Time to run IAF in a sleek, corporate way. It’s the Force that counted in Kargil, Balakot
We expect an Air Force officer to land on the moon in a few years. They are trained to touch the sky.
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87th anniversary of the Indian Air Force is on 8 October. It is an important milestone for a Force that makes a difference when needed. The strength of the Indian Air Force is exploration and innovation to maximise effectiveness. Fortunately, every Indian government has supported its initiatives with little interference. The Air Force brings ingenuity, be it during the Kargil War or the Balakot airstrike, and injects an element of surprise with remarkable precision. Its new innings begins in 2020 under Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria. I look forward to the Air Force becoming more modernised and being run in a sleek, efficient and ‘corporate’ manner.
The Air Force’s approach to modernisation is quite balanced. The new induction covers the entire width of capabilities. Important ones to mention are the Rafale, the Chinook, the Apache, the HAL light combat helicopter, indigenous air defence weapons, sensors, systems and advanced command, communication and intelligence centres. Production of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and new helicopter variants has been accelerated.
The IAF has developed as a strong and professionally credible force over the years. It is the spirit and devotion of the Air Force personnel, who came from every corner of the country, freely exercising their minds and skills, that made it possible. They cast away differences of religion, language, caste and creed and are unified as ‘one family’ and have one purpose - to touch the sky with glory. The uniting spirit and loyalty are almost regimental in nature, though the Air Force is not organised into regiments like the Army. Loyalty to the Air Force flag and the Constitution of India have driven the IAF through thick and thin. It is not possible for any single leader with a fixed tenure of maximum of three years to achieve long term goals, but decades of solid effort by all personnel have brought the Indian Air Force to where it is.
Personnel as strength
The most important element of the Air Force is its personnel - of all ranks and branches. Each individual has his or her own mind and skillset but work together. Over the years, the military has started being seen as a government job in India - with assured promotions and extended retirement age. While the inventory of combat aircraft has come down, the number of officers at senior ranks has swelled.
The Air Force accepted the recommendations of the Ajay Vikram Singh Committee, and that created more vacancies. Higher ranks were distributing more responsibilities, and work had to be ‘created’ since they didn’t exist. The steps were taken primarily to extend the retirement age. At international military meetings, we find that Indian officers are at least one rank higher than those who work at similar levels in the US or the UK. An essential way to improve the quality of leadership is to permit early retirement of an officer who wants to leave and allow skilled officers to move up. It is a fallacy to believe that the Permanent Commission holds till death-do-us-apart.
The Air Force depends on the skill of its personnel and their motivation. We expect an Air Force officer to land on the moon in a few years. Every vertical within the service needs professionals who are specialists. Authorities are urged to consider sending promising personnel to universities for post-graduation and PhDs on relevant subjects. Verticals must only be headed by appropriately qualified and experienced officers. It would not be wise to follow a policy of on-the-job-training for senior positions. Career planning is, therefore, critical.
Those below the officer rank must have access to higher education and upward mobility through suitable selection and training methods. This was successfully tried before but given up because it caused discomfort for some. The IAF gets opportunities to train and interact with foreign air forces, it should also learn from them and evolve. We have not changed much for the last 72 years when it comes to personnel management. Bureaucracy is the 72-year-old symbol of a colonial structure that worked for a ‘master’. Now, we need a more ‘corporate mode’ of governance managed by professionals who would define objectives and strategy, make ‘business plans’ based on the budget and necessity, and create excellent verticals, but not silos. Most importantly, performance must be continuously monitored and audited for quality. An important driver would be accountability at all levels. These are essential to win a war and keep the country safe.
Touch the sky with Glory : from eleventh chapter of Gita, Kurukshetra , Mahabharata.