Publications

Description
This section documents selected publications across journals, newspapers, magazines, edited volumes, and institutional platforms. It serves as a consolidated record of analytical work, opinion pieces, and research contributions on strategic, security, and international affairs.

Scope includes:
Peer-reviewed articles, policy briefs, opinion essays, institutional publications, and curated research outputs.

From Blitzkrieg Dreams to Industrial‑Age Attrition:Why the Russia–Ukraine War Has Become a Contest of Endurance?

The Russia–Ukraine war has moved far beyond its initial framing as a limited “special military operation” or a territorial dispute over Donbas and Crimea. It has become the world’s longest major conventional war of the twenty‑first century, a grinding contest of endurance in which political will, industrial capacity, energy infrastructure and nuclear thresholds all shape the battlefield more than any single offensive. In this analysis, Major General Dr S B Asthana examines how the conflict has evolved into an industrial‑age war of attrition fought with twenty‑first century tools—and explores how a war stretched between proxy dynamics, industrial capacity and nuclear deterrence might eventually end. Sharing my latest analysis as on first week July 2026 as an analytical article in below.

The Iran Deal Mirage: From Switzerland and Beyond!

The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2026 and subsequent negotiations in Switzerland have generated cautious optimism. However, beneath the diplomatic headlines lies a deeper strategic reality. In this analysis, Major General (Dr.) S B Asthana examines why the fundamental objectives of Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran remain irreconcilable, making any future agreement inherently fragile. Drawing upon military strategy, geopolitical realities and regional dynamics, the article explores the JCPOA-plus paradox, the role of Hormuz, the Lebanon fault line, and the implications for India. Sharing the latest analysis from the author.

Xi, Trump, Kim and the New Nuclear Normal

"North Korea is no longer merely a nuclear challenge. It risks becoming the precedent."
North Korea has evolved from an isolated security concern into a central player in twenty-first century geopolitics.

As strategic competition between the United States, China and Russia intensifies, Pyongyang has leveraged nuclear deterrence, geopolitical balancing and economic adaptation to transform itself from a sanctioned outlier into a consequential actor within an emerging multipolar order.

This article examines why Donald Trump adopted a comparatively restrained approach towards Kim Jong Un, how Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have reshaped North Korea's strategic environment, whether the country's economy is more resilient than commonly perceived, and why the Korean precedent may encourage future nuclear ambitions in Iran, Japan and South Korea.

Most importantly, it explores whether the international community has quietly shifted from preventing nuclear proliferation to merely managing it.

A strategic geopolitical map of the Indian Ocean Region highlighting key maritime transit routes, regional nations, and critical security zones discussed in the research.
A podcast video screenshot of Maj Gen Asthana gesturing with a raised claw-hand, demonstrating the hidden 'Wagh Nakh' (tiger claw) tactic of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to explain asymmetrical and grey-zone warfare strategies in the Indian Ocean.