“Cyber and information” have become the modern tools for shaping the battlefield, Air Chief Marshal said in his speech at an event organised by All India Management Association (AIMA). A well created narrative in the information domain to adversely affect the enemy, can have devastating effects, he mentioned.  As humans become more and more interconnected, a cyber-attack on our networks can cripple command and control structures, Chaudhari noted.  “What I am trying to get at is that in the next war, the enemy might not be a country or an organisation,” he mentioned.

India may never know the perpetrators of a “Distributed Denial of Services” attack and we will not know when and from where the attack will take place, he  added. In the future, India could be attacked on all fronts, ranging from economic strangulation to diplomatic isolation and military standoffs to information black outs in the form of attacks by “Distributed Denial of Services”, he mentioned.

All this will happen well before the first bullet is fired or the first aircraft goes across the border, he noted. Future warfare is likely to be hybrid in nature and the spectrum of conflict will be spread across all domains spanning from conventional to sub-conventional, kinetic to non-kinetic and lethal to non-lethal, all under a nuclear overhang, he said.  “The weapons we are looking at would be ranging from a small computer virus to hypersonic missiles,” he added.

“There is a need for us to develop capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict and focus on multi-domain operations. Similarly, our doctrines, equipment, training and tactics will have to be flexible and able to adapt rapidly to these new challenges,” he stressed. PTI DSP http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg “We bring the World to you” Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you.

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The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri addressed the Air Force Commanders on the inaugural day of the conference. In his address, the Raksha Mantri appreciated the IAF for maintaining a high level of preparedness, ability to respond on a short notice and displaying high standards of professionalism in carrying out operational and peace time tasks. The Raksha Mantri remarked on the volatile situation on our borders and said that the Armed Forces need to be prepared to respond at a short notice for any contingency. He brought out that the role of IAF in future conflicts is crucial and it needs to harness the capabilities and opportunities offered by AI, Big Data Handling and Machine Learning. He also mentioned that the efforts in the field of indigenization through ‘Make in India’ initiative of Govt of India is showing results and the orders of LCA Mk 1A and C-295 will open new opportunities in the indigenous aerospace sector. Expounding on theaterisation, he mentioned that enhancing jointness is essential and the structure should be evolved after closely examining various options, and inputs from all stake holders would be taken into consideration. The RM concluded by exhorting the commanders to brainstorm to evolve viable solutions towards the conference theme of, “Ensuring Certainty amidst Uncertainities”.  The CAS thereafter briefed the Raksha Mantri on the current status of the IAF.

The CAS addressed all Commanders and emphasized on the need to develop multi-domain capability in order to give a swift and befitting response to any misadventures by our adversaries. He also emphasized on the need for joint training with the Indian Army and Indian Navy to enable synergized application of combat power in future conflicts. The CAS complimented all the commanders for maintaining a high state of readiness despite challenges posed by the pandemic.

The Commanders’ Conference is being conducted from 10 Nov 21 to 12 Nov 21. Uncertainty in the geo-political landscape makes it an imperative for the armed forces to train, equip and adapt to rapid changes. During the Conference, commanders will discuss and brainstorm situations which may affect National Security and focus on measures to enhance operational capability. Issues pertaining to strengthening training and optimising HR policies for effective utilization of manpower will also be discussed.

PIB Release ID: 1770535

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The chief of the United Arab Emirates Air Force visited Israel on Monday on what the host country described as a harbinger of cooperation in air power.

The U.S. allies normalised relations last year, brought together by shared worries about Iran and a desire for business ventures. Their public embrace has so far been in the diplomatic and commercial, rather than military, spheres. Major-General Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi, commander of the UAE air force, made the previously unannounced appearance during a multinational drill, Blue Flag, hosted by Israel this week.

