Category: Article

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HEALTHY WORKING ENVIRONMENT & CULTURE

Any organization will do well if it has a healthy working environment. Responsibility of creating a good and productive environment rests with the senior leadership. Senior leadership not only has to insist and encourage but also lead by example to achieve this.

During four decades of working in the Air Force, few aspects related to good working environment appealed to me. I made these as my guiding principles. Some of these are as follows:-

  • Leadership: Everyone who has a subordinate working under him or her is a leader. All the leaders should follow what they advocate. Motto should be “DO AS I DO” rather than “DO AS I SAY”. Also there should be Fairness, Honesty and Transparency in all their dealings.
  • Sell or Tell Type of Leadership: Younger generations have ready access to information and are very aware. The leadership style has to change with times. Giving a task and explaining the rationale behind it generates better acceptability and involvement. Need is for more of SELL type approach rather than TELL type of leadership.

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ROCKING THE BOAT DURING THE STORM: AD COMMAND

 

Year 2020 has been very eventful for the entire world. It started with the pandemic spreading and creating a turmoil worldwide. While the world was struggling to deal with the calamity and the associated economic repercussions, China created a global situation with its aggressive behaviour following its policy of expansionism and opportunism. This is resulting in emergence of new world order, new alliances, and changes in economic and diplomatic dealings.

Closer at home the country is dealing with multiple fronts. Besides the spread of pandemic and economic woes it has to deal with aggressive behaviour of two hostile neighbours. Situation at the borders is tense and could go in any direction.

In this prevailing scenario changes are taking place in the organisational structure of defence forces. The year started with formation of the post of CDS and Department of Military Affairs. A time bound plan has been enunciated for formation of theatre commands with the aim to increase jointness amongst the three services. It was announced that formation of AD command would be the first step towards this direction. Some reports have also appeared in the media stating that it is likely to be declared on the AF day on 08 Oct.

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Offensive use of Air Power in NWNP Scenario: Article Published in USI Journal

OFFENSIVE USE OF AIR POWER IN NO WAR NO PEACE SITUATION
By Air Mshl Anil Kholsa (Retd)

The absence of war is not peace.
                                                                                                  – Harry S Truman

There are no absolute rules of conduct, either in peace or war. Everything depends on circumstances.
                                                                                            – Leon Trotsky

Introduction

War is defined as a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations with the aim of achieving an objective through the use of force. In olden days war was straightforward with the opposing forces in contact facing each other and battling it out. Historically over the years the nature of warfare has undergone a lot of change. Even the conventional wars are no longer fought in the classic old way. Over the years terms like Sub Conventional warfare, LICO (Low intensity Conflict), MRSOW (Military Response Short of War), MOOTW (Military Operations Other Than War), Hybrid warfare and Irregular war have been coined to define prevailing hostile conditions. Each of these terms while defining the state and degree of hostility encompass specific set of actions by the inimical states, nations or groups. NWNP – No War No Peace is another term describing some of the prevailing hostile conditions across the globe. Continue reading “Offensive use of Air Power in NWNP Scenario: Article Published in USI Journal”