An extensive debate on the air power capability of China was held on the first day of the 4th edition of Military Literature Festival, organised on virtual mode this time.The debate was moderated by former Air Force chief B S Dhanoa. Other participants included AVM Arjun Subramaniam, GP Captain Ravinder Chhatwal and Dr Ming-Shih Shen.Former Air Force chief started the talk by discussing about the role of artillery support to the Air Force.He gave an insight of the contours of India bordering China.The former air chief talked about the fighter planes distance from the air base 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.Strategy of recoup, ability to operate from disperse location, squadron strength, combat experience, base strength and the importance of Himalayas was also discussed during the talk.
Dr Ming-Shih Shen from Taiwan throw light upon the bombers attacking on ground and the importance of artillery on launching the air attack.He also revealed about the air capabilities of China, new airports coming up in border areas and delay in the manufacturing of large planes due to COVID-19. Offensive and defensive strategies of China’s Air Force and 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 importance of air power, disruptive strategies and 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.