Armed Forces must be ready to combat hybrid threats: IAF chief

Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria (C) during the passing out parade at NDA in the city on Saturday.

PUNE Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria said today’s battlespace is complex and multi-dimensional involving security situation that is unpredictable. To deal with such situation, armed forces have to be ready to combat hybrid threats emanating from multiple fronts.

The Air Force chief was speaking after reviewing the passing out parade for 217 cadets of 139th course at National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune on Saturday. The conduct of parade at Khetarpal Parade Ground, NDA, was suitably modified so as to ensure Covid-19 related precautions and thus the parents could not be invited for the ceremony.

A total of 540 cadets participated in the parade of which 302 cadets were from the 139th course. This included 222 Army cadets, 45 Naval cadets and 35 Air Force cadets including 17 cadets from Friendly Foreign Countries (Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Maldives, Bhutan, Tanzania, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Myanmar).

The cadets will proceed for eight weeks of term break and thereafter join their respective Pre-Commissioning Training Academies. Cadets of the junior courses will report back to the NDA on 04 Jan 2021.

Bhadauria also welcomed the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Department of Military Affairs (DMA), while terming it as the beginning of a historic phase of higher defence reforms in India.

“The battlespace is becoming highly complex and multi-dimensional with unpredictable security scenario and high operational tempo. In the battle-space, operational response and demand will be an integrated synergistic approach to all operations,” said Bhadauria.

“Our armed forces have to be prepared for hybrid threats emanating from multiple fronts. This mandates very high levels of knowledge, dedication, commitment and sacrifice and leadership at all levels at all times. This is what each service and the nation would expect from you,” he added.

While addressing the cadets, IAF chief said the bonds of friendship that cadets have forged here, with course-mates, with squadron-mates, need to continue throughout life. “As you go into your service career and should translate always into better synergy at every stage of your career,” he said.

(Source With inputs from PTI)