The May 2025 Air War between the PAF and the IAF will go down in history as the largest Beyond Visual Range (BVR) battle between two nuclear-armed neighbours. So too would the consequences of a 7-nil loss for the IAF, which resulted in a ‘strategic paralysis’ of the Indian political and military leadership. This consequential…
The Treaty of Westphalia is considered to be the foundation and a reference point for the conceptual establishment of the idea of a “Nation State”. It solidified the notions of territorial sovereignty, state autonomy, and the structure of the international system. Signed in 1648, the treaty stabilised patterns of interstate conduct it reinforced. Since 1648,…
Operation Swift Retort to the 4-Day War of May 2025 The Air Force is an inherently technology-sensitive force and without adopting emerging technologies, concepts, and doctrines, it risks falling behind in effectiveness and relevance. Aware of this eventuality, the leadership of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has always remained open to change and ready to embrace…
Realism never left; it merely receded from view while a brief liberal moment convinced the world that power politics had been tamed. Today, that illusion lies in ruins across a cascading sequence of conflicts unfolding in stark succession – from the ongoing Iran–U.S.–Israel war, which has ignited a multi-theatre confrontation across the Middle East, to…
Visualise a modern-day Air Force commander sitting in the operations room, miles away from the combat zone, overseeing every friendly and enemy aircraft and all assets involved in the campaign. In a split second, he can task a fighter, reposition a drone, and authorise a strike. In today’s promising technological era, he does not even…
