Hyderabad: Drawing lessons from Operation Sindoor, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on Friday said modern wars cannot be won by countries operating in silos and stressed that joint and multi-domain operations are critical to achieving military objectives.
Speaking at the Air Chief Marshal Idris Hasan Latif Memorial Lecture, he highlighted the need to strengthen indigenous capabilities and defence preparedness amid evolving security challenges. “If you fight a war in isolation, you will never win,” he said. “You will only win if others are equally ready to exert pressure or are operating in conjunction with you. Unless you are united, unless you are together, unless you are coordinating, things will not work out.”
While underlining how the role of defence forces has come into sharper focus amid evolving global conflicts, he said recent wars and Operation Sindoor have also reinforced the importance of air power — the ability to respond rapidly to emerging situations, strike specific targets and manage escalation as well as de-escalation.
“Operation Sindoor worked out very well. All the three chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff sat together for at least a week to 10 days, deciding what needed to be done, what is the best way to do it and giving the correct advice. Other agencies also worked closely with us. We were able to pursue our objectives and execute them effectively,” he said.
Highlighting the coordination among the armed forces, the CAS said: “On the first day, we had nine targets to be hit. That was the only objective. Of these, two came our way, while seven were to be handled by the Army. Some naval weapons were also integrated for use by both services. Everything was happening together.”
“However, over the next three days, everybody realised that it was only the Air Force that could react quickly and exert pressure on the adversary,” he added.
Turning to technology, he maintained that manned warfare would continue to remain relevant despite rapid technological advancements. “Drones are important. We cannot say that we do not need them. But it has to be a mix of manned and unmanned vehicles,” he said.
Stressing the importance of self-reliance, Air Chief Marshal Singh said military capability must be backed by adequate capacity. Noting that many of the world's major arms suppliers are themselves involved in conflicts, he said countries cannot assume that external supplies will always be available when required. “The only answer to that is self-reliance,” he said, adding that India needs indigenous technologies, systems and weapons that can be operated, modified and sustained without depending on others.
