tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post7656672481694682162..comments2024-03-28T05:22:10.255-07:00Comments on Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.: IAF gets its first Apache helicopters, army aviation stakes its claimBroadswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-6207823005800886072019-09-05T07:59:43.715-07:002019-09-05T07:59:43.715-07:00"The concept of tri-service, geographical com..."The concept of tri-service, geographical commands offers distinct organisational advantages for a global military like America’s, whose Central Command might be fighting a campaign in Iraq, even while its Pacific Command is engaged in a war with North Korea. The sheer distance between America’s combat theatres requires each to be self-contained. In the Indian context, where the operational commands are in close proximity, it would be wasteful to emulate the American structure. It would be especially fruitless to pre-commit air force squadrons to fixed commands, since the large combat ranges of modern fighters (further enhanced by mid-air refuelling) make it theoretically possible for a fighter aircraft to take off from an airfield under one command, and strike targets in two other commands in a single sortie." <br /><br />http://ajaishukla.blogspot.com/2019/08/what-role-for-tri-service-chief.html<br /><br />"Finally, he (CDS) would save money by pooling facilities and resources all three services wastefully maintain today."<br /><br />given a task, army with fewer air assets would try and deal with the given situation with it's assets (to a person with just a hammer in his toolkit every thing looks like a nail head) instead of calling on air force which understands air to ground engagements better and will take a call based on 1. greater appreciation of air situation (likely to be contested or air superiority not the air supremacy us war movies depict) 2. whole range of options from multiple fixed wing platforms to diff type of Helios 3. maintenance of Helios is complex and technical, duplicating expertise would be expensive. yes some roles like transport and aop for historic reasons ended in creation of army aviation but with a net centric warfare the whole concept needs reassessment in indian context (outlined by ajai sir in paragraph one). <br /><br />for an IBG enthusiast and swarming theorist the delay in committing air assets might appear a cardinal sin but a shared picture of battle theatre which can be delivered by investing in network might help inmultiple ways. netcentric, swarming are not exclusive concepts. <br /><br />besides these 22 apache would better serve as hub s (with expensive ew suites and hardware) in hub and nodes configuration, they are too damn expensive to be exposed with machine guns mounted on them (history of russian deployment of mil mi 24 hind's in afghanistan should have taught us that ) in a missile infested environment you need cheaper helios with data links and air to surface missiles doing the actual running. never pit a million dollar weapon against third world army if you have just 20 odd pieces instead of hundreds as first world army does.<br /><br />if you actually save some budget equip the infantry (ghatak sic) with some basic mortar, rpg, missiles (inexpensive igla -s is a right step) so that there dependence on artillery and air detachments is less and they have the tools to solve known battle hurdles like determined resistance to advancement from a fortified position , enemy air support etc koiBandhGayaGhungroohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14019014849855652048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-9611535208532321852019-09-03T18:35:05.827-07:002019-09-03T18:35:05.827-07:00NSR says ---
I hope the new CDS puts some fear of...NSR says ---<br /><br />I hope the new CDS puts some fear of God into this IAF for siphoning off these Apaches from Army Aviation …<br /><br />The CDS should make all top IAF officers sit in a room and lock it so that they can watch all the old and new war movies … including the latest...<br /><br />12 Horsemen<br />Lone Survivor,<br />Zero Dark Thirty<br />Blackhawkk Down<br />etc etc etc<br /><br />The helicopters should be ready at the Brigade and commander HQs, strike and tank formations, special forces, etc to take off at a moment notice to address the transport of troops and to neutralize enemy threat issues...<br /><br />The Apaches and Chinooks are not for display as ORNAMENTS in IAF bases... <br /><br />So lock them up and make them watch all those movies until they come to the conclusions that Apaches and Chinooks should be allotted to ARMY AVIATION only...<br /><br />If IAF need some attack helicopters to guard their bases, then they should use LCH, Rudra, Mi-35, armed Mi-17, etc<br /><br />So why CDS with power and some teeth and claws was long overdue...<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com