Category: Airpower

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378: Q & A ON INDIA-CHINA STAND OFF

 

Pic courtesy: internet

 

Gist of replies to questions by a researcher on the subject.

 

Q1. How is the IAF acting as a force multiplier in the India-China military standoff in Ladakh?

 

  • The question needs rephrasing. IAF is an active participant and contributor towards dealing with the situation.

 

  • It is a national situation, requiring a whole of nation (i.e. all tools of statecraft) approach.

 

  • The defence services (Indian Air Force included) are doing the needful jointly and synergistically.

 

  • IAF undertakes missions to accomplish its roles and tasks (like any other defence force), including:-

 

    • Political and strategic signalling. By deploying and operating aircraft, weapons and systems at appropriate places. Also by carrying out exercises in these areas.

 

    • Rapid mobility, troop induction, and transfer. Rapid troop mobilisation undertaken by the IAF surprised everyone.

 

    • Sustenance and supply (equipment, ammunition, weapons, rations, etc.). All IAF resources including heavy-lift aircraft, medium-lift aircraft, and helicopters are used for this task.

 

    • Saving valuable lives by casualty evacuation and medical support as and when required.

 

    • Enhancement of situational awareness by reconnaissance and information sharing by using all the reconnaissance assets and sharing information rapidly through its networked communication systems.

 

    • Joint planning and monitoring by working synergistically with sister surface services.

 

    • Training and equipping to meet challenges by periodic review of immediate, mid-term, and long-term plans.

 

  • All the assets of IAF are always available and are used to deal with prevailing or emerging situations.

 

Q2. How will you assess the IAF’s preparedness in case there’s a hot war between India and China at the LAC?

 

  • IAF is always prepared for any eventuality. It is a capable, motivated and battle-hardened force.

 

  • Please refer to the Global Air Powers Ranking (2023) by WDMMA (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft, which provides the current ranking of the various air forces of the world. (https://www.wdmma.org/ranking.php)

 

  • It does not base its assessment purely on numerical strength but carries out a holistic analysis of numerous factors to ascertain warfighting capability.

 

  • According to the latest report, the IAF is a few points ahead in its war-waging capabilities, despite being short numerically.

 

  • Moreover, IAF always works on two plans. First plan to fight immediately with whatever it has. The second one is to enhance its potential (capability and capacity) in the short, mid and long term.

 

  • These plans are periodically reviewed, revised and activated.

 

  • This edge needs to be maintained. The warfighting capabilities have built up over the years however, it is the capacity (war endurance) that needs enhancement on priority. Appropriate actions have been initiated and they need to be executed speedily.

 

Suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

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References and credits

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Disclaimer:

Information and data included in the blog are for educational & non-commercial purposes only and have been carefully adapted, excerpted, or edited from sources deemed reliable and accurate. All copyrighted material belongs to respective owners and is provided only for purposes of wider dissemination.

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376: WOMEN IN INDIAN DEFENCE SERVICES: PERSONAL AND ORGANISATIONAL PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

Pic Courtesy: Internet

 

(An abstract of a forthcoming detailed article on the subject)

 

“Not all women wear pearls and sensible shoes to work, some wear dog tags and combat boots”

– Author Unknown

 

Women’s participation in the military has evolved significantly over the years worldwide, with a growing recognition of their valuable contributions to the defence and security of the country. Many countries now allow women to serve in the armed forces in numerous roles. The extent of participation and roles vary from country to country, depending on cultural norms, legal frameworks, and military policies.

 

Traditionally, Indian defence services have been predominantly male-dominated, but the roles and opportunities for women have expanded as societal perceptions and military policies have changed over the years. The history of women in the Indian defence services is a story of gradual progress and increasing participation from support services and roles to combat and command roles. Utilisation pattern in the three services i.e. Army (including Paramilitary), Navy (including Coast Guard) and Air Force, varies depending upon their peculiarities.

 

While the inclusion of women in defence services brings several benefits, certain challenges and barriers still do exist. Aspects related to cultural and societal norms, career opportunities and progression, physical and psychological suitability for combat roles and leadership positions, gender integration, gender equality, gender bias, gender discrimination, harassment prevention and redressal mechanism, and judicial recourse etc. need to be reviewed periodically for mid-course corrections.

 

These existing challenges are being addressed by the implementation of policies and initiatives. It is a gradual, and evolutionary process, with a balance being maintained between personal and organizational aspirations, growth, necessities, and concerns.

 

Questions

 

Is gender integration progressing well in the Indian military with equality and no bias or discrimination?

 

Are the policies related to women in the military in India fair and serve their purpose?

 

Suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

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References and credits

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Information and data included in the blog are for educational & non-commercial purposes only and have been carefully adapted, excerpted, or edited from sources deemed reliable and accurate. All copyrighted material belongs to respective owners and is provided only for purposes of wider dissemination.

