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Putting Asia’s aviation and military power into perspective, an initiative of Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)
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Beyond Range and Payload: The Importance of Aircraft Endurance
It is usually observed that the comparison of the aircraft is made upon their technical specifications or their weapon package, but there’s another factor as critical as any other, the endurance of an aircraft. The ability of an aircraft to be successful in combat depends upon endurance to some extent it depends on other factors…
Next Gen Aero Engines
The most important thing that drives all future civil aerospace engine design is engine efficiency, which has a direct impact on specific fuel consumption, operating costs, and environmental issues. New propulsion means for autonomous systems is another area of interest to the civil aviation world. All top engine makers are unveiling new technologies to burn…
Arctic: The New Great Game Arena – India must keep its Foothold
The Arctic region covers over one-sixth of the earth’s landmass and is set to play an increasing role in shaping the course of world affairs. The still less explored region is rich in exploitable natural resources, especially gas and oil and marine living resources. It is estimated that the Arctic could be home to nearly…
British Roadblock in Tejas way to Argentina, and how New Delhi likely to fix it
Carrying an aspiration to score the maiden export success of its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has so far entered into multiple races, and multiple venues, opening doors for various potential customers to judge the capability and compatibility of the platform to fulfill their air defence requirements, either on long-term or interim…
TAPAS/Rustom-II: India’s High-End Miltary Drone
Aerial warfare has come a long way from bows and arrows to fighter jets to military drones. As per former U.S. Army General, Stanley McChryshtal, the military drones are an ‘all seeing eye’ permanently on call which can give reliable, real-time intelligence and apparently riskless, pinpoint accurate strike capability. The recent Azerbaijan-Armenia war and the…
Managing a Congested Airspace over the Future Battle Area
The number of platforms and projectiles in the Tactical Battle Area (TBA) has increased exponentially. The friendly and adversary aerial systems are not only increasing in numbers but are also of a variety of sizes from micro UAVs to large aircraft, and they are also travelling from very slow speeds to many times faster than…
US-China Strategic Competition in Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific has become the new arena for great power rivalry. The region generally comprises the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas interlinking the two near the Indonesia archipelago. The region had seen some great battles between the U.S. and Japanese military after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour in December 1941,…
The Game Changer of the future- Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
There were several updates regarding the Advanced medium-weight combat aircraft (AMCA) in recent days, the most important of them being the commencement of manufacturing of 1st prototype of AMCA. The AMCA will be a futuristic 5th generation aircraft that would also incorporate some features of planned 6th generation aircraft all over the globe, the development…
Prioritising IAF’s Unmanned Offensive and Defensive Capability
“Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the changes in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after the changes occur.”– Giulio Douhet For long, defence establishments around the world have been working and preparing for the future that would be unmanned. Videos of the Israeli-made Harop loitering munitions, reportedly used by Azerbaijan…
Airpower: Harnessing the Power of Drone Swarms in Combat
The State of the Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhri on assuming the office of Chief of Air Staff on September 30th last year had in his first media interaction stated that the IAF presently has 30 fighter squadrons. The Chief further stated that “Our count will remain around 35 till…
Akbar Nama- Story of Mi25/35 family with the Indian Air Force
Introduction “On 26th October 1987, Flight Lieutenant Atanu Guru flew in a mission ex-Jaffna to search and destroy militants’ vehicles operating on the Jaffna Karaitivu causeway. Five vans were located on the causeway while attempting to flee towards Karaitivu. With extraordinary accuracy and commendable professional calmness, he destroyed these vehicles and killed all the militant…
Ukraine War. The War in the Air. An Analysis. Air Marshal Anil Chopra
Overview of Conflict The global attention at this moment continues to be on the very serious conflict that began on 24 February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. The Russo-Ukrainian war actually began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Ukraine is the second-largest European nation after Russia, with an area of 603,550 sq. km.…
WAR IN UKRAINE: INDIA BALANCING PRINCIPLES AND NATIONAL INTERESTS
Breach of Ukrainian Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity The screaming headlines, ‘Putin Invades Ukraine’, announced to the world on 24 Feb 2022 that Putin had finally gone ahead and shown the ‘will’ to bring to fruition his pre-meditated plan; the capability had been assembled at the right places much earlier. All along, Putin kept insisting that…
Ukraine Crisis – A Backgrounder
German Naval Chief’s Delhi Visit The German naval chief Vice Admiral Schonbach’s visit to New Delhi in January 2022 coincided with the last docking of the German naval frigate Bayern at Mumbai, after having departed Germany in August 2021 and having sailed through the Indo-Pacific region. Schonbach alluded to the fact that the ship’s route…
India: National Security Snapshot
The Big Picture (HT, 09 Jan 2022) by Raghu Raman, the founding CEO of NATGRID, alludes to India’s burgeoning internal “half front”, which may prove to be our “Achille’s Heel”. The half front that he is referring to are the internal issues that are causing fissures and cracks in the hugely diverse Indian society, which…
The contested airspace of South Asia: How good are the newcomers?
