IAF prepare for short-term and long-term warfare: Air Chief VR Chaudhari

New Delhi: ‘Given the geopolitical upheaval, the Air Force needs to prepare for a short-lived but fast-paced war. At the same time, we have to be ready for a long-running war,’ said Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. In the recently concluded Raisina Dialogue, the President of the European Commission has warned that the effects of Ukraine’s war would spill over into the Indo-Pacific region. Against this background, the message delivered by the Air Chief Marshal becomes significant.

The Air Force must be prepared for a short-lived but very fast-moving war. In such a war, you will not have much time to respond to the enemy’s actions. The Air Chief Marshal said that the IAF would have to develop its capability to respond in a short span. At the same time, given the tension with China in eastern Ladakh, we have to be prepared for a long-running conflict, Air Force Chief Chaudhari added.

Given the recent experience of the Indian Air Force and developments at the geopolitical level, we must be prepared for a conflict that could erupt at any moment. The Air Force Chief said that it is difficult to get the time to prepare for this after the conflict erupts. Meanwhile, the defence chiefs are consistently stressing readiness for any war sparking suddenly. For this, aggressive steps are being taken to develop the capacity of the defence forces. There are indications that this process is gaining momentum after the war in Ukraine.

Moreover, speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the war in Ukraine would also impact the Indo-Pacific region. Analysts had earlier warned that China would attack Taiwan by taking advantage of the fact that all the attention of the United States and European countries were focused on Ukraine’s war. This could threaten the security of Japan and India, analysts say. The President of the European Commission seems to have pointed the finger at this. The US had raised the possibility of China infiltrating India’s border. The United States had also expressed concern that if terrorists from Pakistan attacked India, there would be a war between the two countries.

It is being speculated that India’s conflict with China or Pakistan, or both, could flare up simultaneously. The Indian defence forces have already made preparations for the ‘Two Front War’. But it has been proved that if a country cannot finish a war quickly, it has to fight a long-drawn war. The war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen is cited for this.

The war between Saudi and Yemeni rebels, which began in 2015, is not yet over. Even a powerful country like Russia has been engaged in war with Ukraine for more than two months. Therefore, India’s defence forces have realized the need to acquire the capability to end the war immediately. At the same time, India has learned a lesson from the war in Ukraine that it cannot rely on others in the field of arms and defence. This seems to be reflected in the message given by the Air Force Chief.