The Indian Air Force completed 90 years of air power evolution in India and demonstrated their potential to the whole nation with a grand show with a superb flying display held in Chandigarh on October 8 2022. But what was truly noteworthy, when on this occasion the Air Force Chief divulged their plans to structure a new branch in the officer corps engaged in operations to be termed as “Weapon Systems”.
As reported the objective was that all officers engaged in weapon delivery and operating such platforms should be placed in a generically common group managing the systems, both on ground or in air. Let us examine what nature of this change would entail. Will it now truly culminate in a perspective to successfully amalgamate many activities?
Till so far the air force has been managed by branches termed as Flying, Administration, Aeronautical Engineering, Accounts, Meteorological, Logistics and Education. The new “Weapon Systems” branch seemingly will have four sub-streams namely flying, remote, intelligence and surface. But the main flying branch consisting of Flying (Pilot) and Flying (Navigator) will remain. Amongst the Pilots there would be officers flying Fighters, Transport and Helicopters. These are essentially not sub- branches but air force’s need based distribution only. History however reveals that these group belongings eventually decided individual growth in the officer corps of IAF . As the name implies their nomenclature emerged from the type of machine they were flying and not necessarily what they did. One does not see any change in this practice.
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We learn that whilst the Fighters were admittedly for combat duties but transport and helicopters also have combat this capacity woven into their utility; either totally or partly. Namely they could perform many roles; the IAF ‘s AN -12 for example. The transport aircraft evolved from a bomber concept e.g. have been used for dropping bombs over the Sui Gas Plants in Pakistan’s Punjab and the Skardu Air Field in the disputed Northern Areas of Pakistan during the 1971 war. They simply but effectively off loaded their bombs over these targets under the supervision of the Flight Gunner cum Load Master whilst the Pilot tilting the nose of the aircraft in upward pull. It worked. It was a coordinated activity in which the load master, a Senior Non Commissioned Officer, was also a critically important player. And not to forget, the IAF used Transport Aircraft, the famous DC-3for bombing the Razakar held areas in Jammu and Kashmir during 1947 during the operations. . The methods were similar. The Air Force was simply improvising and were delivering weapons. This aspect must always be noted for the future.
Now with the advent of attack helicopters of which the Indian Air Force has a few variants; the American Apache, the recently introduced the Light Combat Helicopter “ Prachand” and of course the Mi 75 V . The former two are essentially for armed combat but the latter can perform many other jobs as well. But in our present context these machines are so designed they could only be operated by two main Flying branch pilots whilst one of them would deliver weapons.
Let us take the case of the Flying (Navigator) . This entity is a staple constituent crew member of the Air Forces’ transport fleet including for the latest C -130 J and the C17 Globemaster aircraft apart from the AN 32 transport aircraft etc. He is trained to provide navigation and other assistance during tactical combat missions including dropping bombs. But a similar member of this basic discipline also functions as the Weapon Systems Operator ( WSO) on the formidable SU 13 MKI and may be defining bomb release points and also delivering a weapon at the same time. Open sources divulge that the indigenous Astra , beyond visual range missile capable of neutralizing targets as far as 150 kms or Israeli Derby, with the assistance of on board Radar are some of them. The point is whether he will be part of a new sub group flying or will remain in his parent Flying ( Navigator). This activity is not new to the air force. After all the, Flying ( Navigator) operated the erstwhile Canberra Bomber successfully navigating and delivering weapons within accuracies of 2 metres during inclement weather in dark nights and thunder.
The divisions of remote could be better understood if we visualise this officer would be eventually trained to control Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles and deliver payloads. I believe this activity is not new to the IAF although they may not have delivered combat oriented pay loads so far. And trained professionals are available.
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The sub-branches of Intelligence and Surface are not are not truly compatible. In the former there are no weapons delivered because such is the nature of this activity. But in the realm of the surface we may be contemplating a force to handle surface to surface and surface to air weapons and missiles. These may be on the lines of the operation of Rocket Forces as seen in the erstwhile USSR or now Russia. These are grey areas no doubt as we now enter the realm of Brahmos, Agni, Prithvi or the other products of India’s Integrated Missile Defence Programme. Although the Indian Media is only alluding to the S -400, India’s most recently acquired Air Defence Weapons System. These are all high technology systems and a trained cadre is already present and needed.
Why is one getting a feeling that IAF is trying to intermesh and amalgamate a large number of disciplines with diverse qualities and growth, and that also seemingly in haste. Is this merely a people management solution? And operationally conducive? Group behavior would be an important issue when inter se senioritis come into consideration during amalgamation. Savings of over Rs 3000 crore are being claimed whilst a body of experienced professionals is already functioning in related disciplines.
The author is a strategic affairs commentator.
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