The war clouds forming over India and Pakistan are always a hot topic of discussion on various forums at the global level. Since the very inception of the two nations in the year 1947, the phenomenon of an arms race in South Asia always remained centric to these two states. Back in the phase of…
TEDBF: The Future of Indian Naval Aviation
“Whoever rules the waves, rules the world”, these famous words by the renowned US Navy flag officer, geo-strategist, and naval historian Alfred T. Mahan, highlight the importance of naval power. In modern-day naval warfare, aircraft carrier-borne operations play a major role in establishing superiority over the opponent. The indigenous 4.5x generation Twin Engine Deck Based…
Aviation & Environment – The Way Ahead
The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate (UNFCCC) was finally held from 1-12 November 2021, in Glasgow, UK. With climate change intensifying and scientists warning that humanity is running out of time to limit global warming to 1.5° Centigrade over pre-industrial levels. The…
Military Aviation Indigenous Production – Strategy India
India’s defence aviation industry is at times accused of not having significantly met the indigenous production needs of the air arms of the Indian armed forces despite being in existence for nearly seven decades. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), for long, had mastered the art of license production. After a partial success with the HF-24 ‘Marut’,…
NEW CHINESE BORDER VILLAGES: AN OSINT ANALYSIS
For a few years now, new villages built by the Chinese government at the border with neighboring countries, or just across the border, or in territory that China disputes have been sighted and reported with increasing frequency. Many of these villages can be seen in satellite images available from Google Earth or other similar open-source…
The BAAZigars: All you need to know about the MiG-29 UPG
“The most advanced is the MiG-29UPG, implemented in India in collaboration with local industry” These were the words of Sergei Korotkov, the director-general of MiG. It was his reference to the Indian upgrade of MiG-29 to UPGs standard where he directly said that the India MiG-29 UPG is the most advanced variant of Mikoyan Mig-29…
Tejas Mk2: The Pride & Future of Indian Air Force
Tejas Mk2 has been the talk of the town recently when the new IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari stated recently that 7 squadrons of Tejas Mk2 are projected for induction in the coming years while discussing the future roadmap of the Indian Air Force’s modernization plan. This is an important announcement not only…
QUAD – Significant Air Power
In March this year, the leaders of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the United States, Japan, Australia and India, held a virtual meeting and released a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to “a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion.” Finally, a check is evolving on belligerent China who is…
Greatest Air Aces of all Time. A chat with the Author Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)
Very early in aviation, aerial platforms began being used for air-strikes and air combat. A flying Ace, fighter Ace, or Air Ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The concept of the “Ace” emerged in 1915 during World War I, at the same time as aerial dogfighting. It was a term often…
Aircraft Jet Engine Manufacturing Challenges
The gas turbine jet engines are the most widely used means of aircraft propulsion. The engine burns fuel in the combustion chamber to run a gas turbine to accelerate airflow and in turn create forward thrust. Both the fan and the jet contribute to the process. Normally large airliners and transport aircraft have large fans…
The Formidable General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper for Indian Armed Forces
Two General Atomics “Predator B” drones, also called the MQ-9 Reaper Sea Guardian, has been leased by the Indian Navy, in November 2020, from the USA for extended surveillance in the Indian Ocean. These drones are operating from INS Rajali near Arkonnam on the east coast. They are under the operational control of Indian Navy…
Theatre Commands. Interactive Session With Three Stalwarts
