‘Use of Air Force was seen as escalation in 1962’:CDS Chauhan says Air Force use would have slowed Chinese offensive considerably in India

CDS General Anil Chauhan joined an event in Pune online. File Photo

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan said, 'If the Indian Air Force had been used in the 1962 India-China war, the advance of the Chinese army could have been significantly slowed down.'

He said, "At that time the use of air force was considered a 'tension escalating step', so permission was not given. The use of air force gives the army an opportunity to attack quickly, take advantage of favourable conditions and put pressure on the enemy."

CDS Chauhan said,

The 1962 Forward Policy could not be the same in Ladakh and the Northeast Frontier Area (now Arunachal Pradesh) because both regions had different geographical and political situations. China had already occupied Ladakh, while India had a strong claim