Volume 2(2)
September-October 1999

AFTER KARGIL

This second issue comes at the end of what is arguably a major landmark in India's strategic and military history. From a strategic standpoint, the war in Kargil demonstrated India to be a mature and responsible power which would use appropriate force to undo aggression even when disguised as intrusion. The conflict also highlighted Pakistan as an irresponsible, immature and aggressive state which resorts to nuclear threats to achieve its aims. Pakistan attempts at nuclear blackmail rang alarm bells in world capitals. If Pakistan were to succeed in its endeavor it would have done untold damage to the non-proliferation regime and the international security order. Indeed, a host of undesirables (in the Middle-East and North East Asia) would drawn the wrong conclusion and speeded up their nuclear weapons programs. Hence the major powers were forced to bring diplomatic pressure upon Pakistan to disengage it troops. From a military standpoint, the war in Kargil demonstrated not just the importance of technology on the modern battlefield, but also that the indispensability of the foot soldier. While the former can and does make the job of the latter easier, it is ultimately the latter who must physically evict intruders during such limited conflicts. The victory in Kargil stands as a tribute to the spirit and tenacity of the Indian soldier, who prevailed in the face of physical, climatic and military odds.

In view of the importance of Kargil, we continue our coverage of the war and its aftermath in in this issue. We bring you four feature articles which analyze different aspects of the operations. Three articles by Dr.Amit Gupta and Jaideep Menon deal with the international ramifications of the Kargil conflict. Dr.Timothy Hoyt offers a American perspective on the Kargil Conflict. Ved Shenag analyzes the operational conduct of the Indian Air Force during Operation Safedsagar (the air war over Kargil). In our history section Jagan Mohan offers a detailed account of the IAF's No.20 Squadron's involvement during the war in 1971. Last, but not the least, Sandeep Unnithan and Mritunjoy Mazumdar give us a close look at the Navy's latest P25A Class Corvettes as part of our Tech Focus.

We look forward to the continued informed support of our readers who have made Bharat Rakshak the success it is.