Indian Air Force focused on future warfare, not affected by PLAF bases at LAC: Air Chief

After taking over as the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari addressed his first press conference as a prelude to the IAF's 89th Annual Day Celebrations.

Air Chief highlighted the paradigm change in future warfare including the non-kinetic, non-lethal challenges. He said IAF has its own strategy in place to have directed energy weapons, unmanned wingmen among other futuristic technologies. Indian Airforce is enhancing the offensive strike capability that has become even more potent with the induction of cutting edge weapons.

A total of 66 aircraft will be participating in the 89th IAF Day at Hindon Air Force Station on October 8. These will include fighters Rafale, MiG-21 Bison, Sukhoi-30MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, Tejas, Transport aircraft C-130J, C-17, Helicopters Chinook, Apache will take part in the annual IAF Day parade at the Hindon airbase on Oct 8. The Chief of Air Staff also said that with the upcoming induction of Tejas Mk1A and S 400 the air force will be even stronger.

According to Air Chief, the Air Force have hardened its networks to avoid cyber attacks for which adequate safeguards are being taken to protect the critical infrastructure of the country.

Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari also said that Airforce is fully committed to the theatre concept where strengths of each service need to be taken into account and doctrines of each have to be kept in mind. Air Chief informed that discussions are on the theorisation and hopeful structure that will emerge will cater for joint ops at all levels.

Indian Airforce has also been working on anti-drone systems and effort has been to promote indigenous systems, said IAF Chief adding that they are trying to work with startups and MSMEs as much as possible. On China's capability to launch multiple high altitude missions, Air Chief Marshal said it would remain weak. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari also said that PLAF is still present along the LAC but this is not going to affect the IAF air operations. TheIAF is soon procuring 6 LUH helicopters from HAL to replace the Chetak and Cheetah fleet and there are concerns over the dissemination of western technology that happens between Pakistan and China, said Air Chief Chaudhari.

On the AMCA program, IAF is committed to the program and that it will start inducting by the early years of the next decade.
IAF Chief said that to combat decay in squadron strength Airforce is awaiting to move the process further for the acquisition of 114 medium combat aircraft.

On being asked about a large number of accidents, IAF Chief said, the fact that we have had a large number of accidents on the MiG-21 fleet is not deniable. But data also shows that there has been a reduction in the no. of accidents in this fleet. Let me assure you that every aircraft that flies goes through all checks rigorously.