New Delhi, October 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh on Saturday said military power was increasingly concentrated around the aerospace domain, noting that recent global conflicts had demonstrated the growing importance of air power in achieving a nation’s strategic objectives.
Addressing a press conference ahead of Air Force Day, Singh said changing geopolitical conditions had highlighted the importance of strong military capabilities as a key component of a country’s overall national power.
“From the conflicts which we see around, it is very clear that other elements of comprehensive national power of any nation rest on a strong military,” he said.
Emphasising the role of military strength in safeguarding national interests, the IAF chief said that without adequate capabilities, a country could remain vulnerable to coercion.
“When we talk about a strong military, in the recent conflicts we have seen that it is the air power which has come to the fore, which has come out as the cutting edge of military power, and it is one instrument on which any nation relies to meet its objectives,” Singh said.
He noted that global defence transactions and strategic discussions increasingly focused on advanced fighter aircraft, long-range precision weapons, integrated air command and control systems, and unmanned aerial systems.
“These all reflect that military power is concentrated around the aerospace domain,” he said.
The IAF chief also said India could finalise the much-awaited Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) deal by the end of the current financial year, provided the process progressed as planned.
Singh said price negotiations and other key issues related to the proposed acquisition, estimated at around Rs 3.25 lakh crore, were currently under discussion.
In February, India cleared a proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets in what is expected to be the country’s largest-ever defence acquisition. The proposed deal is being pursued under a government-to-government framework with France.
The acquisition plan was originally initiated nearly two decades ago to strengthen the Indian Air Force’s combat capabilities and expand the country’s Rafale fleet.
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