Yes, Pakistan's Army especially its senior leadership needs to be punished. Severely.
It is my ardent belief that our military leadership and our rank and file have always understood this. My first few years in the IAF coincided with the commencement of the ‘War of a Thousand Cuts' (WOATC). My CO was a well-read, articulate officer and an exceptional professional. The Boss had been through a unique career. As No 1 on the list of ETPs to become an astronaut, an ECG abnormality detected in Russia during the training, moved him out of fighters. He then proceeded to command two helicopter units, an Airborne FAC Flight and IAF’s sole Mi-35 Sqn. He was very Catholic about the need for young officers to develop an understanding of the macro picture. Ruthless about the need for us young ‘Piloos’ to read, discussion on the strategy to counter this WOATC that we faced daily in the valley, was a daily affair. But more about Chakku Mulay some other time.
Our Helicopter Flight subscribed to IDSA and Vayu. Late Air Cmde Jasjit Singh’s books and articles were discussed in great detail and reviews and ppts (the Blackboard Versions) were mandatory. One book that I read was Ravi Rikhye's ‘The War that Never Was’. While I have nothing complimentary to say about that book, the starting few pages made a lasting impression. He wrote an imaginary account of a Mi-25, cutting into Pakistan through Rajauri, with an SF team on board; the target being the Kahuta Nuclear Complex.
While the fictional strike was a success, in reality, we lost a huge opportunity. Imagine!
This was the time when Col John A Warden published his seminal book ‘The Air Campaign: Planning for Combat’. While seldom acknowledged, this classic treatise on Air War Strategy laid the foundation for the USAF’s Shock and Awe campaign of Desert Storm.
I remember coming across the term Punitive Air Strikes around that time. It has taken us 30 years to use this. Despite seeing the first-hand result of a similar strike of 128 rockets on Government House in Dhaka in 1971.
The problem perhaps lies in our inability to convince the political leadership that the Indian military capability needs to be developed and utilised as an instrument of state policy. The bureaucracy that assists our polity in its constant ‘Election Mode Governance’ is perhaps the most sinister evil.
We too are blameworthy. Our legendary turf wars between the Army and the Air Force are responsible for a great deal of this. And these two squabbling siblings rarely acknowledge the Navy.
If we look into ourselves, we will find that we have always been reactionary to the Pak military’s upgradation programmes.
The MiG 29 and Mirage 2000 came after PAF acquired F-16.
When the Pakis acquired the AH-1 S, we got 2 x sqns of Attack Helicopters. We need perhaps 10 squadrons and we still have only two (even with the induction of the Apaches). The LCH equipped 116 HU is yet to be weaponised.
I remember Air Cmde Jasjit Singh advocating that the first use of heavy artillery by the Pakis should have been replied to by air strikes. This was way back in the early 90s.
This then is our tragedy.
And so we continue to lose young men, especially officers, who are forced to take unacceptable risks in order to keep our land free and our people secure.
That said, there is an increasingly distasteful trend of veterans foolishly succumbing to either a sickening so-called liberal thought or a distasteful anti-Muslim/Christian view.
This was the time when Col John A Warden published his seminal book ‘The Air Campaign: Planning for Combat’. While seldom acknowledged, this classic treatise on Air War Strategy laid the foundation for the USAF’s Shock and Awe campaign of Desert Storm.
I remember coming across the term Punitive Air Strikes around that time. It has taken us 30 years to use this. Despite seeing the first-hand result of a similar strike of 128 rockets on Government House in Dhaka in 1971.
The problem perhaps lies in our inability to convince the political leadership that the Indian military capability needs to be developed and utilised as an instrument of state policy. The bureaucracy that assists our polity in its constant ‘Election Mode Governance’ is perhaps the most sinister evil.
We too are blameworthy. Our legendary turf wars between the Army and the Air Force are responsible for a great deal of this. And these two squabbling siblings rarely acknowledge the Navy.
If we look into ourselves, we will find that we have always been reactionary to the Pak military’s upgradation programmes.
The MiG 29 and Mirage 2000 came after PAF acquired F-16.
When the Pakis acquired the AH-1 S, we got 2 x sqns of Attack Helicopters. We need perhaps 10 squadrons and we still have only two (even with the induction of the Apaches). The LCH equipped 116 HU is yet to be weaponised.
I remember Air Cmde Jasjit Singh advocating that the first use of heavy artillery by the Pakis should have been replied to by air strikes. This was way back in the early 90s.
This then is our tragedy.
And so we continue to lose young men, especially officers, who are forced to take unacceptable risks in order to keep our land free and our people secure.
That said, there is an increasingly distasteful trend of veterans foolishly succumbing to either a sickening so-called liberal thought or a distasteful anti-Muslim/Christian view.
The bureaucracy is very quick to quote Georges Clemenceau saying war is too serious a matter to leave to soldiers. I have always countered with Gen Charles de Gaulle's quote saying politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.
As serving officers, we were advised to always remain politically inactive but to be acutely politically aware. And the way to do that is by good staff work. Read the background on all these issues. Do not blindly believe in Mass Media. Research the issue. Social Media is another demon that needs to be tamed. Fake news is often spread like wildfire.
My request to all of us is to deliberately keep ourselves neutral. Avoid these smart quips. And do not label your brother offrs as Sanghis or bhakts or sickulars or CONgressis.
Jai Hind ki Sena
As serving officers, we were advised to always remain politically inactive but to be acutely politically aware. And the way to do that is by good staff work. Read the background on all these issues. Do not blindly believe in Mass Media. Research the issue. Social Media is another demon that needs to be tamed. Fake news is often spread like wildfire.
My request to all of us is to deliberately keep ourselves neutral. Avoid these smart quips. And do not label your brother offrs as Sanghis or bhakts or sickulars or CONgressis.
Jai Hind ki Sena
