Kargil was a poor test of India's air warfare capability

[Windjammer]

WASHINGTON: Kargil conflict was a "poor test" of India's air warfare capability, a prominent US thinktank has said, warning that with threats of future wars with Pakistan and China persisting, Indian defence establishment has to prepare accordingly.

"Despite the happy ending of the Kargil experience for India, the IAF's fighter pilots were restricted in their operations due to myriad challenges specific to this campaign. They were thus consigned to do what they could rather than what they might have done if they had more room for manoeuvre," said the think-tank in a report released yesterday.

The Kargil war, in which India emerged victorious over Pakistan, the 70-page report titles "Airpower At 18,000': the Indian Air Force in the Kargil War' further brought to light the initial near-total lack of transparency and open communication between Indian Army's top leaders and the IAF.

The report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the covert Pakistani intrusion into Jammu and Kashmir had exposed a gaping hole in India's nationwide real-time intelligence.

"On a strategic level, the Kargil War vividly demonstrated that a stable bilateral nuclear deterrence relationship can markedly inhibit such regional conflicts in intensity and scale — if not preclude them altogether," it said.

"In the absence of the nuclear stabilizing factor, those flash points could erupt into open-ended conventional showdowns for the highest stakes. But the Kargil War also demonstrated that nuclear deterrence is not a panacea," the report said.

It said the possibility of future conventional wars of major consequence along India's borders with Pakistan and China persists, and the Indian defence establishment must plan and prepare accordingly.

The Times of India - Indian Newspapers in English Language from six editions.

 

[IND151]

WASHINGTON: Kargil conflict was a "poor test" of India's air warfare capability, a prominent US thinktank has said, warning that with threats of future wars with Pakistan and China persisting, Indian defence establishment has to prepare accordingly.

"Despite the happy ending of the Kargil experience for India, the IAF's fighter pilots were restricted in their operations due to myriad challenges specific to this campaign. They were thus consigned to do what they could rather than what they might have done if they had more room for manoeuvre," said the think-tank in a report released yesterday.

The Kargil war, in which India emerged victorious over Pakistan, the 70-page report titles "Airpower At 18,000': the Indian Air Force in the Kargil War' further brought to light the initial near-total lack of transparency and open communication between Indian Army's top leaders and the IAF.

The report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the covert Pakistani intrusion into Jammu and Kashmir had exposed a gaping hole in India's nationwide real-time intelligence.

"On a strategic level, the Kargil War vividly demonstrated that a stable bilateral nuclear deterrence relationship can markedly inhibit such regional conflicts in intensity and scale — if not preclude them altogether," it said.

"In the absence of the nuclear stabilizing factor, those flash points could erupt into open-ended conventional showdowns for the highest stakes. But the Kargil War also demonstrated that nuclear deterrence is not a panacea," the report said.

It said the possibility of future conventional wars of major consequence along India's borders with Pakistan and China persists, and the Indian defence establishment must plan and prepare accordingly.

The Times of India - Indian Newspapers in English Language from six editions.

Kargil happened 12 years ago, much has changed since.

IAF has undertaken huge modernization program and addition of C 130J Hercules, C 17 GM III,SU 30 MKI, M 17 choppers has given huge boost to IAF's strength and these platforms will keep getting inducted in IAF in more numbers in coming years (don't forget Apache AH 64 Block 3 and Rafale too)

unlike Kargil, today we have more options for smart bombing

we didn't have any of the above platforms during Kargil, now we have.

Rafael will be capable of doing smart bombing while smoothly operating in areas like Kargil

that's the reason why MRCA contender jets were tested in Himalayan region, to check their performance in such mountainous area.

 

[KRAIT]

^ The problem faced by us in Kargil is the reason for many modernization process and aircraft development.

LCH is specifically developed for high altitude warfare. Kargil is the silver lining that made us look at certain critical things which we overlooked due to our laziness and poor judgement of enemy's strength, possible tactics and lack of vision.

 

[mfreak]

Yes there is every reason why the IAF might have been constrained. First, because of nukes, they may have wanted to not escalate anything into something big. The PAF could not be used altogether, because Pakistan wanted plausible deniability, which failed in the end. So I guess in the absence of enemy air force, we can afford to restrict ourselves to what is needed, than what we CAN do.

