INDIAN AIR FORCE IN ITS CENTENNIAL DECADE

Edited by: Anil Golani | Swaim Prakash Singh

The Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrated its 90th anniversary on October 8, 2022. Over the last 90 years, the IAF has grown by transforming itself from a tactical to a potent and strategic air force. Over these years, the IAF has demonstrated unrivalled adaptability, innovation and resilience to become a technology intensive fighting force that operates the latest generation of aircraft, weapon systems, radars and communication systems. As the fourth largest Air Force in the world, the IAF today stands poised at the threshold of becoming an aerospace force.

The IAF has proved itself on every occasion starting from the post-independence 1947 conflict till the recent special air operation on non-military targets in Balakot. However, it has a challenging future in this decade as it would witness changes in all domains including induction of aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, missiles, radars, force enablers, communications, network centric operations, air battle management, high end military technology, cyber and space along with human resource restructuring. These challenges would need to be addressed with caution, as the coming decade would inevitably see the fruition of meaningful joint and integrated planning and warfighting at all levels.

This book is an academic and scholarly effort by CAPS that puts together the glorious past of the IAF and its future trajectory in two different sections. Stitched together by chapters written by an aviation enthusiast, serving and veteran officers, the book touches upon the formation of the IAF and various facets of its operations.

Edited by: Anil Golani | Swaim Prakash Singh Anil Golani is a retired Air Vice Marshal from the Indian Air Force. An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and Royal College of Defence Studies, London is an avid proponent of Aerospace Power. He has published articles and book chapters on air power and national security in newspapers, books and accredited journals. He has edited a book Air Power and Emerging Technologies in 2022. He likes to play golf, read and write on issues concerning the nation. He is the Additional Director General at the Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi, since May 2021.

Swaim Prakash Singh is a serving Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force. An alumnus of Air Force Academy, Air Defence College and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington is a passionate promoter of air power in the integrated environment. A critical analyst of defence and associated issues has extensively contributed with his articles and book chapters in reputed journals and books. He is on completion of his individual authored book on “Air Power and the Integration of Armed Forces.” He is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi.

Contents

Foreword

Editor’s Note

About the Editors and Contributors

List of Table and Figures

Introduction

SECTION I – IAF: A Glorious Past

1. A Sneak Preview of the IAF
Anchit Gupta

2. IAF Through Wars: A Story Telling
Bharat Kumar

3. Helicopter Saga of the Indian Air Force
Nitin Sathe

4. IAF’s Airlift Capability: Face of the Nation
Rajeev Sachdeva

SECTION II – IAF: Future Trajectory

5. Air Power as a Tool of Comprehensive National Power
Anil Golani

6. Future of Combat Aircraft
Anil Chopra

7. Exploiting Air Power Beyond the Continent: Challenges and Opportunities
Swaim Prakash Singh

8. Future Integrated Air Battle Management
Amit Dev

9. Air Defence is not Defensive
Diptendu Choudhury

10. Helicopter Operations in Contested Battlespace
Rajesh Varma

11. From an Air Force to An Aerospace Force
T H Anand Rao

Index