BS Dhanoa wrote the letter three months after he took charge as Indian Air Force Chief
Highlights
- IAF chief asserts force should be ready for ops at 'very short notice'
- He asks officers to be mindful of their professional conduct
- Letter was written 3 months after he took charge as IAF chief
Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa has written a personal letter to officers of the force, asking them to be prepared for operations at a "very short notice" to effectively deal with security challenges, including sub- conventional threat, to the country.
In the letter dated March 30, the Air Force chief also touched upon a range of issues relating to service matters and asked the officers to be morally upright and mindful of their professional conduct so that image of the force is not tarnished.
Talking about various security challenges confronting the country, Air Force Chief Dhanoa, in an apparent reference to Pakistan backing terror groups targeting India, spoke about persistent "sub- conventional threat", asserting the force should be prepared for operations at a "very short notice".
"It was a personal letter the IAF chief wrote to the officers covering a wide range of issues that he felt were important," a senior Air Force official said.
In the letter, written three months after he took charge as IAF chief, BS Dhanoa also stressed on the need to mould the Air Force's training programme considering the evolving security scenario.
Air Force Chief Dhanoa also talked about the need for the IAF to remain ready for operations with its "present holdings", seen as an reference to the force's depleted strength of 33 squadrons of fighter aircraft instead of sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons.
In the letter, he also talked about the need for the Air Force to remain conscious about the new technological advancements in war fighting machinery as well as strength of India's adversaries.
He also touched upon cases of alleged "favouritism" and "sexual harassment" in the Air Force, stressing on the need to maintain high standards of morality and fairness. He said the image of Air Force must not be allowed to get affected at any cost.