. NEW DELHI: With countries developing new defence systems at a faster pace amid ongoing conflicts, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) A P Singh has a word of advice for Indian defence agencies involved in research and development (R&D): they must “innovate at the speed of relevance”.“We need to increase the speed because the system has to come in before it becomes irrelevant. While we build the systems today, we must be doing R&D on systems of tomorrow. It is good to have, maybe 85-90% capability of the system on time than to wait for that 100% and delay it beyond its relevance period,” the IAF chief stressed while speaking at a recent seminar co-hosted by think-tank CAPSS and Indian Military Review publication here.Addressing senior military officials, IAF chief said for any modern aerial threat, complete domain awareness is key, and there should be “total coordination” among the three services. “We have seen what happens… if you don’t have domain awareness, you don’t know where your people are and where others are. We’ve seen what happened to F-15s (US fighter jets) in Kuwait. The fratricide part. So, we cannot afford to have things like that,” ACM Singh said. He was referring to the incident on March 1 in which “three US F-15E Strike Eagles went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire”, according to the US CENTCOM.He also highlighted the importance of drones, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-UAS. “There is no denying that the battlefield has shifted. We are shifting totally from very concentrated air power to a sort of decentralised and autonomous power. So, all rules of air power will apply when you use UAS. And they are no more eyes in the sky. They are like claws in the sky now,” he said.Recalling IAF’s key role during Op Sindoor, Singh said, “I think we did reasonably well in Op Sindoor. And that happened because there was coordination…Without having IACCS (Integrated Air Command and Control System) as a nerve centre, whether it was counter-UAS, counter-weapon or counter-aircraft, it wouldn’t have been possible.”End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Time Has Come’: Suvendu’s ‘Deportation’ Warning In Bhabanipur, Vows Action Over Kolkata ViolenceDelhi High Court Denies Interim Relief To Vinesh Phogat, Wrestler Barred From Asian Games Trials“India Is Now Naxal-Free”: Home Minister Amit Shah Declares End Of Maoist Insurgency From Bastar’I Am Trapped’: Twisha Sharma’s Last Message Before ‘Dowry Death’ In Bhopal | Headlines@9’Demanded Fortuner Car, Rs 50 Lakh’: Family Claims Noida Woman Was Thrown Off Terrace Over DowryFirst Look Of India’s Bullet Train Unveiled As Mumbai-Ahmedabad Corridor Nears 2027 LaunchBengal Govt Forms Panels To Probe Corruption, Atrocities Against Women During TMC Regime‘Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Lazy’: Inside India’s Viral Cockroach Janta PartySuvendu Adhikari Govt Ends Religion-Based Schemes In West Bengal, Scraps State OBC List‘Gone Are The Days When…’: West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari Warns After Kolkata Violence123PhotostoriesIdli vs Dhokla: Which is more nutritious for summer breakfastHow to make Dahi Sandwich for summer breakfastThere are only 2 countries starting with ‘Z’ and why travellers should explore them5 weekend getaways from Delhi under 500 km to escape the June heatWorld’s most culturally important rivers, and what they have in store for travellersOTT releases (May 18 to May 24): ‘Desi Bling’, ‘Jack Ryan’, ‘System’, ‘Ladies First’ lead the lineupConfused about how to remove the evil eye? Here are some remedies to get rid of negative vibes‘Queer Eye’ to Rehab Addict: Slurs, Low ratings and final chapters, every major reality TV show cancelled in 20265 Unlucky Plants You Should Remove from Your Home to Attract Good LuckIndian kitchen decor that secretly make homes healthier123Hot PicksCBSE class 12 resultUS Iran warPrateek YadavHaryana election resultForeign outflowNEET exam cancelledTamil Nadu assemblyTop TrendingReal Madrid CoachBrittany mahomesFifa World Cup 2026Who is aj brown wifeKolkata VIP Security CutIPL 2026IPL Orange Cap 2026London Tube StrikeDelhi High CourtFuel Price Hike
NEW DELHI: With countries developing new defence systems at a faster pace amid ongoing conflicts, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) A P Singh has a word of advice for Indian defence agencies involved in research and development (R&D): they must “innovate at the speed of relevance”.“We need to increase the speed because the system has to come in before it becomes irrelevant. While we build the systems today, we must be doing R&D on systems of tomorrow. It is good to have, maybe 85-90% capability of the system on time than to wait for that 100% and delay it beyond its relevance period,” the IAF chief stressed while speaking at a recent seminar co-hosted by think-tank CAPSS and Indian Military Review publication here.Addressing senior military officials, IAF chief said for any modern aerial threat, complete domain awareness is key, and there should be “total coordination” among the three services. “We have seen what happens… if you don’t have domain awareness, you don’t know where your people are and where others are. We’ve seen what happened to F-15s (US fighter jets) in Kuwait. The fratricide part. So, we cannot afford to have things like that,” ACM Singh said. He was referring to the incident on March 1 in which “three US F-15E Strike Eagles went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire”, according to the US CENTCOM.He also highlighted the importance of drones, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-UAS. “There is no denying that the battlefield has shifted. We are shifting totally from very concentrated air power to a sort of decentralised and autonomous power. So, all rules of air power will apply when you use UAS. And they are no more eyes in the sky. They are like claws in the sky now,” he said.Recalling IAF’s key role during Op Sindoor, Singh said, “I think we did reasonably well in Op Sindoor. And that happened because there was coordination…Without having IACCS (Integrated Air Command and Control System) as a nerve centre, whether it was counter-UAS, counter-weapon or counter-aircraft, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
