FORCE June-2005 [http://www.forceindia.net]
As An Operational Commander, I Would Be Happy With Lesser Variety Of Aircraft In Our Inventory
Air Marshal A.K. Singh AVSM, VM, VSM, AOC-in-C, Western Air Command
Q We are facing a deficiency of low level transportable radars (LLTRs). How do you see the status of the air defence now?
Yes, there is a need for LLTRs and it is an urgent one. But the lack of radars is not as critical as it is made to look like. Whatever capabilities we have are good enough for us at the moment. We will be getting more of these indigenous systems as the DRDO is working on providing such radars to us
Q Are you satisfied with the Aerostat systems?
The Aerostats have been successful all around the world and have proved to be the same here also. A couple of months ago they were used at 15,000 ft. There were minor bugs in the system in terms of the software which have been sorted out. These systems are providing us a lot of vital information about the enemy formations and their movements
Q Would you like to have more of these ?
What we are looking at is not numbers. We want advancement in technology. In future we would like to have systems with much more advanced technology
Q In terms of capability what will be your priority areas?
If we talk of the priority areas of the Indian Air Force or of the WAC, one is the LLTRs which I have mentioned. The second is the Aerostat which is another important area. Then as you all are aware that we are looking at acquiring 126 multiple role aircraft which will definitely strengthen our capabilities further. The fourth area is communications. It is an extremely important area. In fact, without communication all else is zero. We are looking for real time communication. When we talk of very hyper links, I don’t think there is any country in the world that will provide you the state of the art communication facility without attaching their own conditions. Our own developers are capable of giving us those communication links. I am afraid that it has not reached the world class yet. We are looking at this very seriously.
As An Operational Commander, I Would Be Happy With Lesser Variety Of Aircraft In Our Inventory’
Q Would the aircraft be replacements for the MiG-23 and MiG-27 squadrons which are supposed to be phased out by the end of the 11 th plan?
The point here is that with added capabilities there is added punch. For instance, 2,000 Hunters can easily take on 200 Su-30s. So these aircraft would be in addition of existing numbers
Q At present the IAF flies 26 different combat aircraft in its inventory. Would you like to see any new aircraft adding to that list?
It would be solely the government’s decision to induct any aircraft that it thinks would suit our requirements. As far as I am concerned as an operational commander I would be happy with lesser variety in our inventory
Q How keen are you about providing close air support to the army?
What does the close air support mean? Am I to remain in conjunction with the army? Let us look at the wider picture. You talk to any army personnel. What will he visualises to be his movement, 20km maximum? Converse to that what any pilot visualises as his movement? For him what would 20km mean flying at supersonic speeds? That is why when we talk of battlefield air strikes, it is encompassing a larger area. The purpose is the same. There is no difference in the purpose.
Battlefield air strike is a more appropriate name. The function is still the same. If you want to call it in support of the army then it goes well with me. Even the railways when it takes the items forward, is in support of the army. It’s an entity. Even when the media writes about the operations of the army, then it is in support of the army. We are in support of the army. There is no denying the fact
Q By what duration will the IAF precede the army in case of war?
I think by 48 hours or even lesser than that. I think this will depend on the situation. If you think that your mobile corps can move faster and the requirement is, we can move together. May be the IAF would be given four or five hours
Q The Western Air Command has maximum Pechora and OSA-AK Squadrons, which are old and either need to be discarded or provided an urgent upgrade. What is status of these missiles?
We are certainly in the process of digitalising and upgrading these systems. We are in dialogue with a large number of countries and the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) also. We are alive to the situation and are addressing the issue. But we don’t have any problem with the OSA-AKs
Q It is said that the firing units in 10 Pechora squadrons have been downgraded?
