The Indian Air Force: Trends and Prospects

Abstract : To better understand the Indian Air Force's role and position in Indian defense policy requires an appreciation of India's national security strategy. India has two main strategic priorities. The first is its internal security and order. Today, the police and paramilitary forces have primary responsibility for internal security, but it has been necessary to call in the army on many occasions. The Indian armed forces' primary role, however, is the defense of India from external threats. India aspires to regional dominance and has perceived Pakistan as a constant challenge, not only to India itself but also to its position in the region. India and Pakistan engaged in open conflict in 1947, 1965, and 1971, and tension continues to this day. Another land neighbor, China, is perceived as the major threat, although it does not receive the attention Pakistan does. China attacked and humiliated India in 1962 and continues to aid Pakistan. The ending of the Cold War has not appreciably changed Indian perceptions of these two potential threats.