Air Chief Marshal VR Chowdhury on Sunday said India should treat the situation along its unstable western and northern borders as a “two-front” contingency, referring to the potential challenge from the military threat collusion with China and Pakistan. You should prepare accordingly.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, the Air Force chief said that India can be attacked on all fronts, from military standoffs to information manipulation and blackouts in future and that its security principles and capabilities will have to meet such possibilities.
Asked whether the Russian offensive against Ukraine could encourage China to take a more aggressive stance on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), he said India’s engagement with Beijing is based on global events and geopolitical developments. The impact is being assessed extensively- taking the domain “at all levels”.
“As a nation, we need to accurately identify our immediate and future threats in order to develop the necessary capacity responses to counter them,” he said.
Asked about the rapid deployment of its air assets by China along the LAC in eastern Ladakh amid the border standoff, he said, “IAF can hit the desired punch if required within a very short time-frame.”
Listing the intense geopolitical turmoil, the Air Force chief said any future conflict would require integration of all elements of the national security apparatus to make it a “one-nation-approach”.
“We have some challenges on our western and northern borders, mainly due to unstable borders. It would be wise for us to treat our situation as a ‘two-front’ contingency and prepare accordingly,” he said.
The Air Force Chief said India’s military operational plans, capability enhancement and training should always meet the broad spectrum of threats emanating from one or both fronts.
Several top military officials, including India’s first Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat and former Army Chief General MM Naravane, had expressed concern about the possibility of a coordinated threat on the northern and western fronts.
But this is the first time that a serving chief has sought a detailed plan to deal with such a menace.
“We are also aware of the need to be prepared for an incident-based short-term operation that requires quick planning, rapid deployment of assets and prompt action,” he said.
“IAF is working intensively on all these aspects to make it a credible force to meet all contingencies,” he added.
The Indian Air Force chief’s remarks come in the backdrop of a greater realization among India’s national security planners that the country must have a comprehensive security architecture in the face of the increasingly geopolitical turmoil as well as the strategic reality of long-term militarization of the LAC. needed. by China.
“We should take a long-term view and look at the manifestation of hostile forces on our national interests rather than comparing threats as per the current situation,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhry said.
“We face a different adversary, both in terms of its nature and number, on our western and northern borders. As defense forces, we are always on alert to respond to any threat and defend national sovereignty at all costs,” he said.
The Air Force Chief expressed confidence that the Indian Armed Forces have provided adequate deterrence to prevent “any misadventure on our borders”.
On China expanding its military infrastructure along the LAC, Air Chief Marshal Chowdhury said that the IAF is constantly aware of capability development across borders and to mitigate any threat caused by such developments. takes action for.
“I am delighted to see the pace of our infrastructure upgrades to meet the requirements of our new induction and operational imperatives,” he said, adding that Chinook helicopters had earlier commenced operations from one of the two designated bases. Is. The infrastructure development on the second base is nearing completion.
The IAF chief said the infrastructure for the second Rafale Squadron and its subsequent operations has also been completed in the eastern sector.
He said that the existing Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in the North East region has been upgraded with additional resources and equipment.
“Furthermore, we feel the inherent characteristics of wind power that allow us to rapidly concentrate impacts over broad geographic areas in a very short period of time,” he said.
“While I won’t comment on my actual deployment, suffice it to say that the IAF can deliver the desired punch within a very short time frame,” he said.
Asked what role the Indian Air Force can play in the Indo-Pacific, the Air Chief Marshal said that he is committed to playing his part in ensuring the progress of freedom of navigation and rules-based order in the region in line with the country’s foreign policy. Committed to.
“There is a need to uphold peace, tranquility, freedom of movement and most importantly equal rights for all countries in the region, regardless of their size and strength,” he said.
“India’s growing stature has seen convergence not only with like-minded countries but also with global stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.