China poses long-term threat, Pak unlikely to shed its Kashmir-oriented strategy: Air Force chief

New Delhi, Dec 08: China poses a significant and long-term challenge to India's strategic goals, said Indian Air Force chief Vivek Ram Chaudhari.

Speaking at the 18th Subroto Mukerjee Seminar in Delhi, Chaudhari said "China poses a significant &long-term challenge to India's strategic goals. Both PLAAF & PAF have enhanced their military capabilities in equipment and infrastructure. IAF needs to be rapidly modernized, expand its fleet and improve indigenous manufacturing capabilities.

"Pakistan is unlikely to shed its Kashmir-oriented strategy. It will continue to sponsor terrorism. Pak armed forces have formulated a new concept of war-fighting &has acquired and equipped itself with latest tech, aircraft and upgrade its defence capabilities." It said.

Chaudhari also said that Pakistan Air Force has continued to acquire new assets and upgrade its air defense capabilities while making a transition from fighting a predominantly defensive war to adapting to a more aggressive approach for an ''offensive defense under the nuclear umbrella''.

He said both the Chinese and Pakistani air forces significantly enhanced military capability in terms of equipment and infrastructure.

''In my assessment, China poses a more significant and long-term challenge to the realization of India's strategic goals,'' the IAF Chief said.

He said China's ''growing imprint'' will surely increase contestation and competition in the economic domain and it will attempt to keep India engaged on issues relating to the unsettled borders.

''Its aggressive intent is visible in the rapid enhancement of PLA Air Force's operational infrastructure in terms of aircraft and additional airfields in the Tibet autonomous region,'' he said.
"We must reassess our strategic priorities and realign actions to ensure that we don't get left behind. Our security scenario is influenced by unstable neighbours with unsettled borders, which could be a flashpoint in the future," he added.

"Strategically, we're making a transition from fighting a predominantly defensive war to adopting a more aggressive approach for an offensive defence under the nuclear umbrella," he further said.

"In the future, we could be attacked from all fronts, starting from economic strangulation to diplomatic isolation and military stand-offs to info blackouts, in the form of attack by a distributed denial of services. We will need to prepare for the full spectrum, the Indian Air Force chief said.