The firing units are being downgraded when we talk of the squadrons. Suppose a squadron has five, six or seven firing units some of its firing units are being downgraded. But at the same time, some of the firing units are being upgraded. In finite numbers there may be a reduction but there is no reduction in our fire-power
Q The Pechora and the OSA-AKs don’t have a long range. Are we looking for any long range systems keeping in mind that the Akash would not be coming in to service in near future?
Yes, any given day we would like to have a system that will help me to strike the enemy 200km away. But the question is that what are the options available? Again no body will provide you the cutting edge technology
Q Do we need the anti-missile systems like the Patriots?
Even if a few Patriots are made available to you, how and where would you like to deploy them? Would it make sense to you? It might be of use to the Israelis to have the Patriots in a very limited area. With our VAs/VPs being so many in numbers, buying one or two of these is not going to serve any purpose for us. So we need to think of systems which we can afford and which serve our purpose of safeguarding the nation.
My tactical depth is so much. We are talking in terms of a strategic air force, in terms of aerospace command, my requirement is when we talk of air, and we talk of aircraft which can go in space
Q The IAF is talking of the Aerospace Command and by 2008 we will have the AWAACS. We are getting a lot of new systems. Yet, we don’t have proper command and control systems in place. Our communication facilities are not of that standard. One sees that there is a mismatch in terms of capabilities. Don’t you think that we need to have our priorities clear? For example, we should have a better command and control and communication facility and then go for other systems?
I would like to update you on that. It is not that we do not have communication facilities. It would be wrong to assume that we are currently deaf and blind in terms of communication facilities. We have the Tactical Air Defence Integrated Display system which gives you the real time information. It may not be adequate, so there is no redundancy when we talk of adequacy but it is certainly available to us. When we talk of today, a picture taken at the western borders and beyond, I am able to pick that picture at the Air Headquarters or the Western Air Command. It is not that I don’t have the systems.
I have them but I still want better systems. After all, when the AWACS is going to come in and is used in the stand-alone mode it is of no value to me unless it can pass the picture to me. We already have the systems in place which will pass the picture to me. My shortcoming here is that the speeds may not be what I desire. Speed of communication is one area where I need to better myself and that is why I am looking for better systems. Already we are in picture of the integrated air defence and command and control system (IACCS). We are involving industry in to it. Today there are technologies that may not be available to me as a military technology but are available as a civilian technology. We will have to get it from within as again nobody will give their state of the art facilities to us
Q Why does the air force need to have the Prithvi missiles with it?
We are now talking of the strategic air force and when we talk in terms of strategic air force and aerospace command and air being my core competency area, any weapon to be used through that medium needs to be used by me to exercise an effective command control
Q Then the Agni should also be given to the air force?
Yes, logically the Agni should also be with the air force. This logic was even put forward but the decision-makers felt otherwise
Q We see that all three services have many facilities which can be used commonly but they are maintained separately and there is too much of duplication and triplication in terms of infrastructure, maintenance facilities etc. Is anything being done on this issue?
We had a joint committee formed to look into this issue under Air Marshal Bhojwani. I was also part of that committee. It had two star officers from the navy and the army also. A very large number of areas were earmarked where this duplication or triplication could be avoided. So we can say that slowly but surely we are moving towards jointness
Q Do you think there should be more transparency while dealing with issues relating to personnel?
As far as transparency goes, a gag, not placed by any rules or regulations but by our inherent training, makes us hesitate on talking about these issues. You can take the case of Anjali Gupta. We are loathe to give information in the sense that we don’t want to denigrate an individual. I read the interesting thing that Gen J.J. Singh said that 85 per cent of the cases against army were false.
Similarly, every time an officer or an airman is given ‘cease training’ for reasons pertaining to inability to make the grade or using unfair means during exams, they invariably go to the court. I can produce documents which show that 98 per cent of these cases were quashed by the courts. We don’t have to look at the newspapers to know what the situation is. Sensationalism is media’s requirement and good news is always unsaid
Interview with Chief Of Air Staff ACM SP Tyagi
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June 10, 2005 at 7:36 pm