VERY SAD....
Indian Air Force: Is it an Expeditionary Force?
Special Commentary by Gp Capt (Retd) PI Muralidharan
After its experience with four recent Expeditionary Air Missions, considerable debate exists in US military circles on the viability of an expeditionary force in today’s context.
(NEW DELHI) - Reporting on the recent assumption of office by the new Chief of the Indian Air Force, The Times of Indiaon 31 December 2013 carried a piece by Rajat Pandit stating that the new Chief would have to focus on faster induction of planned air assets if his force has to eventually become a truly ‘expeditionary aerospace power’ (sic). Whilst this may just be misplaced reportage and not an official policy declaration by the IAF or the government, it needs gainsaying that as per the IAP 2000 IAF Air Power Manual, the IAF does not have an expeditionary role.
