‘Drones, loitering munitions, precision weapons, fighter aircraft must operate as integrated force to achieve military objectives’
New Delhi, Oct 03: Operation Sindoor highlighted the growing role of drones, loitering munitions and integrated air power in modern warfare, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said on Friday, stressing that these capabilities must operate in tandem with other weapons systems rather than as standalone forces.
Addressing a press conference ahead of Air Force Day, Singh, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said loitering munitions were effective in creating “chaos” and neutralising adversaries.
On calls for a separate drone force, he said drones were not a new capability for the IAF and had been part of its operations for decades.
“Drones are not revolutionary to the Indian Air Force. Yes, they are evolutionary,” he said, adding that the force was expanding both its drone fleet and munitions inventory.
The IAF already has specialised drone units and can expand them if required, Singh said, ruling out the need for a separate drone force.
“These have to work together with other weapons to create the desired effect. We cannot operate one type of weapon separately and another elsewhere,” he said.
The IAF chief said recent conflicts had reinforced the importance of aerospace power in military operations.
“When we talk about a strong military, recent conflicts have shown that air power has emerged as the cutting edge of military capability and remains a key instrument for achieving national objectives,” he said.
Singh said growing global interest in advanced fighter aircraft, long-range precision weapons, integrated air command-and-control systems and unmanned aerial systems reflected the increasing concentration of military power in the aerospace domain.
On China’s fifth-generation fighter aircraft and reports that Pakistan may acquire them, Singh said the development was a concern but not an insurmountable challenge.
“However, is it a no-go situation? I wouldn’t agree with that,” he said.
He noted that the effectiveness of any fighter aircraft depends on its integration with the broader military system rather than the platform alone.
Pakistan had operated advanced platforms in the past but failed to achieve significant results during Operation Sindoor, he said, adding that effective integration of India’s existing and newly inducted systems would help counter future threats until any such aircraft were fully integrated into Pakistan’s military architecture.
The IAF chief also called for the early induction of next-generation fighter aircraft and faster progress on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
“We must prioritise the early induction of an aircraft of this generation. We need to push the AMCA programme forward; if there are delays, we must make alternative decisions,” he said.
Singh had earlier said India was likely to finalise the long-pending Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) deal by the end of the current financial year if the acquisition process proceeds as planned. (KNO)
