Ready to face any eventuality, including war, says CDS Rawat

The top general, who inducted the Sukhoi-30 MKI squadron here, was responding to a question about any possibility of a war emerging between India and Pakistan.“All the defence services are tasked to be prepared for any option that may emerge. It is very difficult to predict a scenario. But, we are always prepared for any task that may be assigned to us,” Gen Rawat said.

‘’I have complete faith in our forces,” he added.The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) said his new role was aimed at integrating defence systems and the three services (the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force). It was for this reason the post of CDS was created, he said.“...we will keep moving towards better integration and jointness,” Rawat, who was appointed the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff on December 30 last year, added. He also said efforts were on to counter and prevent drone strikes and manufacture of necessary equipment to ensure this was also on, Gen Rawat said.

Speaking at the induction ceremony, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria said, “The decision to deploy the Su-30 MKI at Thanjavur was taken considering its strategic location.”The fighter aircraft inducted was armed with a ‘special weapon’ (BrahMos missile) the integration of which has been done indigenously.“The integration of the air-launched version of the BrahMos missile with the Sukhoi has been accomplished indigenously by BrahMos Aerospace, HAL and the Air Force,” he added.