Air Defence Archives - Page 2 of 3

Additive Manufacturing in Aerospace and Defence Sector: Strategy of India

Additive manufacturing (AM), also popularly known as 3-D printing, is revolutionising the global manufacturing landscape. The proliferation of AM technology has had a huge impact on the design and production capability of the manufacturing industry. At the same time, the technology to mimic and print real parts has huge implications for a country’s defence capability and security.

Fighting Falcon: The End of an Era?

Is the termination of an unprecedented 40-year production run of the F-16 an indication of the beginning of the end for this versatile combat aircraft?

Nigerian Air Force and COIN Operations

The Nigerian Air Force’s impending acquisition of the JF-17 is a cautionary tale of the need for armed forces everywhere to assess their respective operational environment in a realistic manner and then devise an appropriate equipment procurement strategy.

Weapons are the Combat Differentiators: The BrahMos Air Launched Cruise Missile

“Weapons differentiate between Air Forces and Flying Clubs” is an often heard adage. Weapons capability is an integral part of an Air Power matrix. In the last three months, a number of successful indigenous weapons trials in India indicate a positive move in the right direction even if a little late in certain cases and after multiple failures in others. India’s dependence on foreign vendors for weapons and weapon platforms is well known and it is the largest importer of weaponry.

Acquisition of single-engine fighter aircraft – A few suggestions to expedite the procurement process

MoD can leapfrog many of the 11 stages in the procurement programme by taking the measures outlined to fulfil the urgent requirements of the Air Force.

Amit Cowshish
September 26, 2017
IDSA Comments

Air Support for Internal Security Operations: What India can Learn from Trinidad and Tobago

Air power has long been recognised as a useful asset in internal security operations, running the full gamut from militarised counter-insurgency (CI) and counter-terrorist (CT) operations to the mundane task of crowd control. In the last 15 years, the archipelagic state of Trinidad and Tobago has made extensive use of air assets for internal security operations, with mixed results. In the process, some lessons have been learnt and some serious mistakes made that can be instructive for even large countries such as India.

Whither the Mexican Air Force Combat Fleet?

The main threat to Mexico comes from illegal privately-operated aircraft which are heavily involved in smuggling. The inability of the Mexican Air Force to guarantee the integrity of its own airspace is therefore a matter of concern.

HAL’s Gamble – Will the “Advanced Hawk” break into the Export market?

On 5 February 2017, a version of the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) was unveiled. The aptly-named “Advanced Hawk” is a joint-venture between BAE Systems and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It has been developed using internal funds on an equal risk basis and offers significant enhancement of the capabilities of the basic Hawk AJT.

Botswana Spruces Air Defence

While combat aircraft acquisition for self-defence capability is a long drawn and expensive process, Botswana has moved systematically to enhance its low-cost variation - by improving ground-based air defence system.

The State of the Smaller Latin American Air Forces

While the larger air forces are capable of sustaining their existing and future inventories for some time to come, the combat assets available to the region’s smaller air forces are facing a problem of pending obsolescence.