Srinagar, New Delhi | October, 8: Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Thursday said that the Indian Air Force’s swift transition into combat operations during Operation Sindoor demonstrated its destructive power as well as effective air defence operations.
Addressing the 94th Air Force Day celebrations at Air Force Station Hindan in Ghaziabad, the Air Chief said that air power is the primary technique to protect national interests, and the IAF always remains alert and ready to meet any contingency. Referring to Operation Sindoor, he said the IAF’s swift transition into combat operations demonstrated its destructive power as well as the effectiveness of its air defence operations. He noted that an air force’s true strength is not merely determined by the advanced aircraft it possessed, but by its operational preparedness and its ability to act quickly and confidently whenever required. “An air force can have the most advanced aircraft in the world, but its true strength is measured by its operational preparedness how quickly and confidently it can act whenever the call comes,” he said.
The Air Chief said this year’s Air Force Day theme, “Infallible, Impervious, Precise,” is not merely a tagline but a manifestation of the IAF’s strength and resolve. He also reiterated the force’s commitment to technological advancement and self-reliance, saying Atmanirbharta remained its guiding principle. Emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and autonomous systems, would be integrated while keeping human authority at the core, he said.
He stressed the need for deep synergy among the armed forces, pointing out that joint planning and integrated combat application with the Army and Navy had become a daily activity. Reports said that Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, 2025, in response to the April 22, 2025, terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead, involving precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
