New Delhi : At a time when India is warming up to China amid a downturn in ties with the US, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Friday said the border dispute with Beijing would remain New Delhi’s biggest challenge. Challenges before countries aren’t momentary. They exist in different forms. I think the boundary dispute with China is India’s biggest challenge and will continue to remain so.
The boundary dispute has long been an irritant in India-China ties, with both countries being involved in several standoffs and clashes. Ties have seen an uptick after India and China resolved the border row and decided to disengage last year. Since then, both sides have decided to re-open border trade, resume direct flights and issue visas for business and cultural exchanges.
The second major challenge is Pakistan’s proxy war against India, with a strategy of ‘bleed India by a thousand cuts’. Regional instability is also a concern, as almost all of India’s neighbours face social, political, and economic unrest, he further said. While speaking about Operation Sindoor, General Chauhan emphasised that the surprise factor was crucial in military operations, allowing the armed forces to gain the upper hand over the enemy.
He said that after the Balakot incident in 2019, when Indian and Pakistani jets were engaged in a dog fight, New Delhi worked on long-range precision strikes, while Islamabad focused on enhancing its air defence.When the Pahalgam terror attack happened, we had already enhanced our precision strike capabilities. We tried to use lower airspace to maintain surprise and control escalation,” he said.
But, when we discussed with political leadership, we concluded that using drones and loitering munitions alone would not achieve our political objectives. To destroy Bahawalpur and Muridke, airstrikes were necessary, the top general said. Rejecting claims by the opposition that the hands of the armed forces were tied during the operation, General Chauhan asserted that the military had full operational freedom across all stages, from planning to the selection of targets.
Read Also : Air India Express Flight Faces Engine Glitch, Pilot Issues ‘PAN-PAN’ Alert Before Safe Landing
-
-
-
-
