New Delhi, April 19: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshall V. R. Chaudhari on Tuesday said that ‘to see first and see clearly, to reach first and reach farthest and to strike first and strike with precision’ will be the mantra for fighting modern wars.
Speaking at a seminar organized by the Centre for Air Power Studies, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Chauduari said Operations such as Balakot has demonstrated that given the political will, air power can be effectively used in a ‘no war no peace’ situation under the nuclear overhand without escalating into a full-blown conflict. “In fact, Operations such as Balakot has opened up options for leadership,” the Chief of Air Staff added.
“This is very important due to the nature of our adversaries. The response options available to the leadership have suddenly increased and increasingly air power has become an option of choice due to inherent flexibility and unmatched precision strike capability. Aerospace control and dominance will become a crucial factor in future operations,” Air Chief Marshal explained.
According to the Chief of Air Staff, four major factors are to be weaved into strategy while facing an adversary in conflict and these are ability to achieve deterrence, ensure information dominance, coerce when needed and provide multiple response options.
“The foremost lesson that can be drawn from the 20th century and the early 21st century is that no war can be successfully prosecuted without aerospace power,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said and added, “Attributes of aerospace power enable the leadership to formulate an appropriate strategy with due cognizance given to the desired end state, conflict termination criteria and escalation matrix”
The Centre for Air Power Studies regularly organizes seminar on contemporary subjects in memory of Marshal of Air Force Late Arjan Singh, who was a legend in his own life time in the Indian Air Force. Arjan Singh, who successfully led India into a fantastic victory in the 1965 war against Pakistan, passed away in September 2017.
EOM
