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Slightly off topic for this blog, but the emergence of India’s Navy is beginning to be recognized outside of small circles.  Back in graduate school, I spent a great deal of time studying the military posture of India, and trying to understand why the naval forces had been largely neglected since the last Indo-Pakistan War.  Short of Rajiv Gandhi‘s use of naval power during the failed coup attempt in the Maldives, the Indian Navy has been the odd man out in Indian defense.  As Defense Tech writes, that is about to change dramatically.  A new generation of policy-makers, and military commanders, have begun to recognize the invaluable force projection capacity that a blue water navy adds.  Even American policy-makers have recognized the need for a friendly naval presence in the dangerous waters of the eastern Indian Ocean, particularly along the Straits of Malacca.  With two new aircraft carriers to come on line in the next decade, replacing the aging INS Viraat and the retired INS Vikrant, India’s force projection capabilities should become a balancing factor for the rising tide of Chinese maritime prowess.