Given political will, aerospace power can be effectively used beyond enemy lines: IAF chief

IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari on Wednesday said ''Balakot-like operations'' have shown that given political will, aerospace power can be effectively used beyond enemy lines in a no-war, no-peace scenario ''without escalating into a full-blown conflict''.

In his address at a seminar on ''Aerospace Power in Future Conflicts'' here, the IAF chief also said that as nations increasingly rely on space-based assets for building strategic advantage, ''militarisation and weaponisation of space has become an inevitable reality''.

He said, ''Balakot-like operations have shown that given the political will, aerospace power can be effectively carried out beyond enemy lines, in a no-war, no-peace scenario, under a nuclear overhang without escalating into a full-blown conflict.'' Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said through the annals of human history, ''the skies have often been regarded as realms of wonder and exploration, where dreams take flight and boundaries dissolve into the vast blue expanse''.

Yet, beneath this calmness lies a domain ''fraught with competition where contest for aerial superiority'' has shaped the destiny of many nations and decided the outcome of many wars, the chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) said.

''As we navigate these uncharted skies, air power being a key component of national power, would undoubtedly play a pivotal role and also serve as a symbol of national strength, a tool for peace and cooperation,'' he said.

Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said, ''We all need to acknowledge that wars of the future will be fought differently.'' Future conflicts will be characterised by a blend of simultaneous application of kinetic and non-kinetic forces, high-levels of battle space transparency, multi-domain operations, a high-degree of precision, enhanced lethality, a compressed sensor-to-shooter cycle, and of course, all under intense media scrutiny, he said.

\R Attributes of high speed, reduced response time, long reach, increased mobility, technological intensity, precision fire power, shock effect, ability to operate across domains, and network-centric operations have made aerospace power a ''formidable component of our nation's military might'', he said.

The IAF struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot area on February 26, 2019, in response to the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. The Pakistan Air Force had retaliated the next day by unsuccessfully targeting various military installations in Jammu and Kashmir.

In April 2019, while addressing a gathering at a seminar on aerospace power of the future and the impact of technology, the then IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa had said that technology was on India's side in the Balakot air strikes, and had asserted that the results would have been further tilted in the country's favour if the Rafale jets were inducted in time.

Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari in his address on Wednesday said space has also emerged as a ''critical domain for conduct of military operations'', wherein seamless communication, navigation and surveillance capabilities would enhance survivability of modern military forces.

The 15th 'Jumbo' Majumdar International Seminar was held at Air Force Auditorium at Subroto Park in memory of Wg Cdr K K Majumdar, who was a distinguished IAF pilot.

Convergence of niche technology like AI, big data, additive manufacturing, block chain and quantum communication are making existing weapons and inventories redundant. To be able to fight effectively in such an environment, there is a need to ''reimagine, realign and reform'' conventional war fighting ways and means, the IAF chief said.

''Evolution of aerospace power is not merely a matter of technological prowess but also a testament to the ingenuity and adaptability of human innovation in the face of emerging threats and challenges,'' he said.

Air and space control along with denial capabilities will ''prove to be decisive'' for furtherance of all operations. For that to happen, ''we would need to gain and maintain not only information superiority but also decision superiority,'' he said.

The IAF chief said he was aware that there are many discussions being held on the relevance of manned aircraft in the future.

''In my opinion, reliance solely on unmanned aircraft is a little far-fetched. The next step in development of air power would be man and unmanned teaming. The CATS programme and other such initiatives will go a long way in realising this capability. Technology like pure stealth, super cruise technology, cross domain integration, advanced long range precision weapons, counter stealth technology, enhanced electronic warfare for full spectrum operations and the capability to deliver a wide array of weapons are some key constituents of fifth and sixth generation aircraft,'' he added.

\RAnother myth that needs to be broken is sustainability of a small number of modern aircraft in one's arsenal. A small fleet would have its own share of maintenance challenges negatively affecting aircraft readiness and thus the availability of the platforms for operations, he said.

He said the ongoing conflicts across the globe have brought out ''significant lessons'' for nations in general and air power in particular.

The future of warfare will always be a ''complex tapestry woven with evolving technologies, shifting alliances and the ever-present threat of conflict''. Within this tapestry, aerospace power will ''always remain vital'' to conduct of all military operations, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)