There is a low possibility of an outright war, however, if at all there is a war looming at the horizon, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has adequate capability to tackle threats despite shortage of fighter jets, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa said on Thursday.
“Possibility of a two-front war in the current geopolitical situation is low. Our response should be based on enemy’s capability because intentions can change overnight,” Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said responding to questions at the annual press conference ahead of the Air Force Day on October 8.
Getting into the specifics, he said with Pakistan the IAF was more than matched while with China it was adequate. “It is not what China has got, it is what they can project against us. It is what they can bring in to Tibet… our capability is adequate,” Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said.
He acknowledged that the Chinese forces were still pitched near Doklam despite the standoff ending and said China holds military exercises every year in summer and so their forces were close by when the standoff happened. “Their (China) forces in Chumbi Valley are still deployed and I expect that they withdraw as summer exercise gets over,” he said.
In this context, he said despite shortage in fighter strength the service has a plan B to optimize existing resources and is adequate to tackle any threats. “By 2032 we will reach 42 squadrons. With whatever numbers we have we are capable of executing operations as we speak,” he stated.
Post Your Comments