Month: April 2023

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Q&A: IMPACT OF PLASSF

Pic courtesy: strategicstudyindia.blogspot.com.webp

 

Q 1.  Does bringing together the capabilities in space, cyber, electronic and information domains under PLASSF, provide an edge to China through greater civil-military integration?

 

  • It is a good concept and, it gives an advantage to China for the conduct of operations in these four new and important domains (Cyber, Space, Electronic and Information).

 

  • These domains are intrinsically interconnected and should not be dealt with in isolation.

 

  • It enhances the capability even for grey zone warfare (China has mastered the art and uses anything and everything as a weapon).

 

  • Even USA is studying this model for its reorganisation.

 

  • The Chinese model gives us a preview of future warfare challenges.

 

  • More than Civil-Military fusion it streamlines defensive and offensive operations in these domains.

 

  • It ensures seamless operations in the overlapping areas of these domains.

 

  • It has both support and active function.

 

  • It provides support to the service HQs and the theatre commands.

 

Q2.   What are your views about the formation of JSSF and its progress?

 

  • It was formed in 2015 and work is still in progress.

 

  • A Building block methodology has been adopted for it.

 

  • Initially, existing structures were reorganised, giving some new charters to them.

 

  • Thereafter, new structures were added.

 

  • Besides, the military and even some of the civil organisational structures were included in it.

 

  • Operating in expeditionary mode is still a challenge.

 

  • It still has lots of challenges that are being dealt with and the whole concept is evolving.

 

  • It is being exercised during training and live situations, and the lessons learnt are being implemented to make it a viable and efficient service.

 

Q3.   How would the service (JSSF) be used during hostilities?

 

  • Intelligence and information gathering and analysis is a continuous process.

 

  • It would also be used during peacetime for grey zone covert operations with some degree of deniability.

 

  • It would also be used during tense situations for strategic coercion.

 

  • During hostilities, the trend these days is to initiate war with disruptive operations to create chaos. This is followed by attacks by long-range precision vectors to disrupt command, control and communications, adding to the chaos. Kinetic contact force is applied in the prevailing chaotic environment.

 

  • The targets for offensive action in these domains would include ISR capabilities (especially space-based surveillance), military command and control centres and networks, and networks of national importance in sectors like railways, power, banking, health, maritime domain, transportation etc.

 

  • Information warfare would be used to influence the minds of decision-makers in particular and the general public at large.

 

  • The extent of effect (degradation) would depend upon several factors like defensive capability and measures, existing architecture providing alternatives and redundancy, and ability to recoup etc.

 

  • JSSF will provide support (Intelligence and information) and carry out offensive and defensive actions in all four domains, throughout the period of hostilities.

 

Q4.   Do you think China will succeed in building a credible narrative against India, using JSSF and media campaigns (print, electronic, social media), and will such propaganda affect the morale of our defence forces and the civilian population?

 

  • China believes in and follows the three-war theory.

 

  • Media and info war to create a false narrative is a very common practice and China would try.

 

  • It also believes in twisting history to its advantage and creating doctored documents to support its narrative.

 

  • China generally creates two narratives, one for domestic consumption and the other for international use.

 

  • Three major factors in our favour are the high morale of our forces, the high degree of legitimacy of actions by India, and the high nationalistic/patriotic feelings of the general public and citizens.

 

  • Due to the reasons, covered above, the effect will be minimal.

 

  • Even the civilian population can see through the Chinese design and would not get waylaid.

 

  • At the moment the credibility of China in the world is low, and in my opinion, China may not succeed in its endeavour.

 

  • However, it would be prudent to be ready for it and take some proactive steps.

 

  • International opinion is another area to look at.

 

Q5.   What remedial measures need to be implemented to mitigate the threats emerging from this service (JSSF) of PLA?

 

  • The threat of offensive action exists in all four domains.

 

  • Not only the military but a whole government approach (All the stakeholders) would be required.

 

  • It would have to be dealt with at three levels, individual service and stakeholder, at the tri-service level and sector/zone level and the national level.

