Articles By Gp Capt AK Sachdev

Air Power in Joint Operations

Air Power in Joint Operations

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol 38.3, Jul-Sep & 38.4, Oct-Dec 2023 | Date: 10 Jan , 2024

The IAF’s squadron strength is less than three-fourths of its sanctioned strength and its stated doctrine mandates it to carry out its own strategic tasks, endeavour to gain air dominance in...

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C-295 Deal for the Indian Aerospace Industry

C-295 Deal for the Indian Aerospace Industry

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol 38.3, Jul-Sep & 38.4, Oct-Dec 2023 | Date: 30 Dec , 2023

The Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted the HS 748 Avro in the 1960s. This twin-engine turboprop aircraft was initially designed by British aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Avro which...

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Impact of UAVs on Strategic Air Warfare

Impact of UAVs on Strategic Air Warfare

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 38.2, Apr-Jun 2023 | Date: 09 Aug , 2023

Emerging technologies, with splendid assistance from Artificial Intelligence (AI), are driving remarkable Research and Development (R&D) in the area of unmanned systems for use on land, over and...

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Hypersonic Weapon Systems for India

Hypersonic Weapon Systems for India

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 38.2, Apr-Jun 2023 | Date: 13 Jul , 2023

In the beginning of March this year, Russia launched its biggest aerial attack in its ongoing war with Ukraine. The attack comprised a variegated weapon mix, the most interesting one of which was...

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IAF’s Squadron Strength: Crystal Gazing at the Next Two Decades

IAF’s Squadron Strength: Crystal Gazing at the Next Two Decades

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 38.1, Jan-Mar 2023 | Date: 03 May , 2023

In May last year, a report titled Global Air Power Rankings (2022) published by World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) placed the Indian Air Force (IAF) above China’s People’s...

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The IAF’S Weapons Systems Branch: A Prognosis

The IAF’S Weapons Systems Branch: A Prognosis

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 38.1, Jan-Mar 2023 | Date: 28 Apr , 2023

The nature of warfare and consequently, the conduct of air warfare, are undergoing significant and rapid transformation as a result of the munificence of emerging technologies. The Indian Air...

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How should India Exploit Space for Military Advantage?

How should India Exploit Space for Military Advantage?

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 09 Jan , 2023

In December 2019, as per a declaration issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in London, formally recognised space as an...

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Role of Artificial Intelligence in Military Aviation

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Military Aviation

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 37.3, Jul-Sep 2022 | Date: 27 Oct , 2022

The discovery of gunpowder in the ninth century and the invention of the atomic bomb in the twentieth century may be considered the first two revolutions in warfare. The third revolution in...

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The need for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for the IAF

The need for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for the IAF

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 37.3, Jul-Sep 2022 | Date: 20 Oct , 2022

Unarmed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) began as desirable supplements to military inventories, but these have grown rapidly in technological sophistication to become essential complements of the...

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India’s Potential as a Global Aerospace Industry Hub

India’s Potential as a Global Aerospace Industry Hub

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 37.2, Apr-Jun 2022 | Date: 11 Jul , 2022

One of the first steps that Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated after coming to power was self-reliance. A few months after his government came to power, he introduced the ‘Make in India’...

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Drone Swarms: Asset and Threat – is India Ready?

Drone Swarms: Asset and Threat – is India Ready?

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 37.2, Apr-Jun 2022 | Date: 04 Jul , 2022

Military drones are disrupting warfare in the three domains of air, land and sea. Their exploits in the Ukraine war continue to excite interest even as this is being written. In recent years,...

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Sixth Generation Fighter Aircraft: Its Prospects

Sixth Generation Fighter Aircraft: Its Prospects

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 37.1, Jan-Mar 2022 | Date: 13 May , 2022

Classification of fighter aircraft into ‘generations’ dates back to the 1990s and there are several diverse classification criteria applied by air historians, the National Aeronautics and...

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Atmanirbhar in Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing: A Dream or Reality?

Atmanirbhar in Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing: A Dream or Reality?

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 37.1, Jan-Mar 2022 | Date: 25 Apr , 2022

Self-reliance has been a prominent agenda for Prime Minister Narendra Modi since his ascent to the Prime Minister’s chair in 2014. Later that year, he introduced ‘Make in India’ as a...

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Artificial Intelligence in Avionics

Artificial Intelligence in Avionics

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 36.1, Jan-Mar 2021 | Date: 17 Apr , 2022

The term avionics was first used in late 1940s as a portmanteau conjoining ‘aviation’ and ‘electronics’ but since then, both aviation and electronics have undergone tremendous...

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UAVs: A Great Operational Asset

UAVs: A Great Operational Asset

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 35.4 Oct-Dec 2020 | Date: 14 Feb , 2022

The precursor to modern day Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) flew more than a century ago as the Curtiss-Sperry Flying Bomb manufactured in 1917 – a 230kg empty weight aircraft capable of...

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C4ISR and Autonomous Capabilities

C4ISR and Autonomous Capabilities

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 36.4, Oct-Dec 2021 | Date: 04 Jan , 2022

A military leader, as a pre-condition, must be able to exercise Command and Control (C2) over the forces subordinated to him if he is to accomplish his mission. The United States (US) Department...

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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited: The Need for Privatisation

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited: The Need for Privatisation

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 36.3, Jul-Sep 2021 | Date: 06 Nov , 2021

The IAF as the largest captive client for HAL, as well as the other two services, have never been happy with HAL as quality, reliability and punctuality have been issues that have constantly been...

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The Concept of Theatre Command in the Indian Context

The Concept of Theatre Command in the Indian Context

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 36.3, Jul-Sep 2021 | Date: 10 Oct , 2021

On July 02, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat stated, “Do not forget that Air Force continues to remain a supporting arm to the armed forces, just as artillery or the...

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Challenges of Integrated Air Defence

Challenges of Integrated Air Defence

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 36.2, Apr-Jun 2021 | Date: 25 Jul , 2021

There is a need for taking it slow and not plunging into a hastily set up arrangement just because the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) wants it done within his tenure. Possibly, a national security...

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Apache and Chinook: Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Helicopter Fleet

Apache and Chinook: Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Helicopter Fleet

By: Gp Capt AK Sachdev | Issue: Vol. 36.2, Apr-Jun 2021 | Date: 15 Jul , 2021

Offensive rotary wing capability of the Indian Air Force (IAF) goes back to the 1960s when Chetak (Allouette III) helicopters were used with French AS 11 B1 Anti Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), but...

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