“This is a truly historic day with tremendous significance for the future of cooperation between our air forces,” his Israeli counterpart, Major-General Amikam Norkin, tweeted. The statement did not elaborate on how such cooperation might look. Israeli media have suggested the UAE – along with Gulf neighbour Bahrain, which also formalized ties with Israel last year – may be interested in joint defences against Iranian-made drones.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly last month, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said “Iran plans to arm its proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon with hundreds, and then thousands of these deadly drones.” Iran denies arming any paramilitary forces across the region. Israel has mounted regular strikes against what it has described as Iranian-linked targets in Syria, including one such attack on Monday, according to Syrian state media.

Briefing foreign reporters last week, a senior Israeli security official said security cooperation with Arab countries in new partnerships with Israel had “improved and intensified in recent months”. He did not name the countries nor detail the cooperation, other than to say it had been enhanced by Israel’s inclusion this year in Centcom, a U.S. military coordination umbrella organization for the Middle East.

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An alumnus of NDA, the CAS was commissioned in Dec 82 in the fighter stream of the IAF. He has flown more than 3800 hours on multiple fighter and trainer aircraft.

During his career spanning almost four decades, the CAS has tenanted many significant command and staff appointments. He has commanded a MiG-29 Squadron, two Air Force Stations and Western Air Command. His staff appointments include Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ Eastern Air Command, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence), Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers), Deputy Commandant of Air Force Academy and Air Assistant to Chief of the Air Staff.

A Cat ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor, he has served as an instructor at Flying Training Establishments and has also been an Air Force Examiner. He was a pioneer member of the Suryakiran Aerobatic Display Team. An alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he has served as a Directing Staff there. He has also served as Directing Staff at DSCSC in Zambia. Prior to assuming the present appointment, he was the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.

CAS is a recipient of Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Vayu Sena Medal (VM) and is honorary ADC to the President of India.

In his address to the IAF, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said that he was honoured and privileged to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Indian Air Force. Extending greetings to all Air Warriors, Non Combatants (Enrolled), DSC personnel, civilians and their families, CAS expressed absolute faith and confidence in their ability to accomplish all assigned tasks with resolute dedication while maintaining IAF’s operational capability at an all-time high.

Outlining the focus areas for Commanders and personnel, CAS said, “Protection of our Nation’s sovereignty and integrity is to be ensured at any cost”.  He added that enhancement of operational capability through integration of newly inducted platforms, weapons and equipment with existing assets and dovetailing the same in concepts of operations would remain a priority area. He spoke on aspects of acquisition of new technology, promotion of indigenization and innovation, strengthening of cyber security, rapid adaptation of training methods to meet future demands and sustained work to nurture human resources. CAS urged all to “always uphold the ethos and credo of the ‘Air Warrior’, and strive to be an asset to the IAF in any role tasked for”.

PIB Release ID: 1759645

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Air Marshal V R Chaudhari, PVSM, AVSM, VM, was commissioned into the Fighter stream of Indian Air Force on 29^th December 1982 and has held various Command, Staff and Instructional Appointments at various levels including the present one as Vice Chief of Air Staff.

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Addressing the occasion of the Commanders’ Conference at South Western Air Command (SWAC), Bhadauria highlighted the need for maintaining operational readiness round the clock and sustained focus on capability enhancement. The Air force official emphasized the early operationalisation of newly inducted sensors and weapon systems, as per the official release by the South Western Air Command.

CAS exhorted the Commanders to leverage modern methods in training; in order to enhance the understanding and capabilities of the new generation air warriors. While interacting with air warriors and civilian employees, he appreciated their immense contribution in operational deployments and disciplined approach towards mitigating the COVID crisis.

Bhadauria visited Gandhinagar for two days i.e. August 17, 18. The conference brought together Commanders from Air Force Stations in SWAC Area of Responsibility (AOR) for an operational review of missions and tasks.

On arrival, CAS was received by Air Marshal Sandeep Singh AVSM VM, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief South Western Air Command. CAS placed a wreath at the Command War Memorial and was presented with a ceremonial Guard of Honour. (ANI)

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“During the visit, he called on Major General Amikam Norkin, Commander Israeli Air Force and held wide-ranging discussions on all bilateral Air Force interactions. He flew a sortie there in an F-15 fighter and was given an overview of Israeli Air Force’s operational environment,” the IAF said in a release.

