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Alan W. Dowd is a Senior Fellow with the American Security Council Foundation, where he writes on the full range of topics relating to national defense, foreign policy and international security. Dowd’s commentaries and essays have appeared in Policy Review, Parameters, Military Officer, The American Legion Magazine, The Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, The Claremont Review of Books, World Politics Review, The Wall Street Journal Europe, The Jerusalem Post, The Financial Times Deutschland, The Washington Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Examiner, The Detroit News, The Sacramento Bee, The Vancouver Sun, The National Post, The Landing Zone, Current, The World & I, The American Enterprise, Fraser Forum, American Outlook, The American and the online editions of Weekly Standard, National Review and American Interest. Beyond his work in opinion journalism, Dowd has served as an adjunct professor and university lecturer; congressional aide; and administrator, researcher and writer at leading think tanks, including the Hudson Institute, Sagamore Institute and Fraser Institute. An award-winning writer, Dowd has been interviewed by Fox News Channel, Cox News Service, The Washington Times, The National Post, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and numerous radio programs across North America. In addition, his work has been quoted by and/or reprinted in The Guardian, CBS News, BBC News and the Council on Foreign Relations. Dowd holds degrees from Butler University and Indiana University. Follow him at twitter.com/alanwdowd.

ASCF News

Scott Tilley is a Senior Fellow at the American Security Council Foundation, where he writes the “Technical Power” column, focusing on the societal and national security implications of advanced technology in cybersecurity, space, and foreign relations.

He is an emeritus professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. Previously, he was with the University of California, Riverside, Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute, and IBM. His research and teaching were in the areas of computer science, software & systems engineering, educational technology, the design of communication, and business information systems.

He is president and founder of the Center for Technology & Society, president and co-founder of Big Data Florida, past president of INCOSE Space Coast, and a Space Coast Writers’ Guild Fellow.

He has authored over 150 academic papers and has published 28 books (technical and non-technical), most recently Systems Analysis & Design (Cengage, 2020), SPACE (Anthology Alliance, 2019), and Technical Justice (CTS Press, 2019). He wrote the “Technology Today” column for FLORIDA TODAY from 2010 to 2018.

He is a popular public speaker, having delivered numerous keynote presentations and “Tech Talks” for a general audience. Recent examples include the role of big data in the space program, a four-part series on machine learning, and a four-part series on fake news.

He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Victoria (1995).

Contact him at stilley@cts.today.

PM Modi Commissions First India-Made Aircraft Carrier Amid China Concerns

Friday, September 2, 2022

Categories: ASCF News Emerging Threats

Comments: 0

Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com/pm-modi-commissions-first-india-made-aircraft-carrier-amid-china-concerns_4706414.html

Indian navy officers gather on the deck of the Indian indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant during its commissioning at Cochin Shipyard in Kochi, India, on Sept. 2, 2022. - India debuted its first locally made aircraft carrier, a milestone in government efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign arms and counter China's growing military assertiveness in the region. (Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images)

India has commissioned its first domestically built aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, as the country seeks to bolster its navy capabilities amid growing concerns over the Chinese regime’s assertiveness in the region.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted the 262-meter-long and 62-meter-tall aircraft carrier at the Cochin Shipyard Ltd. in Kochi on Sept. 2. The INS Vikrant can carry 1,600 sailors and displaces about 43,000 tons, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Defense.

Modi said the commissioning of Vikrant signifies India’s progress toward self-reliance as it places India in an elite group of nations with the capability to domestically build an aircraft carrier.

“INS Vikrant is not just a warship. This is a testament to the hard work, talent, influence, and commitment of 21st century of India,” he said in his speech.

The ministry said Vikrant is “the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of India” and can operate a fleet of 30 aircraft, including fighter jets and multi-role helicopters.

According to the ministry, the carrier has a maximum speed of 28 knots and an endurance of 7,500 nautical miles. It is designed with a high degree of automation for machinery operations, ship navigation, and survivability.

Security Concerns in the Indian Ocean
Modi said the border’s defense is now a top priority, citing the long-ignored security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean.

“But today this area is a major defense priority of the country for us. That is why we are working in every direction, from increasing the budget for the navy to increasing its capability,” the prime minister said.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the commissioning of Vikrant demonstrates that India is “fully capable of meeting the collective security needs of the region” and that India’s navy is ready to respond to any crisis.

“We believe in a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Our efforts in this regard are guided by ‘SAGAR’ [Security and Growth for All in the Region] as envisioned by the prime minister,” Singh said.

China has expanded its military footprint in the Indian Ocean. India and China were recently at odds over the docking of a Chinese “spy ship” in Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port for a seven-day replenishment, which India had strongly opposed due to security concerns.

Sri Lanka initially requested a delay in the ship’s arrival over India’s objections, but the ship was eventually approved following “extensive consultations at a high level.”

On Aug. 19, India took part in a large-scale joint military exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force, which involved 15 other nations. India sent four Su-30 MKI fighters and two C-17 aircraft to the biennial drill.

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