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The year gone by was a defining period in some ways. The Indian prime minister held discussions with the heads of states of several countries. The presence of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders at the Republic Day parade indicated India’s growing influence in the region. Doklam showed India’s will to secure its strategic interest. India drew the world’s attention towards One Belt, One Road (OBOR), a symbol of Chinese colonialism. The leaders of the Quad (Australia, Japan, the US and India) discussed the possibility of a joint regional alternative to China’s growing power. Through sustained efforts, India has also projected itself as a deserving choice for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC).

The surgical strikes against terrorist camps across the border showed India’s resolve to uproot the nuisance of cross-border terrorism. Through the year, India tried to remove the hurdles in its way to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group. Lastly, as if the threat of cyber attacks was not enough to scare the world, the lethal use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in swarms has literally given a new dimension to war-fighting. The prolonged war in Syria, the global tensions due to the South Korean nuclear stance and the South China Sea imbroglio have shown that permanent peace is a mirage; evading armed conflict is becoming increasingly difficult.

An objective assessment of the situations and sustained efforts are required to achieve and maintain even the most temporary peace. It is necessary to look at the issues objectively. The Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) has been publishing the Asian Defence Review to fulfil this need. This volume, a resource base for all readers, is the eleventh in the series. It aims to add to the pool of information and knowledge in the current strategic discourse that impacts the world in general and Asia, in particular. It flags the important issues related to India’s security environment.

Contents: 1. Massive retaliation: is the threat less than credible?/Manpreet Sethi. 2. India’s rendezvous with non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament regimes/Sitakanta Mishra. 3. China’s expanding footprints in the Central Asian Republics: implications for India/Poonam Mann. 4. China’s infrastructure development in India’s neighbourhood/Puyam Rakesh Singh. 5. India-Japan Defence and security cooperation in the 21st century/Piyush Ghasiya. 6. Balancing Russia and the United States: India’s Foreign Policy Challenges/Chandra Rekha. 7. China-Us cyber space engagements: the dragon dethroning the eagle?/E Dilipraj. 8. Cyber forensics: moving from the margins to mainstream forensics/Ashish Gupta. 9. Sustaining air operations: renewed interest in biofuel/Asheesh Shrivastava. 10. Uav Swarms: an emerging capability/R K Narang.