India

IAF Chief Emphasizes Need to Anticipate Warfare Changes for Victory

By PTI

Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh told a seminar on the ‘Central Role of Air Power in the Evolving Battlespace’ that victory favours those who anticipate changes in warfare and adapt accordingly. He said the two major ongoing conflicts worldwide and India’s experience in Operation Sindoor last year have highlighted the primacy of air power. The seminar was hosted by a defence think‑tank at Subroto Park in New Delhi and ran parallel to the multi‑nation air exercise Tarang Shakti, which is being conducted at Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan. Seven foreign countries, including the United States, France, Germany and Australia, are participating in the second edition of the exercise. The U.S. F‑35 stealth fighter is taking part for the first time. Singh warned that waiting for changes to happen before adapting could be too late in an era of rapidly evolving technology and warfare. Earlier on Thursday, he led celebrations of the Indian Air Force’s 94th anniversary at Hindan Air Base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and in his Air Force Day address he noted that recent conflicts worldwide have shown air power to be the primary means of protecting national interests. He cited Operation Sindoor as evidence of the IAF’s speed in combat operations and described the force, founded in 1932, as an exceptional, capable, network‑centric, multi‑domain force ranked among the finest in the world.