Latest news with #WinstonChurchill
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
India Air Chief's comments on delays in major defence projects call for introspection on issues plaguing manufacturing
Speaking on May 29 at the CII's Annual Business Summit in his first public interaction post-Operation Sindoor, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh made several pertinent points about the Indian defence industry. Pointing at perennial delays in every major defence project, he questioned why those involved in developing military hardware, particularly fighter jets, 'promise something which can't be achieved'. Admitting that, although the Indian Air Force (IAF) had been reliant on imported aerial platforms, 'atmanirbharta' was now an imperative. Pointing at the cruciality of air power in contemporary warfare and expeditionary missions, he called upon the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the private sector to take up the challenge. Quoting Winston Churchill, he asked the private sector '…to do a very special thing…(in what could be) their finest hour', invest at least 10 per cent of earnings in R&D, start designing and developing in India, and importantly, honour the contractual commitments given to the Armed Forces. There are a number of reasons why we have lagged in fielding hi-tech weapon systems. First, modern fighter aircraft are complex platforms and require seamless integration and smooth, synergistic functioning of a number of high-performance, cutting-edge technologies. These include incredibly efficient, strong, lightweight, modern jet engines capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, giving high power, great speed, as well as manoeuvrability. This requires advanced metallurgy (including single crystal technology, which just a few nations possess) and tight advanced manufacturing processes. The aircraft must also incorporate 'stealth' to some extent or the other, meaning it should present as small a radar cross-section as possible. This is achieved through an intricate blend of various materials, shapes, and radar-absorbing technologies. The airframe must be strong, manoeuvrable, yet stable. Its avionics, computing, navigation and flight control systems must maximise assistance to the pilot in his mission, while the systems on board should be fully integrated with the various weapons (missiles, guns, guided bombs, etc) for precision delivery. Thereafter, the entire platform must perform flawlessly in an environment replete with radars and anti-aircraft weapons of diverse types. In sum, the complexity of a modern fighter aircraft cannot be overstated, and its indigenous production is directly contingent not only on the availability of cutting-edge/emergent technologies but also on an advanced military-industrial complex. There are four requisites for developing and/or obtaining cutting-edge, future-ready technologies. First, obtain technology through transfer. No original equipment manufacturer/country will transfer technology in which it invested decades of R&D efforts and tons of money to rectify flaws and to finally derive that refined, efficient military platform unless paid huge offsetting amounts. Yet, rather than start R&D from scratch, some cutting-edge technologies should be bought, imbibed and assimilated internally, and then utilised as a threshold point from where to take off. Second, institutions of higher education that produce innovation as well as cerebral, highly-skilled alumni. For this, these institutions should be liberal and free-thinking, not weighed down by political/religious ideologies, and staffed with good faculty. Speaking at the Delhi School of Economics' Diamond Jubilee in August 2014, Gita Gopinath, First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, had, inter alia, advised that India's education system must be revamped. Yet, the NEP notwithstanding, our education system and curriculum remain archaic. The National Employability Report Engineers Annual Report 2019 stated that a large percentage of engineers did not possess enough skills to work in IT companies. The government's Economic Survey 2024 opines that only 51.25 per cent of India's graduates are deemed employable, pointing at a wide chasm in skills required for the 21st century. Third, provide adequate R&D funding. In 2023, the US spent approximately $784 billion on R&D, China $723 billion, Japan $184 billion, Germany $132 billion, the UK $88 billion, and India $71 billion. Companies like Huawei of China and Apple of US spend billions of dollars on research. In contrast, most Indian industries, operating on thin margins, are faced with a Hobson's choice of maximising profits, expanding into new fields or investing in R&D. They thus need credible R&D funding from the government. Fourth, an advanced, civil-military industrial base. While India has many islands of tech-industrial excellence, for indigenous production of a system as complex as a fighter aircraft, the derived innovations/technologies need to be further developed and then coalesced within an advanced military-industrial base comprising many disciplines with technological cross-overs within those industries. China's state-supported civil-military integration model merits a study in this regard. The critical role of educational institutions, R&D funding and an advanced industrial base in the development of emergent/future-ready technologies is evident from just two reports. One, the 2021 report by the Office of the US Under Secretary of Defence entitled 'A 21st Century Defence Industrial Strategy for America'. This outlines how the US's edge in innovation and manufacturing has declined since the end of the Cold War on account of decreasing innovation, a decline in educational institutions, a paucity of skilled workers, low R&D investments in high-tech, etc. This tends to validate the claim made to the South China Morning Post in October 2024 by