In over a century since the first manned flight, air power has made spectacular progress. Every conflict since World War II has seen an increasingly bigger role of air power, but despite this, to a general reader, air power continues to be esoteric. The study highlights major air power lessons of all the major conflicts, and explains air power roles and missions. It frankly yet fairly discusses the somewhat contentious subject of air power in support of surface forces and traces the IAF’s contribution in war and peace in the last 68 years since independence. It critically examines if use of air power in the Indian subcontinent is indeed escalatory. The subject of security is dealt with by analysing India’s response to the many crises that it has faced. The book then goes on to examine the whys and wherefores of threat assessment and the development of IAF force structures. The study candidly assesses if IAF’s on-going modernisation is indeed sustainable. The book takes a broad overview of issues relating to transfer of technology, economy, budgets, human resources, and ‘jointness’, all so vital to air power employment and concludes that without national resolve and a robust declaratory national security strategy, and above all, genuine joint planning, the task of India’s defence would continue to pose major challenges. (jacket)