Future wars would need capability of 'seeing', 'striking' first': IAF chief

Future wars would need capability of "seeing first", followed by ability to "strike first" and then, "striking the farthest", IAF chief V.R. Chaudhari said on Tuesday.

Fighter jets, UAVs, sensors, with long-range missile and manned-unmanned teaming of platforms will define the outcome of air power in future wars, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said at a seminar on "Aerospace Power: Pivot to Future Battlespace Operations", organised by The Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) in memory of the first and only Marshal of the Indian Air Force, Arjan Singh.

According to the IAF, the seminar aimed to explore the changing nature of aerospace power and its role in future battlespace operations. As technological advancements continue to reshape the landscape of warfare, the aerospace domain has become increasingly important for achieving military objectives, it noted.

The seminar examined the 'Peculiarities of Air Power Operations' in the past and outlined the need for multi-domain operations as an inseparable entity in future battlespace operations. As the world becomes increasingly complex and volatile, military operations require a more integrated and multi-dimensional approach that leverages the full spectrum of aerospace capabilities. Aerospace power will play a critical role in future conflicts, providing key advantages in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, command and control, and strike capabilities, the IAF added.

Sessions discussed the evolving nature of aerospace power, including emerging technologies, strategies, and the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating these capabilities into broader military operations.

'Key Trends and Technologies in the Aerospace Domain' and their implications of these trends for aerospace power was also examined, as well as the growing importance of space and cyber domains, the rise of unmanned aerial vehicles, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, and hypersonic in aerospace operations.

A session also deliberated on successfully integrating aerospace power into future battlespace operations, which would require a comprehensive understanding of the emerging threat environment, a commitment to innovation and technological advancement, and the development of new operational concepts and doctrine.

The conference is a tribute to late Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh, the first chief to lead the IAF into war, being Chief of Air Staff when it saw action in its first conflict of the modern age in 1965. He was hardly 44 when entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Indian Air Force, which he did with flamboyance and elan.

The CAPS decided to commence an annual memorial lecture in his honour to inspire the present and future generation proponents of air power.