 

  • Besides fortification of our systems and networks by firewalls and other security features, a Multi-pronged approach is required.

 

  • A multi-layered defence system is required.

 

  • It is not a one-time fix but requires continuous monitoring and upgrades.

 

  • A multi-domain monitoring system is needed.

 

  • A round-the-clock operating, operations room would have to be set up.

 

  • In addition, a Quick Reaction Team concept is required at different levels to contain the effects of any attack.

 

  • An audit and research structure would help in identifying weak areas, vulnerabilities, new developments, and future challenges.

 

  • A Proactive Approach (using electronic, print and cyber media) to counter adverse propaganda.

 

  • Development of counter-offensive capabilities.

 

Bottom Line

The nature of warfare is changing at a very fast pace.

Adapt or Perish

 

Question

Are our proposed changes future looking?

 

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Future Air Strategies

 

Pic Courtesy: Internet

Technology has had a profound influence on and is a major driver of innovation and evolution in air strategy.  Future strategies would generally depend upon the influence of technology on warfare and the changing nature of warfare, besides the prevailing threats. Some of these aspects are discussed in the succeeding paragraphs.

 

Investment in Technology.  Air Force is a technology-intensive service and converting technology into capability is a time-consuming process. To stay on top of the challenges, there is a need to invest in emerging technologies and ideate about their utilisation in warfare. Some of the future technologies that are impacting the air war are: 

  • Quantum computing. 
  • Hypersonic weapon systems.
  • Artificial Intelligence. 
  • Unmanned platforms, Drones and swarm technology. 
  • Network-centric environment / Internet of things/system of systems.

 

Situational Awareness & Decision Making. One of the effects of advanced technology on air warfare is the increased pace and intensity of air operations. In such a scenario the decision-making process has to be quick to keep up with the OODA cycle. The three most important contributing factors are a high degree of situational awareness, a robust and fast, network system for information sharing, and AI-based decision support systems.

 

Unmanned Platforms. The use of unmanned platforms and systems is growing in warfare. This shift is expected to continue as technology advances and the capabilities of unmanned systems improve further. Drones of various sizes and capabilities are taking over the tasks of conventional platforms. Their utilisation is spread across the entire spectrum of threats ranging from sub-conventional, and conventional to long-range attacks. Investment in anti-drone systems is also a need of the hour.

 

Loyal Wing Man Concept. Both man and unmanned platforms have their respective advantages and disadvantages. The thought process for the next generation of platforms is to harness the advantages of both and develop networked systems, wherein, both can work in an integrated manner. Research is going on in many countries on the “Loyal wingman” concept. HAL in India is also working on the ICATs program on similar lines.

 

Sixth Generation Aircraft. Sixth-generation aircraft are still in the development phase however, based on current trends in air technology, sixth-generation aircraft will likely have several key features that will shape air strategy in the future. They are likely to have increased automation with advanced AI and machine learning algorithms that will enable autonomous decision-making and allow them to adapt to changing situations quickly. They would also have enhanced stealth capabilities making them virtually invisible to radar and other detection systems. Integrated sensor systems in these aircraft will provide comprehensive situational awareness and the ability to engage targets with great precision. Overall, sixth-generation aircraft are expected to have a significant impact on air strategy in the future, with their advanced capabilities enabling air forces to operate with greater autonomy and to strike enemy targets with unprecedented precision and speed. However, as with any new technology, there may also be challenges associated with the introduction of sixth-generation aircraft, including the need to develop new tactics, training programs, and support infrastructure to fully realize their potential.

 

Hypersonic Weapons. The development of hypersonic weapons is likely to have a significant impact on air strategy. Hypersonic weapons provide new opportunities for rapid response and long-range strike capabilities with precision. They also pose new challenges in terms of protection and air defence.  The high speed and unpredictability of hypersonic weapons will require the development of new air defence strategies, as traditional air defence systems may be unable to detect or intercept these weapons. This could lead to the development of new technologies, such as directed energy weapons or advanced sensors, to counter the threat posed by hypersonic weapons. Also, protective infrastructure would be required which can withstand the destructive power of these weapons.

