Tag: Indian Air Force Chief

  • China’s demonstration of physically moving disabled satellite to another orbit new threat: IAF chief

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: China’s latest demonstration of physically moving its disabled satellite to another orbit poses a new threat in the race to weaponise the space domain, Indian Air Force Chief V R Chaudhari said on Thursday.

    Moreover, he said no single service — air force, army or navy — can win wars on its own and this holds good even for the future.

    Last month, China’s Shijian-21 satellite physically moved a disabled Chinese satellite, altering its geostationary orbit.

    This capability of physically altering the orbits of a satellite has earlier been demonstrated by the US only.

    “China’s latest demonstration of physically moving one of its disabled satellites into the graveyard orbit is bringing in newer threats in the race to weaponise the space domain, a domain hitherto considered relatively safe,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said.

    “The spectrum that we are looking at stretches from kinetic to non-kinetic, lethal to non-lethal and from small drones to hypersonic ballistic missiles. This vast and ever-changing continuum will pose significant challenges for the armed forces of the future,” he added.

    He said the IAF’s training philosophy needs to be modern, flexible and adaptive, with a heavy dose of “jointness”.

    A well-trained air warrior — who is technologically sound yet able to adapt to disruptions — would serve as a force multiplier, the IAF chief mentioned.

    “The next step would be to use our doctrines and well-trained manpower to evolve employment philosophies and CONOPS (Concept of Operations),” he noted This would require joint planning and joint execution of plans, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari stressed.

    “No single service can win wars on its own and this holds good even for the future. This brings me to the next challenge of command and control,” he said.

    The primacy of who will do what cannot be determined by a pro-rata system of who has a larger mass of forces or equipment, the IAF chief mentioned.

    “The thought process must change and it would be important to appreciate the capabilities of each service to make two plus two equal to five.” He stressed the need to develop joint command and control structures for integrated and synergised application of combat power.

    “The fundamental strengths of individual services must be brought together to deter potential enemies or decisively win the nation’s wars. There is a need to wage tomorrow’s wars with pragmatism and not necessarily idealism,” Chaudhari noted.

  • Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari to be the next Indian Air Force Chief of Staff

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The government has confirmed the appointment of Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari as the next Indian Air Force Chief of Staff on Tuesday.

    Announcing the decision, the Ministry of Defence in its press release said, “Government has decided to appoint Air Marshal V R Chaudhari presently Vice Chief of Air Staff, as the next Chief of the Air Staff after the retirement of Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on 30th September 2021.”

    The Air Marshal was commissioned in the Fighter Stream of the IAF on 29 December 82. The Air Officer has a flying experience of more than 3800 hrs on a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft, including missions flown during Op-Meghdoot (Siachen) and Op-Safed Sagar (Kargil).

    He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

    During his illustrious career in the IAF, the Air Officer has commanded a frontline Fighter Sqn and a Fighter base. As an Air Vice Marshal, he has been Deputy Commandant, Air Force Academy, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence), and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers). He has also held the coveted appointments of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air HQ and Senior Air Staff Officer at Eastern Air Command. Prior to assuming the appointment Vice Chief, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Air Command.

    During his tenure as VCAS, he was instrumental in ensuring prompt and optimum operational deployment of assets in proportionate response to the developing situation in Eastern Ladakh. Under his guidance, IAF also effectively contributed towards various HADR and COVID-related tasks, both within India and abroad.