The Indian Armed Forces should be ready for hybrid warfare - Air Chief RKS Bhadauria

Pune: Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria delivered a message that warfare in the current times is crooked, complex and poses challenges on multiple fronts at the same time and this could result in an unexpected security situation. Therefore, the country’s armed forces will have to be prepared for hybrid wars on multiple fronts at the same time. The Air Chief Marshal said that a collective response, of the armed forces, is necessary to counter these challenges and therefore the post of Chief of Defence Forces has been created. A day before this, the Air Chief Marshal had claimed that the show of strength is carried out on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in Ladakh, eliminated a threat of another Chinese aggression.

Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, who attended the Passing Out Parade of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, delivered the message to the Cadets, to be prepared for the future hybrid wars. The Air Chief Marshal said ‘You have to be aware as a future military officer that the security situations in our neighbouring countries are affected by the political upheavals in the world.’ All three Armed forces should be ready to face the hybrid threats on multiple fronts. For this purpose, perpetual alertness on all the fronts, devotion, commitment, sacrifice and leadership is necessary. The Air Chief Marshal pointed out that all the three Armed Forces and the country expects this from you.

Thereafter, the Air Chief Marshal clarified that the creation of the post of Chief of Defence and the building of the military operations department was a historical development in the stages of security-related reforms. Whereas, just a day before, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria had made the neighbouring countries aware of the might of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Air Chief Marshal clarified that the IAF has demonstrated its readiness, through its aggressive deployment and the assistance provided to the Army for deployment, against the background of the developments in Ladakh since the last few months. The Air Chief Marshal made a suggestive statement that this deployment and the aggressive stance of the IAF has prevented China from carrying out anti-India activities on the LAC. The IAF has deployed Sukhoii-30MKI, Jaguar, Mirage 2000 fighter jets on the LAC and Rafale and Tejas fighter jets also have patrolled this region.

Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria also mentioned the IAF airstrike at Balakot in Pakistan. The Air Chief Marshal retorted that the terrorist organisations would remember Balakot, before carrying out attacks in India.