But I agree overall, the intelligence needs to improve. And the Army and the airforce needs to be fully prepared for any territorial breach. The virtual ease with which some scumbags from Pakistan, infiltrated India's borders, and killed over 170 people and held an entire city hostage for over 3 days, is in itself very telling of Indian intelligence agency's incompetence.

 

[Doctor Death]

The Kargil war, in which India emerged victorious over Pakistan, the 70-page report titles "Airpower At 18,000': the Indian Air Force in the Kargil War' further brought to light the initial near-total lack of transparency and open communication between Indian Army's top leaders and the IAF.


The Times of India - Indian Newspapers in English Language from six editions.

Feel sorry for the Pakistanis who were daydreaming about Pakistani victory in Kargil.

 

[Windjammer]

^^^^^^^^

The battle in essence was being fought over Indian territory, so there was no question of PAF getting involved, however when the IAF transgressed into Pakistani air space, a decisive response was given.

 

[Doctor Death]

^^^^^^^^

The battle in essence was being fought over Indian territory, so there was no question of PAF getting involved, however when the IAF transgressed into Pakistani air space, a decisive response was given.

lawl you mean like this:

Nothing was left after this strike other than dust and bones.

 

[Windjammer]

Feel sorry for the Pakistanis who were daydreaming about Pakistani victory in Kargil.

Ahhh the soothing words from TOI (Toilet of India) would indeed float your boat.

 

[Mirza Jatt]

much has changed since....IAF has undergone a huge modernisation process...Any misadventrure Now like kargil can be really hurting for the enemy and the new face of IAF will be totrally different than what it was in 1999.

 

[DARIUS]

Najam Sethi on Kargil War!!

 

[Windjammer]

Tehelka - The People's Paper

Near Tiger Hill, Point 5353 still Pak-occupied - Indian Express

Read and weep......And it's all from Indian sources.

 

[Paan Singh]

^^^^^^^^

The battle in essence was being fought over Indian territory, so there was no question of PAF getting involved, however when the IAF transgressed into Pakistani air space, a decisive response was given.

This operation was secret operation.Even you dint accept that its your NLI fighting there,instead you blamed armed jihadis for it..

and your air force was not informed about it nor your navy..They came to know later on with surprise and to whom you could fight?..Till then many of ur post bombed with LGB's and international community informed by india and your sharif was in washington begging for ceasefire.

 

[ares]

Tehelka - The People's Paper

Near Tiger Hill, Point 5353 still Pak-occupied - Indian Express

Read and weep......And it's all from Indian sources.

Why would we do that? Din't you read the article you posted, below two lines says it all, why there is no reason for us to weep.

"....Despite the happy ending of the Kargil experience for India,...
...The Kargil war, in which India emerged victorious over Pakistan.

 

[nForce]

^^^^^^^^

The battle in essence was being fought over Indian territory, so there was no question of PAF getting involved, however when the IAF transgressed into Pakistani air space, a decisive response was given.

So true..
The battle was indeed being fought over Indian territory.But it was the NLI which was getting bombarded,I think you will agree.

If there was less transperancy in communication between Indian Army and IAF,then in Pakistani side,there was NO transperancy,the PAF was not even in the loop of confidence.

Two jets downed by PA,admitted.But PAF didnt even dare to put up a fight.They even stopped flying CAP missions sighting lack of spares.That is called air-superiority.If someone feels otherwise,then he might try answering why the PAF didnt come to help their own troops ?

When the IAF felt the necessity,they did not hessitate to bobm NLI positions like the ammunition depot at Muntho Dhalo.What response did the PAF have ?

 

[Doctor Death]

Ahhh the soothing words from TOI (Toilet of India) would indeed float your boat.

Sorry to burst your bubble:

Both the Indian Army and the IAF were essential players in a genuinely joint counteroffensive. It would be hard to deem either as having been the more pivotal contributor toward determining the ultimate victory for India’s forces.91 To be sure, from a simple weight-of-effort perspective, 15 Corps artillery was the main source of direct fire support throughout the fighting, and massive barrages of it provided sustained suppressive cover under which Indian infantry teams eventually moved up the daunting terrain to recapture their former posts. In all, 15 Corps committed 15 artillery regiments and more than 300 artillery pieces to what one account called “one of the most bitterly fought mountain battles of all times.”92 Throughout the campaign, they expended more than 250,000 rounds of ammunition in a sustained laydown of fire on a scale not seen anywhere in the world since World War II.

Airpower at 18,000
These are the words of the CIA analyst.