For
the Indian Air Force to truly live up to live up to its motto of "Touching
the Skies with Glory", some critical transformational imperatives are
needed. While the IAF is sincerely trying to move from air power to being an
aerospace power, these imperatives have to be implemented with vision and
alacrity. Faced with China’s rapidly growing military assertiveness and its
unbridled ambitions, supplanted by a traditionally hostile Pakistan, the
challenge to the IAF by both nations, individually and collusively, in the
aerospace domain are indeed formidable. Aerospace is unquestionably the domain
of the future.
To
successfully confront a two-front threat, the IAF needs a frugal 42 fighter
squadron strength, if not more. Successive Air Chiefs have publicly lamented
that they are down to a strength of 31-32 squadrons, which is woefully
inadequate to meet the emerging challenges from the Chinese PLAAF (Chinese
People’s Liberation Army Air Force) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). India’s
strategic area of interest spans the entire region from the Malacca Strait to
Strait of Hormuz, where China is gradually expanding its naval footprint.
The
Chinese, in recent years are threatening our territorial integrity in Arunachal
Pradesh, in areas adjoining Bhutan and Sikkim, in the central sector and in the
eastern Ladakh region. They are also endeavouring to link the Xinjiang region
in western China with Gwadar port in Pakistan, near the Strait of Hormuz
via the overly ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Meanwhile, Pakistan retains the ability to indulge in terrorist activities
or provoke incidents, especially along the Line of Control in J&K.
Importantly,
Pakistan has also enunciated a "first-use" nuclear
option against India, that cannot be taken lightly. Meanwhile, the vast
Indo-Pacific region is emerging as a major arena for military and economic
contestation between the United States and China, where India will have a vital
role to play, and apart from its maritime muscle, India’s air power will come
into reckoning in furtherance of its strategic interests.
The
global geopolitical trajectory in recent years has shown an intense competition
between the US and China. The US desires a "unipolar world but a
bipolar Asia", whereas China is striving for a "bipolar world but a
unipolar Asia". Invariably, India is a principal player in this rivalry.
India therefore has to ensure that its overall military preparedness at the
desired levels is ensured across the entire spectrum of warfare, including in
its air power. Also, it is well-known that aerospace systems comprising manned
aircraft, micro-satellites, diverse forms of spacecraft, unmanned aerial vehicles
and ballistic and cruise missiles are evolving at a rapid pace.
Technology
applying stealth, Artificial Intelligence, hypersonic aerial systems, direct
energy weapons, improving genres of platforms assuming very long range and
lethal, accurate, non-detectable dimensions which any modern military would
like to induct in its arsenals. China’s advances in its aerospace capabilities
is mind-boggling.
All
governments are aware that the primacy, flexibility in and the speed of
unleashing one’s air power, whenever faced with a conflict or emergency
situation, cannot be substituted. Barring nuclear exchanges, the effective
employment of air power has become not only the dominant form of military power
projection but in the restoration of an adverse situation for any country.
The IAF’s retaliation at Balakot immediately
after Pakistan’s terror strike in Pulwama in February 2019 did send an
appropriate message to Pakistan, besides scoffing at their propaganda of
nuclear retaliation. The IAF, a battle-hardened force, is gradually
transforming itself from being a continental air power to one with
a global reach.
The
PLAAF has been working feverishly to augment its air power and aerospace
capabilities, besides mentoring the PAF too. Currently enabling its fifth-generation
fighter, the stealth capable Chengdu J-20, it is also developing the H-20
stealth bomber and the more modern J-31, besides a Chinese hybrid space plane
and a variety of platforms. China, often dubbed as the "Walmart of
UAVs", is producing a fair variety of reconnaissance and armed drones
while also assisting Pakistan in this field. Nevertheless, the US Air Force
still remains miles ahead, both in overall capabilities and numbers of its
modern aircraft like the F-22 Raptor/F-35A/ B-21 Raider (under induction).
However, the race between these two nations is bound to get sharper by the
day.
For
India, faced with a formidable challenge from China, the yawning gap between
the PLAAF and IAF needs to be bridged swiftly. The indigenisation in defence
production is sine qua non to accord requisite numbers to the IAF, yet
additional budgetary support for the acquisition of ultra-modern platforms from
abroad is also essential. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visits to the
United States and France are a step in this direction and hopefully the nations
we are purchasing equipment from will readily agree to the transfer of
technologies like manufacture of engines and critical avionics.
The
IAF, besides getting requisite numbers of 4.5/5th generation
aircraft, have to make up their minds for selection, ensuring
cost-effectiveness, of the most suitable aircraft- to choose from either the
F-35A/Rafale/F-15/ Gripen /F-22/Russia’s Su-35 or Su-57. Our own Light Combat
Aircraft, Tejas, may be a stopgap arrangement but is being also steadily
improved which augurs well. The IAF’s planners should be absolutely clear on
their specific requirements for the impending Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
(AMCA) project, and then leave their clinically professional recommendations to
the government to follow up.
As
is well known, Comprehensive National Power and its multiple military
constituents takes inordinately long to fructify. Thus, it will only be prudent
for the nation to accord the necessary budgetary support and prioritisation in
defence acquisitions to the IAF for enhancing its overall air power
capabilities.