All stories by Ajai Shukla
Commander Tomy will circumnavigate globe again
Rediff.com29 Jun 2018Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Indian Navy will set sail from France on the 30,000-mile Golden Globe Race only with a compass, printed maps, star and planetary movements and 140 litres of fuel.
Living on the river in Arunachal
Rediff.com12 Jun 2018The Siang is a dramatic river that flows through a beautiful land. Rafting on it is a rare pleasure the state offers tourists, says Ajai Shukla.
Why China must worry about the Agni-V
Rediff.com11 Jun 2018The Agni-V can reach beyond Tibet to high-value targets in the Chinese heartland, even its northern-most provinces.
How Malabar 2018 will benefit Indian Navy
Rediff.com5 Jun 2018Indian Admirals say Malabar 2018 will involve unprecedented complexity, featuring enemy threats in all three dimensions, but especially underwater threats from submarines -- a key Chinese strength. For the first time, officers from all three navies will be posted on other navies' warships. That means Indian Navy officers will obtain the unprecedented benefits of operating on US nuclear attack submarines and Japan's highly regarded Soryu submarines.
Finally, IAF's Jaguars to get upgrade
Rediff.com24 May 2018After a decade-long wait, the IAF will transform 80 ageing Jaguar fighters into highly capable, multi-role, combat aircraft.
HAL offers Sukhois at one-third of Rafale's cost
Rediff.com16 May 2018HAL will build each Su-30 at just Rs 4.25 billion. The IAF is paying Rs 11.25 billion per Rafale, excluding the price of weapons and logistics.
Can Doval change defence planning in India?
Rediff.com22 Apr 2018'Defence does not new 'planning commissions'; it needs an implementation commission.'
Another Russian snub: India puts $8.6 bn fighter on hold
Rediff.com21 Apr 2018The cancellation of the project has far-reaching implications for the IAF, for which this was once its high-tech future fighter.
Why did Sitharaman snub the Russians at DefExpo?
Rediff.com15 Apr 2018'It was deliberate,' the Russians allege.
The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!
Rediff.com14 Apr 2018Russian Helicopters has scored another billion dollar home run by winning the Indian Navy's tender for 111 'naval utility helicopters'.
High-tech SMEs will now contribute to Tejas, combat vehicle programmes
Rediff.com10 Apr 2018Aeron Systems, founded in 2008 by Ashvani Shukla and Abhijit Bokil, is looking to contribute to programmes such as the Tejas light combat aircraft
If India is to rule the waves, defence ministry must change its ways
Rediff.com3 Apr 2018Though the government says public and private shipyards compete on equal terms, public shipyards feast at the high table with the defence ministry, with only scraps being tossed to private shipbuilders.
Firms bets big on Chennai-Bengaluru defence industrial corridor
Rediff.com16 Mar 2018Their success or failure will eventually hinge on how much equipment the services procure, and whether the finance ministry supplements the allocations in the Budget
Why China deployed its latest jet fighter
Rediff.com1 Mar 2018This is perhaps the most authoritative portrayal so far of Indian air power as a threat to China.
Navy gets 4 Russian frigates for Rs 200 billion
Rediff.com26 Feb 2018Still, there remains a worrying shortfall of frigates, which are the navy's workhorses. 'We need to have at least 24 frigates,' says a senior admiral. 'Currently we are 10 short.'
Now, IAF wants the F-35
Rediff.com23 Feb 2018In contrast to the bare-bones price of $115 million for each Rafale fighter, the F-35A cost $94.6 million, reports Ajai Shukla.
Why Mohan Bhagwat is right about the army
Rediff.com21 Feb 2018The RSS chief's comment that if war broke out, the military would not be ready for at least six to seven months is correct as it faces a shortfall in training and alertness and an even greater lack of funds for defence preparedness, notes Ajai Shukla.
Airbus payout adds new twist in Rafale vs Eurofighter deal
Rediff.com12 Feb 2018Airbus' $99 million payout puts a new light on Eurofighter's 'unsolicited bid' to the Modi government, reducing the cost of the Typhoon fighter by 20 per cent, making it in retrospect significantly cheaper than the Rafale.
Is Nirmala's rebuttal on Rafale deal convincing?
Rediff.com9 Feb 2018The defence ministry stressed that the purchase of 36 Rafales was 'strictly in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure in all aspects.' However, the DPP-mandated process had not been gone through when Modi announced the agreement on April 10, 2015,' observes Ajai Shukla.
Is defence hike enough to modernise armed forces?
Rediff.com7 Feb 2018Given the importance of equipment modernisation, the overall defence budget should rise at least at the same pace as salaries and pensions, so that equipment modernisation is not hit.