IAF asked to be ready for ‘wars’ with Pakistan, China

lcafanboy

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IAF asked to be ready for ‘wars’ with Pakistan, China
THE ASIAN AGE. | SANJIB KR BARUAH
Published : Apr 30, 2017, 3:54 am IST
Updated : Apr 30, 2017, 6:14 am IST

IAF to prepare for a 10-day war with Pakistan, and a 15-day conflict with China.


The IAF is the world’s fourth largest air force in terms of personnel and aircraft and it operates in an air space spanning more than 40 million cubic km.
New Delhi: In keeping with changing military needs, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been asked by its chief to maintain a state of combat readiness for a possible 10-day war with Pakistan. The force has also been told to be ready for a possible 15-day conflict with China.

The direction and necessary instructions were issued during an IAF commanders’ conference held in New Delhi during April 19-21.

“Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa has directed the IAF commanders to prepare for short duration but intense wars of 10 days in case of Pakistan and 15 days with respect to China to maintain razor-sharp operational preparedness and enhanced combat effectiveness,” a high-level source familiar with the developments told this newspaper.

Accordingly, the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI) has been asked to ascertain preparedness of all operational units to keep personnel and aircraft combat-ready with fully stocked-up weapons, missiles and alert radar systems.

DASI is the IAF’s inspecting body that assesses the tactical and operational level of IAF aircraft to ascertain if they are capable of meeting wartime requirements besides also rating the performance of IAF pilots and squadrons.

Besides the traditional IAF role of counter-air, strategic-air (including space) and counter-surface operations that formed the three elements of air strategy, combat-enabling operations have now come to form the fourth pillar of air operations.

It is well accepted that possible future wars between India and its neigbours won’t be long and protracted because of the looming nuclear threat and the possibility that more countries will be sucked into such a war in case it is prolonged.

The“Joint Doctrine of the Armed Forces — 2017”, a document released by the Indian military on Tuesday, also says that the character of future wars is likely to be “ambiguous, uncertain, short, swift, lethal, intense, precise, non-linear, unstructured, unpredictable, and hybrid”.

As a result, the IAF’s role too is changing due to the availability and deadly potential of cruise missiles like the Brahmos, long operational endurance of its combat fleet and much faster aircraft like the Su-30s, MiG-29s and Mirage-2000s.

For example, the Su-30 flies at about 2,100 kmph, with a range of 3,000 km and a capability to be airborne for more than 3.5 hours, making it technically possible to fly deep into Tibet, then to Pakistan, curve along the Arabian Sea seeking naval targets before touching down in airbases in central India or in Northeast India.

The IAF role has changed also because modern aerial platforms and weapons allow a commander to conduct independent, parallel operations with, or in support of surface and maritime operations both within and outside the battle space.

But certain factors also cramp the IAF’s capability. The current fleet strength of about 33 fighter squadrons or about 600 aircraft is far less than the required strength of at least 42 squadrons or about 790 fighter aircraft. The IAF is the world’s fourth largest air force in terms of personnel and aircraft and it operates in an air space spanning more than 40 million cubic km.

http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/300417/iaf-asked-to-be-ready-for-wars-with-pak-china.html
 

lcafanboy

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The Ultranationalist

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IAF is always ready for war, but our depleting number of squadrons and accident prone russian aircraft are a matter of concern and on the top of that we have failed to develop a robust military industrial complex.
 

Innocent

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Any news or update on retailation after recent attack on army base?
 

roma

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IAF is always ready for war, but our depleting number of squadrons and accident prone russian aircraft are a matter of concern and on the top of that we have failed to develop a robust military industrial complex.
bearing in mind all the factors you identified as causing the depletion the worst by far is the continual loss of pilots from mig21 old planes

when will IAF stand up and admit it ??
then we should get anything , rafael , su35 etc etc .....ANYTHING is better than 40plus-year-old mig21 with rusting frame .
 

