Sky Wars: Redefining Modern Warfare

In his seminal work On War, a renowned war strategist, Carl von Clausewitz, quotes, “War is thus more than a mere chameleon, because it changes its nature to some extent in each concrete case.” This simply means that war has ever-changing characteristics. This quote reflects the changing character of war in contemporary times, as reflected in case studies of Russia’s air power in Ukraine, Israel’s aerial strikes in Gaza, the Houthis rebels’ drone and missile attack in the Red Sea region, etc.

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Thus, the aerial domain has become a dominant battleground over both land and sea. Air Power has become a decisive factor in modern warfare and so is its alliance with critical and emerging technologies. This article will analyse the growing dominance of air power and technology, with comprehensive case studies to support the argument.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Giulio Douhet and Alexander de Seversky are two classical theorists and air power experts who have highlighted the importance of aerial warfare and the need for its development.

Early 20th century witnessed the transition of land warfare to the use of fighters and bombers in World War I. Most importantly, in World War II, air power became crucial for victories, underscoring the significance of possessing air superiority. 

During the Cold War, air power emerged as nations invested massively in the development of long-range bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, tactical aircraft, etc. The Vietnam war is a testimony of the rise in air power missions and its strategic usage in counterinsurgency operations.

With the proliferation of technology, air power in modern warfare is a combination of technologies like Artificial Intelligence, robotics, autonomous weapons, big data analytics, etc.

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF AIR POWER IN MODERN WARFARE 

The changing nature of air power in modern warfare underscores its strategic value across the battlefield. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, Russia and Ukraine have tried to secure air dominance. Russia has quantitative and qualitative advantage to secure air dominance, however, despite possessing advanced aircraft such as Su-30, Su-34, Su-35S, it failed to achieve air superiority due to inadequate pilot training in complex landscape, and their failure to sustain counter-attacks.

With defence aid from Western systems of Patriot, NASAMS, moreover, drones with reconnaissance and strike capabilities, bolstered Ukraine’s air defence capabilities. Killer drones, also known as unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVS), have changed the modern warfare landscape, especially in Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts. These drones are precise and allow in targeting a specific individual. With integration of AI, they operate autonomously, and therefore have enhanced drone capabilities. 

Israel has been engaged in countering Iran and its axis of resistance through a combination of ground, air and naval operations. Israel, and Iran and its allies have involved themselves in continuous missile strikes since October 2023.

Moreover, Israel conducted an air strike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the death of several Iranian officials, and commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Brig Gen, Mohammad Reza Zahedi and its associates. The usage of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones constantly accelerated the conflict.

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In an airstrike using “bunker buster” bombs, Israel eliminated the Hezbollah commander, Hassan Nasrallah, and other senior members of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Certainly, the Israeli Air Force provided Israel an edge over its rivals by establishing air superiority. Drones have been a game-changer for Israel, as Israeli drone operations have eliminated Hamas commander Abd al-Hadi Sabah.

Additionally, the Houthis used Shahed-136 drones provided by Iran to blockade the crucial Red Sea shipping route. The crisis in the Red Sea region due to Houthis asymmetric tactics of leveraging drones and missiles to target commercial vessels contributed to huge losses to international trade and global market.

In Myanmar, the military junta which is in power since February 2021, has been extensively using air power, especially drone attacks on its adversaries.

The military junta has an edge over the opposition forces since it possesses fighter jets, helicopters, and drones for effective air combat. This conflict is ongoing even after four years of stalemate, with the junta continuing its aerial strikes in civilian areas despite the devastating earthquake which hit Myanmar in March 2025.

Additionally, the military has also employed paramotors (manned motorised paragliders) who drop bombs. These have been actively utilised in Mandalay, Sagaing, and Magwe regions, killing numerous civilian populations.

Air power is evolving significantly in modern warfare as reflected in the examples above. It has certainly become a decisive factor in achieving necessary objectives. From precision strikers to air superiority, the world is witnessing an ever-changing shift in the characteristics of air combat, and warfare in general.

With recent examples such as the Russia-Ukraine war, conflicts in West Asia by Israel against Iran and its axis of resistance like Hamas, Hezbollah, or the Houthis, Myanmar, etc, have seen the dominance of aerial warfare. The usage of drones, missile systems, have given an edge to the actors, to significantly dominate the aerial battleground. With the rise in technology, the future of air power will include stealth technology, cyber warfare, and space-based systems, which will redefine the characteristics of modern warfare.

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BY ARYA GHADIGAONKAR

TEAM GEOSTRATA

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