Lu Yongxiang, former vice-chairman of the National People's Congress, former president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of expert advisory board for 'Made in China 2025', that China will overtake the US in hi-tech and advanced military manufacturing within a decade as 'overall, the decline of the US manufacturing industry ….become an irreversible trend.' The second is the July 2023 National Security Scorecard by commercial data company Govini. It evaluated 12 technologies critical to national security and found that in all 12, 'the USA is falling behind China in the core science.' Another reason is that militaries, being large, complex organisations and required to function in high-stakes environments with order, efficiency, and coordination, are often very bureaucratic. This stifles innovation and change by promoting a culture of conformity while emphasising adherence to established norms. General Mark Milley, former Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Eric Schmidt, chairman Special Competitive Studies Project, outline in Foreign Affairs (September/October 2024) 'America isn't Ready for Wars of the Future' because it persists with legacy structures, platforms and doctrines, but has yet to incorporate autonomous weapons, military AI, drones, etc. Nearer home, the US began using armed drones (for example, the Predator, Reaper) from 2002 onwards to kill militants/terrorists in Pakistan's west — yet, it took nearly 18 years, that is, the 2020 Armenia-Azerbaijan war, for us to truly appreciate and situate the role of UCAVs in modern warfare. While DRDO picks up some of the best technical brains from India's universities, merely knowing science doesn't automatically translate into advanced, military sub-systems/systems. To truly understand, develop and manufacture such systems, the DRDO also needs scientifically-qualified military personnel with immense combat experience. In contrast, the Indian Navy's in-house WESEE (Weapons & Electronic Systems Engineering Establishment) has achieved far greater technological success and self-reliance. Perhaps, the IAF too needs to look at a WESEE kind of set-up which cooperates comprehensively with the private sector. Presently, the IAF operates 31 combat squadrons against an authorised strength of 42 squadrons, with the 36 4.5-generation Rafale being the most advanced combat jets in its inventory. The air power deficit stands aggravated by an ageing fleet and delays in key indigenous projects, particularly the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-2, at a time when China already has two variants of fifth-generation fighters in service and is trialling two new sixth-generation fighters, and Pakistan is fast-tracking acquisition of 40 Chinese J-35 stealth fighters. Speaking at the same event as the Air Chief, the DRDO chief Samir Kamat stated that the first prototype of India's indigenous, fifth-generation AMCA will be rolled out by late 2029, with five out by 2031. The words of the Air Chief, therefore, merit attention. It remains to be seen how we refine our education system, inspire innovation, and develop a military-industrial base with coherent manufacturing strategies that function under an empowered bureaucracy with de facto policymaking capabilities, but bereft of political meddling. The writer is a retired Brigadier from the Indian Army
Malay Mail
19 hours ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Trump's hubris will deliver the hammer blow to the US and the world — Phar Kim Beng
MAY 31 — In a recent and poignant Time article, economist Richard S Grossman reminds us that when political leaders ignore economists and elevate personal pride over empirical analysis, economic catastrophe is not a possibility — it is a pattern. Grossman draws sharp historical comparisons: President Andrew Jackson's assault on America's nascent central bank and Winston Churchill's ill-fated return to the gold standard. Both decisions were rooted in ideological conviction and personal pride, not evidence or consensus. Now, in the second term of Donald J Trump, history threatens to repeat itself — only this time, on a global scale. Trump's self-referential style of governance risks destabilising not just the US economy but the very foundations of global economic interdependence. His actions echo Jackson and Churchill — but they are also amplified by a kind of hubris unique to this media-saturated age, where policy is shaped more by image than substance, by ego rather than expertise. Jackson's Bank War: Populism at the expense of stability In the early 1830s, President Andrew Jackson waged war against the Second Bank of the United States. Chartered in 1816, the Bank had functioned as a quasi-central institution, restraining inflation and regulating credit. Jackson, however, viewed it as a tool of elite corruption and vetoed its recharter in 1832, allowing it to collapse by 1836. His Specie Circular of 1836, which mandated payment for government land in gold or silver, drained the economy of liquidity and triggered the Panic of 1837. As chronicled by economic historian Peter Temin, this crisis caused GDP to contract by up to 30 per cent, and unemployment skyrocketed. It took nearly a decade for the economy to recover. Jackson's decision, made in defiance of economic logic, delivered a populist victory — and a national calamity. US President Donald Trump speaks with the media after a trip to Pennsylvania, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US May 30, 2025. — Reuters pic Churchill's gold standard gambit: Pride in decline Fast forward to 1925. Winston Churchill, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, committed Britain to returning to the gold standard at its pre-World War I parity — despite explicit warnings from economists like John Maynard Keynes. The move drastically overvalued the pound, making British exports uncompetitive and forcing deflationary wage cuts