India has ambitious plans for setting up theatre commands for its armed forces. These are expected to facilitate better planning and unified military response to any future contingency. But, are these theatre commands really necessary? Need to hasten slowly? We need to have a National Security Doctrine from which should flow the Military Doctrine. Integration…
Air Space Control – Challenges and the Way Ahead
The action in air and space continues to increase. The friendly and adversary platforms and projectiles are not only increasing in numbers but are also travelling at speeds many times faster than sound. Civil traffic is also increasing manyfold. Air space is a finite resource. It thus becomes imperative that appropriate control is exercised for…
Lethal Autonomous Aerial Weapon Systems – Realities of the Future
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in late 2020, included the heavy use of missiles, drones, and rocket artillery. Clearly, Azerbaijani drones were the centre of attention in this war and helped Azerbaijan take control of the skies. Azerbaijani drones provided significant advantages in ISR as well as long-range strike…
IAF’s Fighter Fleet Requirements and Options Ahead
The Galwan showdown of June 2020 and the continuing stand-off between the world’s two powerful nations India and China has brought the focus back on Indian Armed Forces capability building. Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fighter fleet modernisation has been in discussion. The convergence of strategic interests between China and Pakistan and their rapidly modernizing air…
Is China Changing the World order? Where does India stand?
Jai Hind! In this video, Aadi Anchit discusses with Air Marshal Anil Chopra the changing world order and the hope of China that it would be in its favour. He talks about various geopolitical combinations that we see around us today. To start with the US-China relations itself. Moving on to the relations between the…
War for Sale: Private Military Companies and International Relations
Introduction Although mercenaries have existed as long as the history of warfare itself, the 20th Century saw the resurgence of mercenary groups when states in the aftermath of WW2 and in the background of the Cold War were skeptical to get their hands dirty in smaller conflicts. The emergence of a lot of newly independent…
MILITARY AVIATION INDIGENOUS PRODUCTION – STRATEGY INDIA
India’s defence aviation industry is at times accused of not having significantly met the indigenous production needs of the air arms of the Indian armed forces despite being in existence for nearly seven decades. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), for long had master the art of license production, wherein they assembled aircraft from Original Equipment Manufacturer…
Chinese Wing Loong UAVs – Proliferating Across the World
The Chengdu Pterodactyl I, also known as Wing Loong, is a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group of China. Designed for surveillance and aerial reconnaissance platform, the Pterodactyl I is capable of being fitted with air-to-surface weapons for use in an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) role.…
Leasing Defence Equipment – Faster, Cheaper, and Effective
Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 that became effective last year, was meant to hasten the procurement process. It introduced for the first time the option for the armed forces to procure military equipment on lease. Given the resource crunch facing the Indian armed forces, the option of leasing would be a handy option for the…
Drones – Security, Sovereignty and Identities
Drone attacks entered the mainstream news and gained prominence around the very beginning of the 2010s decade their increased usage by the Obama administration, even though it wasn’t the first time drones were used in the role. The use of drone strikes to eliminate supposed terrorist elements hurting the American War on Terror in Afghanistan…
A Professional’s Rambling? Evolution of Airpower – Challenges, Questions, and Thoughts
End of Manned Figher Jet Era? During an informal chat with Lt. Gen John Thompson of US Space Command, Elon Musk made a very provocative statement and that too, in a room full of fighter pilots. He stated that the manned “fighter jet era has passed”. This happened during the annual US Air Force Association’s…
Does India Need a Long-Range Bomber?
