Modern complicated relations between the People’s Republic of China and India face several strategic challenges, including military ones. It refers not only to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two Asian nuclear powers but also to the broader regional race to acquire or take over foreign partners. The newest element of this competition may be the conventional tourist paradise, the Maldives.
India and the Maldives share long-standing diplomatic relations. New Delhi has consistently offered support to Male whenever the archipelago nation is hit with any crisis, be it humanitarian or security-related. The most recent example of assistance was witnessed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, where India provided valuable aid to Maldives in the form of vaccines.
Paratroopers, trained for rapid deployment and decisive action, can be left vulnerable and ineffective when intelligence fails and support falters, turning potential triumphs into costly defeats. Overall, paratroopers are the backbone of successful offensive operations, but without proper planning, airborne forces could quickly find themselves in a costly quagmire that could affect operational tempo.
As Maldives’ president-elect doubles down on his ‘India Out’ stance, a look at the events of November 3, 1988, when Indian troops intervened to thwart a coup attempt in the island nation