across industry. The economic damage was severe. Between 1921 and 1929, while the United States and France saw GDP gains of 40–50 per cent, Britain lagged behind with under 20 per cent. The North of England sank into chronic unemployment. The General Strike of 1926 and other labour uprisings signalled deep unrest. Churchill, clinging to imperial nostalgia and fiscal orthodoxy, stayed the course until 1931 — when a full-blown crisis forced Britain off the gold standard. Trump's economic nationalism: Narcissism over institutions Trump's second term is shaping up to be a repetition of these self-inflicted traumas. But while Jackson and Churchill made costly decisions for their nations, Trump's impact is transnational. His economic worldview is transactional, driven by an obsession with trade deficits and a conviction that tariffs will restore American greatness. This belief contradicts decades of economic research. Trade deficits are not inherently harmful, nor do tariffs reduce them. They tend to raise prices for consumers and provoke retaliatory measures from trading partners. Yet Trump persists, seemingly convinced that personal instincts are superior to expert counsel. He routinely undermines institutions like the Federal Reserve, publicly attacks international economic bodies such as the WTO, and treats trade as a zero-sum game. His policies, lacking in consistency and long-term logic, have already begun to erode global trust in American reliability — both as a trade partner and as a steward of global finance. From trade policy to global shockwave The world's largest economy cannot afford this kind of unpredictability. In contrast to Jackson and Churchill — whose economic errors had localised effects — Trump's decisions ripple through complex global supply chains, rattle markets, and stoke geopolitical tensions. His tariff wars have hit not just China but also traditional allies like the European Union, Canada, and Japan. The result? A deeply fragmented global trade environment. Allies no longer assume continuity in American policy. Investment flows hesitate. Emerging markets, many of them reliant on exports, suffer. Trump's economic strategy — fuelled by bravado and nostalgia — is incompatible with the integrated global system the US itself helped create. The theatre of strength, the reality of retreat Richard S Grossman rightly points out that Trump's view of tariffs is rooted in a misunderstanding of history. He romanticises the 19th-century Gilded Age, a time of high tariffs, while overlooking its accompanying instability, monopolism, and deep inequality. Trump's policies risk bringing back that era — not as triumph, but as cautionary tale. What truly binds Jackson, Churchill, and Trump is not simply error, but ego — the conviction that personal willpower can override economic complexity. But in Trump's case, this ego is magnified by media spectacle and a disdain for dissent. His economic policy is crafted not through consultation or deliberation, but through impulse. The coming hammer blow The most dangerous consequence of Trump's economic hubris is not just stagflation or market volatility — it is the collapse of global trust. Trust is the glue of the international economic system. When nations can no longer rely on US commitments, the temptation grows to seek alternatives — whether in digital currencies, alternative trade blocs, or parallel security arrangements. This erosion of trust could mark the twilight of US economic leadership. While the dollar remains dominant and American markets deep, overreach can accelerate decline. The American century — once built on openness, innovation, and stable leadership — now risks ending in retreat, with tariffs not as tools of power but as symbols of decline. Trump's economic nationalism, then, is not just policy. It is performance. And like all performances, it ends. The question is whether the final curtain will fall on American economic primacy — or whether institutions, allies, and economists can intervene in time to prevent the hammer blow from becoming permanent. * Phar Kim Beng, PhD, is professor of Asean studies at the International Islamic University Malaysia. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Secret network of spy tunnels to open as London's newest tourist attraction
A secret underground network of London World War II tunnels that inspired the James Bond books is set to turn into a brand-new spy museum, with new details now revealed. The capital is set to gain a new visitor attraction hidden in plain sight 40 metres below High Holborn, as the tunnels will now become open to the public after being kept in relative secrecy for nearly 70 years under the Official Secrets Act. The London Tunnels, the company that looks after this underground labyrinth, has recently announced a collaboration with the Museum of Military Intelligence (MMI) on the project, two years after the plans were first announced. The below street-level network is known as the Kinsway Exchange Tunnels and was constructed during the Blitz as a deep-level air raid shelter under the London Underground. The mile-long series of tunnels was shortly after occupied by the Special Operations Executive, a clandestine organisation established in July 1940 under the orders of then Prime Minister Winston Churchill, during the later stages of World War II. It was during this time that Bond author Ian Fleming was working as a liaison officer within the wartime administration, and it is thought that the tunnels inspired the research and development Q Branch in his novels. After a few other uses for the network, the tunnels were used for a secure hotline that connected the White House to the Kremlin during the Cold War, before it was taken over by BT. Now, the tunnels will have a new life as a major tourist attraction that hopes to welcome up to three million visitors per year. The tunnels will have a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of