Indian Air Force’s 3rd WASP Program Concludes with High-Level Seminar on National Security

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Tuesday conducted a capstone seminar marking the culmination of the No 3 Warfare and Aerospace Strategy Program (WASP) at the Air Force Auditorium in New Delhi. The seminar, themed "India's Strategic Culture and Imperative for Contemporary National Security," was conducted under the aegis of the College of Air Warfare and Centre for Air Power Studies, according to a press release from the Ministry of Defence.  

WASP is a strategic education programme of 15 weeks duration, initiated in 2022 to provide participants with a deep understanding of geopolitics, grand strategy, and Comprehensive National Power. The broader aim is to nurture critical thinkers capable of blending cross-domain knowledge to generate policy-driving ideas at the strategic level.  

Tri-Services Participation and Intensive Training  

This edition of WASP saw tri-services participation for the first time, including fourteen officers from the Indian Air Force, two from the Indian Navy, one from the Indian Army, and a research scholar. The participants underwent intensive training in strategy, military history, civil-military relations, higher defence organisations, aerospace power, information warfare, technology, and hybrid warfare. The program was guided by an external faculty comprising accomplished practitioner scholars with extensive teaching and research experience.

The program graduates were awarded a PG diploma in Strategic Studies by Rashtriya Raksha University. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), delivered the keynote address at the seminar, attended by Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff, senior officers from all three services, aerospace power scholars, academia, and established defence correspondents.  

Keynote Address and Strategic Insights  

In his keynote address, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari highlighted the dynamic environment of modern warfare, emphasizing that military leaders must not only be adept at combat but also possess strategic thinking and an understanding of the evolving geopolitical landscape. He congratulated the course participants for completing the rigorous program and complimented the mentors who guided them through the program. The CAS urged the participants to continue with the same zeal in the forthcoming editions of WASP.  

In the first session of the seminar, participants presented their papers on topics such as 'Examining International Relations through India's Strategic Culture' and 'Military Outlook through Strategic Partnerships.' The second session featured discussions on 'Evolution of Civil-Military Relations in India' and 'Imperatives of Evolving Security Environment on Future Contours of Civil-Military Fusion (CMF),' the release said.  

Including tri-services participation underscores the importance of joint operations and inter-service collaboration in contemporary national security. The WASP program's continued focus on nurturing strategic thinkers will ensure that the Indian Armed Forces remain well-prepared to navigate the intricacies of modern warfare and geopolitical dynamics.