Time to Rise Up

Air Cmde Nitin Sathe (retd)

Airpower refers to the capability of a nation’s military force to project power through the medium of air and space to achieve strategic, operational, and tactical objectives. It encompasses the use of manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, satellites, and supporting infrastructure to deliver force, gather intelligence, transport assets, and influence the course of conflicts and peacetime operations alike.

Airpower today is referred to as aerospace power, which in simple terms, is the sum of all military capabilities that operate in the air and space domains to influence events on land, sea, and in the air. Learning to fly at the Air Force Academy four decades ago, little did we know or understand the above definition. What we were interested in and loved then was the roar of the engine and the kick we felt as we released brakes for take-off, the various manoeuvres we carried out in three dimensions, and the safe landing at the end of it all. We were oblivious, (and maybe, naïve) of the fact that in a few years from then, we would be part of our nation’s hard power projection.

As in all other forms of combat, the distance between opponents in aerial warfare has grown dramatically over the years. From the days of shooting at each other from just a few metres apart, to firing close-range missiles, targeting enemy aircraft from beyond visual range (BVR), and now striking an adversary hundreds of miles away, sometimes just as it takes off—the air war has steadily moved towards greater standoff distances.

At the same time, modern, high-tech air defence systems have closed almost every gap in the defensive shield, making the skies even more dangerous. Today, with a trigger-happy soldier handling a state-of-the-art weapon, any flying object can be shot out of the sky in the blink of an eye. This has necessitated further distancing of adversaries in combat and heightened the need for getting the pilot out of the cockpit (read drone warfare). Also, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has found its way into all systems to reduce the decision-making time in combat conditions (OODA loop).

Airpower has always proven itself to be a game-changer. Right from World War I, fragile biplanes performed reconnaissance of the battle area, and later, in World War II, carried out decisive bombing. In the 1967 Six-Day War, the Israeli Air Force managed to destroy nearly the entire Arab Air Force on ground within hours of the war starting; in fact, the course of the war had been altered well before the ground troops had reached their bunkers.

Our own experience in 1971 is another fine example. The Indian Air Force (IAF) air strikes crippled enemy communication and logistics, facilitating the spectacular ground assault that followed. Since then, evolution has continued with technological advancements being the driving force in this force multiplication.

A fundamental truth has been reiterated during the recent conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza—he who owns the skies controls the battle below. As I said earlier, it is not just about fighter aircraft anymore. The modern aerial domain includes long-range precision strike platforms, satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electronic warfare systems, and now, even hypersonic glide vehicles.

Drones were earlier thought to be peripheral requirements for war fighting, especially for nations who had limited satellite surveillance capability. Today, drone technology has improved the transparency of the war zone making the satellite redundant to some extent. In the Ukraine war for instance, drones were integral to both offensive and defensive strategies.

Besides just surveillance