military intelligence and its use of the tunnel complex, including a special exhibition centred around the Special Operations Executive. The displays will spotlight original artefacts, equipment, weapons, documents and images through a 'modern high-tech experience' that promises to bring to life the history and techniques used by military intelligence. The exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-Day, the espionage operations of the Cold War and the Falklands War. It will also display more recent military operations, including peace-keeping missions and the response to terrorism threats that have occurred within the 21st century. Visitors will also be able to delve into how the British military works today and what operations they carry out. Angus Murray, CEO of The London Tunnels, said: 'We are delighted to become the home of the public exhibition of the Museum of Military Intelligence. This new location will provide convenient central London access to an important and unique collection which has until now been largely hidden. 'The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the Blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today.' In its 2023 consultation documents, London Tunnels said the new museum would increase local spending up to £80m per year, create 40 onsite jobs and offer free trips for local schools. The London Tunnels said work is scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion in 2028.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
London tunnels that inspired James Bond creator will become spy museum
During his time in military intelligence, Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, regularly worked with Winston Churchill's spy organisation based 30 metres below ground in a labyrinth of tunnels in central London. The Kingsway Exchange tunnels complex, stretching out across 8,000 sq metres beneath High Holborn, near Chancery Lane underground station, hosted the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and is said to have inspired Q Branch in Fleming's novels. So it seems appropriate that plans to breathe new life into this long-abandoned second world war subterranean network will include a permanent exhibition about the history of military intelligence and espionage. The Military Intelligence Museum is to collaborate with the London Tunnels company, developing the complex to showcase its original artefacts, equipment, weapons and documents in a modern hi-tech experience at the proposed new £220m London tourist attraction, which is planned to open in 2028. Today the tunnels remain closed, but inside they yield many clues to their fascinating past. Construction began in 1940 to protect Londoners during the blitz but was not completed until 1942, so the tunnels were never used for their original purpose. A wide set of stairs remain, where those fleeing the Luftwaffe could descend from Chancery Lane tube station, though the entrance has long been blocked off. Later in the war, the SOE moved in to dream up all manner of imaginative ways to thwart the Nazis. The tunnels' next incarnation was as the Kingsway telephone exchange, which in the 1950s served as an internal communications exchange during the cold war. An artesian well, to provide fresh water to those stuck underground in the event of a nuclear attack, remains. British Telecom took over the site in the 1980s, creating the world's deepest licensed bar for use by the government staff. The old bar, decorated in then fashionable brown, orange and yellow, also remains, as does the long-disused staff canteen. The plan now is to create a new bar, with claims to be the deepest in any major city. Under the proposals, which have been granted full planning permission, the site will be developed into a three-in-one attraction – exhibitions, immersive interactive exhibitions and the bar. Exhibitions about James Bond and the cold war, as well as a memorial to the blitz, have all been mooted, and subjects will change regularly. Taking inspiration from venues such as Les Bassins des Lumières in Bordeaux, other spaces will provide fully immersive digital experiences. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The London Tunnels said work was scheduled to begin in 2027, with completion in 2028. It aims to attract up to 3 million visitors a year, revitalising an area close to the City of London which has had reduced footfall since the Covid pandemic. The venue will provide 'the world's most authoritative permanent exhibition of military intelligence', said Gen Sir Jim Hockenhull, the commander of Strategic Command and colonel commandant of the Intelligence Corps. 'The tunnels will provide a dramatic and historic backdrop for an exciting new approach to telling the story of the past, present and future of military intelligence.' This exhibition will feature stories from the Battle of Britain and D-day, the extraordinary espionage operations of the cold war and the fight for the Falklands to peace-keeping missions and the terrorist threat of the 21st century. A special exhibition, created by the museum, will be dedicated to the SOE. Angus Murray, the chief executive of London Tunnels, said: 'The tunnels, built and designed to protect Londoners during the blitz, are the ideal backdrop to tell the remarkable, and untold, stories of the men and women who played a vital role in protecting Britain then, and the role of the armed services protecting Britain today.'
Evening Standard
3 days ago
- General
- Evening Standard
Greggs sausage roll to go on display next to David Attenborough and Princess Diana at Madame Tussauds
The sausage roll will be in situ on a blue velvet cushion in a raised glass cabinet not far from Winston Churchill, who is not believed to have ever eaten one. It will be available to view for the first time on June 5 (National Sausage Roll Day, apparently), and will remain there for the rest of the month.
