Combat Preparedness Of The IAF

The present state of combat preparedness of the Indian Air Force is not adequate to successfully execute air operations on two fronts simultaneously.

- Group Captain B. Menon (retd)

The role of The Indian Air Force (IAF) is to employ military air power to achieve national objectives in war and in peace. Combat preparedness is the extent of its ability to execute assigned tasks in wartime. The peacetime deterrent it projects is a key ingredient in dissuading a potential adversary from resorting to war as an option. Combat preparedness has to be in relation to the intentions and capabilities of potential adversaries. Since the IAF will most probably not have a first strike option, the levels of combat preparedness have to cater for this disadvantage.

ADVERSARIES AND INTENTIONS

The main threat is from adversaries in the neighborhood which are Pakistan and China. Both are major military players in South Asia. Pakistan is an economic disaster with its military capabilities far in excess of its economic status. Given its hostility towards India, it will continue to be a military threat. China is an economic powerhouse with a powerful military totally controlled by the Communist Party. It has shifted from a stated policy of national defence to one of aggressive power projection well beyond its borders.

CAPABILITIES

THE PAKISTAN AIR FORCE (PAF)