A possible solution to preventing any avoidable increase in the lead-time of procurement caused by the voids/lacunae in the GSQRs is to put in place an expert system that is equipped with adequate Knowledge Base (KB) and Management Information System (MIS).

The island hopping game being played out is an indication of China’s strategy for gaining access to the IOR by developing the capabilities of “reach”, “presence” and “sustainability”.

In recent years the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been undergoing a series of transformations at various levels in keeping with its changed military doctrine which emphasises upon fighting `local wars under conditions of informationalisation`.

The Indian Army can be expected to deliver on the strategic challenges it faces, although how it does this depends on how it measures up to internal change.