Need to prepare for ‘short, swift wars’: Indian Air Force chief

The Indian Air Force must prepare for ‘intense and short duration’ operations, as well as ‘short swift wars and long-drawn’ standoffs, similar to the scenario in eastern Ladakh, said Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.

He also urged for an emphasis on operational logistics to deal with diverse security concerns when speaking at a conference on Thursday, quoting famed military thinker Sun Tzu, who said, ‘the line between disorder and order lies in logistics’. Later, the Indian Air Force said on Twitter that Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari had directed that current supply chain management look forward with the goal of enhancing logistics capabilities and developing a focused approach to the indigenisation of critical components in order to achieve defence self-reliance.

‘In the force, space and time continuum, there would be a need for us to prepare for short swift wars as well as be ready for a long drawn standoff akin to what we are seeing in eastern Ladakh’, the Chief of Air Staff said.

For over two years, India and China have been mired in a violent standoff in eastern Ladakh, despite the fact that both sides have disengaged soldiers from a number of places following a series of military and diplomatic discussions.

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The Indian Air Force (IAF) must be operationally and logistically responsive at all times, according to Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari, citing previous experiences as well as the shifting geopolitical landscape.

‘The current geopolitical situation necessitates Indian Air Force to prepare for intense and small duration operations at a short notice. This new paradigm of high-intensity operations, coupled with minimal build-up time would require major changes in terms of operational logistics’, he added.

Though he did not go into detail about the geopolitical situation, the remarks are widely seen as a reference to the Russia-Ukraine war and its potential consequences. The IAF Chief stated that logistics support in such a scenario would be exceedingly difficult due to the force’s large and diverse inventory.