Dr Sanu Kainikara
Visiting Fellow
Email: sanu.kainikara@defence.gov.au
Professional Background
Dr Sanu Kainikara is a former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) who retired voluntarily as a Wing Commander after 21 years of commissioned service.
He is a graduate of the Indian National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and the College of Air Warfare. He holds two Bachelors degrees (Human resources and Strategic studies) and a Master of Science in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Madras. His PhD in International Politics was awarded by the University of Adelaide.
Sanu was the senior analyst of a US Training Team in the Middle East for four years, specialising in military strategy and air operations before migrating to Australia. Currently he is the Air Power Strategist at the Air Power Development Centre of the RAAF. Prior to this appointment he taught Aerospace Engineering at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne and was a consultant to the Air Operations Division of DSTO, also at Melbourne.
Research Interests
Sanu has research interests in national security, future conflict and military strategy.
Publications
He has presented papers at a number of international conferences in the USA, UK, India and Australia.
He has also published over 70 papers on national security, strategy and air power in various international professional journals and magazines. He has published three books, Papers on Air Power (2006), Pathways to Victory (2007), Red Air: Politics in Russian Air Power (Universal Publishers USA, 2007). His latest book Australian Security in the Asian Century is currently with the printers.