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 beganContinue reading “The Air War of 1971: Memories of a Teenager”
Author Archives: Anil Chopra
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 whichContinue reading “5G Risks and Challenges for Aviation”
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,Continue reading “Wing in Ground Effect – Flight in an Ekranoplan”
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 theContinue reading “My Flight in MiG 31 Foxhound – Life Time Experience”
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 benefitContinue reading “General Atomics – The Power House of Unmanned Systems”
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 MTUContinue reading “Major Aircraft Turbofan Engine Manufacturers”
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 economicContinue reading “Strategic Balance in the Indo-Pacific – Implications India”
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 borderedContinue reading “India’s Neighbourhood – Pakistan The Fountainhead of World Terrorism”
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 sectorsContinue reading “China’s Aggressive Aerospace Push”
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 ManagementContinue reading “Unified Combatant Command – India”
Air Power Asia 