Is the termination of an unprecedented 40-year production run of the F-16 an indication of the beginning of the end for this versatile combat aircraft?

The Nigerian Air Force’s impending acquisition of the JF-17 is a cautionary tale of the need for armed forces everywhere to assess their respective operational environment in a realistic manner and then devise an appropriate equipment procurement strategy.

To truly exploit this newly tested operational capability, IAF will have to augment its fleet of in-flight refuellers and train an adequate number of aircrew, mission commanders, fighter controllers and systems operators.

“Weapons differentiate between Air Forces and Flying Clubs” is an often heard adage. Weapons capability is an integral part of an Air Power matrix. In the last three months, a number of successful indigenous weapons trials in India indicate a positive move in the right direction even if a little late in certain cases and after multiple failures in others. India’s dependence on foreign vendors for weapons and weapon platforms is well known and it is the largest importer of weaponry.

A quantum jump in the operational role of UAVs can be expected only with a breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence. Until that happens, their will increase gradually to reach about 50 per cent of combat operations over the next three decades.