The Ultranationalist

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bearing in mind all the factors you identified as causing the depletion the worst by far is the continual loss of pilots from mig21 old planes

when will IAF stand up and admit it ??
then we should get anything , rafael , su35 etc etc .....ANYTHING is better than 40plus-year-old mig21 with rusting frame .
The most important factor is the last one, we have managed to develop even cryogenic rocket engines which only three other countries have been able to do but we could not develop a decent turbofan and turboprop jet engine, what a shame. If we are able to do it then 90% of our problems will be solved, airframe and avionics are no big deal, jet engine is, we cannot always rely on foriegn vendors for our defence equipment needs. We ahve become almost self reliant in naval shipbuilding, artillery and armoured vehicles, radars and sensors and miisiles and even submarines but this is where we are lacking.
 

Bornubus

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Any news or update on retailation after recent attack on army base?
You can easily figure out what happened after previous and similar attacks.


Last being Nagrota few months back and Pathankot Air base attack a year ~ ago.
 

Akshay_Fenix

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Don't even think of fighting a two front war before 2023. (Rafale).
And
Don't even think of fighting a war with Pakistan before 2018. (M777, K-9, Dhanush).

And another thing, Army has rejected INSAS so what are our ground troops supposed to fight with? Swords.
 

smestarz

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Rafale is not the best plane in the world, The only thing that is very much awaited is the upgrade to Super Sukhoi, as those upgrades might make Su-30 MKI more capable than anything thats flying in Asia. BTW did you note that Indian Su-30 MKI did beat Rafale in Dog fights during friendly exercises in India?

Don't even think of fighting a two front war before 2023. (Rafale).
And
Don't even think of fighting a war with Pakistan before 2018. (M777, K-9, Dhanush).

And another thing, Army has rejected INSAS so what are our ground troops supposed to fight with? Swords.
 

republic_roi97

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bearing in mind all the factors you identified as causing the depletion the worst by far is the continual loss of pilots from mig21 old planes

when will IAF stand up and admit it ??
then we should get anything , rafael , su35 etc etc .....ANYTHING is better than 40plus-year-old mig21 with rusting frame .
And the irony is that the homegrown fighter, which they are not paying heed to, happens to be free of accidents ever since its first flight and ever since its first prototype. :doh::daru::frusty::facepalm:
 

Willy2

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Possibly IAF want to standardize operational readiness . .
 

Mikesingh

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Any news or update on retailation after recent attack on army base?
Take it from me. There will be a terror attack in Pak within a few days as retribution. It's just a matter of time.
 

Akshay_Fenix

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Rafale is not the best plane in the world, The only thing that is very much awaited is the upgrade to Super Sukhoi, as those upgrades might make Su-30 MKI more capable than anything thats flying in Asia. BTW did you note that Indian Su-30 MKI did beat Rafale in Dog fights during friendly exercises in India?
What's the point of having a fighter which is grounded 40% of the time. Unlike Rafale which will have 75% serviceability.

There was also another test where our Arjun tank beat the t-90 but the army went for more t-90s instead of arjuns. Yeah, nobody believes in tests conducted by Russian lap dogs.
 

mendosa

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IAF asked to be ready for ‘wars’ with Pakistan, China
THE ASIAN AGE. | SANJIB KR BARUAH
Published : Apr 30, 2017, 3:54 am IST
Updated : Apr 30, 2017, 6:14 am IST

IAF to prepare for a 10-day war with Pakistan, and a 15-day conflict with China.


The IAF is the world’s fourth largest air force in terms of personnel and aircraft and it operates in an air space spanning more than 40 million cubic km.
New Delhi: In keeping with changing military needs, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been asked by its chief to maintain a state of combat readiness for a possible 10-day war with Pakistan. The force has also been told to be ready for a possible 15-day conflict with China.

The direction and necessary instructions were issued during an IAF commanders’ conference held in New Delhi during April 19-21.

“Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa has directed the IAF commanders to prepare for short duration but intense wars of 10 days in case of Pakistan and 15 days with respect to China to maintain razor-sharp operational preparedness and enhanced combat effectiveness,” a high-level source familiar with the developments told this newspaper.

Accordingly, the Directorate of Air Staff Inspection (DASI) has been asked to ascertain preparedness of all operational units to keep personnel and aircraft combat-ready with fully stocked-up weapons, missiles and alert radar systems.

DASI is the IAF’s inspecting body that assesses the tactical and operational level of IAF aircraft to ascertain if they are capable of meeting wartime requirements besides also rating the performance of IAF pilots and squadrons.

Besides the traditional IAF role of counter-air, strategic-air (including space) and counter-surface operations that formed the three elements of air strategy, combat-enabling operations have now come to form the fourth pillar of air operations.

It is well accepted that possible future wars between India and its neigbours won’t be long and protracted because of the looming nuclear threat and the possibility that more countries will be sucked into such a war in case it is prolonged.

The“Joint Doctrine of the Armed Forces — 2017”, a document released by the Indian military on Tuesday, also says that the character of future wars is likely to be “ambiguous, uncertain, short, swift, lethal, intense, precise, non-linear, unstructured, unpredictable, and hybrid”.

As a result, the IAF’s role too is changing due to the availability and deadly potential of cruise missiles like the Brahmos, long operational endurance of its combat fleet and much faster aircraft like the Su-30s, MiG-29s and Mirage-2000s.

For example, the Su-30 flies at about 2,100 kmph, with a range of 3,000 km and a capability to be airborne for more than 3.5 hours, making it technically possible to fly deep into Tibet, then to Pakistan, curve along the Arabian Sea seeking naval targets before touching down in airbases in central India or in Northeast India.

The IAF role has changed also because modern aerial platforms and weapons allow a commander to conduct independent, parallel operations with, or in support of surface and maritime operations both within and outside the battle space.

But certain factors also cramp the IAF’s capability. The current fleet strength of about 33 fighter squadrons or about 600 aircraft is far less than the required strength of at least 42 squadrons or about 790 fighter aircraft. The IAF is the world’s fourth largest air force in terms of personnel and aircraft and it operates in an air space spanning more than 40 million cubic km.

http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/300417/iaf-asked-to-be-ready-for-wars-with-pak-china.html
IAF

DAY 1 : Be ready for two front war

DAY 2 : We don't have necessary planes for two front war, give us 50B$ to buy European jets.
 

Tarun Kumar

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What I cant understand is why dont wee have double perimeters in our army and air bases. It seems anyone who cuts a fence and climbs a wall is inside the camp
 

Mikesingh

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But certain factors also cramp the IAF’s capability. The current fleet strength of about 33 fighter squadrons or about 600 aircraft is far less than the required strength of at least 42 squadrons or about 790 fighter aircraft.
Not true. The number of available operational aircraft would be approx 60% of the total strength which would be in the range of 350 to 400 fighter aircraft available at any given time due to maintenance, repairs and so on.

Needless to say, the Paki air force suffers the same problem as does China as well. But a combined Sino-Pak force acting in coordination in a future war scenario would be a force to reckon with. We thus need to accelerate our acquisitions of fighter aircraft as well as surface to air missiles.
 

aditya10r

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IAF

DAY 1 : Be ready for two front war

DAY 2 : We don't have necessary planes for two front war, give us 50B$ to buy European jets.
Day 3:we need pilots
day 4:we need spares
day 5:100 jets crashed..need more jets
..........................................................................................
 