A saying that was allegedly unpopular with fighter pilots is that there are only two types of pilots, those that drop bombs and those who support them. While fighter flying has attained a type of romantic image of the rakish cur with goggles and a devil-may-care attitude, the bomber has created a more sinister image…
People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force – A Comprehensive Look
Red Echo, a hacker group affiliated with the Chinese government, repeatedly targeted the control rooms that manage India’s critical power grids in a massive campaign that could have caused widespread blackouts. The Chinese hackers, however, failed to break into the systems, and no data breach was detected because of the attacks, India’s power ministry said…
The MiG 29 ‘Baaz’ Story By A Young Defence Enthusiast
It was in the 1970s-80s that the Indian Air Force was turning a new page and a lot of major acquisition programs were initiated during the period to replace the older fleet making the air force practically brand new. These were done in the aftermath of one of the most influential aircraft deals by the…
Akash Air Defence Missile– India’s Formidable Weapon System
Akash is a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for Missile Systems, Bharat Electronics (BEL), Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division and Larsen & Toubro for radars, control centres, launcher systems. The Akash New Generation missile system can target aircraft…
Indian Defence Budget 2021-22 – Is it Enough?
The total defence budget for 2021-22 saw only a marginal hike of around 1.4 percent. But the good news was that the Capital budget for modernisation jumped by nearly a 19 percent raise. Interestingly the figures released showed that an unbudgeted Rs 20,776 crore was additionally spent to buy military hardware to immediately beef up…
Analysis of Peacetime Attrition of Historical IAF Aircraft
As a long term, non military observer of the Indian Air Force for over 50 years I believe I have a unique outsider’s perspective of the Air Force. In this era of social media the number of military aviation enthusiasts and followers can be seen to be enormous, but up to the early 1990s observers…
Change of Guard in the US and Indo-Pacific Strategy – A View
The US declassified a Secret 10-page document titled, “US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific” (Framework), on 12th January, 2021 (US EST). This document would not normally have been due for public release until the year 2043. The Framework also had an attached statement by Robert C. O’Brien, Assistant to the President for National Security, dated…
Space – China the Emerging Power
“The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.” – Konstantin Tsiolkovsky “We will build new ships to carry man forward into the universe, to gain a new foothold on the moon and to prepare for new journeys to the worlds beyond our own.” – George W. Bush …
Artemis – The Humanities Return to the Moon
“Pushing the boundaries of space exploration, science, and technology once again, America is on the verge of exploring more of the Moon than ever before. This new era of lunar exploration is called Artemis. Named after the twin sister of Apollo, she is the Goddess of the Moon, and we are the Artemis Generation” says…
USI Strategic Dialogue Series – “Pakistan China Aerospace Nexus”
United Service Institution of India (USI) a 150 year old institution, has recently started Strategic Dialogue Series of Interviews. The first among these was with the Founder of Air Power Asia Air Marshal Anil Chopra. The subject was the “Pakistan China Aerospace Nexus”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrbOd8VgFDc&feature=emb_logo
The Nagorno-Karabakh War: Advantage Hindsight: A View
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a televised statement confirming the details of the Russian brokered peace deal, which provided for “complete cessation of hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh”. The agreement went into effect at 01:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on 10 Nov 2020, just prior to the announcements. Armenia’s PM, Nikol Pashinyan, first made the announcement…
Evolving Aircraft Cockpit Technologies
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft or spacecraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the controls that enable the pilot to fly the aircraft. In most airliners, a door separates the cockpit from the aircraft cabin. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, all major airlines fortified their…
The Air War of 1971: Memories of a Teenager
In January 1971 I entered my final year of school. Already there were rumblings in the media of serious events in East Pakistan, which was to become Bangladesh by the end of the year. In March 1971 after the Dhaka University massacre by the Pakistan Army, refugees started pouring into India and war clouds began…
5G Risks and Challenges for Aviation
