“WE ENDEAVOUR TO MAINTAIN OUR EDGE THROUGH MODERNIZATION AND ACQUISITION OF NEW SYSTEMS”

Commissioned into the Indian Air Force on June 15, 1980, AIR CHIEF MARSHAL RAKESH KUMAR SINGH BHADAURIA PVSM AVSM VM ADC took over as the 26th air chief Chief of the Air Staff on 30 September 2019. An alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, he graduated with the coveted ‘Sword of Honour’. He has over 4270 hours of experience on 27 types of fighters as well as transport aircraft and holds the unique distinction of being an Experimental Test Pilot, a Cat 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor and a Pilot Attack Instructor. He completed his Masters in Defence Studies from Command and Staff College, Bangladesh. In a career, spanning almost four decades, the Air Chief Marshal has held a number of significant field and staff appointments which include Command of a front line Jaguar Squadron, Command of a premier Air Force Station in South-Western sector, Commanding Officer of Flight Test Squadron at Aircraft & System Testing Establishment and Chief Test Pilot as well as Project Director of National Flight Test Centre on Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project. He was extensively involved in the initial prototype flight testing on the LCA. He has flown the Rafale while preparations were on to induct it into the IAF. While acknowledging that the IAF faces many challenges and that its procurement schemes are being prioritised within the budgetary resources to ensure that urgent and critical capabilities are acquired first, he assured PRAKASH NANDA that the Indian Air-Warriors are best in the business. Excerpts of the interview:

‘THE MRSAM PROGRAMME IS PROGRESSING AS PLANNED'

The development of the MRSAM system is reflected in the innovation, creativity and remarkable personal dedication of all those involved in the project, says ELI ALFASSI, EVP Marketing of IAI, in this one-on-one with GEOPOLITICS

‘GRIPEN-E DESIGN ENABLES IAF TO MAKE CHANGES IN TACTICAL FUNCTIONS IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME'

Saab’s plans for technology transfer programme is more of a capability transfer, going well beyond just the mechanics of transferring technology, including supporting current and future indigenous fighter programmes, explains OLA RIGNELL, Chairman and Managing Director, Saab India, in this interview with GEOPOLITICS

‘AR-1500 OFFERS SATURN WAVEFORM AND L-BAND OPERATION'

Since no one else operates V/UHF radios in L-band, transmissions are less likely to be intercepted leading to more secure communications, explains DES BAXTER, Director (Business Development-Asia Pacific), Mission Systems, Collins Aerospace, in this interaction with GEOPOLITICS

THE IMPORTANCE OF A SPACE FORCE

Looking at the role played by the US Air Force in space-related activities in the past decades, HARINI MADHUSUDAN finds out its relevance for the Indian Air Force in the Indian Space domain

SHAPING THE IAF'S PROCUREMENT EFFORTS

AMIT GUPTA discusses what the IAF needs to procure from other countries and what it can produce domestically to counter a two-front threat

IAF IN A TWO-FRONT WAR

Though the Indian Air Force now has credible “strategic reach” from the Persian Gulf to the Straits of Malacca, it needs more fighter planes, more air defence systems and more missiles to manage a possible joint threat from China and Pakistan, argues Air Marshal ANIL CHOPRA

GA-ASI HAS PRODUCED MORE THAN 20 VARIANTS SINCE IT INTRODUCED ITS FIRST RPAS IN 1990

GA-ASI’s new MQ-9B is available as the SkyGuardian and the SeaGuardian for maritime operations. The UK is the launch customer and they requested a special variant, based on MQ-9B SkyGuardian, called the Protector, points out VIVEK LALL, Chief Executive, General Atomics Global Corporation, in this one-on-one with GEOPOLITICS

BEING A POTENT AIR FORCE

IAF’s new force structure emphasises on cutting-edge foreign acquired quality and ‘Make in India’ quantity, writes NINAD D SHETH

A GIANT LEAP

AMARTYA SINHA explains why hypersonic cruise missiles are a massive force multiplier

The Story Of Atmanirbharta In Defence

Will the embargo on import and carving out of a separate budget head for local procurement give impetus to indigenisation and self-reliance in a way that the measures taken in the past two decades have not? Amit Cowshish attempts an answer

Article 370 — One Year Later, Huge Infra Push In J&K

The abrogation of Article-370 and Article-35A of the Constitution of India has seen an outpour of developmental initiatives in the two newly formed union territories, reports Amartya Sinha

Is The “New LAC Normal” Here To Stay?

Presenting a “Reality Check”, GEN RAJ MEHTA argues that while India’s conventional war-fighting approach suffices for Pakistan (in the event of Chinese collusion in SSN), the Chinese fight very differently. Thus, Indian forces will have to balance conventional wisdom for Pakistan with Chinese unorthodoxy and recourse to deception and deceit and trump both approaches

HIT TO KILL: THE ARTILLERY SAGA

At a time when India is increasingly facing the threat of a two-front war on its borders, it will be very apt to conclude that the Indian Army’s artillery modernisation drive requires a tremendous thrust from the government, argues AMARTYA SINHA

FORFEITING NATIONAL SECURITY FOR TURF

Inter-organisational cooperation and camaraderie is a fallacy which has been propagated for long, laments PANKAJ BHAGWATI

HIGH TIME FOR AGNI-VI INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE

Now is the time for the NDA-3 government to prove its political will by swiftly approving the Agni- VI thermonuclear ICBM programme which will push India into the elite league of military superpowers like USA, Russia and China. Such a capability will give India tremendous diplomatic leverage at global high tables and will deter big powers from attempting Balkanisation of India during future conflicts, explains AMARTYA SINHA

BOEING OFFERS F/A-18 BLOCK-III SUPER HORNETS TO INDIAN NAVY

India is the front and centre of significant opportunities for Boeing, with India’s defence forces having invested in advanced capabilities for now and the future. Boeing is committed to supporting, as well as helping the modernisation of India’s armed forces.

