New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh said on Saturday that military power is concentrated around the aerospace domain, adding that recent conflicts have shown that air power is the cutting edge on which any nation relies to meet its objectives.
At a press conference ahead of Air Force Day, Singh said, “As far as geopolitics is concerned, we all have seen the changes which are taking place in the world. From the conflicts which we see around, it is very clear that other elements of comprehensive national power of any nation rest on a strong military.”
“Military power becomes the ultimate, and without adequate military power, any state remains vulnerable to coercion, and if we have to do things our way, if we have to follow the path that we want to follow, we have to have a strong military,” the IAF chief said.
“And when we talk about a strong military, in the recent conflicts we have seen that it is the air power which has come to the fore, which has come out as the cutting edge of military power, and it is one instrument on which any nation relies to meet its objectives,” he said.
“Whether we look at defence transactions worldwide and strategic conversations that are taking place — whether it is advanced fighter aircraft, long-range precision weapons, integrated air command and control, or unmanned aerial systems — it is all very clear that they all reflect that military power is concentrated around the aerospace domain,” said the Air Chief Marshal.
Earlier, the IAF chief said India is likely to finalise much‑awaited multi‑role fighter aircraft (MRFA) deal by the end of this financial year if plans materialise in time.
Singh said price negotiations and other critical issues on the proposed acquisition — estimated at about Rs 3.25 lakh crore — are under way.
India in February cleared the proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets in the country’s largest-ever defence acquisition push.
The deal was formulated under a government-to-government framework with France, nearly two decades after the plan was originally rolled out to boost the Indian Air Force’s combat prowess and expand India’s Rafale fleet.
(IANS)
