Introduction As China prepares for the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 2027, the relationship between political control and military effectiveness deserves close attention. Xi Jin Ping’s purges raise questions about the strength of the PLA’s leadership, the progress of military modernization and its capacity to conduct complex operations. The Central Military Commission (CMC), chaired by Xi, embodies the principle that the Party controls the gun. The PLA

By Harsh Sinha & Dr. Adityanjee, Council for Strategic Affairs Image Courtesy: Universal Record Introduction: Cyber warfare has emerged as a defining domain of strategic competition in the 21st century, blurring the boundaries between war and peace, civilian and military, and physical and cognitive spaces. China has developed a deeply integrated cyber warfare architecture combining state, military, and civilian capabilities into a unified strategic instrument. India, while ad

By Harsh Sinha and Dr. Adityanjee Image Courtesy: News X Introduction The expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in February 2026 brought an end to the last remaining bilateral nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and the Russian Federation. This change represents a fundamental shift from a regulated bipolar nuclear order that was carefully crafted during the post-cold war era to an uncertain, unpredictable and competitive multip

By Balaji Chandramohan As India starts re-organizing its military command matrix it will be interesting to see how this reconstitution will be perceived in the years to come and the sum effect it will have on New Delhi’s evolving Maritime Strategy. 1 Theatre Command and Integration in Indian context from a maritime connotation India’s approach to theatre command was influenced by China's military modernization, under President Xi Jinping, which has been marked by reforms t

By Annunthra Rangan, Senior Research Officer Image Courtesy: Middle East Eye West Asia is once again on the edge. Following a short but intense conflict between Iran and Israel in 2025, and mounting tensions involving the United States, Tehran is reportedly seeking to replenish and upgrade its depleted missile capabilities. As part of this effort, Iran is close to finalizing a major arms agreement with China, potentially one of the largest weapons transfers in their history.

By Yashita S, Research Intern, C3S Guided by Major General Rajiv Narayanan , Distinguished Member, C3S Image Courtesy: Scroll Abstract: Existing scholarly views on military transformation highly focus on quantitative comparisons of hardware such as aircrafts, ships, tanks or defence budgets. These studies provide valuable data on modernization but restrict them to arms and ammunitions, neglecting the importance of institutional reforms which focus on how lessons are absorbed

By Rahul Karan Reddy Image Courtesy: SCMP The investigation of Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli for “serious disciplinary and legal violations” (严重违纪违法) is a reminder that Xi Jinping’s struggle for primacy can shock and surprise even the most keen-eyed observers of Chinese politics. The plethora of rumors and propaganda swirling about the circumstances of the investigation into Zhang Youxia in particular has spawned a variety of interpretations on the balance of power in the Commu

Military-Civil Fusion is a national strategy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to develop the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a...

Introduction China’s 80 th anniversary Victory Day parade held on 3 Sep 2025 at Beijing showcased a mature integrated People’s...

Article 21/2025 Abstract This paper supposes that Iran’s nuclear ambition is doomed either way because neither its adversaries nor its...