President Pranab Mukherjee with Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at the Air Force Base in Ambala
The armed forces are always ready if a war like situation arises but in my view, the chances of war are very less, said Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha.
by Man Aman Singh Chhina
The Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha has said that the chances of war with Pakistan were very less keeping in mind the economic and developmental concerns of India. “Nobody wants war. War causes problems with economy and development. We feel that deterrence should be there but war should not take place. We should keep striving for economic development. But if a war like situation arises then that is what armed forces are there for. The armed forces are always ready but in my view, the chances of war are very less,” he said on Thursday.
Air Chief Marshal Raha was addressing a press conference after the President Pranab Mukherjee presented Standards to two IAF units at the air force station in Ambala on Thursday. He also termed the Pathankot terror attack as a “setback” for the Indian Air Force. “This was the first time that the air force was specifically targetted by terrorist elements. They come from across the border and are called non-state actors but we know what kind of support they get,” he said.
Responding to a question regarding the outcome of the visit of Pakistan’s investigative team to Pathankot air base, the air chief said that after the Uri terror attack the matter has “slipped a little bit”. “I am sure attempts will be made to resolve this issue because two neighbors cannot be like this for long. We may not fight a conventional war but terrorist attacks or sub-conventional attacks will be there,” he said.
Spelling out the measures taken by the IAF after the Pathankot attack, the air chief said that this was the first time that the IAF used technical platforms with the help of UAVs and helicopters to track the terrorists when they came out of hiding to neutralise them. “There are some weak areas which we analysed carefully and we will plug those. In terms of assets we will acquire those which will give as capabilities to react better in addition to good training and good weapons. Our bases better off now, said the Air Chief Marshal.
He also said that the induction of two squadrons of Rafael aircraft will be complete by 2021 and that the first squadron will reach India in three years time. One squadron will be stationed under the Eastern Air Command while the second one will be stationed in Western Air Command and the creation of infrastructure to house them had already begun, he said.
The Air Chief also said that the anomalies pertaining to the 7th Pay Commission were being addressed by the government and that the service headquarters have been promised that these would be resolved soon.