Tag: Balakot

  • Balakot ops showed effectiveness of air power even in ‘no war, no peace’ scenario: IAF chief

    The Chief of Air Staff said air power has become an option of choice due to “inherent flexibility” and “unmatched” precision strike capability. NEW DELHI: Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Tuesday highlighted the critical importance of India’s air power considering the nature of its adversaries and said the Balakot operations of 2019 demonstrated its effectiveness even in a ‘no war, no peace’ scenario and under a “nuclear overhang.”

    The Chief of Air Staff said air power has become an option of choice due to “inherent flexibility” and “unmatched” precision strike capability.

    “Operations like Balakot have also demonstrated that given the political will, aerospace power can be effectively used in a no war, no peace scenario, under a nuclear overhang without escalating into a full-blown conflict,” he said.

    “This is very important given the nature of our adversaries. The response options available to the leadership have suddenly increased and increasingly, air power has become an option of choice due to inherent flexibility and unmatched precision strike capability,” he said.

    Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari was speaking at a seminar on ‘Aerospace Power: Pivot to Future Battlespace Operations’.

    India’s warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed.

    “India’s security concerns necessitate that it puts in place adequate military power that has the ability to achieve deterrence, ensure information dominance, coerce when needed and provide multiple response options,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said.

    “Attributes of aerospace power enable the leadership to formulate an appropriate strategy with due cognizance given to the desired end state, conflict termination criteria and escalation matrix,” he said.

    The IAF chief said that considering the advantages that aerospace power offers, it will become a crucial factor in future battlespace operations. To be able to control the airspace across domains will prove vital in the future and in order to achieve that, he said.

    Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said there is a need to harness technology including the CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductors) sensors, Artificial Intelligence enabled decision support matrix and manned-unmanned teaming. He said next-generation fighter aircraft will prove to be a deciding factor when fighting “tomorrow’s wars.”

    “One aspect that deserves a special mention is the humans in the chain. Any amount of automation will not be effective unless we have well-trained, situationally-aware and technologically sound professionals handling our systems,” the IAF Chief said.

    “To see first and see clearly, to reach first and reach farthest and to strike first and strike with precision will be the mantra for fighting modern wars,” he added.

    The Air Chief Marshal said battlespace transparency, enhanced rapid mobility and pinpoint precision capability will be the key to success and India’s capability development plans must address these issues.

    “If the world is increasingly becoming volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, it is high time that we develop counters,” he said.

    “We must evolve to counter the volatile with stability and calmness that comes from good strategy formulation and training in an environment of denial,” he said.

  • Military court recommends dismissal of IAF officer over shooting down of Mi-17 chopper

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force’s General Court Martial (GCM) instituted to look into the accidental shooting down of an Mi-17 V5 in February 2019 has recommended dismissal of a Group Captain related to the incident.

    Sources said the GCM ordered the dismissal of Group Captain Suman Roy Chowdhury, who was serving then as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Srinagar Air Force Station.

    As per the Court of Inquiry, the attack helicopter was struck by the IAF’s own surface-to-air missile on February 27, 2019 — the day Indian and Pakistani air forces were engaged in a dogfight.

    However, it is yet to be sent to the IAF chief as the matter is sub judice in the High Court of Punjab and Haryana.

    “The verdict of the GCM is subject to confirmation by the competent authority. Hence, the officer has not been dismissed from service till the said confirmation,” a defence source said.

    ALSO READ | India’s defence exports rise ten-fold in six years, reach all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore

    Sources said the IAF can only act on the GCM’s recommendation after a decision on a case relating to the incident by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

    As per the sources, last month the High Court of Punjab and Haryana allowed the GCM to pronounce its verdict while stating that it must not be implemented till it disposes of the case, which is awaited.

    According to laid down norms, the Chief of Air Staff has to give an approval on the recommendation of the GCM for sacking of the official.

    On the morning of February 27, 2019, a day after the Balakot air strike, fighter jets of India and Pakistan were involved in a duel over the Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir near the Line of Control (LoC). The Mi-17V5 had crashed in the Budgam area shortly after take-off from Srinagar killing all six personnel on board and one civilian on the ground.

    The Court of Inquiry ordered to investigate the crash had put the responsibility on at least four officers, including a Group Captain.

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force’s General Court Martial (GCM) instituted to look into the accidental shooting down of an Mi-17 V5 in February 2019 has recommended dismissal of a Group Captain related to the incident.

    Sources said the GCM ordered the dismissal of Group Captain Suman Roy Chowdhury, who was serving then as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Srinagar Air Force Station.

    As per the Court of Inquiry, the attack helicopter was struck by the IAF’s own surface-to-air missile on February 27, 2019 — the day Indian and Pakistani air forces were engaged in a dogfight.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    However, it is yet to be sent to the IAF chief as the matter is sub judice in the High Court of Punjab and Haryana.

    “The verdict of the GCM is subject to confirmation by the competent authority. Hence, the officer has not been dismissed from service till the said confirmation,” a defence source said.

    ALSO READ | India’s defence exports rise ten-fold in six years, reach all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore

    Sources said the IAF can only act on the GCM’s recommendation after a decision on a case relating to the incident by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

    As per the sources, last month the High Court of Punjab and Haryana allowed the GCM to pronounce its verdict while stating that it must not be implemented till it disposes of the case, which is awaited.

    According to laid down norms, the Chief of Air Staff has to give an approval on the recommendation of the GCM for sacking of the official.

    On the morning of February 27, 2019, a day after the Balakot air strike, fighter jets of India and Pakistan were involved in a duel over the Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir near the Line of Control (LoC). The Mi-17V5 had crashed in the Budgam area shortly after take-off from Srinagar killing all six personnel on board and one civilian on the ground.

    The Court of Inquiry ordered to investigate the crash had put the responsibility on at least four officers, including a Group Captain.