USI Strategic Year Book
2020
United Service Institution of India
Strategic Year Book
2020
Editor-in-Chief
Major General BK Sharma, AVSM, SM & Bar (Retd)
Director USI
Editors
Lieutenant General GS Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)
Head Editorial Team
Dr. (Mrs) Roshan Khanijo
Assistant Director (Research)
United Service Institution of India
New Delhi
Vij Books India Pvt Ltd
New Delhi (India)
United Service Institution of India
Strategic Year Book 2020
Published in 2020
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Design and layout by
Team Vij Books
Editorial Team
Editor-in-Chief
Major General BK Sharma, AVSM, SM & Bar (Retd), Director USI
Editors
Lieutenant General GS Katoch, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), Head Editorial Team
Dr. (Mrs) Roshan Khanijo, Assistant Director (Research)
This publication has been conceptualized by the Director, USI and his staff. It incorporates commissioned contributions from recognised subject experts. The USI would like to thank various individuals who contributed their expertise to compilation of this publication. The views expressed herein are of the authors and not of the USI.
I ndia is at the cusp of its transition from a balancing power to a leading power. Despite some headwinds, the fundamentals of our economy remain strong and our military capabilities are growing satisfactorily. Indias foreign policy has become more pro-active and dynamic. Nonetheless, Indias internal security scenario remains in ferment. Post abrogation of Article 370, the sustainable peace and security in J&K and Ladakh continue to pose challenges. Perceived concerns over Citizenship Amendment Bill, National Register of Citizenship, National Population Register and the like pose serious law and order problems in the whole country. Concomitant with the aforesaid are the growing asymmetric threats in the maritime, cyber and information domains. Collusive hybrid threats from Pakistan and China are persistently growing. Indias internal security and external security problems remain closely enmeshed. Indias strategic neighbourhood, be it the strategic brinkmanship in the Indo-Pacific or fragile security environment in Afghanistan, Chinas BRI or a Great Game in Eurasia, or for that matter instability in West Asia all impact Indias strategic security interests. India has to empower itself to navigate deftly through a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world. Building formidable national security capacities and external balancing is a sine qua non for a buoyant India. The Strategic Year Book 2020 critically examines Indias security challenges and articulates approaches for building capacities for Multi-Domain Warfare (MDA), with special focus on use of niche and disruptive technologies.
The United Service Institution of India (USI) published its first Strategic Year Book in 2016 based on the overarching theme of comprehensive national security with contributions from Indias noted strategic experts. The publication was widely appreciated by the policymakers, strategic community and academia for its quality, content and relevance in matters of national security. Since then we have published four volumes of the Strategic Year Book. The USI Strategic Year Book 2020 will provide readers an insight into global strategic issues, Indias evolving strategic interests, geopolitical developments in the strategic neighbourhood, measures for developing comprehensive national power and defence capability. I am sanguine that this publication will be useful in generating informed debates, crossfertilization of varied perspectives and as well as a reference work for authors, thinkers, and students of international relations and strategic affairs.
Jai Hind.
Maj Gen BK Sharma, AVSM, SM** (Retd)
Director, USI
New Delhi
15 Apr 2020
W e are happy to bring out the USI Strategic Year Book 2020. Over the past four years the Year Book has earned plaudits for its farsighted articles which help in understanding unfolding strategic events and plan for alternate futures. It has been long felt that military leaders need to have a regional and global strategic vision to be able to mesh in their plans to achieve the countrys strategic interests. The Year Book would empower strategists to render correct advice and leaders to take considered decisions. It will also help researchers in insightful analyses.
At present India is confronting threats on the borders and in its hinterland. Conflicts based on ideology and identities are raging in many parts of the world especially in our region, in the Middle East and AfghanistanPakistan. Globally, terrorism is being seen as a threat to mankind primarily because we cannot understand it. To our minds conditioned in the parameters of conventional war, terrorism appears complex because of its dichotomous association with freedom struggles on one end and conflicts which arise from opposing ideals, ideologies and concepts, on the other. To unravel complexity, we have to learn from the experience of others which this book also facilitates.
The Strategic Year Book 2020 is divided into five different sections which enables the reader to link related issues to obtain a holistic strategic view. These sections are, National Security Overview, Internal Security Environment, Pakistan-China Strategic Challenge, Indias Strategic Neighbourhood and National Security Capacity Building.
Section I: National Security Overview commences with the article Building Military Capability, Developing New Partnerships and Protecting National Interests in an Uncertain World Order. This is derived from a talk given by Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM (Retd) at the USI. He states that as the world moves from an earlier unipolar or bipolar order to a multipolar one, India needs to accurately assess as to where India fits in this new normal. What are the opportunities this new environment may offer as also how will her national interest be protected? He states that the way ahead is through optimising the resources, self-reliance in defence production, enhancing interoperability and by building military capability through partnerships.