The IAF chief had very productive meetings with the DG MoD and Chief of the General Staff on matters of mutual interest and bilateral defence cooperation. The IAF chief and his Israeli counterpart also visited the “Yad Vashem” and paid homage at the memorial. They also laid wreaths at the Cemetery for Indian soldiers in Talpioth, Jerusalem.

The release said that visit of the Chief of Air Staff to Israel marks an important milestone in the Indian Air Force and the Israeli Air Force’s ties, with both sides reaffirming a shared vision of enhanced bilateral engagements and multidisciplinary professional exchanges for the future. (ANI)

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“Indian Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria reached Israel yesterday on an official visit on an invitation from his counterpart Major General Amikam Norkin,” tweeted Indian Air Force (IAF).

Both sides will be discussing enhancement in depth and scope of bilateral exchanges between the two Air Forces.

“As strategic partners, India & Israel enjoy strong, multi-dimensional ties, an important pillar of which is defence cooperation & military level exchanges. Both sides will discuss enhancement in depth & scope of bilateral exchanges between the two Air Forces,” added the IAF tweet.

Earlier, Bhadauria visited UAE at the invitation from Major General Ibrahim Nasser M Al Alawi Cdr UAE Air Force and Air Defence (UAE AF & AD) on Monday. (ANI)

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In response, the Indian Air Force refused to be drawn into a media debate on the matter but its chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria clarified that the IAF was in support of the creation of theatre commands but it should be done in the right way.

He also disagreed with the CDS remarks comparing the IAF with combat support arms of the Army like Engineers and Artillery and stated that the IAF had a bigger air power role.

The CDS is working towards the creation of four theatre commands of which three will be headed by Army officers and one by Navy officers. All the theatre commanders would report to the CDS as per the proposals which are yet to be approved by the Defence Minister and the government.

The verbal spat happened during a seminar held by the Global Counter-Terrorism Council where the CDS said: “The Air Force is required to provide support to ground forces. Do not forget that the air force continues to remain a supporting arm to the armed force. Just as artillery and engineers support the combatant arms of the army. They have an air defence charter and a charter for supporting ground forces in times of operations.”

Emphasising that the air force needs to understand ‘this basic charter’, the senior-most military officer said that under the new proposals, the Air Force will have a centralised air defence command and its assets like combat aircraft will be split into two land-based theatre commands.

General Rawat said that air advisors will be appointed to two commands – on the western and eastern borders – who would ‘advise’ theatre commander on air operations.

Speaking after the CDS, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria refused to discuss the details of the internal deliberations on theatre commands, saying that the differences need to be resolved internally and need not be publicly discussed. Bhadauria, however, made it clear that the Air Force was not merely a supporting arm and a lot of different aspects go into planning an air operation.

“There is absolutely no question that we are for establishing these commands but we must get it right. It’s an important reform and we should be able to reach the next level of comprehensive national power that has more flexibility and not more boundaries”, he said.

The Air Chief added that each of the three services has its own doctrines and knowledge that needs to be brought in for a synergised result.

“It is not a supporting role alone, air-power has a higher role to play. In any of the integrated battle areas, a lot of things go into any air plan and these are issues under consideration,” he said.

Last month, a presentation was made to the defence minister and defence ministry officials who raised several questions on the proposed structure of the commands by the department of military affairs.

The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) then made a Committee including three vice chiefs and the defence ministry officials who again put up their reservations in writing in the first meeting.

The concerns raised by the ministry are yet to be answered in detail. (ANI)

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“In parallel, the ground reality is being monitored closely in terms of current leftover locations, deployments, or any changes. We are taking all required actions on our parts,” he said. Bhadauria further said that the IAF is undergoing a transformation with the rapid infusion of niche technologies. The Chief Air Marshal said, “IAF is undergoing a monumental transformation. Rapid infusion of niche technologies and combat power in every facet of our operations has never been as intense as it is now.”

“This is primarily because of the unprecedented and rapidly evolving security challenges that we face, coupled with the rising geopolitical uncertainty in our neighbourhood and beyond,” he added. (ANI)

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