Military forces have long been the arbiters of national security and continues to be at the vanguard of assuring the sovereignty and stability of a nation. This is an enduring fact. However, in the past few decades, the role of the military forces have undergone an evolutionary change and now spans a much broader spectrum of activities than ever before. Accordingly, the responsibilities placed on the military forces, especially in democratic nations, have also undergone an upward revision. These changes have altered the status and stature of military forces.This book analyses the changing position of military forces and their relationship with other elements of national power vis-à-vis the need to ensure national security. The analysis is carried out in great detail--starting with a discussion of national policy, grand strategy and their connection to the military forces and ending with a discussion of the status of military forces in the national security calculus. It is arranged into five independent sections that contain twenty chapters.The Sword Arm examines the hypothesis that irrespective of the broad definition of national security that is prevalent in modern times and the whole-of-government approach that most democracies have adopted to ensure the security and safety of the nation, military forces continue to be at the vanguard of national security initiatives. On the other hand, democratic nations have a proclivity to sideline the military forces in times of relative peace, which could be detrimental to the overall security of the nation. The book critically investigates this dichotomy and suggests that in 21st century democracies, military forces need to be strengthened to ensure the security of the nation.
About the Author: Dr Sanu Kainikara is a former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force and currently a practising Military Strategist residing in Canberra, Australia. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of New South Wales, the inaugural Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Regional Security, Canberra and a Visiting Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Air Power Studies in New Delhi. He is the author of numerous papers on international politics, national security issues, and security strategy in reputed international journals; and has also presented papers, on invitation, in a number of International Conferences around the world. Professor Kainikara is a regular guest lecturer at a number of military command and staff colleges across the world.Sanu has so far authored 21 books, dealing with national security, military strategy, air power, international political developments, which also includes five volumes of an on-going series on Indian history titled From Indus to Independence: A Trek through Indian History.