Air Force and Navy should plan and operate jointly to help win a war: IAF chief says
On Sunday, November 18, Indian Air Force chief B S Dhanoa said that Army, Air Force and Navy should plan and operate jointly to help win a war in the shortest possible time, no single service can win the war solely.
IAF chief told PTI, “No single service can win the war solely on its own inherent organic capabilities given the variety of threats which nations are capable of inflicting upon each other”.
He said, “Thus it is imperative that the three services promote joint planning and exploit the strengths of sister services to help win a war in the shortest possible time. India by itself is one theatre”.
Dhanoa stressed for requirement of an institution for joint planning and said that IAF deputes its officers with Army and Navy to improve combat potential.
Joint planning among Army, Navy, IAF key to win any war in shortest possible time: BS Dhanoa https://t.co/yui9GCuS4q via @timesofindia pic.twitter.com/pwJCiVsHCh
— Times of India (@timesofindia) November 18, 2018
He said, “What we require is an institutionalized structure for joint planning. Incidentally, IAF is the only service that deputes senior officers who serve alongside principal fighting formations of the other two services so as to improve and enhance their combat potential in achieving desired outcomes”.
When asked about IAF’s indigenization programmes and modernization initiatives, Air Force chief said, “It is the IAF’s endeavour to achieve self-sufficiency through a focused, sustained and evolved indigenization programmes by supporting the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Rest assured, IAF is prepared to respond to future challenges and safeguard the Indian skies”.
He said, “Self-reliance is a major cornerstone on which the military capability of any nation must rest. Our country has immense potential to leverage the manpower and engineering capability within the country for attaining self-reliance in design, development & manufacturing in defence sector”.