Articles By Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur

Terrestrial Electronic Warfare: The IAF’s Unexplored Option?
By: Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur | Issue: Vol. 34.4 Oct-Dec 2019 | Date: 09 Nov , 2020
The use of terrestrial Electronic Warfare (EW) in aerial combat is neither well understood, nor frequently discussed perhaps because Western powers such as the US, UK and France have shown little...

Enhancing Firepower – BrahMos
By: Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur | Issue: Vol. 32.1 Jan-Mar 2017 | Date: 17 Mar , 2018
Extending the range of the Brahmos-A would be technically far more challenging than extending the range of the surface launched variants of the missile, since the missile developers would be...

Spurring the Growth of Civil Aviation & Defence Aerospace in India
By: Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur | Issue: Vol. 31.4 Oct-Dec 2016 | Date: 07 Feb , 2017
India has never attempted to formulate a national vision for aerospace. Now is perhaps the time to do so. Propulsion, materials and avionics technologies are closely guarded secrets. The...

Unmanned Full Scale Fighter Targets for Training and Ucav Technology Development
By: Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur | Issue: Vol. 31.3 Jul-Sep 2016 | Date: 27 Dec , 2016
An unmanned fighter facilitates very realistic training since shooters are dealing with a full scale target capable of intelligent and hard maneuvering. The shooter can engage the target with live...

The IAF and its Need for Close Air Support
By: Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur | Issue: Vol. 30.4 Oct-Dec 2015 | Date: 12 Nov , 2016
The outcome of the next war is going to be determined less by the IAF’s deep strike or air combat capability, more by its ability to support own troops in mountainous terrain. No matter what...

Space: The New Battle Zone
By: Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur | Issue: Vol. 30.2 Apr-Jun 2015 | Date: 01 Oct , 2015
The most potent threat to Indian military and dual use satellites in Low Earth Orbit (RISAT, CARTOSAT, TES) comes from Chinese hit-to-kill ASAT interceptors. However, the debris resulting from...

Role of Bombers in Contemporary Warfare
By: Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur | Issue: Vol. 30.1 Jan-Mar 2015 | Date: 27 Aug , 2015
No more are bombers used for strategic bombing aimed at crippling an adversary’s war fighting capability, as was the case in World War II. Now, they are used primarily for nuclear deterrence,...

Could the IAF be Confronted with Computer Stuffed Cockpits of PLAAF?
By: Sqn Ldr Vijainder K Thakur | Issue: Vol. 29.4 Oct-Dec 2014 | Date: 18 Mar , 2015
It is widely presumed that sixth generation fighters would be optionally manned. The decision to put a pilot in the cockpit would be determined by the nature of the mission. Many missions would...