5G in telecommunications, is the fifth generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019, and is the successor to the current 4G networks. 5G networks are predicted to have more than 1.7 billion subscribers worldwide by 2025. Like its predecessors, 5G networks are cellular networks, in which…
Wing in Ground Effect – Flight in an Ekranoplan
In 1998/99 I had the unique opportunity to take two flights in Volga-2 ekranoplan produced by Volga Shipyard in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia. The small ekranoplan for non-military use like the eight seat Volga-2 were developed as small water taxis. They were part of the ground-effect vehicle (GEV), also called a wing-in-ground-effect (WIGE), ground-effect craft, wingship,…
My Flight in MiG 31 Foxhound – Life Time Experience
The Mikoyan MiG-31 ( NATO reporting name: Foxhound) is a supersonic interceptor aircraft that was developed for use by the Soviet Air Forces. The aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau as a replacement for the earlier MiG-25 “Foxbat”; the MiG-31 is based on and shares design elements with the MiG-25. The MiG-31 has the distinction of being among the fastest combat jets in the…
General Atomics – The Power House of Unmanned Systems
General Atomics is an American energy and defence corporation with interests in diversified technologies. It was founded on July 18, 1955 as a Division of General Dynamics, in San Diego, California, by Frederic de Hoffmann with assistance from notable physicists Edward Teller and Freeman Dyson “for harnessing the power of nuclear technologies for the benefit…
Major Aircraft Turbofan Engine Manufacturers
The turbofan engine market is dominated by a handful of, mostly western, players. These are General Electric, Rolls-Royce, Pratt and Whitney, in order of market share. General Electric and Safran of France have a joint venture, CFM International. Pratt & Whitney also have a joint venture, International Aero Engines with Japanese Aeroengine Corporation and MTU…
Strategic Balance in the Indo-Pacific – Implications India
“Only air power can defeat air power. The actual elimination or even stalemating of an attacking air force can be achieved only by a superior air force.” —Alexander P. de Seversky “Indo-Pacific is a region with 50 per cent of the world’s population, and enormous diversity of religions, culture, languages, history and political and economic…
India’s Neighbourhood – Pakistan The Fountainhead of World Terrorism
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the world’s fifth-most populous country with a population of around 212 million. It has the world’s second-largest Muslim population. It is the 33rd-largest country by area, spanning 881,913 square kilometres. Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered…
China’s Aggressive Aerospace Push
“We must have some of our people learn aviation, for we can use them whenever we are in need”.—Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (1909) As China’s military expands, so does its world influence. Chinese aerospace developments have been making headlines for over a decade. The “Made in China 2025” industrial plan, which targets 10 high-value industrial sectors…
Unified Combatant Command – India
India’s newly minted Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat has been driving quick changes to Indian military structures. The Kargil Review Committee set up immediately after the Kargil war had made many recommendations. Among them were issues related to National Security Council, intelligence, counter-terrorist operations, border management, defence budget and modernisation, National Security Management…
China’s Rising Aerospace Power
“To secure peace is to prepare for war”—Carl von Clausewitz Napoleon once said, “China is a sleeping giant, let her lie and sleep, for when she awakens, she will astonish the world.” By the turn of the 21 st century the sleeping giant was not only awake but heavily influencing and, in many ways dictating…
Primacy of Aerospace Power
“To have command of the air means to cut an enemy’s army and navy from their bases of operation and nullify their chances of winning the war.” —Giulio Douhet “Air control can be established by superiority in numbers, by better employment, by better equipment, or by a combination of these factors.” —Carl Andrew Spaatz The…
Element Air – Joint Operations – Indian Armed Forces
With the official creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), it is hoped that jointness will the main driver that will get a major push. Real jointness is when land, air and naval commanders jointly formulate, train, orchestrate and implement war plans. Employment of forces in the modem battlefield to achieve military objectives takes…
Indian Power Projection – Element Air
With expansionist China and a powerful India having a serious Face-off in Ladakh. It is a great time to talk about Indian defence capability and ability for power projection. A few general points first India’s traditional foreign-policy orientation was not for military power projection. Things have changed. In 2014, PM Modi told the military commanders…
