Bolster tech asymmetry, says IAF report
An IAF report has said that if the Indian Air Force (IAF) had possessed high levels of “technological asymmetry”, it would have been able to inflict heavy damage on Pakistan during the adversary’s unsuccessful aerial raid on February 27.
Official sources, sharing details from the report, have said that Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence and offensive capabilities since the Kargil war in 1999 and there was a need for India to bolster its “technological asymmetry” for aerial combat.
The report analysed various aspects of IAF’s air strike on a Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorist training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26 and the subsequent Pakistani retaliation the very next day.
The sources also said that the planned induction of Rafale aircraft with deadly Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India a significant advantage over Pakistani Air Force.
Currently, India is working towards procuring a batch of S-400 air defence system from Russia at a cost of USD 5 billion. India is also buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore.
In the list of positives from the strike, the IAF report talked about accuracy of intelligence inputs, precise selection of targets, demonstration of its ability to carry out precision strikes and its success in maintaining secrecy of the operation though over 6,000 personnel were involved in it.
India carried out the Balakot air strike to avenge the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
