Indian Air Force

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  • Finally a CDS for the Indian Armed Forces

    While the scope of responsibility of the CDS is being worked out, it would be instructive to see what changes could be implemented immediately within the current organisational structures through greater jointness, before getting into the gamut of full integration which should be the logical end state.

    August 19, 2019

    Ramjee Chaudhari asked: What are the implications on the security of IAF assets due to UDAN operation from IAF bases?

    Kishore Kumar Khera replies: Primarily, there are two types of airfields in India - Military Airfield and Civil Airfield. This classification is based on the agency controlling the airfield control zone airspace and ground operations. Creation and maintenance of airfield infrastructure are resource-intensive and duplicating these facilities for the exclusive use of civil operators or military operators is sub-optimal.

    Rituraj asked: How can an Airman gainfully utilise his experience and contribute towards enhancing the working conditions and battle effectiveness of the IAF?

    Kishore Kumar Khera replies: The combat capability of a nation is sum total of capabilities of various contributing elements. The Indian Air Force (IAF) forms a crucial subset of the national combat capability. The equipment, human resources and infrastructure define the combat capability of the IAF. Each air warrior irrespective of gender, rank, branch, trade, experience or appointment is a part of this capability. Every individual can contribute by undertaking the defined role in an efficient and effective manner.

    Ravi Ranjan asked: What lessons can the Indian Army draw from the empowerment of JCOs in the Air Force and the Navy?

    Vivek Chadha replies: The empowerment of Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) has remained an ongoing endeavour within the Armed Forces, irrespective of the specific service. Over a period of time, greater powers, including financial and administrative, have been delegated to ensure that JCOs take greater responsibility and their services can be best employed.

    P. Avinash asked: Will having a design and development bureau under the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army, like the Directorate of Naval Design under the Indian Navy, prove to be more effective?

    Kishore Kumar Khera replies: The output of a system is a function of not only the yields of each of the subsystems but also the coordination, cooperation and complementarities between the subsystems. Like most of the output driven entities, in the case of weapons/weapon systems/weapon platforms too there are three primary subsystems: Design and Development Team (DDT), Production Agency (PA), and the End User (EU).

    Prashant Mishra asked: What is ‘two-and-a-half front war’ and is India prepared for it?

    Alok Deb replies: The phrase "two and a half front war" has been heard from time to time in various fora. Essentially it pertains to the Indian armed forces preparing to simultaneously fight conventional wars to the North and West, while also battling any insurgency that might be ongoing at that time in the hinterland.

    Fighting Falcon: The End of an Era?

    Is the termination of an unprecedented 40-year production run of the F-16 an indication of the beginning of the end for this versatile combat aircraft?

    January 19, 2018

    Aerial Refuelling of Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft

    Indian Air Force

    To truly exploit this newly tested operational capability, IAF will have to augment its fleet of in-flight refuellers and train an adequate number of aircrew, mission commanders, fighter controllers and systems operators.

    December 06, 2017

    Blue Flag 2017 and Beyond

    The Indian Air Force’s participation in Israel’s Blue Flag 2017 multilateral exercise adds an important layer to the matrix of cooperation between India and Israel.

    December 01, 2017

    The Indian Air Force’s Declining Squadron Strength – Options and Challenges

    The IAF is not without options, all of which are currently at some stage of realization. What is lacking is a sense of urgency on the part of all the parties concerned.

    November 03, 2017

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