Joe Biden – President Elect
Joe Biden First became a U.S. senator from Delaware in 1972. Joe Biden had made two earlier bids for presidency in 1988 and 2008, but did not make beyond the Democratic primaries. In 2009 he became the Vice President in Obama Administration. Biden was among those in the Situation Room the night that Navy SEALs…
India’s Neighbourhood Series – China
India is the largest country in South Asia. It is the second-most populous country, the seventh-largest country by land area, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is…
India’s Missiles Development Program
India today has developed, tested, operationalized and is developing a number of missile systems that are limited to only a handful of countries including ICBMs, ASATs, SLBMs and hypersonic weapon systems. Threats posed by enemy missile systems led to the pursuit of Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme. India produces most of defined MTCR defined missile technologies required to be integrated to produce most missile…
Indo American Security Enabling Defence Agreements and Defence Cooperation
On 27 October 2020, the United States and India signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), enabling greater information-sharing and further defence cooperation, to counter China’s growing military power in the region. The U.S. has four “foundational” agreements that it signs with its defence partners. The Pentagon describes the agreements as “routine instruments that the U.S.…
China, The Rising Aerospace Power – Implications for India
Napoleon once said, “China is a sleeping giant, let her lie and sleep, for when she awakens, she will astonish the world.” By the turn of the 21 st century the sleeping giant was not only awake but heavily influencing and, in many ways dictating world affairs. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has had an…
Ernst Udet – the Highest Scoring Surviving German Air Ace of WW I
Ernst Udet was a German pilot during World War I and a Luftwaffe Colonel-General (Generaloberst) during World War II. Udet joined the Imperial German Air Service at the age of 19, and eventually became a flying ace of World War I, scoring 62 confirmed victories by the end of his life. The highest scoring German fighter pilot to survive that war, and the…
Richard Ira Bong – the most decorated American fighter pilot and Top Air Ace
Richard Ira Bong was a United States Army Air Forces major and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. He was one of the most decorated American fighter pilots and the country’s top flying ace in the war, credited with shooting down 40 Japanese aircraft, all with the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter. He died in California while testing a Lockheed P-80 jet fighter shortly before the war ended. Early…
Smaller Quick Launch Satellites – Future of Space – Action Time India
A new era of small satellites has emerged augmenting larger systems and, in some cases, replacing them. Governments are taking a new look at small satellites, as commercial customers use them for their flexibility, speed of development, resiliency, low cost, and tolerance of risk in cutting edge technology. New constellations of 1000-plus satellites are being…
MBDA – The Power House of Missile Systems
With the induction Rafale and the Meteor and SCALP missiles, more Indians have heard the name MBDA. India has had an old association with MBDA and its earlier Avatars and also the joint venture partners. MBDA is a European developer and manufacturer of missiles. The company name emerged from the initials of the names of the…
Billy Bishop, Victoria Cross – the top Canadian and British Empire Ace of all Time – 72 Air Victories
William Avery Bishop, VC, CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ED (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war. He was a Victoria Cross recipient who rose to become an Air Marshal. During the Second World War, Bishop was instrumental…
Defence Budget – How Much India Must Afford
Military budgets often reflect how strongly a country perceives the likelihood of threats against it, or the amount of aggression it wishes to conjure because of its global ambitions. A military budget (or military expenditure), also known as a defence budget, is the amount of financial resources dedicated by a state to raising and maintaining an armed forces or other means essential for defence purposes. Financing…
‘Tiger Squadron’ Birth of Military Aviation in India
October 1932 was a historic month for Indian Aviation. Indian Air Force was officially established on 08 October and on 15 October JRD Tata of Tata Airlines flew his aircraft beginning an airmail service between Karachi and Madras via Ahmedabad and Bombay. The month thus marked the birth of both military and civil aviation in…
French Colonel René Paul Fonck – The Highest Scoring All-time Allied Ace of Aces – 75 Victories
