Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh on Saturday said recent conflicts have underscored the importance of air power in achieving national security objectives, with military capabilities increasingly centred on the aerospace domain. Speaking at a press conference ahead of Air Force Day, he said developments in global conflicts and defence planning had demonstrated the growing role of air power in modern military operations.

Singh said changing geopolitical conditions had reinforced the importance of comprehensive national power and a strong military. He noted that states without adequate military capabilities could remain vulnerable to external pressure. According to the IAF chief, the experience of recent conflicts has placed air power at the forefront of military capabilities and made it an important component of national security planning.

He pointed to developments in defence procurement and strategic discussions worldwide as evidence of the increasing focus on aerospace capabilities. Advanced fighter aircraft, long-range precision systems, integrated air command and control networks and unmanned aerial systems have become important areas of military planning. Singh said these trends reflected the concentration of military capability around the aerospace domain.

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The IAF chief also discussed India’s plans to acquire additional multi-role fighter aircraft. He said the much-awaited MRFA procurement could be finalised by the end of the current financial year if the ongoing process proceeds according to schedule. Price negotiations and other issues related to the proposed acquisition are currently under discussion, with the procurement estimated at around Rs 3.25 lakh crore.

In February, the Defence Acquisition Council accorded Acceptance of Necessity for the procurement of Multi Role Fighter Aircraft, including Rafale aircraft, as part of a package of proposals valued at about Rs 3.60 lakh crore. The Defence Ministry said the MRFA procurement would enhance the Indian Air Force’s air-dominance capabilities and that most of the aircraft were expected to be manufactured in India.

The IAF has also continued to strengthen its indigenous aerospace capabilities. In September, the Defence Ministry signed a Rs 810.79-crore contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for 160 Satellite Smart Anti Airfield Weapons for the IAF, while Hindustan Aeronautics Limited recently handed over Tejas twin-seater trainers and HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft to the force.

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