Airpower is a crucial contributor to accomplishing any military mission and is considered pivotal to win a war. Indian Air Force (IAF) in the present configuration has carried out its duties of not only defending the Indian skies throughout the history of independent India, but also ensured that the air assets are fighting fit and contemporary.

However, it is now being considered to absorb the professional arm of IAF into various Theatre Commands (of Maritime and Indian Army), for reasons still incomprehensible to experts.

While the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and his department are yet to define the Theatre Command concept clearly to satisfy the military experts, the re-distribution of a crucial fighting air arm based on incomplete appreciation of modern warfare has fanned controversy.

“IAF in the present form has carried out its duties of not only maintaining a fighting fit air asset, but also defended Indian skies efficiently despite the shortages of air squadrons,” opined a former senior IAF officer who wished to remain anonymous.

Financial Express Online has been regularly reporting on the multiple roles being played by the IAF in peace time, and has always been in a high demand due to the exceptional abilities it has to carry out Human Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) etc. It is well known that Indian skies are safe only because of the dedication and capabilities of IAF. The role of the Air Force world over has been understood to be for the offensive to win a war.

“Theatre Commands being formed with lesser understanding on principles of jointness, is akin to leaving each service on their own fate within the Theatre Command, with a hope that at some stage in future some sort of equilibrium is reached,” the officer quoted above stated.

Theatre Commands and IAF

It has just been one year and six months since the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) was set up on 01 Jan 2020. Military experts consider it too early for DMA to be non-service biased and independent enough to take a decision which influences all the Armed Forces

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