Colonel René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894 – 18 June 1953) was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top fighter ace and, when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries are also considered, Fonck still holds the title of “all-time Allied Ace of Aces”. He received confirmation for 75 victories (72 solo…
India All Set for “Air Force One” Boeing 777s
Two brand new Boeing 777-300 are all set to arrive and join the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Air Headquarters Communication Squadron, also referred to as the VVIP squadron. There are only three designated VVIPs in India. These are the President, Vice President and the Prime Minister. IAF’s VVIP Squadron the “Pegasus’ Induction of the…
“Night Witches” – The All Female Soviet Night Bomber Aviators of WW II
“Night Witches” was a World War II German nickname for the all female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known later as the 46th “Taman” Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, of the Soviet Air Forces. Though women were initially barred from combat, Major Marina Raskova used her position and personal contacts with the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, Joseph Stalin, to obtain permission…
Single Pilot Resource Management: the Need for Formal Training
There is no one right answer in aeronautical decision-making. Each pilot is expected to analyze each situation in light of experience level, personal minimums, and current physical and mental readiness level, and make his or her own decision. Single-pilot resource management (SRM) is the art of managing all onboard and outside resources available to a…
Günther Rall – Third Highest scoring Air Ace of All Times – 275 Victories
General Günther Rall was a highly decorated German military aviator, whose military career spanned nearly forty years. Rall was the third most successful fighter pilot in aviation history, behind Gerhard Barkhorn, who is second, and Erich Hartmann, who is top scoring air ace of all times. Rall flew combat missions in the Battle of France, and Battle of Britain. He was…
Nuclear Dynamics South Asia – A Comprehensive Look
Pakistan continues to be obsessed with Kashmir and just yesterday Prime Minister Imran Khan once again brought up the issue at UNGA. Pakistan also continues to support cross border terrorism. As war clouds hover over Ladakh, and world’s two largest armies , are face-to-face, and also with Pakistan continuing to invoke nuclear threat every now…
Unfolding Technologies and Future of Life
Science and development are making quantum leaps forward and changing our life style. Technology has revolutionized our world and daily lives by creating amazing tools and resources, putting useful information at our fingertips. It has paved the way for multi-functional devices like the smart phone. Computers are increasingly faster, more portable, and higher-powered than ever…
MiG 21 and IAF: A Developmental Perspective
This is a story that traces MiG 21’s history with Indian Air Force (IAF) and impact from a developmental perspective rather than an operational one. How the legend was born into IAF. Due to the large number of types inducted, IAF had an important role in developmental cycle of the plane and hence, had impact…
German Air Ace Gerhard Barkhorn – Second Highest Scoring Ace of All Times
Gerhard “Gerd” Barkhorn (Gerd being short form for Gerhard) was the second most successful fighter ace of all time after fellow Luftwaffe pilot Erich Hartmann. Other than Hartmann, Barkhorn is the only fighter ace to ever exceed 300 claimed victories. Barkhorn flew his first combat missions in May 1940, during the Battle of France and then the Battle of Britain without shooting down any aircraft. His first…
New Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga – Continuity of Shinzo Abe Legacy? – Implications India
After 8 years of Abe Shinzo’s unprecedented stint, on 16 September, Japan has a new prime minister in Suga Yoshihide, who was a longtime Chief Cabinet Secretary, and a very trusted lieutenant of Abe. As expected, Suga Yoshihide, won the approval in an internal Liberal Democratic Party vote. As the world watches with positive hope,…
The Strategic Bomber – Necessity or Luxury – Hello India
With Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) H-6 bombers positioned in large numbers at Kashgar, and also a few at Hotan, both in Xinjiang, not too far from the Ladakh border, it is time to understand the importance and role of strategic bombers. The major world powers have had strategic bombers since World War…
Finnish Ilmari Juutilainen – The Double Fighter Knight – Highest Scoring Non-German Ace – 94 Aerial Victories
Eino Ilmari “Illu” Juutilainen was a fighter pilot of the Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force), and the top scoring non-German fighter pilot of all time. This makes him the top flying ace of the Finnish Air Force, leading all Finnish pilots in score against Soviet aircraft in World War II (1939–40 and 1941–44), with 94 confirmed aerial combat victories in 437 sorties, though he himself claimed 126 victories.…
