(By Khalid Masood) On 19 March 2026, a historic milestone was reached in modern aerial warfare: for the first time since its maiden flight in 2006, a US F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter was damaged by enemy fire during combat operations over Iran. The aircraft made an emergency landing at an undisclosed US air base…
(By Khalid Masood) An Air Defence Veteran In the pre-dawn darkness of February 28, 2026, the skies over Tehran remained eerily silent. No sirens wailed. No surface-to-air missiles streaked upward. Instead, waves of Israeli F-35I Adir stealth fighters and American B-2 Spirit bombers, supported by EA-18G Growler electronic-warfare aircraft, sliced through Iranian airspace with impunity….
(By Khalid Masood) Trump’s Golden Dome represents one of the most ambitious and contentious defence initiatives of the second Trump administration. Announced via Executive Order 14186 in January 2025 as the “Iron Dome for America” before being rebranded in May, the project seeks to establish a comprehensive, layered missile defence shield for the United States…
(By Quratulain Khalid) As we reflect on the storied yet tarnished history of the Indian Air Force (IAF), a pattern emerges that belies its self-proclaimed mantle of operational excellence. Over the past 50 years—from the cataclysmic blunders of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War to the relentless peacetime debacles that have claimed countless lives and squandered billions—the…
(By Khalid Masood) I. Introduction The skies over Dubai turned from a canvas of aerial prowess to a scene of utter devastation on 21 November 2025, as the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) much-vaunted Tejas light combat aircraft erupted into a fireball during what should have been a routine demonstration at the Dubai Airshow. Wing Commander…
(By Khalid Masood) In the high-stakes theater of South Asian geopolitics, where deterrence and rapid response define national security, Pakistan’s Fatah series of missiles has emerged as a cornerstone of its conventional firepower. Developed entirely in-house by the Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS), a subsidiary of the state-owned Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, the Fatah family…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction The evolution of warfare has always been driven by technological leaps — from gunpowder to nuclear weapons, and from precision-guided munitions to unmanned systems. Today, the next transformation is already taking shape in the form of directed-energy weapons (DEWs). These systems harness concentrated energy, rather than explosive force, to disable, damage,…
(By Khalid Masood) The strategic environment of the Persian Gulf has long been predicated on the technological superiority of Western-supplied air defence systems, forming the bedrock of the security architecture for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. This paradigm was fundamentally challenged on September 9, 2025, when an Israeli military strike successfully penetrated the airspace…
(By Khalid Masood) In modern warfare, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) are pivotal for neutralising armoured threats with precision and lethality. These systems have evolved from wire-guided munitions to advanced fire-and-forget platforms, offering armed forces the ability to penetrate sophisticated tank armour. Moreover, they incorporate cutting-edge guidance technologies like laser and infrared homing, ensuring high accuracy….
(By Khalid Masood) In the rapidly advancing field of military artillery, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) represent crucial assets for delivering concentrated firepower over large areas. These systems provide armed forces with the ability to saturate targets with rockets, offering both tactical and psychological advantages. Moreover, they incorporate guided munitions, extended ranges, and mobile platforms…