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372: CELEBRATING THREE YEARS OF BLOGGING: AIR MARSHAL’S PERSPECTIVE

 

 

Hello Readers,

 

It has been three years since the blog “Air Marshal’s Perspective” was launched. The idea of the blog is to share the gained knowledge and new learnings.

 

The tagline of the blog “Candid and to the point / काम की बात”, explains the style adopted. In the times of quick fix (Twenty 20 cricket), everyone wants to know the gist of the issue (as one of my gurus used to say “Just tell me the निचोड़”). The written posts cover the topic in bullet form (two to three pages), with a reading time of 5-7 minutes. The lengthier video bytes have a selective viewing option.

 

First and foremost thanks to all the readers who read the blog and provide the necessary encouragement to continue blogging.

 

 This celebratory post has three parts:

 

    • Present Status.
    • Future trajectory.
    • Genesis of the blog and acknowledgement to Col S Muralidharan.

 

Present Status.

 

    • The blog has 370 + posts on a variety of topics (a list of topics covered is attached).

 

    • The blog keeps featuring in the top twenty Indian blogs under the category of defence and security.

 

Future Trajectory.

 

    • The blog is being migrated to a new host domain. The process will start on 01 Sep 23, and a new avatar of the blog will evolve.

 

    • A new YouTube channel has been launched in conjunction with the blog.

 

    • A podcasting section is being added (starting with a series of podcasts on IAF life, consisting of interesting anecdotes and occurrences).

 

Genesis of the Blog and Acknowledgement to Col S Muralidharan.

 

  • Col S Muralidharan, my Course mate is a digital world wizard with a golden heart.

 

  • He saw some of my post-retirement interview videos and articles on social media (hosted by engaging organisations) and suggested putting the content on our NDA course website (55 NDA).

 

  • Murali is doing a wonderful job of administering our course website. Not only has he conceptualised and designed the website, but he has also hosted it on his personal domain space. He is administering and maintaining it (which is an arduous and time-consuming task).

 

  • He provided the necessary space for the blog and guided me through the entire process.

 

  • Now also, when faced with any problem or challenge he is the one who deals with it in a proactive manner. A case in point is the recent crash of the blog was resolved by him overnight.

 

  • I am grateful to him for his encouragement and support. The future plan for the Blog has been made in consultation with him.

 

Topics Covered (So Far)

 

Leadership, Motivation and Management
Decision making
Mental toughness
Earning respect
Good  leadership qualities and values
Science of Karma
Good working culture and environment
Listening Skills
Be good feel good
Healthy working environment
importance of Tolerance
Lessons from Buddha
Difference between strength and courage
Lessons from rich and famous
Leadership lessons from Hollywood movies.
Shark in the tank theory of management
Car wheel theory of management
Aya Ram Gaya Ram syndrome – yes men.
Calculated Risks
Practical Leadership and Management
Communication skills and body language
Lessons from Nanak
Being Responsible and Tolerant
Growth Mind-set
Transferable Skills
Advice to the young generation
Motivational Talks
Importance of self-discipline
Words of Wisdom
Convocation Address – lessons from life in IAF
 

China
China’s Brain differently wired
China’s strategic thought
China’s military modernisation
China’s Defence industry
China – Pakistan Collusion
China – Art of deception
China: Kill Pigs List
China: Social score System
China: Active Defence Policy
China’s Joint Strategic support force (JSSF)
China – Joint Strategic Support Force.
Dealing with the Dragon
China’s grey zone operations
China: Flavours of military Reform
China: Pillars of Military Reform
China new diplomacy – drawing red lines in sand.
China – demographic analysis.
China through US Prism
China in South China Sea
China’s Military – Civil Fusion
PLAAF Analysis Strengths and weaknesses
Book review on China Airpower
Dealing with Dragon
Knowing China Better: lie flat and let it rot
Knowing China Better social life and customs
China in IOR
 

Geopolitics
China
Pakistan – National security Policy, Turmoil
Afghanistan
India’s foreign policy
India’s neighbourhood
Quad
Indo – Russian relations
State of Airpower Assets in Afghanistan
Indo – US relations
Afghanistan: Taliban run over
US-China shadow boxing over Taiwan
China spoiling Bhutan’s GNH.
South China sea
Gini Index and implications.
Multilateralism: Flexible Security Cooperation.
China Pak Collusivity
Collective Security
SCO Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Relevance  and future trajectory
Sri Lanka Economic crisis: lessons and opportunity
Ukraine Conflict
Bangladeshi tango with China
Economic Sanctions
Djibouti: Tug of war between USA and China
The Future of Conflict in Asian Context
India Pakistan China Asian triangle
Indo-Vietnam Cooperation
 

Air Power
Airpower in Grey zone operations
Airpower in no war no peace situation
Air Power & Non-Kinetic warfare
Air Power in Multi-Domain warfare
Airpower in HADR ops and aid to civil authorities
Drone Threat the big picture
Fighter aircraft classifications by generations
Emerging Technologies and Air Defence
Air Power in Modern Day Warfare
S-400 SAM AD System
Combat Aviation
Changing nature of warfare
Air Defence operations
Air power strategies: multiple threats and limited resources
Air power in maritime domain
Air Power and effect-based operations
Air power concepts: Command / control the air, air supremacy, Air superiority & Favourable air situation.
Contemporary airpower thought
How does an aeroplane fly
 

Technology
Hypersonic Weapons
Technology and airpower
Future Trajectory of AI
Artificial intelligence
Future of conflict in new domains (Space, Cyber and deep sea)
Unmanned Platforms and Swarms, Loyal wingman concept
AI and Fake News
AI: Digital twins and Surrogate models
Military application of quantum technology.
 