 

New Domains of Warfare. The domains like cyber, space, electronics and information are coming into the influence of warfare. China’s formation of a Joint Strategic Support Force (JSSF) as a separate service, with defensive and offensive capabilities, in above mentioned four domains, indicates future challenges. Reorientation is required in IAF to deal with these changes.

 

Grey Zone Operations.  Grey zone operations are operations in the contested arena somewhere between routine statecraft and open warfare.  These are becoming a norm in modern-day warfare. Both the adversaries of India are resorting to these operations regularly. Air power besides offensive use can also be effectively utilised in many ways, in non-conventional hostile situations categorised above. Various aspects of grey zone operations need to be deliberated from the point of view of airpower involvement. A certain amount of reorientation would be required in the application of airpower in these grey zone situations supported by capability enhancement in certain fields.

 

Space-Based Capabilities.  The term airpower has changed to aerospace power with the aerial warfare envelope expanding to the domain of space. Space-based systems and applications are embedded in every aspect of aerial warfare. In Grey zone warfare the involvement of space-based equipment and systems is on an even larger scale. Space-based systems are becoming increasingly important in air warfare, providing capabilities such as navigation, targeting, communication, early warning of missile launches and space-based surveillance.  The integration of these systems with air assets is expected to continue, providing new opportunities for offensive and defensive operations.

 

Defence Diplomacy. Defence diplomacy is conducted utilizing several defence activities like defence cooperation, exchange visits, joint exercises, training, and loan or gift of equipment etc. Air Force has a big role in defence diplomacy. It is an effective tool for political signalling and strategic coercion. The escalation matrix can be developed by a combination of the number and extent of these defence activities. Multi-lateral, multi-service and multi-domain exercises are essential for defence cooperation, not only during hostilities but even for grey zone operations during peace.  Even without a military alliance certain degree of interoperability with friendly foreign forces is desirable.

 

Self-Reliance, Indigenisation and Make in India. Indian Air Force has always encouraged the development of indigenous defence production capability and it is one of its key result areas. It has played an important role in creating an aerospace ecosystem in India and has been operating indigenously built aircraft and also aircraft built in India under licence production. This has given impetus to indigenous industry in the past and will continue to support it in future. The important thing to remember is that while supporting self-reliance the minimum level of deterrence capability needs to be maintained at all times. Also, the balance between quality and quantity needs to be maintained all the time.

 

Bottom Line

 Learn from Past,

Deal with Present,

 Plan for future.

 

 

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Evolution of IAF : Historic Perspective

 

Like the role of air power in the last century, the air strategy of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has evolved, reflecting changes in technology, doctrine, and strategic priorities. Some key milestones in the evolution of the air strategy of the IAF are:

Genesis & Early Years. The Indian Air Force was established in British India as an auxiliary air force of the Royal Air Force on 8 Oct 1932, with four Westland Wapiti biplanes and five Indian pilots. The then Royal IAF (RIAF) grew in size during World War II to eventually ten squadrons. In the early years of the IAF, the primary focus was on providing air support to British and Commonwealth ground forces. During World War II, the IAF played a significant role in the Burma campaign by halting the advance of the Japanese army, by providing air cover and support for ground troops. IAF evolved initially in a tactical role primarily to support surface and maritime wars.

              

Partition in 1947. Indian Air Force (IAF) of independent India came into being with seven squadrons (six fighter squadrons and one transport squadron). By then the IAF had a well-established professional ethos and a reputation to live up to.

 

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. Almost immediately after Independence, India, and Pakistan clashed over the future of Kashmir. On the first day itself on 27 October 1947, an infantry battalion was airlifted from Delhi to Srinagar. IAF thereafter carried out air operations (airlift of troops and supplies, photo-reconnaissance, bombing, strafing, and interdiction), in support of surface forces. The air power usage was tactical and reactionary to emerging situations.

