“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”– Leonardo DaVinci “The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by theContinue reading “China’s Aviation Industry – Forging Ahead, Yet Critical Technology Challenges”
Tag Archives: Technology
Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft – Time To Get Act Right India
The Indian government just cleared the development of the twin engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF) for Indian Navy. The development phase is expected to cost between Rs 7,000 and Rs 8,000 Crore. First Flight is tasked to be done in six years. Indigenisation is clearly the focus, and rightly so. Meanwhile just last year the airContinue reading “Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft – Time To Get Act Right India”
What Holds Back Indian Military Aviation Development – Historic Perspective By a Retired Surgeon
When the then defence minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman released a list of defence related items to be sourced from Indian industry alone. I saw some amused or sarcastic comments on social media about the low technological level needed for those items. Many educated Indians sneer at products of Indian industry, thinking that it would beContinue reading “What Holds Back Indian Military Aviation Development – Historic Perspective By a Retired Surgeon”
Authoritarian China Pulling Ahead of Democratic America
The relationship between the two most powerful economies USA and China have been complex, and have fluctuated varying from positive to highly negative. USA and China did not establish relations for 25 years after Korean war and only in 1972, US President Richard Nixon visited China. As China began opening its economy in 1980s, andContinue reading “Authoritarian China Pulling Ahead of Democratic America”
Military Airfield Security
In March 2020, an Islamic State militant fired mortars at U.S. and international troops at Bagram airfield, north of Kabul, which is controlled by the U.S. forces, despite the U.S. signing a peace deal with the Taliban. Earlier on December 11, 2019, the Taliban had attacked Bagram airbase, using two car bombs which killed twoContinue reading “Military Airfield Security”
AMCA and LCA Mk II – Challenges and Options
The Balakot air strikes in February 2019 and the air combat thereafter in which a MiG 21 Bison of Indian Air Force (IAF) had to engage a much more modern F-16 of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has once again brought IAF modernization back into focus. The then IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, hasContinue reading “AMCA and LCA Mk II – Challenges and Options”
Aircraft Carriers in Age of Hypersonic Weapons
Earlier in February 2020, the CDS, General Rawat made a statement that he would rather, Indian Navy buy submarines, and use money to build air-strips on the far-flung Indian islands in the Andaman, than invest in an aircraft carrier. A few days later he acknowledged that the Navy had its eyes set on a thirdContinue reading “Aircraft Carriers in Age of Hypersonic Weapons”
Evolving Trends in Aerial Combat
Arrival of Rafale in India has again started a debate on the air combat capabilities in the region. Earlier last year, the air combat engagement between Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Indian Air Force (IAF) during PAF riposte after Balakot air strikes in February 2019, is still being discussed in air forces across the worldContinue reading “Evolving Trends in Aerial Combat”
Aircraft Stealth – Crucial Capabilty – Counters – Affordability – Over-rated – An Analysis
In the recent decades the world has invested a great amount of time, energy and money on stealth technology in the endeavour to delay the military airborne platforms to be seen by the adversary. Most new platforms are designed by incorporating some level of ‘stealth’ or ‘low observable’ (LO) technology at the initial design stageContinue reading “Aircraft Stealth – Crucial Capabilty – Counters – Affordability – Over-rated – An Analysis”
Emerging Technologies for Sixth-Generation Combat Aircraft
The Galwan Valley skirmish between two major powers China and India once again brought war clouds on the horizon. The two airforces moved fighter jets to airbases near the place of action. Also, there was a flurry of articles on the physical combat readiness state of the opposing air forces. Just last year, the IndianContinue reading “Emerging Technologies for Sixth-Generation Combat Aircraft”
Air Power Asia 