Cyber Safety and Security
Cyber warfare
Digital addiction
Economic Cyber Frauds
Future of conflict in new domains (Space, Cyber and deep sea)
 

Space
Space operations
Space warfare and organisation in India
Space-based ISR
Future of conflict in new domains (Space, Cyber and deep sea)
 

Indian Air Force
Capability development
Tejas and AMCA project
IAF’s role in HADR and aid to civil and other agencies
Network-centric operations
PLAAF and IAF comparative analysis
IAF Modernisation
Balakot Operations
Maritime air operations in future
Rafale induction and capability enhancement
S-400 Induction
Fire Power Demo: Ex Vayu Shakti
IAF fighter strength drawdown and mitigation plan
IAF Strategies: past present and future.
Life in IAF
IAF multi-national exercises
Journey through IAF
 

War and Warfare
Types of war
Decoys and deception
Afghanistan Air Assets
Future Wars
warfare
Grey Zone Warfare
Classification of warfare into generations (Russian Thoughts)
Domains of warfare
C4ISR
Military Balance in the region
Ukraine War: Air Power aspects, a case of dog and the bone, Air superiority aspects, decoding Ukraine war. Lessons.
Operational Logistics
Lesser known facts about 1971the  War
Review of book on 1962 war
Review of the book on the 1965 war
India’s two-front challenge
Douhet theories
Duration of Conflict
Jasjit Singh on Airpower
Galwan standoff
Asymmetric Threat
Nuclear aspects revisited
Accelerating the Paradigm Shift
National Security / Military Strategy
Urgent Need for National Security Policy
Multilateralism: Relevance and changes
National Security Strategy
Integrated deterrence
 

Military
Military diplomacy
Military spending: trends and analysis.
Collusive threat and Deterrence: Air and Space Aspects
Integrated Capability Development.
Joint war game training systems
Fighter Pilot: Traits
Agni veer and Agnipath / Tour of duty / making best of the scheme
Andaman and Nicobar Command and Islands
Joint Operations and Joint man ship
 

Higher Defence Organisation
Department of military affairs
Theaterisation
Air defence command
Civil-military fusion
Reorganisation of HDO in India
 

Flight Safety
Golden rules of safety
Importance of SOPs
A proactive approach to safety
Damage due to Bird Hits and Foreign Objects
Safety and aviation
Good safety Culture
Safety aspects of short landings.
 

Defence Industry
Indigenous defence industry
HAL and DPSUs
Role of the private sector in defence production
Arms Transfer to Afghanistan
Defence Budget issues
Atmanirbharta
Exportability of LCA and Brahmos combined package
IAF and indigenisation
Indian Initiatives to promote self-reliance
Tejas export options
Russia – India Defence contracts past, present and future.
Aero India 2021 & 2023
Arms trade: Trends and Concerns
Arms trade: flow Vis-a-Vis hot spots
Decoding US presence at Aero India 2023
 

India
Understanding Manipur Dynamics
Meghalaya Dynamics
 

Book Reviews and Endorsements
1962 Border War Sino-India: Territorial Dispute and Beyond by Ismail Vergasseri
The Politics of South China Sea Disputes By Nehginpao Kipgen
1965 A Western Sunrise: India’s War With Pakistan By Shiv Kunal Verma
The Game Behind Saffron Terror by Kanwar Khatana
Peer  Review-  ” China-The Rising Aerospace Power: Implications for India”
Book Endorsement – “Greatest Air Aces of all time” by Air Marshal Anil Chopra
Book Endorsement – The 1971 Indo-Pak Air War: Reflections and Projections
 

Life Stories
My tryst with HT-2 aircraft: The day god flew with me
The day I flew my dad’s car
Malse Lake: Tale of two course mates
Flying Tales

Please Note: There are no hyperlinks to these topics on this post. However, search option on the blog can be used to access them.

 

Suggestions and value additions are most welcome

 

For regular updates, please register here

Subscribe

References and credits

To all the online sites and channels.

Disclaimer:

Information and data included in the blog are for educational & non-commercial purposes only and have been carefully adapted, excerpted, or edited from sources deemed reliable and accurate. All copyrighted material belongs to respective owners and is provided only for purposes of wider dissemination.

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