Embedded Linux platforms frequently use .ipk package files. I have had a need to install specific packages (usually from a Yocto build) during development and testing. It is helpful to know all the dependencies of a package in advance, making it easier to copy all the needed packages to the test environment at one time.
tl;dr
ar p <file>.ipk control.tar.gz | tar Oxz | grep Depends
Example:
ar p qtdeclarative_5.11.3+git0+e3c0bb7811-r0_armv7at2hf-neon.ipk control.tar.gz | tar Oxz | grep Depends
Results in:
Depends: libc6 (>= 2.28), libgcc1 (>= 8.2.0), libstdc++6 (>= 8.2.0), qtbase (>= 5.11.3+git0+08de243eaa)