The 93rd Indian Air Force Anniversary Special of SP’s Aviation presents a sweeping narrative of the Indian Air Force’s transformation into a technologically empowered, self-reliant aerospace force. The edition’s lead interview — an exhaustive conversation with Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, offers an incisive look into the IAF’s strategic direction, postures, and future trajectory.

In this interaction, Air Chief Marshal Singh reflects on the operational lessons of Operation Sindoor, which he describes as a precise, intelligence-led campaign that validated India’s capacity for rapid, integrated, and proportionate response. He emphasises that the IAF’s focus today extends beyond traditional air dominance to “multi-domain readiness” — a synergy of air, space, and cyber capabilities. ACM Singh highlights the importance of indigenous development, pointing to platforms such as the LCA Tejas Mk-1A and Mk-2, the upcoming Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Akash NG, Uttam AESA radar, and indigenous AEW&C systems. These programmes, he notes, are not just hardware projects but “national enablers” of sovereign capability.

The CAS further outlines efforts to integrate AI, quantum computing, unmanned systems, and hypersonic weapons into the Air Force’s doctrine and planning. The IAF, he explains, is evolving into a “tech-driven and network-centric force,” ensuring interoperability with the Army and Navy through the Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP). He also discusses modernisation of refuelling, AEW&C, and UAV fleets, alongside plans for space-based surveillance and the future Defence Space Command. His vision underlines a confident Air Force balancing strategic autonomy, rapid adaptability, and global competitiveness in a complex security environment.

In the feature “Indian Air Force – Post Operation Sindoor”, Air Marshal R.G.K. Kapoor (Retd) provides a detailed assessment of the operation that reshaped India’s aerial warfare doctrine. Air Marshal Kapoor analyses how Sindoor demonstrated calibrated use of air power, precision targeting, and seamless joint planning — all while maintaining escalation control. He calls for institutionalising the lessons learned into the IAF’s training and operational framework, with particular emphasis on jointness, networked situational awareness, and decision superiority enabled by digital warfare systems.

Manish Kumar Jha’s in-depth feature “IAF – Target ‘42 Squadrons’” delves into the IAF’s most pressing challenge — achieving the sanctioned 42-squadron strength amidst attrition and delays. He evaluates the production roadmap of Tejas Mk-1A, progress on Tejas Mk-2 and AMCA, and bottlenecks in engine technology and industrial scalability. The article argues that meeting the squadron target demands a robust publicprivate partnership ecosystem, export-oriented manufacturing, and greater predictability in procurement cycles.

In another analytical piece, Air Marshal Anil Khosla (Retd) writes “Chariots of the Battlefield – Combat Helicopters,” exploring the evolving role of Attack and Armed Helicopters like the Apache, Rudra, and LCH Prachand helicopters. He describes them as the “aerial armoured punch” of the modern battlefield and emphasises their role in future warfare with mannedunmanned teaming, networked firepower, and precision strikes.

Overall, this anniversary issue stands as both a tribute to the IAF’s 93-year legacy and a forwardlooking chronicle of its technological resurgence — portraying an Air Force poised for dominance in the air and beyond. Hope you will enjoy reading this issue of SP’s Aviation. Welcome aboard and we wish you safe landings!