Vimarsha: Talk by Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) on 'National Security Challenges and Air Power'

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The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) invited Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC, for a public discourse on “National Security Challenges and Air Power”. The talk was organised under the aegis of Vimarsha, a platform offered by the VIF to enable eminent persons, academicians, media personnel et al to engage directly with policy thinkers over a wide range of contemporary and historical issues.

The talk by the Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force was the first in the series by the chiefs of the armed forces for the period 2020-2021. The CAS highlighted the role and capabilities of the IAF; he also delved into India’s evolving threat spectrum. He brought out the growing importance of Air Power as the first tool of response in the nation’s arsenal towards any contingency. He laid out the general strategic environment the world and India are operating in at the present constituting of the pandemic, rebalancing of power centers, threats from China to India on its Norther Borders, transnational terrorism, polarization, extremist ideologies and the general flux all around. These threats are therefore manifesting physically in the Indian Ocean, land borders in the sub-continent, electromagnetic sphere as well in the information domain.

The IAF, he brought out has laid emphasis on identifying and procuring critical technologies for offensive action as well as towards mitigation from them when used by an adversary. The CAS also laid emphasis on research, development and procurement of indigenous technology military equipment. Towards the end he assured the audience on the capability of the IAF in favorable outcomes in any situation in which it was employed.

The address by the Air Force Chief was very well received by the virtual audience and subsequently indulged in a free-wheeling interactive session after the presentation.