The recent statement of Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan is once again in the news. In response to a question during the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore, he gave his reaction on the issue of Indian fighter jets shot down in the conflict with Pakistan. When he was asked how many Indian fighter jets Pakistan has shot down so far, he gave a very accurate and thought-provoking answer.
General Chauhan said that the real question is not how many planes fell, but “why did they fall?” He made it clear that destruction of machines, damage or technical errors are common in any war or military conflict, but from a strategic point of view, it is most important to understand why and under what circumstances that loss occurred.
Just counting the numbers is not enough
The CDS said that just counting the numbers is not enough. The crash of a plane can be a matter of concern in its own right, but if the reason behind it is technical fault, human error or enemy strategy, then the lessons learnt from it are more important. He also added that not only technical strength but mental and strategic understanding is equally important in our military preparations.
CDS General Chauhan said these things when he was participating in an important session of the Shangri-La Dialogue, where global defense and strategic matters were being discussed. He also said many important things about India's defense policy, preparations and modern thinking of the army.
India moving ahead with a new vision
During this interview, he also indicated that India is now moving ahead with a new vision in strategic matters, rising above traditional thinking. He said that in today's time, war is fought not only with weapons, but also with information, cyber warfare, drone technology and diplomatic strategies. In such a situation, only seeing which plane fell where is a limited view. Instead, one should think about what lessons were learnt from it and how to avoid such a situation next time.
India's strategy is based on facts, analysis and logic
He did not refrain from giving a direct answer to the question of Pakistan. He said that Pakistan keeps making its figures and claims, but India's strategy is based on facts, analysis and logic. He described the Indian army as fully capable and prepared and expressed confidence that the Indian forces are capable of protecting the country in any situation.
India's participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue is considered particularly important this time, as issues like India's Indo-Pacific strategy, Quad cooperation and China's increasing military presence were also discussed in it. General Chauhan strongly put forward India's military thinking and India's views on global security.
Prakash Kumar Pandey