Shafaq Zernab is a research assistant at Center for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) Islamabad. Shafaq is an MPhil scholar in International Relations from National Defence University Islamabad, specialising in South Asian security, strategic affairs, and military studies. Her research focuses on aerospace power, evolving warfare domains, non-traditional security, and the intersection of geopolitics and emerging defence technologies. She previously worked with Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Institute of Strategic Studies and Research Analysis (ISSRA) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.