 

Initial Growth. The decade of the 1950s saw the induction of aircraft and support systems, both in quantity and quality, into the IAF.  During this period, the IAF acquired its first jet fighters and transport aircraft and India began to develop its own indigenous aircraft and weapons systems. IAF began to shift its focus to defending India’s borders and air space, and its capabilities started developing beyond the limited scope of the support role.

 

1962 war. The ground reality in 1962 was that IAF had relatively potent air power with Western aircraft vis-a-vis old Russian aircraft with China. Despite a clear combat edge, the fighter component of the air force was not used during the Sino-Indian conflict of 1962. There has been a general reluctance to use air power due to the perceived fear of escalation of conflict, which was evident even up to the 1999 Kargil conflict and has changed since the Balakot strike in 2019. However, post-war it was decided to build up the IAF strength to 45 squadrons.

 

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. In 1965, the IAF gave a good account in the skies and in support of ground operations. Air superiority in specific terms was not contested by either side. IAF provided close air support to help the Army stem Pak armoured thrusts. Eventually, the Pakistan offensive was stopped, and the war ceased. After the war, the IAF continued to acquire modern combat aircraft and had 39 combat aircraft squadrons by 1971. It also improved tactics and techniques based on the lessons of the 1965 war. IAF decided the war priorities in sequence to be air defence, support to surface forces, and offensive action to counter or neutralise or counter the enemy air.

 

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. In 1971 the IAF was in much better shape in qualitative and quantitative terms than the PAF. This was the first time the IAF actively engaged the enemy air force. IAF achieved complete air superiority over the eastern wing of Pakistan within a few days. Air operations included close air support and air cover to the Indian Army, independent raid missions against Pakistani Air Force bases, assistance to Indian Navy in maritime operations, offensive attacks on enemy armour, and strategic bombing. IAF played a pivotal role in the victory, leading to the liberation of Bangladesh, and it was probably the high point for the IAF. In this war, IAF carried out all air campaigns in parallel.

 

Modernization and Expansion (1980-2000): To retain relevance in the evolving operational environment with the induction of modern aircraft and systems in the immediate neighbourhood, in the 1980s and 1990s, the IAF modernised itself with advanced aircraft, weapons, and sensors, and expanded its capabilities to include strategic airlift.

 

Power Projection Abroad. During 1987-90 IAF was involved with operations in Sri Lanka and Maldives. IAF established an “air bridge” between mainland India and Sri Lanka for the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). Although combat aircraft were not used, IAF helicopters provided fire support for the army. In 1988, IAF undertook Operation Cactus, wherein, it flew at least a battalion of paratroopers, more than 1000 Miles away to Maldives when rebels attempted to overthrow the government. In these operations, the IAF demonstrated its ability to project forces on short notice.

 

Kargil Operations 1999. Kargil operations demonstrated once again the impact of air power in the achievement of objectives. The IAF flew hundreds of strike missions supported by combat patrols and escorts. Air power was employed in a very innovative way in high altitudes. The Kargil War forced the IAF to rethink aerial strategies as it attempted to orchestrate an aerial campaign at altitudes of 14,000 to 18,000 feet against well-camouflaged targets.

 

Balakot Strike. A game-changer shift took place on 26 February 2019, when India decided to use offensive air power by carrying out deep strikes against targets in Pakistan even beyond the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The myth about the use of air power being escalatory in nature was broken.

 

Strategic Transformation. Originally the IAF had formed purely for the requirements of the British interests of its Empire, its roles and responsibilities were limited to tactical applications of air power. Post-independence also the application of air power continued to remain tactical in nature. It was only in 1971 that the IAF carried out strategic effect-based operations with air campaigns in parallel. In the first decade of this century, IAF inducted airborne early warning, and aerial refuelling capability leading to an increase in strategic reach along with conventional deterrence. The transformation of the Indian Air Force from a tactical air power to a strategic one had begun, and subsequently, the pace picked up for it to become a broad-spectrum air force in future.

 

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