Need more jointness, creation of air defence command may prove counterproductive: Air Chief

New Delhi (India), July 15 : Calling for close coordination between the forces on the ground for enhanced aerospace safety, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Friday said that the creation of an air defence command may prove to be counterproductive.
Air Defence command is proposed to be created by the Department of Military Affairs as part of the process to create theatre commands in the country to bring in more jointness among the three services for warfighting and operations.
"While there is a need for close coordination between all elements within the same airspace to ensure aerospace safety as well as effective Air Defence, creation of an air defence command may prove counterproductive because, Air Defence operations are inextricably linked to counter air operations and all offensive ops, as the success or failure of one, will dictate the demands on the other," Chaudhari said while addressing a seminar on air and missile defence organised by a tri-services think tank.
The IAF has been in opposition of the division of its combat assets into different theatres as it feels that its fighter aircraft can switch with ease from one front to the other.
The IAF chief further stated that air defence and offensive missions are interdependent and "if executed in isolation, these would not only be disjointed but also ineffective in design or execution of the joint strategy."
Chaudhari said that modern 4.5 and 5th generation aircraft have the omni-role capability and to restrict those aircraft to any one role would lead to their underutilisation.
"Flexibility, one of the characteristics of air power, gives a planner the freedom to swing roles depending on the air situation and this must be capitalised on," he added.
The IAF chief said that crystal ball gazing into the future, penetration by stealth platforms and low-cost drones, rockets and hypersonic projectiles will challenge our detection and interception capability.
"Thus, there is further research required in the field of persistent, multi-spectral, all-weather surveillance from space-based assets. We need to also look at the capabilities of high altitude long endurance and medium altitude long endurance remotely piloted aircraft to fill the surveillance voids.
"For destruction, we need to invest in technology such as Directed Energy Weapons, Laser dazzlers and multiple weapon systems to take on Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles and hypersonic missiles," he said.
Citing examples of the ongoing conflicts in Saudi Arabia and other areas, Chaudhari said in view of the prevailing threat scenario in the country, utilization of aerial platforms by anti-national elements, against our vital strategic and military installations cannot be ruled out.
He said the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has once again brought into focus the effectiveness of man-portable air defence systems, especially in urban and semi-urban areas.