LOCKHEED MARTIN CONCLUDES ANNUAL SUPPLIERS CONFERENCE

Reaffirming its continued commitment to and focus on Make in India, Lockheed Martin has announced the culmination of the 7th edition of its annual Suppliers Conference on July 31, 2020. The event was co-hosted with Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

RAFAEL OFFERS FIREFLY LOITERING MUNITIONS AND DRONE DOME C-UAS SYSTEMS TO INDIA

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. designs, develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of high-tech defence systems for air, land, sea space and cyber applications for the Israeli Defence Forces and the defence establishment, as well as for customers around the world. The company offers its customers a diversified array of innovative, multi-disciplinary solutions at the leading edge of global technology, from underwater systems through naval, ground, and air superiority systems to space systems. Rafael's technologies address a vast scope of operational needs with end-to-end, force-multiplying solutions.

74 PERCENT FDI ALLOWED IN DEFENCE THROUGH AUTOMATIC ROUTE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the seminar on Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence Manufacturing via Video Conferencing on August 27. Stressing on the need to become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in defence manufacturing, the Prime Minister said that the nation’s aim is to boost defence production, develop new technology and give significant roles to private players in the defence sector.

Fire On All Cylinders At China

The blood of twenty Indian martyrs and the broader problem of China’s repetitive ‘salami slicing’ tactics with its neighbours demand a comprehensive longer-term response. China is a different beast. Even as the intense news media focus shifts from the Ladakh encounter and the LAC flareup, India’s foreign and defence communities cannot afford to take their eyes off the ball of China’s overall imperialistic posturing, which is bound to return in some form or the other either at the LAC or in the Indo-Pacific, argues SREERAM CHAULIA

‘WE HAVE DEVELOPED AI-ENABLED SECURITY SOLUTIONS'

At a time when the nation is increasingly facing internal security threats, Globus Infocom has emerged as a prominent player in the domain of cutting-edge security and surveillance gadgets. The Indian company is literally redefining the law enforcement landscape in India and is playing a pivotal role in police modernisation. KIRANDEEP DHAM, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Globus Infocom Limited, explains the nuances in the field of latest security and surveillance solutions in this interview with AMARTYA SINHA

TIME TO SHOW CHINA ITS PLACE

In the backdrop of the recent clashes between Indian and Chinese forces at Galwan Valley, experts think that in case a war takes place between the two countries, India has an advantage and the war would be fought on the Tibetan plateau.

BOOSTING INFRASTRUCTURE ALONG THE INDIA-CHINA BORDER

AMARTYA SINHA takes a look at the state of infrastructures near the Line of Actual Control with China, keeping in view that an armed confrontation with the communist neighbour can be prevented only when the Indian military achieves the technological and strategic edge over the adversary in terms of good quality metalled roads, railway tracks, bridges, tunnels, ALGs and airbases.

MODERNISING THE PARAMILITARY

Strict maintenance of law and order by deploying modern technology and contemporary tactics is extremely crucial for maintaining India’s internal stability and territorial integrity. Now is the time to go full-throttle on paramilitary modernisation, writes AMARTYA SINHA

THE TIME FOR ALLIANCE?

AMIT GUPTA argues why it is time for India to rethink its foreign and security policy

INDIA'S MH-60R CHOPPERS WILL BE ENABLED WITH LINK-16

The Indian Navy will be flying the same helicopters as the US Navy in the Indo-Pacific region. Moreover, the Australian Navy also flies the same kind of aircraft. So, there is a great opportunity towards boosting interoperability. These helicopters can literally scan 20 percent of the entire surface of the Indo-Pacific theatre and can sniff out hostile assets through their powerful sensors, says TOM KANE, Director of Naval Helicopter Programmes, Lockheed Martin; and WILLIAM BLAIR, Vice President and Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin in India, in this interaction with Geopolitics

F-35S, PATRIOTS AND A BLACKLISTING!

The announcement earlier this month of two mega sales—F-35s to Japan and patriot missiles to Taiwan— by the US has angered China who see it as another ‘provocation’. It is also a reflection of a hardening stance by Japan and Taiwan who routinely describe Chinese military incursions as the ‘real provocation’ Taking a cue, policymakers in Delhi are suggesting that India needs to reframe its relationship with Taiwan

A 'RED' ODYSSEY

In the space of eleven days, three incredible voyages to the Red Planet will occupy the attention of space scientists around the world. First off the mark was UAE’s Al Amal, followed days later by China’s Tianwen-1 to followed at the end of the month by the US Perseverance. If successful, these missions could well be the precursor of manned missions to Mars. A special report.

Dealing With China

Consistency has never been a virtue for the Communist rulers of China in settling their border disputes with the neighbours. They have used different principles for different countries. And this is the biggest bottleneck in arriving at an amicable solution to the present faceoff between the Chinese and Indian troops, argues Prakash Nanda