FIZA’YA II: Pakistan Air Force 1990-2025 Ravi Rikhye & Pushpindar Singh Chopra

This is a long-delayed follow-up to Fiza’ya: The Pakistan Air Force 1947-1990, by Pushpindar Singh Chopra and Ravi Rikhye. The delay was occasioned by Ravi’s departure in 1989 for home in the US, and then the unfortunate and much-too-early death of Pushpindar Singh.

The book covers the PAF 1990-2024; its successes and failures; and particularly its orders of battle during this period. It covers PAF operations, modernisation, and the growth of Pakistan Air Force co-operations with a variety of allies and like-minded nations. The book particularly emphasises the growth of Pakistan-China air nexus.

Though direct comparison with the Indian Air Force is avoided, it becomes clear meanwhile India has failed in its air modernisation to the point it is barely superior to the PAF as opposed to the former’s historic 3-1 superiority. Factor in the rise of China as a co-belligerent against India, and the salient point of this book is India is totally outclassed in the air.