Newer tech will decide war outcome, says IAF ex-Chief

Former Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari (retd), today said Indian military would need to capitalise on newer technologies to achieve superiority in all domains, and to prevent conflict or ensure ‘decisive victory’.

Underlining that India needed to leapfrog much faster in the technology race rather than growing with conventional gradual speed, he listed drones, space-based assets and integrated air defence measures to tackle future conflicts.

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari (retd) was responding to a question from the audience at the inaugural of the 16th ‘Jumbo’ Majumdar International Seminar themed on ‘Evolving Dynamics of Aerospace Power’ organised by the Centre for Air Power Studies.

The seminar debated topics ranging from integrated aerospace management, effective space exploitation for gaining ‘control of the air’, exploitation of drones and manned unmanned teams in future conflicts and the way forward for induction of emerging and niche technologies by the IAF.

Three speakers delivered presentations on subjects ranging from integrated air space management to drones and other unmanned low-flying machines and how they will impact warfare in the future.

After the presentations, an interactive session ensued with the audience. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari (retd) was asked if the evolution of air power and the advent and advancement in disruptive technologies such as AI, and machine learning will also decide the outcome of a war in the future vis-a-vis a conventional school of military thought that irrespective of the domain in which a war takes place, victory or defeat will be decided on land only. The former IAF Chief said the “notion of victories” was really different in each circumstance, and the answer could not be in binary.

Earlier Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari (retd), in his opening remarks said the advent of advanced air mobility services and air power management in battlespaces were going to be a ‘challenge’ going forward.