New Delhi: As the border standoff in Ladakh has been going on for more than two years and the protracted fighting continues in Ukraine, Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary on Friday said, “Force is the new strategy, cyber, information and space domains have become the new battlefield.” “.
Pointing to new forms of engagement between states, the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief said, “Diploma, economy and information are becoming the primary tools of engagement with military equipment being used as a deterrent”. .
Addressing the Capstone Seminar of the IAF’s first War and Aerospace Strategy Program (WASP) in New Delhi, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Choudhary also spoke about the changing nature of the international system, which is leading to the emergence of a “complex multipolarity”. gives a signal.
The Air Force chief argued that within this multipolar structure, a world developed with “little or no regard for the rules or traditional processes of geopolitical interactions”. Therefore, we must re-evaluate our strategic priorities and realign our actions to ensure that we are not left behind.”
Explaining the rationale behind WASP, Choudhary said, “It was started with an aim to create strategic thought and understanding among our officers. The ultimate aim of this course is to develop a culture that fosters a deep understanding of reading, analysis and the ability to produce well-crafted documents.
WASP was organized by the College of Air Warfare in Telangana, the IAF’s premier institute for air power studies.
Teaching Officer ‘how to think’ not ‘what to think’
Essentially, the course aims to restructure critical thinking among IAF officers, enhance their intellectual capital and teach them “how to think” rather than “what to think”, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) said.
The curriculum included classes on military and air power theory, strategy, national power and international relations. The essence of the program, Chowdhary said, was to “contextualize these concepts in line with our interests in the paradigm of the 21st century”.
Highlighting the long-term goals of the course, he said they are centered around “nurturing our mid-level officers to gain knowledge and contribute to the formulation of sound operational plans for the Indian Air Force”.
the primary objective is to fight the war
Developing a more nuanced understanding of the science, principles, and philosophy behind warfare, Chowdhury cautioned that “a military strategist should not lose sight of the primary objective, and that is to fight”.
“Thus, the essence is to focus on operational level critical thinking and strategy,” the IAF chief said.
To leverage the benefits from the WASP curriculum and incorporate learning into the structure and functioning of the Indian Air Force, Choudhary explained that they would “train WASP qualified officers on critical deputation to the ministry of operational commands, think tanks, important tri-service positions, training”. Directing staff in establishments and as IAF spokesperson” among other positions.
Chowdhury said: “You must remember that while a well-crafted strategy cannot guarantee success, the absence of a consistent and sustainable strategy will certainly lead to failure.”
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