All stories by Ajai Shukla
Pak targets Lashkar, Jaish with 'intelligence-based ops'
Rediff.com23 Feb 2017Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad launched to fight terrorism across country.
Why civilians confront the army in Kashmir
Rediff.com20 Feb 2017The UPA's failure to reach out to Kashmiris and the NDA's 'anti-Muslim' stance has fuelled anger in the Kashmir valley.
Revealed: Why the navy seeks 57 fighter aircraft
Rediff.com6 Feb 2017>The Indian Navy wants 'day and night capable, all weather multi-role deck based combat aircraft which can be used for air defence, air-to-surface operations, buddy refuelling, reconnaissance, electronic warfare missions' from its aircraft carriers.
Will Saeed's arrest keep Pakistan off Trump's no-entry list?
Rediff.com1 Feb 2017This is the first time the Pakistan army has publicly backed the arrest of India-focused jihadis.
Retain Obama's policy towards India: Tellis urges Trump
Rediff.com21 Jan 2017Possible US envoy says India must get assurance against China.
Pak army chief prepares to turn on LeT, Jaish
Rediff.com18 Jan 2017Pakistan's new Army Chief has begun setting the stage to act against groups like LeT and JeM
Why General Rawat alerted the world to Cold Start
Rediff.com14 Jan 2017'It is ironic that General Rawat, an infantry officer who the government chose because of his expertise in counter-insurgency, has made his first bold statement in the realm of warfighting and mechanised operations,' points out Colonel Ajai Shukla (retd).
With a shrinking fleet IAF has tough choices ahead
Rediff.com12 Jan 2017The IAF has just 33 squadrons, 9 short of the 42 squadrons needed to tackle China and Pakistan together, says Ajai Shukla.
Where is the go-getter Parrikar?
Rediff.com11 Jan 2017Instead of ramming through change, Mr Parrikar has tied his own hands by placing reform at the mercy of numerous committees, says Ajai Shukla.
General Bakshi not to resign, may be elevated to new job
Rediff.com1 Jan 2017General Bakshi is understood to have been assured by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that the process was under way to appoint him as India's first tri-service commander, a post that would, at least nominally, place him senior to General Rawat.
A lighter Agni-5 could be world's most cost-effective ICBM
Rediff.com30 Dec 2016Even without a sanctioned government project for the Agni-6, it seems inevitable that the Agni-5, over the next few years, will organically evolve into an ICBM with improved technologies and capabilities.
Choosing an army chief: The perils of choice
Rediff.com28 Dec 2016With ambitious generals knowing that political patronage might be rewarded, a worrying era of politicisation of the military looms ahead, observes retired Colonel Ajai Shukla who has known Generals Rawat, Bakshi and Hariz for a long time.
Agni-5 can deliver a nuclear bomb anywhere in China
Rediff.com27 Dec 2016China's and India's nuclear doctrines mandate 'No First Use' of nuclear weapons, so use against each other seems unlikely.
A brand new Agni missile Pakistan should be wary of
Rediff.com19 Dec 2016Powering the Agni-1P will be the cutting-edge technologies developed for the Agni-4 and Agni-5 missiles.
Will Gen Rawat be a better chief than Gens Bakshi and Hariz?
Rediff.com19 Dec 2016Over the past two decades, six of the eight army chiefs have been from the infantry and the other two from the artillery division. The appointment of either General Bakshi or General Hariz would interrupt the infantry's prolonged domination of the army command, says Ajai Shukla, a retired army officer himself.
Artillery-starved Indian Army gets big boost
Rediff.com15 Dec 2016In a major milestone, India successfully tests new advanced towed artillery gun system.
India-US defence ties secure under Trump
Rediff.com13 Dec 2016When Obama signs the NDAA 2017 into law this week, the US-India partnership will be enshrined in US legislation, binding every succeeding administration, whatever its inclinations, to treat India as a 'major defence partner,' says Ajai Shukla.
Why has the army chief not been appointed yet?
Rediff.com8 Dec 2016According to convention, Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi should be named as General Dalbir Singh Suhag's successor as army chief
As LoC heats up, army buys 2 rocket regiments
Rediff.com2 Dec 2016The ministry of defence has bought two regiments of the indigenous Pinaka multi-barrelled rocket launcher for Rs 3,230 crore.
Terrorists in PoK beware! IAF's Jaguars just got deadlier
Rediff.com29 Nov 2016The DARIN-III navigation attack system allows a Jaguar pilot to feed in the coordinates of targets deep inside enemy territory.