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 theContinue reading “TAPAS/Rustom-II: India’s High-End Miltary Drone”
Tag Archives: UAV
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 thanContinue reading “Managing a Congested Airspace over the Future Battle Area”
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 AzerbaijanContinue reading “Prioritising IAF’s Unmanned Offensive and Defensive Capability”
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 tillContinue reading “Airpower: Harnessing the Power of Drone Swarms in Combat”
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 NavyContinue reading “The Formidable General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper for Indian Armed Forces”
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 strikeContinue reading “Lethal Autonomous Aerial Weapon Systems – Realities of the Future”
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.Continue reading “Chinese Wing Loong UAVs – Proliferating Across the World”
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’sContinue reading “A Professional’s Rambling? Evolution of Airpower – Challenges, Questions, and Thoughts”
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”
Aviation – The Future is Unmanned – Time to Get Going India
Unmanned aircraft technologies have now matured well beyond just reconnaissance, security, and targeting. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are now under taking all missions including heavy-lift cargo. World is at a transition. There are some who see the JSF F-35 Lightening II as the last dedicated manned fighter/bomber. Solar-powered UAS are already flying. Currently, the solar-poweredContinue reading “Aviation – The Future is Unmanned – Time to Get Going India”
Air Power Asia 