Mikesingh

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IAF

DAY 1 : Be ready for two front war

DAY 2 : We don't have necessary planes for two front war, give us 50B$ to buy European jets.
What has the Cong been doing for the past 30 years? No planes, no artillery, no combat equipment, no nothing. Saint Anthony and his ilk have been sitting on their asses twiddling their thumbs. And that's why we are in this pathetic state. But then that's history. This government needs to fast track acquisitions. But politicians are are too busy in meat bans and cow slaughter. For them they cannot waste time on mundane matters like defence.
 

mendosa

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What has the Cong been doing for the past 30 years? No planes, no artillery, no combat equipment, no nothing. Saint Anthony and his ilk have been sitting on their asses twiddling their thumbs. And that's why we are in this pathetic state. But then that's history. This government needs to fast track acquisitions. But politicians are are too busy in meat bans and cow slaughter. For them they cannot waste time on mundane matters like defence.
I agree with the essence of what you have said, Congress did ignore defense spending and we do need to ramp up weapons acquisition, but it should be in line with national objectives. What IAF keeps asking is disproportionate to our realities. They don't care about realities.

The defense matrix is planned not just on equipment but other things like our current diplomatic and economic levers which we can use as a chip to mold the behavior of other nations. And if the establishment feels like the other levers we have (air defense systems, S400, offensive missile capability, Brahmos, mountain strike core, alliance with vietnam, and an economic bargaining chip against China) they may come to the conclusion that spending 5000 trillion on shiny planes does not yield the kind of dividends we would get if the same resources are spent elsewhere.

The problem with IAF is that their recommendations are based on certain assumptions :

> If a war breaks out IAF alone will fight it out with Pakistan and China while our other branches of military, defense, intel, diplomacy, will be sitting at home enjoying mangoes.

> Only aeroplanes will be used to win a war.

They are still stuck in that WW2 mindset where large formations of hundreds of planes swarmed the enemy and bombed them. A fighter jet is a top of the line weapon, and if integrated with other weapons like air defense systems and ship launched missiles, one doesn't need too many planes. The required number of planes have been sanctioned, they are more than enough if it is integrated with other systems. How many targets inside China is the IAF planning to hit? and how many of these targets cannot be hit by ship launched missiles?

The problem with IAF is that they think that everyone else is stupid, they look down on other services and think like a maverick. The government has other gaps to fill, our submarine fleet project is pending, aircraft carrier is pending, thermonuclear test is pending, Thorium heavy water reactor is pending, mountain strike core is pending. Does the IAF care about these national goals or do they only care about getting shiny stuff for themselves? They take our money by claiming that they are keeping the IAF capabilities up to date, but in EVERY single war, they have found to be lacking. During the Kargil war, they didn't even have laser guided bombs << this weapon was invented in the 70's-80s and used in the first gulf war. It was such an old weapon but our 'up to date' IAF hadn't even got a single of it because they had never thought that the country would need to fight an air war over the mountains. What is the point of taking their technical recommendations seriously if they have no touch with national realities. Theyhad bought more and more planes, Jaguars, Mirage, Sea Harriers, Migs, Sukhoi, and earned commission from Britain, France and Russian aerospace companies but not a single soul in IAF had even thought of buying laser guided bombs? maybe they are paying less commission on LGB.

The current defense breakup of Army || Navy || IAF is approx 65% : 20% : 15%, which should be changed to 60 : 30 : 10 if we are to sustain a blue water navy and expand our footprint. Spending more and more on planes does not help us push our expeditionary capabilities commensurate to the investment.

PS : An IAF chief is currently under investigation for corruption. That is how deep the rot runs. The government would not have given the sanction to prosecute him if his offence was merely limited to stealing few crores of money because it hurts the morale of the whole force if the chief is punished. The fact that the government has gone ahead and prosecuted him means he would have done something seriously against the interest of the nation.

IAF must be split into 3 separate commands :

1} all air superiority fighters and strategic bombers go to space command
2} ground strike and close air support fighters go to Army aviation
3} only a small force of multirole aircraft remains with IAF for purely air combat roles against other aircraft.
 

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3.8 lakh crore was the waiver of corporate loans by UPA govt- Imagine what we could've bought with 3.8 lakh crore those days-

Hint: cost of 126 Rafale deal was pegged at 1 lakh crore by IAF in 2015 end-

We would've had 600 rafale from that money- Making IAF No-2 most powerful airforce in the world after America-
 

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