EXPENSIVE BUT INDISPENSABLE AIRPOWER
Geopolitics|February 2021
AMIT GUPTA argues why given the harsh economic challenges facing the country, which is not unique to India, the best way to afford an effective air force is to plan differently but smartly by going for techno-globalisation rather than futile techno-nationalism
AMIT GUPTA
EXPENSIVE BUT INDISPENSABLE AIRPOWER

Air power today stands at a crossroads. On the one hand, it is being used for an increasingly diverse set of missions; on the other, it is becoming harder for air forces and their democratically elected governments to find the money to pay for prohibitively expensive weapons systems. Thus, apart from being used in combat situations, air forces are being used in missions as varied as tracking illegal immigration, monitoring human trafficking, preventing poaching, surveying environmental damage, and providing surveillance capabilities to domestic security forces. At a different level, unmanned aircraft (drones) are changing the way that we think about air operations. Yet while the range of missions continues to expand, the costs of purchasing, operating, and maintaining aircraft is growing at alarming rates.

The high cost of aircraft and employing air power is nothing new for as far back as 1980 a set of reformers like John Boyd, Pierre Sprey, and Franklin Spinney warned about how the costs of airpower were spiraling out of control because of the demand for increasingly complex weapons systems. These reformers argued that the US armed forces were addicted to high technology and complex weapon systems. Such weapons were so costly that relatively few could be bought. Complexity made them hard to use and maintain, leading to readiness problems and reduced sortie rates. Even worse, the reformers said, these complicated weapons were not as effective in combat as simpler, cheaper ones.

この記事は Geopolitics の February 2021 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Geopolitics の February 2021 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

GEOPOLITICSのその他の記事すべて表示
THE NEW WAVE OF MARINE LANDING CRAFT.
Geopolitics

THE NEW WAVE OF MARINE LANDING CRAFT.

BAE Systems' new Littoral Strike Craft combines advanced stealth, comfort, and modularity to redefine modern amphibious mission capabilities.

time-read
3 分  |
December 2024
PROVEN AIP FOR S80 SUBMARINES
Geopolitics

PROVEN AIP FOR S80 SUBMARINES

The BEST AIP system is capable of operating at any depth and in all operational conditions, allowing it to adapt to any Navy mission and making it the most advanced AIP system on the market.

time-read
3 分  |
December 2024
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AI SECURE, SCALABLE, AND INNOVATIVE
Geopolitics

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AI SECURE, SCALABLE, AND INNOVATIVE

Tardid leverages modular AI designs, robust cybersecurity, and adaptability to deliver secure and scalable solutions, integrating emerging technologies and refining strategies through realworld deployments, shares AASTHA VERMA, Chief Operating Officer, Tardid Technologies, with Geopolitics

time-read
5 分  |
December 2024
TOT-AN IMPERATIVE FOR SUBMARINE MANUFACTURING
Geopolitics

TOT-AN IMPERATIVE FOR SUBMARINE MANUFACTURING

India's transition from offset strategies to fostering self-reliance through technology transfer (TOT) and local assembly highlights the significance of global collaborations like thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in shaping a robust, indigenised defence ecosystem, a perspective shared by KHALIL RAHMAN, CEO, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems India.

time-read
5 分  |
December 2024
ENHANCING INDIAN NAVAL AVIATION
Geopolitics

ENHANCING INDIAN NAVAL AVIATION

JYOTI SINGH reports how a powerful Indian naval air arm will prove to be the biggest seabased conventional level deterrence, both for the tactical and strategic battlefields

time-read
10 分  |
December 2024
PROJECT-751-30 YEARS ON
Geopolitics

PROJECT-751-30 YEARS ON

India's ambitious Project-751, aimed at procuring six advanced submarines, remains stalled nearly three decades after its inception.

time-read
7 分  |
December 2024
WINGS OVER THE OCEAN
Geopolitics

WINGS OVER THE OCEAN

Indian Naval Aviation is dramatically upgrading its combat potency with its latest inductions, writes Atul Chandra

time-read
7 分  |
December 2024
HOW INDIA IS RESHAPING REGIONAL DETERRENCE, MARITIME DOMINANCE
Geopolitics

HOW INDIA IS RESHAPING REGIONAL DETERRENCE, MARITIME DOMINANCE

In the theatre of modern geopolitics, control over the seas is synonymous with strategic dominance. With its vast coastline and critical position in the Indo-Pacific, India has always recognised the importance of maritime strength, outlines GIRISH LINGANNA

time-read
5 分  |
December 2024
BUILDERS NAVY
Geopolitics

BUILDERS NAVY

The Indian Navy's modernisation efforts are picking up steam, with domestic shipyards running at full capacity, reports MIKE RAJKUMAR

time-read
8 分  |
December 2024
THE NAVY'S NEED FOR SUBMARINES
Geopolitics

THE NAVY'S NEED FOR SUBMARINES

While aircraft carriers have their place, submarines provide India with a more flexible, cost-effective, and survivable option for projecting power and maintaining deterrence in a complex and evolving strategic environment, argues AMIT GUPTA

time-read
10+ 分  |
December 2024