Military Literature Festival: Air Force experts discuss airpower of China

Chandigarh, December 18, 2020: An extensive debate on the airpower capability of China was held on the first day of the 4th edition of the Military Literature Festival, organized on virtual mode this time.

The debate was moderated by former Air Force chief BS Dhanoa. Other participants included AVM Arjun Subramaniam, GP Captain Ravinder Chhatwal, and Dr. Ming-Shih Shen.

The former Air Force chief started the talk by discussing the role of artillery support to the Air Force. He gave an insight into the contours of India bordering China. The former air chief talked about the fighter planes’ distance from the airbase and said that the return of planes to their base to get the fuel refilled is important in a battle.

He compared the distance covered by fighter planes and the distance between airbases. The strategy of recouping, the ability to operate from dispersing location, squadron strength, combat experience, base strength, and the importance of the Himalayas was also discussed during the talk.

Dr. Ming-Shih Shen from Taiwan throws light upon the bombers attacking the ground and the importance of artillery on launching the air attack.

He also revealed the air capabilities of China, new airports coming up in border areas, and delay in the manufacturing of large planes due to COVID-19. The offensive and defensive strategies of China’s Air Force and the role of drones, cyber, and electronic intelligence were also a part of his talk.

Author of two books based on his personal experiences, Arjun Subramaniam talked about the probability of conflict between India and China. He talked about the effectiveness of combating war with the importance of airpower, disruptive strategies, and the role of ground power.

GP Captain Ravinder Chhatwal spoke about China’s limitation in warfare against India, support of airfields, and innovation in the field of making drones, predator drones, and UAVs.