China and Russia the Unequal, Unreal, Complex Relationship
The complex geo-politics of the world has been reshaping nearly every two decades. Russia and China are two giant neighbours that occupy the largest land mass of Asia. Traditionally they have been two antagonist societies but often chose marriage of convenience. Their relations in the post World war II era have been vacillating between extremes.…
Iranian Air Ace Jalil Zandi – 11 Aerial Victories. Highest-Scoring Pilot ever on F-14 Tomcat
Brig. General Jalil Zandi was a fighter pilot in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force who served during all of the Iran–Iraq War. His combat record qualifies him as one of the most successful pilot of that conflict in air-to-air combat, as well as one of the best Iranian Aces ever. It also made him the highest-scoring pilot in the history of the F-14…
Crew Resource Management (CRM) and the Aircraft Commander – A View
Many an air accidents have occurred because of flaws in management of the very important resource, the cockpit crew. Crew resource management or cockpit resource management (CRM) is a set of training procedures for use in environments where human error can have devastating effects. Used primarily for improving aviation safety, CRM focuses on interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit of an airliner. Its pioneer was…
Israel’s Giora “Hawkeye” Epstein – Ace of Aces of Supersonic Fighter jets – 17 Aerial Victories
Brigadier General Giora “Hawkeye” Epstein (also called Giora Even) of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), is a fighter ace credited with 17 victories, 16 against Egyptian jets, making Epstein the “Ace of Aces” of supersonic fighter jets. Epstein was an active IAF pilot from 1956 until May 26, 1997, when he retired at age 59. Like many retired IAF flyers,…
Vimana: The Ancient Indian Aerospace Craft – Time for Indigenisation
Atmanirbharta (indigenisation), or achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing is one of the key national objectives of India today. The focus has been on reducing dependency on defence imports and indigenisation of the items presently being imported. A key area of action is the aerospace, which is not only cost intensive but also sees early obsolescence.…
The Aviator – A Short Poem
Mother earth, the blue planet, a spinning ball racing through the universe Milky Way, the Sun, the moon, sister planets, what a family in perfect verse Evolution, habitation, from sea to land, and finally the birds and the bees Desire to fly, man and wings, Pegasus, Da Vinci, all wanted to be geese Sky, the…
Electronic Warfare -Trends – Time For India to Become Atamnirbhar
Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directing the energy to control or attack an enemy, or impede enemy use of EM spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly unimpeded access to, the EM spectrum. EW can…
Highest Scoring Night Ace – German Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer – 121 Victories
Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was a German Luftwaffe night-fighter pilot and the highest-scoring night fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. All Schnaufer’s 121 victories were in World War II, and mostly against British four-engine bombers. For his excellent combat record, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, Germany’s highest military decoration at the time,…
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue -The Quad – Anti-China Alliance? – Where Does India Stand?
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) is an informal strategic forum between the United States, Japan, Australia and India that is maintained by semi-regular summits, information exchanges and military drills between member countries. The forum was initiated as a dialogue in 2007 by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, with the support of Vice President Dick Cheney of the US, Prime Minister John Howard of Australia…
Japanese “Zero” Fighter Air Ace Tetsuzō Iwamoto “Tiger Tetsu”- 94 Aerial Victories – Greatest Japanese Fighter Ace of All Time
Lieutenant Junior Grade Tetsuzō Iwamoto was one of the top scoring aces among Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) fighter pilots. He joined the Imperial Navy in 1934 and completed pilot training in December 1936. His first combat occurred over China in early 1938. He emerged as one of the top aces of the Imperial Japan during WWII, credited with at least 94…
Chengdu J-20 Overhyped or Reality – A Comprehensive Story
The Sino-Indian face-off in Ladakh continues towards the harsh forthcoming winter. As the excitement of Rafale induction into Indian Air Force (IAF) settles, it is time to have a fresh look at China’s J-20 which has started becoming operational in sizeable numbers. Is it overhyped or a reality that India must try and fully understand…
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