‘Could’ve slowed Chinese offensive in 1962 war’: CDS Chauhan says deploying Air Force was once considered escalatory

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan emphasised the significant role the Indian Air Force could have played in the 1962 Sino-Indian war. In a recorded message at the launch of late Lieutenant General SPP Thorat's revised autobiography, 'Reveille to Retreat', General Chauhan reflected on strategic choices during the conflict. Lt Gen Thorat was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, in the lead-up to the Sino-Indian war.

Chauhan indicated that using air power might have slowed or even prevented the Chinese offensive, giving the Indian Army more time to prepare. Citing Operation Sindoor as a recent example, he illustrated how perceptions towards air power have shifted, marking an evolution in India’s defence strategy.

General Chauhan remarked, "They would have had a significant advantage during the 1962 conflict. Shorter turnaround times, a favourable geography and the ability to bring maximum payloads to bear with maximum weight on the enemy. Use of air power would have slowed the Chinese offensive considerably, if not stymied it completely. This would have given the Army much more time to prepare. In those days, I think, the use of the Air Force was considered escalatory. This, I think, is no longer true, and Operation Sindoor is an apt example of this."

He noted that Operation Sindoor in May this year demonstrated the Indian Air Force's effectiveness, with air strikes conducted on terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam massacre in April.

Reflecting further, General Chauhan questioned the uniform application of the forward policy to both Ladakh and the North-East Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh), arguing that the two regions required tailored approaches due to their differing histories and terrain.

"All I can say is that the forward policy should not have been applied uniformly to Ladakh and NEFA. The two regions had very different histories of the dispute, a different security context and entirely different terrain. In Ladakh, China had already occupied much of Indian territory, whereas in NEFA, the legitimacy of India's claim was stronger. To equate the two and pursue identical policies was, in my view, a bit flawed," he said. The CDS suggested Lt Gen Thorat did consider the use of the Air Force, but was not permitted by the government at the time.

General Chauhan also commented on the challenges in critiquing past decisions, stating, "To comment on the adequacy or inadequacy of the forward policy at this time is slightly difficult. Our views will be coloured due to many reasons, like geography has changed entirely and so has geopolitics." He stressed that changes in the security environment and the evolution of warfare have influenced strategic thought.