The Chief of Air Staff said India is fully ready to deal with a "two-front" war scenario involving China and Pakistan and that the focus has been to enhance the IAF's overall combat capabilities.
'Our air force can strike them with impunity.'
The Chinese air force is now a 400,000-person force that flies some 2,000 combat aircraft -- more than thrice the size of the Indian Air Force.
The attacks against the Pakistani air force have taken them at least five years back and caused great damage to them and their Chinese and Turkish inventory of weapons.
The structure and the level at which the hotline would be set up is likely to come up for discussion in future meetings between the two countries at the military level, they said.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is undergoing a significant modernization drive, establishing drone platoons, developing a new 'Strike' course for Galwan-like situations, and constructing underground infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control. This strategic shift, announced by DG Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor, aims to counter China, identified as India's 'biggest adversary,' by embracing modern warfare techniques learned from recent global conflicts.
In Operation Sindoor, Pakistan had deployed additional squadrons of the Chinese-origin HQ-9 air defence systems, which could not do much against the Indian aircraft when they brought down multiple terror targets inside Pakistan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival in Washington marks a pivotal moment for global diplomacy, as he advocates for a "partners, not rivals" approach to US-China relations amidst high-stakes discussions on trade, technology, and international stability.
If an OTT series can make a young person curious about the armed forces, make a family understand the sacrifices made by those in uniform, or simply make someone walk up to a veteran and say, "Thank you for your service," then it has achieved something far more important than merely getting its history right, notes Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
India has accumulated experience organically and in public, through blood, sweat and toil -- one commissioning and one agreement at a time -- and is called a regional power. China has accumulated hulls, by misdirecting its industrial capacity, and is mistakenly called a superpower. The Indo-Japan defence agreement pushes this theory to its limits without ever naming the dragon in the room, points out Dr Abhishek Puri.
United States President Donald Trump boards Air Force One for his return home following diplomatic engagements in Beijing.
An Air India flight en route to San Francisco was compelled to return to New Delhi due to a technical malfunction, causing significant disruption to passengers.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached a crucial consensus during the BRICS summit, agreeing that China and India should be partners, not rivals. The leaders pledged to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas, deepen cooperation, and support each other in multilateral forums, aiming to strengthen the Global South and promote a multipolar world order.
We are back to the 1971 moment with both China and the US supporting Pakistan, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
A flight may be cancelled for reasons beyond an airline's control. The chaos that follows need not be, points out Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
India's Asian Games campaign saw its medal tally rise to 17 with strong performances in athletics, wushu, kabaddi, and hockey, despite some disappointments in shooting, boxing, and gymnastics. The mixed 4x400m relay team secured silver, while Seema won bronze in 10,000m. Wushu player Roshibina Devi claimed silver, and rowers added a bronze. Kabaddi and men's hockey teams continued their unbeaten runs, advancing to later stages.
India experienced a mixed day at the Asian Games, with skeet shooters and rowers adding to the medal tally, and wushu player Roshibina Devi securing a silver. While kabaddi and hockey teams continued their winning streaks, boxing, gymnastics, and fencing saw disappointments. The overall medal count reached 15, with only one gold so far.
China has confirmed providing on-site technical support to Pakistan during last year's conflict with India, according to official media reports.
'I know China will implode. It is scientifically impossible for China to control a nation through the barrel of a gun.'
A light sport aircraft crashed into Beijing's Citic Tower, the city's tallest skyscraper, prompting immediate evacuations. The incident occurred despite stringent airspace regulations in the Chinese capital, with details on casualties and the aircraft's origin still unclear.
Pakistan is reportedly pursuing Chinese J-35 stealth fighters while China already operates hundreds of J-20 stealth aircraft.
A lesson for India is to clearly define objectives beforehand, so that the adversary or other parties do not attempt to mitigate them midway.
A light sport aircraft crashed into Beijing's Citic Tower, the city's tallest skyscraper, causing an immediate evacuation and scattering debris. The incident, which occurred in the prominent business district, has raised concerns, with authorities yet to comment and the origin and circumstances of the crash remaining unknown. The aircraft was identified as a Sunward SA60L Aurora, and the crash highlights recent stringent regulations on recreational flying in Beijing's airspace.
Investigators have revealed that the pilot of a small plane that crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper, the CITIC Tower, suffered from long-term anxiety and had expressed suicidal thoughts in his diaries. The incident, which killed the pilot and injured 13 others, has raised significant security concerns in the highly sensitive Chinese capital, especially given strict airspace regulations.
Investigators have revealed that the pilot of a small plane that crashed into Beijing's tallest skyscraper, the CITIC Tower, suffered from long-term anxiety and had expressed suicidal thoughts in his diaries. The incident, which killed the pilot and injured 13 others, has raised significant security concerns in the highly sensitive Chinese capital, especially given strict airspace regulations.
Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges, official media reported.
United States and China have agreed that "Iran can't have nuclear weapons," and that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened, according to US President Donald Trump.
An Air India flight bound for Vancouver returned to Delhi after being airborne for seven hours due to an aircraft approval error. The Boeing 777-200 LR was not approved for the route, leading to the flight's return and subsequent rescheduling.
'General Subramani's appointment as military adviser in the NSCS has given him insight into decision-making at the apex level prior to formally taking over as CDS.'
The army said that three terrorists were "neutralised while entering the base while the remaining three terrorists have been cornered/isolated due to timely and effective response by the troops".
Gen Rawat's comments about the supporting role of the Air Force came at a conference when asked about the growing perception that the Indian Air Force was not keen on setting up the proposed theatre commands integrating the capabilities of the three forces.
The Indian Air Force has asked its personnel and their families not to use Chinese 'Xiaomi Redmi 1s' phones, as it believes these phones could be transferring data to their servers in China and hence be a security risk.
If one has to compare the tenures of the two prime ministers one must credit Nehru with laying the foundations on which Modi is building a grand edifice, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Gwadar is viewed as a critical pearl in China's maritime strategy as it would give a permanent logistical footprint near an important choke point - the Strait of Hormuz and the oil rich Persian Gulf, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The Chinese military is planning to revamp its English-language instruction in its academies to improve graduates' communication skills on the international stage, according to an article by senior lecturers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
While the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as a vital, stationary asset for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, referring to them as an unsinkable aircraft carrier ignores key military and geopolitical limitations, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Vietnam is an emerging regional power and a closer relationship with Hanoi is closely aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Act East Policy, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
The United States has warned China against escalating tensions as Taiwan detected multiple Chinese naval vessels, official ships and balloons operating around the island amid Beijing's large-scale live-fire military drills.
Front-line bases of the Indian army and the air force along the nearly 3,500 km de-facto border with China were Wednesday put on high alert in view of the worst border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh that left 20 Army personnel dead, official sources said.
Did Vinod Sehgal die in Tsangdgar or was he taken PoW to Tibet or China? Why has the IAF kept so quiet for all these years, asks Claude Arpi.
