Winning India's Next War

T D Joseph

Within a century from its inception, air power (and now increasingly aerospace power) has acquired a dominant role in the foreign policy of nations in wars and use of force not necessarily leading to war. In spite of some enthusiasts claiming otherwise, aerospace power can-not win a war by itself; but it is also true that no modern war can be won without it. Wars that we are likely to be faced with would be limited in nature, whether they are sub-conventional (employing irregular strategies like terrorism, etc.), or conventional. Aerospace power would remain the core of credible nuclear deterrence for defence. Aerospace power would tilt the balance even more effectively in limited wars than it does in full-scale classical wars. It is in this context that the author has examined the role of aerospace power in winning our wars in the future.

T D Joseph Group Captain T.D. Joseph (Joe) VM is a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force. Born in the sunny south of India, in the state of Kerala, the author had his schooling at Loyola School, Thiruvananthapuram, and Mayo College, Ajmer. An alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy and Air Force Academy, he was commissioned on Decemeber 29, 1982, and was the winner of the Nawanagar Sword of Honour for having topped his course. Highly experienced on the MiG-27 and MiG-23MF fighter aircraft, Group Captain Joseph has commanded a front line strike squadron in Operation Parakram, the Indo-Pak standoff during 2001-02. A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington, the author has held important appointments such as Air Force Examiner, Joint Director Personnel Officers at Air Headquarters and Chief Operations Officer of one of the largest air bases in the country.
An experienced Cat A Qualified Flying Instructor, the author is presently serving as the Commanding Officer of the Flying Instructors' School at Tambaram, Chennai. He was awarded the Presidential honour of Vayusena Medal (VM) for distinguished service in 2003. He is married to Sophie and they have two sons.