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  The AMCA- a technology demonstrator-based approach             Prof. Prodyut Das 8 th July 2025 The Government had approved, as of six years ago, the PDV equivalent of Rs. 4000 crores to develop a 5 th , Generation combat aircraft locally known as the AMCA- advanced manned combat aircraft. This was supplemented two years back by a further substantial 15,000 crores. Pace and precedents suggest it will not be “advanced” by the time we have the aircraft. The pessimism is based on the available information. As with the Tejas ADA, the project leader, is proceeding in the belief that if they sit in front of computers long enough, they will get a good thing. It doesn’t work like that. That approach was tried on the Tejas. Result? No one knows what aircraft we will get next month- let alone next year. It is stupidity to repeat a process and expect different result. There will be no results because ADA’s premises and doctrine...
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  Operations Sindoor: Girding for the Consequences                     Prof. Prodyut Das 5 July 2025 Operation Sindoor has two consequences: i)                   It has shown that India can innovate game changing narratives on its own. The “game changing” part is because it alters our dependence on imported weapons besides a possibility of spoiling the markets for present firm favourites.   ii)                 It has brought India into direct confrontation with the Deep State i.e. the Manhattan banks. Pakistan, i.e. its Army, was created as a tool ( Note 1 ) to suppress the growth of the entire region by preventing an economic union. We have damaged their stirrer. The damage to the prestige of the Pakistan Army particu...
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  Time for another look at the “Avro” ?   Prof. Prodyut Das 06/06/2025 With the induction of the of C 235 the veteran “Avro” aka HS 748 will be slowly phased out. The HS 748 is an extremely well- engineered aircraft with an interesting history and considerable possibilities (note 1) not the least of which is the fact that the IAF ones have perhaps as much as 70% of their service life remaining.   More uniquely these genre of aircraft – I have in mind the Fokker F 27 Friendship, our HS 748 and of course the Antonov An 24 had not only rugged structures and “docile” aerodynamics but were also designed to a philosophy that permitted considerable modifications witness the almost grotesque transformation of the AN 24 to the AN 32 with almost double the power and a rear loading ramp. They and the HS 748 have considerable “let” still in their design. It goes against the grain to waste a very amenable resource so before we send this docile “donkey” to the knacker’s yard l...
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  Operation Sindoor                                                A first set of reactions Prof. Prodyut Das 19/05/2025 Frankly the Operations left me in a state of shock. It was the kind of Operations that we heard other people carried out and we studied. The shocking novelty was the following: 1.       The calm, almost detached escalation of the conflict- as if some Alien were doing it. 2.       The meticulous planning and the development of ability to plug in the use of last- minute information e.g. the AWACS take out- to maximize outcomes. 3.       The remarkably successful planning and implementation of a multi layered cost effective defence systems to stop the other side.   4.       The emphasis on “mend and make do” innovations, like the Bof...
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