Articles

The Middle East after the Israel- Iran War

The Twelve Day War between Israel and Iran may seem like a short burst of conflict that was contained in its scope, but might prove in the long term to be a fuse that was lit to the regional powder-keg. The US intervention that appears like having b....

June 30, 2025 International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , Israel , US , Iran , Air defence , JCPOA , NPT , IRGC , axis of resistance , nuclear programme , Witkoff

Op Sindoor: Is India Moving Towards Unified Theatre Command

Brig (Dr) Ashok Pathak (Retd.) Article

Paradigm Shift in India’s Approach to National Security

The gruesome targeted killing of Hindus in Pahalgam on 22 April 25, outraged a nation habitual of hearing of terrorists’ brutality over three and a half decades. Targeted and lar....

May 28, 2025 National Security and Strategic Studies , Governance and Political Studies , Article , Air defence , Theatre command , Pahalgam , Akashteer , Sindoor

Coming of Age - ‘Instruments of Air Denial’

Lt Gen (Dr) V K Saxena (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, VSM Article

On the night of 23/24 Feb 2022 when the Russians fired the first salvo of the current round in Russo-Ukraine war in the form of a strong pre-emptive air strike complete with strike aircrafts, cruise missiles, multi-barrel rocket launchers and more, i....

April 30, 2025 National Security and Strategic Studies , International Relations and Diplomacy , Defence , Russia , Article , Air defence , Drones , GBAD , Swarms

The Changing Nature of Warfare: Lessons for India

Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF Article

The Russia-Ukraine war and the war in Gaza provide several pointers to how the nature of warfare is changing. Indian strategic thinkers need to carefully study these wars and imbibe the lessons. Indian armed forces are in the process of being reorgan....

May 24, 2024 National Security and Strategic Studies , International Relations and Diplomacy , Defence , Article , Israel , India , Iran , Air defence , Lessons , Drones , doctrine , Long wars , nuclear doctrine Ukraine war

West Asia and the Case of Measured and Controlled Escalation: A Trend in Future Warfare

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

On the night of 13/14 April 2024 Iran launched an unprecedented 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles and 120-130 ballistic missiles against Israel. Iran stated that bombardment was in response to the 01 April 2024 air strike on the Iranian consulate buildi....

April 29, 2024 International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , Israel , Iran , Air defence , Nuclear Weapons , Ballistic Missile , Iron Dome , Netanyahu , Drones , cruise missile , Future Warfare

IAF’s Revised Doctrine 2022: An Overview

Air Marshal Diptendu Choudhury (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

The Indian Air Force has very recently published the third iteration of its Doctrine, a document which forges the close connect between India’s national security and its air power. Few are probably aware that the IAF has also been elevated to the t....

February 07, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence , Article , Air defence , Indian Air Force , SAGAR , doctrine , Air space , joint planning , no war no peace , space assets

The Future of Ground Based Air Defence

Lt Gen (Dr) V K Saxena (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, VSM Article

Setting the Perspective

Introduction

This work carries the author’s perception of the required ‘future face of the nation’s Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) which will be capable of countering the futuristic threats from our....

August 17, 2022 National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence , Article , Air defence , Missiles , Drones , GBAD , hypersonic

Russia’s Military Understanding of Air Power: Structural & Doctrinal Aspects

Air Marshal Diptendu Choudhury (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

The fog of war continues to hangover Ukraine even after eighty days, especially with facts difficult to discern amongst the information war running in parallel, biased reportage, and contradictory narratives based on the wide swath of international p....

May 23, 2022 National Security and Strategic Studies , Defence , Article , Russia , Air defence , S-400 , Ukraine , Air Power , SAM , VKS , Aleksandr Zelin , MANPADS , SEAD , Sergey Shoigu , VVS

The Russian Airpower Dilemma

Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Rajesh Isser, AVSM,VM (G) Article

General Observations

The ‘fog of information war’ challenges any meaningful analysis at this stage. The western narrative with connivance of the corporate sector has virtually silenced the ‘other’ narrative. It is clear that everyth....

March 16, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy , Russia , Article , Air defence , Ukraine , Air Power , VKS , Zelensky