New Delhi (TIP): The bitter turf within the armed forces over the four proposed theatre commands escalated further with the Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria rejecting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat’s views that the IAF remains a supporting arm just as artillery or engineers support the fighting forces.

Speaking to India Today TV, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said, “It’s not a supporting role alone. Air power has a huge role to play. In any of the integrated battle areas, it’s not an issue of support alone. A whole lot of things go into any air plan that’s made. And those are the issues that are under discussion.” “CDS was a big reform. The next biggest reform is the integrated theatre command. And it is much more complex. We’re for establishing integrated theatre command. But the issues that we have raised are in our internal discussions, and it’s to do with how we should do it. We must get it right. It’s the most important reform that has an impact on war fighting,” Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said.

He gave his vision for the integrated theatre command. “We already have a functional system today. But when we do an integrated theatre command, we should reach the next level of ability to protect our comprehensive national power. We should be able to synergise, we should be able to put up a power that is more synergistic and has more flexibility. We cannot have more boundaries,” Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said.

He said he would not like to share the issues under discussion but denied the IAF was putting any spanners.

“So there are issues in terms of some of the options being discussed and those are issues we’re internally discussing. I would not like to go to the media and describe what my concerns are, what the Air Force has said or what somebody else has said. But these are all methods of deliberations, these are all issues to be deliberated upon to get it right. It’s not the issue of putting spanners. Absolutely not. If I have come to the media, it doesn’t mean we’re the ones putting spanners. Out of question,” Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said.

He said the IAF is totally committed to the theatre command. “But we must get it right. And that’s the focus area with which we’re doing all our deliberations,” Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said.

“I will not go into listing my concerns before the media. There is a proposal. That’s there. There are issues that need to be discussed,” he said.

Earlier, during his interview with India Today TV, General Bipin Rawat had said, “Do not forget the IAF continues to remain a supporting arm just as artillery support or engineers support the combatant arm in the Army. They will be a supporting arm.”

General Bipin Rawat said that the Air Force is responsible for the air defence of the entire country, but along with it, it was also mandated to provide close air support to land forces when they undertook operations.       Source: India Today