Ascendancy of Air Power in India’s Security Doctrine

India conducted Operation Sindoor (May 7–10), marking a paradigm shift in national security strategy by prioritising offensive air power as a core element in deterrence and conflict resolution. The operation indicates a move from a continental and defensive posture to a proactive doctrine of prevention, pre-emption, and punishment, especially in the context of cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.

Evolution of India’s National Security Strategy

• Historical Posture – From Reluctance to Assertiveness:
  Post-independence, India viewed military force as an "avoidable necessity", but since the 1971 war with Pakistan, there has been a gradual assertion of national power, signalling an evolutionary shift rather than a transformational one.
• New Strategic Approach – Preventive and Punitive Posture:
  Operation Sindoor reflects a doctrinal shift where India is now willing to consider prevention, pre-emption, and punishment as valid military responses against state-sponsored terrorism, particularly emanating from Pakistan.
• Balance of Doctrine – Restraint with Readiness:
  Despite a more assertive stance, India continues to uphold "responsibility and restraint" as a strategic cornerstone, ensuring proportionate and ethical use of military power.

Role of Air Power in the Changing Security Landscape

• Breaking Traditional Constraints – From Attrition to Air Dominance: Historically, India's focus remained on land-centric attrition warfare, driven by contested borders and internal conflicts, limiting strategic air power’s utilisation despite its potential.
• Maritime and Air Domains – Emerging Strategic Frontiers: Growing recognition of the maritime domain and air power as tools of both force and diplomacy has helped India diversify its military strategy beyond traditional continental thinking.
• Doctrinal Maturation – Air Power in Limited Conflicts: Though the IAF’s 2012 doctrine acknowledged sub-conventional roles like counter-terrorist operations, it was only with Balakot (2019) and now Operation Sindoor that air power has gained operational prominence.

Institutional Challenges and Strategic Way Forward:

• Budgetary and Inter-Service Competition – A Structural Bottleneck: The IAF faces budget constraints and competition with the Army and Navy, which delays the induction of advanced platforms needed to respond to collusive threats from Pakistan and China.
• Need for Strategic Integration – Multi-Domain Synergy: Operation Sindoor underscores the necessity to treat air power as an equal partner in multi-domain operations, rather than as a supplementary force, especially for non-contact warfare scenarios.
• Future Challenges – Capability Development Amid Regional Threats: The imminent induction of fifth-generation fighter aircraft (J-35) by China into the Pakistan Air Force highlights the urgency for the IAF to upgrade its offensive and defensive ecosystem, requiring robust government support.

Practice question:

Q. "Operation Sindoor marks a strategic shift in India's military doctrine, elevating offensive air power in the national security calculus. Discuss the implications of this shift on India's deterrence posture, inter-service coordination, and budgetary priorities."