RESHAPING AERIAL COMBAT

Adoption of Latest Technologies is Transforming the Indian Air Force into a Modern, 21st Century Air Power

- AIR MARSHAL SUKHCHAIN SINGH (RETD)

THE DOCTRINE OF THE INDIAN AIR FORCE 2022, ELUCIDATES that the two pillars of Air Power, air defence and offensive air power are indivisibly interlinked. IAF’s Integrated Air Defence System (IADS) which is networked by its Integrated Air Command and Control system (IACCS), will form the backbone of all air operations in India’s future conflicts. Air Power has logically expanded to Aerospace Power and the need to defend space borne assets and their ground-based infrastructure. This doctrine serves as a roadmap in absorbing future technologies in the conduct of its missions and to transform from a contemporary to a future ready force. The shift from a legacy ‘threat based and demanded’ approach to a ‘capability demanded’ approach demands indigenous research and development in niche areas, and ‘plug and play’ capabilities with the Army and the Navy. The technological dynamics of the emerging technologies have a profound impact in the conduct of Aerospace Warfare. For the 21st century transforming of IAF we need to deliberate the Indian ecosystems for innovation and the various scenarios for possible engagements, whilst integrating current capability trends and existing orders of battle. Also, technologies that are still emerging worldwide have to reach the necessary level of maturity to have a significant effect on the employment of Aerospace Power in Indian context.

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