Jointness Without Fragmentation In a PTI interview on 25 October 2026, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal A P Singh emphasised that the “IAF is fully committed to jointness and integration.” He further stated that “future conflicts will be multi-domain by their very nature; three services will operate together far more closely thanContinue reading “India: Airpower: Theatreisation for War, Not for the Map”
Tag Archives: indian air force
AMCA & LCA Mk1A Grab National Attention — But 70 Years On, India Struggles to Field Its Own Trainers
India’s evolving fifth-generation AMCA and the still-to-be-delivered LCA Mk1A continue to grab the headlines. But there are other eggs in the Indian defence production basket that still need to be hatched. The long-delayed indigenous trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) seems to be missing in action. While one can understand that the technology-hungry,Continue reading “AMCA & LCA Mk1A Grab National Attention — But 70 Years On, India Struggles to Field Its Own Trainers”
Airpower in the Age of Intelligent Warfare: Technology, Control and Will — An Indian Perspective
Airpower and Technology Airpower operates at the leading edge of technology. Every major technological breakthrough has had a profound impact on airpower and, eventually, on its employment in combat. Until a few years ago, a major thrust was on the development of manned platforms and their sophistication through upgrades in avionics, weapons, and stealth featuresContinue reading “Airpower in the Age of Intelligent Warfare: Technology, Control and Will — An Indian Perspective”
India Trains To Counter J-20 Stealth Fighters as China’s J-16 Holds Rare Drills Against Egyptian Rafales
As China’s J-16 “Hidden Dragon” fighter jets drill against Egypt‘s Rafales, the Indian Air Force (IAF) continues to sharpen its teeth through multinational exercises and train against cutting-edge jets like the “stealth” F-35. The Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) is keen to decode Western fighter jets like the Rafale, Eurofighter, and Gripen, while the Indian AirContinue reading “India Trains To Counter J-20 Stealth Fighters as China’s J-16 Holds Rare Drills Against Egyptian Rafales”
Air War in Kargil – A Revisit
The Kargil War was fought between India and Pakistan in the high mountains in the Kargil District of Jammu and Kashmir, and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC) between 3 May and 26 July 1999. Code-named ‘Operation Vijay’, it ended with a decisive victory for Indian forces, and India regained possession of territory occupiedContinue reading “Air War in Kargil – A Revisit”
Beyond the Cockpit: Air Marshal Anil Chopra on the IAF, Modern Air Warfare, and Surviving a 22-G Ejection
Air Marshal Anil Chopra—known for his distinguished flying career and his post-military service shaping defence policy through strategic think tanks like CAPS (Centre for Air Power Studies) and advisory bodies in military justice and SIDM (Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers)—recently sat down on Dostcast to unpack India’s operational readiness. From evaluating the multi-domain capabilities ofContinue reading “Beyond the Cockpit: Air Marshal Anil Chopra on the IAF, Modern Air Warfare, and Surviving a 22-G Ejection”
F-35 For India: Delhi Quietly Ignored Trump’s Soft Pitch For U.S. Stealth Fighters That Turkey & Saudi Chase
The United States (US) floated a pitch to supply India with advanced Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter jets. US President Donald Trump publicly stated that Washington was paving the way to provide India with the fifth-generation aircraft. In February 2025, during Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, Trump told a joint news conference,Continue reading “F-35 For India: Delhi Quietly Ignored Trump’s Soft Pitch For U.S. Stealth Fighters That Turkey & Saudi Chase”
Opinion | China’s J-16 Missile Trucks and J-20 Jets, and What They Mean For The World
Pictures of a heavily missile-laden Chinese Shenyang J-16 multirole fighter jet, in what is being called the ‘Beast Mode‘, have been seen and have sent analysts scurrying to interpret the PLA‘s long-range air superiority and combat patrol capabilities. The photograph, which was released by a Chinese aviation oversight body, has circulated widely. It shows theContinue reading “Opinion | China’s J-16 Missile Trucks and J-20 Jets, and What They Mean For The World”
Why China Pulled Ahead of India in Fighter Jet Engine Race Despite Both Nations Starting in the Mid-1980s? OPED
China has quietly achieved what few others have managed — fitting its J-20 stealth fighters with fully indigenous engines, while India remains far behind despite both nations starting their jet engine programmes around the mid-1980s. After years of development, Beijing’s WS-15 is now in serial production and powers the stealth J-20 aircraft. This is aContinue reading “Why China Pulled Ahead of India in Fighter Jet Engine Race Despite Both Nations Starting in the Mid-1980s? OPED”
‘The future isn’t manned vs unmanned’
The broader lesson is modern warfare increasingly depends on integration, says Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)in interview with Javaria Rana Operation Sindoor put India’s air power doctrine to a live test. Fighters, loitering munitions, precision-strike weapons and integrated air defences all delivered results. But broader questions linger. A shrinking fighter squadron strength, delays in indigenousContinue reading “‘The future isn’t manned vs unmanned’”