Citing Ukraine war lessons, IAF chief emphasises on man-portable air defence systems for urban areas

New Delhi : In view of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Friday emphasised the importance of man-portable air defence system, especially in urban and semi-urban areas.Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari delivered the inaugural address during the 8th edition of the Air and Missile Defence Seminar and Exhibition organised by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) in New Delhi on Friday.Speaking at the occasion, Chaudhari said "In view of prevailing threat scenario in the country, utilization of aerial platforms by anti-national elements, against our vital strategic and military installations cannot be ruled out. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has once again brought into focus the effectiveness of man-portable air defence systems especially in urban and semi-urban areas.Calling for close coordination between the forces on the ground for enhanced aerospace safety, IAF chief said the creation of an air defence command may prove to be counterproductive.Air Defence command is proposed to be created by the Department of Military Affairs as part of the process to create theatre commands in the country to bring in more jointness among the three services for warfighting and operations."While there is a need for close coordination between all elements within the same airspace to ensure aerospace safety as well as effective Air Defence, creation of an air defence Command may prove counter-productive because, Air Defence operations are inextricably linked to counter air operations and all offensive ops, as the success or failure of one, will dictate the demands on the other," Chaudhari said.The IAF has been in opposition of the division of its combat assets into different theatres as it feels that its fighter aircraft can switch with ease from one front to the other.The IAF chief further stated that air defence and offensive missions are interdependent and "if executed in isolation, these would not only be disjointed but also ineffective in design or execution of the joint strategy."  --- ANI