The top brass of the Indian Air Force will meet at a key conference to discuss India-China LAC tensions

*Paromita Das

In the midst of ongoing border tensions with China, the Indian Air Force (IAF) began its Air Force Commanders’ Conference (AFCC) on April 6 at Air Headquarters in New Delhi. The conference was inaugurated by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and it was attended by Minister of State Ajay Bhatt, Defense Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, and senior IAF commanders. The purpose of the IAF conference is to discuss the security situation, including air operations along the northern borders.

The meeting will also focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, which calls for the indigenisation of defense equipment. The meeting is significant because China has stationed a large number of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops and heavy military equipment in eastern Ladakh. After Beijing attempted to change the status quo on the border in May 2020, India’s armed forces reacted forcefully. While the standoff in Ladakh continues at some points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic level talks.

It should be noted that India has also deployed fighter planes, helicopters, missile systems, and approximately 50,000 troops to deter any Chinese aggression at the LAC. So far, Indian and Chinese military officers have held 15 rounds of talks to disengage from areas along the Ladakh-China border in eastern Ladakh. The military and diplomatic talks have resulted in disengagement at a number of points of contention. The 14th round of talks resulted in the resolution of the Pangong Tso North and South Bank, Galwan, and Gogra Hot Spring areas. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi on April 1, 2022, and discussed the Ladakh border crisis, the Afghan situation, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
What Rajnath and the chief of the Indian Air Force said at the Air Force Commanders’ meeting While inaugurating the IAF’s high-level annual meeting, the Raksha Mantri spoke about the challenges facing the country’s northern and western borders, as well as his satisfaction with how the Indian armed forces have responded to emerging situations. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, the Chief of the Air Staff, addressed the commanders and asked them to be ready to meet all challenges and improve capabilities for responding in multiple domains on short notice.
He also emphasized the importance of asset preservation, resource optimization, and collaboration to improve national security. The Air Force Commanders will meet to discuss critical issues concerning future challenges in a high-tech, ever-changing operational scenario. This Conference’s theme is ‘Optimising Human Resources,’ and the emphasis will be on conducting operations in a smart and efficient manner. Drone threat mitigation will also be discussed during the conference.