Secure Skies

Pravin Sawhney and Ghazala Wahab

The Indian Air Force (IAF) should be at the front and centre of India’s defence in order to provide a semblance of deterrence and, should it fail, respectable warfighting outcome against China and Pakistan. This is what the chief of air staff, Air Chief Marshal, B.S. Dhanoa would be thinking as he takes the salute at the 86^th Indian Air Force day parade.

S-400 Air Defence Missile System and Dassault Aviation’s Rafale

Even partial deterrence (to include political will) would work against China and Pakistan since they do not want war. China is committed to its peaceful ‘China Dream’ through the geopolitically significant Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and it is critical for Pakistan to adhere to timelines of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the flagship of the BRI.

However, since capabilities — instead of intentions — matter while undertaking threats assessment, ACM Dhanoa’s statement that China and Pakistan ‘are not sitting idle’ rings true. China, an aerospace power, is on its way to becoming an aerospace superpower by 2030. This is ev