ADDRESS BY VCAS FOR AIR & MISSILE DEFENCE INDIA 2024 SEMINAR & EXHIBITION

1.       Former Chiefs, DG CAPS, Senior retired and serving officers, distinguished guests, (members of CAPS, DRDO, Industry and academia), ladies and gentlemen, Good morning.

2.       At the outset, I would like to thank Air Marshal (AM) Golani DG CAPS for granting me the opportunity to interact with this eminent gathering, and for his kind words of introduction.

3.       I would also like to express my appreciation to CAPS for conducting a seminar on this very important and contemporary topic – “Air & Missile Defence India”, jointly with Indian Military Review (and Ernst & Young).

          Here, I must also comment on the journey of CAPS. From humble

beginnings in 2001, it has come of age as one of the leading Strategic think tanks in this country today.

4.       DG CAPS has succinctly brought out the environment scan and the highly contested airspace that we are likely to operate in. He has also covered the takeaways from the ongoing conflicts and the need to modernise our forces rapidly. He also spoke about various challenges and obstacles in ensuring comprehensive air defence against all types of threats.

5.       Technological advancements continue to surprise us with their rapid pace. What was unimaginable just a few years ago is now a reality. The impact of technology infusion into warfighting has made it crystal clear that we in the Armed Forces need to be more agile and flexible in both thoughts and actions.

6.       The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is one of the prime examples of such trends that unambiguously exhibit a “Multi-Domain Battlespace” – the much talked about Anti Access Area Denial – A2AD strategy of Russia and China being a classic example. The conflict has demonstrated integration of multiple forces in domains of air, land, sea, information, cyber and space, to achieve military goals.

7.       I am sure everyone here, including the colleagues from other services, will agree that the air domain has clearly emerged as a singular trans-domain link, a strong source of cross domain application of force acting as an enabler, or rather a force multiplier. Even in the urban warfare construct of Israel Hamas conflict – the air domain has been used extensively – be it by fighter aircraft dropping precision munitions low cost rockets & loiter munitions used by Hamas or the formidable Iron Dome system defending Israel.

8.       The four basic requirements of any AD system remain valid even today, however, the complexities and the scales have gone up manifold :-

• Early Warning/ Detection. To cater for a wide array of aerial threats, from Fighter aircraft and hypersonic missiles to low RCS drones, this can be accomplished by using a heterogeneous setup of detection systems such as RF sensors & FMCW radars as first tier, acoustic radars and EO / IR sensors as follow up to pick up intruding threats in time and with good assurance.

• Secure and redundant Communication system which will ensure that the data / information exchange happens in real time           unambiguously.

• A robust Command and control structure, where all inputs are           analysed and decisions arrived at. Use of latest technology and Al          will help in filtering the large quantum of data and recommend the most optimal solution or available options.

• The integrated AD system should effectively counter the plethora of enemy aerial threats. Once the threat has been detected and    identified as hostile, it has to be neutralized effectively with  lethal system consisting of multiple layers, right from fighter interceptors to LRSAMs to CIWS.

9.       The nation today, faces a range of new challenges that span from increasingly aggressive and unorthodox application in the sub-conventional domain to a highly dense conventional battlespace. The IAF is aware of the complexities of modern battlespaces and has put in place plans to ensure optimal utilisation of available resources while parallely bolstering our capability through upgradation and procurements.

10.     If geopolitics has a lesson – it is to be self-reliant, ‘Atma nirbhar Bharat’. (Atma Nirbhar Bharat should not just be a buzzword- it should be our overriding concern and pursued holistically in letter and spirit)

11.     The IAF has engaged with DRDO and private industry for bolstering our capabilities in radars, SAGW systems and CUAS weapons (soft as well as hard kill). We have a credible and comprehensive networked air defence. Impetus is also being given in the fields of directed energy weapons, close-in weapon systems, CCD and modernising our aerial platforms and Surface to Air Guided weapon systems. IAF has ongoing Air Defence contracts worth Rs 112 thousand Crores with another 275 thousand Crores worth contracts in the pipeline.

12.     Atma Nirbharta cannot be achieved at the cost of our national security. The rate at which our adversaries are building their numbers while imbibing new technologies, the capability gap is continuously growing. I exhort DRDO, DPSUs and the private industry to focus on innovative technologies, out of the box solutions and increase of capability as well as capacity.

13.     Keeping an eye on the future, and to have focussed professionals, IAF has operationalised a dedicated Weapon System Branch. A sub branch of this will be dedicatedly responsible for the Surface to Air Guided Weapons.

14.     This subject of Air and Missile is exceedingly complex, but very relevant. This initiative by CAPS to get strategic thinkers, academia, DRDO and industry together on a common forum will go a long way in improving our understanding of the requirements and deciding the right course of action towards safer Indian skies. I must compliment CAPS for organising the Air & Missile Defence Seminar and wish all participants involved the very best.

                    Jai Hind…