A day after China waved red flag over the successful test trial of India’s Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Arup Raha on Wednesday said the country has to build its deterrence capabilities in order to “strike deep inside the adversary’s heart.”
Without naming the eastern neighbour, he said India is indigenously building its capabilities legitimately while it is “common knowledge” about collusion in nuclear proliferation and transfer of forbidden technology in the neighbourhood. This was in apparent reference to reports about China helping Pakistan in its nuclear and missile programmes.
India successfully conducted the test trial of Agni-V with a target range of over 5,000 km on Monday. Raising concern over the missile test as Agni-V can target its heartland, China on Tuesday had said it hoped the test complied with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) rules and safeguard South Asia’s strategic balance.
Hinting that it might take up the matter at the UNSC, Chinese Foreign Ministry said the UNSC has explicit regulations on whether India can develop ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. India had said on Tuesday its strategic capabilities were not aimed at any particular country.
Agni-V is capable of carrying more than one ton of nuclear or conventional warhead.
Asked to comment on Chinese reaction, Raha in his last Press conference before retirement on December 31 said one should not talk about “someone else doing something unless it is prohibited like nuclear proliferation. It is common knowledge as to what is happening in this region “in terms of collusion, transfer of technology which is forbidden,” he added.
He added the deterrence was needed as the adversary was strong and resourceful. “One neighbour had money and funds, had progressed well and was into research and development programme of weapons,” he said.
On China’s reaction, he said in international diplomacy, normal diplomacy or military diplomacy, these posturing and signaling will always be there. “So we should just go about with our task, meet our own requirements, security challenges,” Raha said.
As regards building capabilities, he said it was not for fighting a conflict as India is for peace and tranquility. However, the country was drawn into conflicts several times in the past and therefore the armed forces have to have deterrence. Efforts were on to further enhance the striking prowess of IAF, build forces in the sea and give more teeth to the Army by raising a mountain strike corps besides creating infrastructure, IAF chief said.
Reiterating that overall there was a thrust by the Government and the armed forces to bolster deterrence capability more than anything else, Raha clarified it is not specific to any country.
The IAF chief refused to name China in any of his comments despite repeated questions on Beijing’s Defence capability.
He said every country has the right to make its own assessment of security needs. “It will not be appropriate for me to speak about any country in the neighbourhood. But definitely, we take everything into consideration when we do a threat appreciation.”
Highlighting the future projection of the IAF, Raha said the force needed at least 200 to 250 medium weight fighter aircraft as many jets were in the last phase of their operational life. While lauding the capabilities of Rafale fighter jet which IAF will induct after three years, Raha, however, said the seven billion Euro deal was only for 36 jets while the IAF needed 126 fighter aircraft of this class.
Raha said India needed a second line of production of fighter aircraft. At present, India is manufacturing Tejas light combat aircraft and the IAF will induct 126 of them in the next one decade. Several fighter aircraft manufacturers like those of F-16 and F-18(both US) besides Grippen of Sweden are building a case for setting up production line if India opts for the second line.