps and was Chief of Staff of the Jaipur based South Western Command before taking over as Director General Infantry in March 2010 from where he superannuated in April 2011.

Mr Manish Madaan
The writer is Research Associates in the team headed by Brig Sharma for research in Strategic Management.

Ms Anshu Paliwal
The writer is Research Associates in the team headed by Brig Sharma for research in Strategic Management.

Mr Nitin Gokhale
The writer, a journalist with 28 years of experience behind him in various conflict theatres, is currently NDTV's Security and Strategic Affairs Editor.

Lt Gen Hardev Singh Lidder
The writer was commissioned in Indian Army in December 1967 in the elite Parachute Regiment. A Special Forces officer, he has extensive experience of Sub-conventional Warfare. He is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College and National Defence College. He has experience of multifarious instructional, staff and command assignments. He has been Military Liaison Officer in Indian Embassy at Colombo and was Defence Military Adviser in Embassy of India at Washington DC when momentous changes in Indo-US relations began to take shape. He hung his uniform as the CISC, IDS.

Air Cmde Jasjit Singh AVSM, VrC, VM (retd)
The writer is Director of Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi. He is Fellow of World Academy of Science and Art and has been awarded the Padma Bhushan for a life-time’s contribution to national security and defence.

Gp Capt J V Singh (retd)
The writer was commissioned as an Officer in Indian Air Force in 1978. He is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College and in addition has undergone a diploma course at National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) during his service tenure. He has also worked as a Senior Fellow with Centre for Air Power Studies while he was in active service for a period of two years. He has recently retired from Indian Air Force and he has rejoined as a senior fellow at the Centre once again. His current research project relates to the understanding of China’s Aerospace Strategy and its present status and future implications for the Asia Pacific Region as well as its larger role as a global player.

Air Vice Marshal A K Tiwary VSM (retd)
The writer commanded a MiG-29 Squadron in late 80s. His various command and staff appointments like Chief Operations Officer at a major Wing, operational planning at Command level, Director Concept Studies at Air HQ, Command of a major flying base, Head of the Training Team (Air) at Defence Service Staff College and Senior Directing Staff (Air) at National Defence College have conferred a rich practical experience. The air staff course at DSSC Wellington (TN), Command and Air War Course at the Air University, Maxwell Airbase, Montgomery (USA), all inducted and accelerated his interest in air war studies. After premature retirement he now flies as Commander on Boeing 737-800 NG.

Shalini Chawla
The writer is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi. She joined CAPS in 2006 and specialises in Pakistan studies. She is a frequent contributor to various journals and magazines on defence and security issues.

Navnit Gandhi
The writer is a freelancer and an author of repute based in Kuwait.