India-China border standoff: Rajnath Singh lauds IAF for 'timely and befitting' response in eastern Ladakh

New Delhi, April 16: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the Indian Air Force (IAF) for ensuring a "timely and befitting" response to the "sudden" developments in eastern Ladakh, referring to the India-China border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

 

  

 

This came after Singh addressed the bi-annual IAF Commanders’ Conference here. The defence minister advised them to draw up long term plans and strategies for capability enhancement to counter future threats. He appreciated the critical focus of IAF towards reorienting for the future.

 

Noting that changing dimensions of war would now include advanced technologies, asymmetric capabilities and information-dominance, the minister, who inaugurated the bi-annual commanders’ conference, said it was very important that the IAF’s preparations for the future must include these aspects.

 

 

As the situation deteriorated in eastern Ladakh following a fierce clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan valley in June last year, the Indian Air Force deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in the region.

 

Referring to changing international geopolitics, he observed that the perceptible shift of focus from Trans-Atlantic to Trans-Pacific has become more obvious in the recent past. Changing dimensions of war would now include advanced technologies, asymmetric capabilities and info-dominance, and it was very important that the IAF’s preparations for the future must include these aspects.

 

 

Singh also stressed on the need to continue to work proactively towards the integration process currently underway, implementation of the joint logistics plan and to enhance synergy in areas of joint planning and operations.

 

In his closing remarks, Singh assured the AF Commanders of the wholehearted support from the Ministry of Defence in achieving the goal of being a potent Strategic Aerospace Force. He expressed confidence that important decisions taken during the conference would enhance the combat potential of the IAF.

 

The status of strengthening current combat capabilities and the action plan for making IAF a future-ready combat force would be examined. Issues pertaining to systems, reforms and restructuring for ensuring more efficient processes across all domains and optimised operational training will also be discussed.

 

 

Singh urged the commanders to take stock and implement all directions issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the combined commanders’ conference that had taken place at Kevadia in Gujarat last month. Asserting that the IAF’s order for Light Combat Aircraft Tejas would result in a substantial boost to the domestic defence industry, he said it will be a game changer from the perspective of defence indigenisation.

 

In February, the government sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal to procure 83 Tejas aircraft from state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. It is the biggest ever indigenous defence procurement programme.

 

He urged the commanders to continue their efforts for achieving even greater results in the field of indigenous defence production and aircraft maintenance. Issues pertaining to systems, reforms and restructuring for ensuring more efficient processes across all domains and optimised operational training are also being discussed at the conference.