Leveraging air power is critical to India’s big power ambitions

29 Aug 2023 6 mins Download PDF

The Indian air force has been looked upon as a mere support service, adjunct to the service-specific operational strategies of the continental and maritime domains, thus portraying India as a surface-centric security force.

Key advantages offered by Air force:

1. Creating a unique hard power deterrence over the South China Sea.
2. Ensuring maritime and aerial freedom in the Indian Ocean region (IOR) for all.
3. Enabling aerial access to strategically located air bases amongst friendly countries in the region.
4. Display soft power by providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. 
5. Provides rapid air mobility and deterrence through posturing.

Why Leveraging air power becomes critical:

1. The China factor:

   1. China is mobilising its Air force to implement its coercive foreign policy and revisionist strategies as evident in Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas. 
   2. China has deployed air power infrastructure in the Tibet Autonomous Region after recognition of India’s asymmetric air power advantage during the Depsang and Galwan crises.
   3. Given the growing capabilities of the PLA’s air force, increased deployment of Indian air power for political signalling and coercion in air spaces in disputed areas becomes a necessity.
   4. While China has direct access provided by CPEC route to the Arabian Sea through the Gwadar port and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor which opens into the Bay of Bengal at Yangon and Kyaukpyu, it can access the IOR and also strategically sandwich India’s eastern and western coasts.
   5. Only India has the strategic advantage of dominating the airspaces over these vital maritime spaces with its land-based air power capabilities. 
2. Strategic necessity at the IOR:
   1. Indian ocean serves as the lifeline of India’s trade, commerce and security imperatives.
   2. IOR is indispensable to the stability of the region and uphold the principle of “freedom of navigation”.
   3. Leveraging air forces along with other military powers shall enable to offer a wider basket of strategic responses and options.

Steps taken to unleash the potential of Indian Air force:

1. Revised doctrine of Indian Air Force:
   1. It refers to air power as aerospace power and also emphasised that defensive and offensive counter-operations are “inextricably linked”.
   2. It highlighted the use of air power as part of a joint military strategy involving the two other forces.
   3. Shaping operations through air diplomacy, air force-to-air force engagements for training and cooperation, and demonstration of aerospace power capabilities in the NWNP (No-war, No-peace) environment.
2. A deal to procure 26 maritime versions of the Rafale combat aircraft has been approved. It underscores two aspects,
   1. The critical role of air power in the maritime domain
   2. Enhancement of interoperability between land-based air power of the IAF and carrier-based air power of the Navy.
3. International recognition of the IAF’s professional capabilities
   1. 7 air exercises were participated by India this year with the air forces of the US, France, Japan, UK, Greece and the UAE.
   2. A 12-nation mega air exercise has been planned in October-November. 

National security is no longer equated with only land and maritime domains and is slowly transitioning towards a future-focused, multi-domain security approach which has been marked by participation of the Indian Air Force in international exercises with key strategic players.

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