Rajnath tells IAF to build cyber and space warfare doctrines, says aircraft numbers alone won't win wars

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday asked the Indian Air Force to develop dedicated doctrines and structures for electronic, cyber and space warfare, saying future conflicts would be decided by technology and speed rather than by the size of the fighter fleet alone.

Addressing the Air Force Commanders' Conference in New Delhi, which brought together the IAF's top leadership to review operations, maintenance and administration, Singh said wars were increasingly moving into non-contact domains in which missiles, drones and advanced weapons play the main role.

Intelligence and surprise

Singh called for continued investment in intelligence and surveillance, better integration between systems and early detection of threats. He told commanders that the force should strengthen its ability to use the element of surprise, both offensively and defensively, to stay ready for conventional as well as emerging threats.

He said victory in future conflicts would depend not merely on the number of aircraft but on technological sophistication, the speed of response and the precision of preparation, and urged that emerging challenges be built into planning and operational processes. He praised the IAF's professionalism, restraint and judgement during and after Operation Sindoor.

During the conference, the minister launched a suite of artificial intelligence applications developed in-house by the IAF's AI Centre of Excellence. The tools are meant to automate tasks in operations, administration and aerospace safety and run on the force's secure network. The conference's theme was efficiency through decentralisation.

Agniveer change

Singh also referred to the recent decision to offer Agniveers a second tour of duty, saying it was taken on the basis of feedback from the armed forces and that the government would keep incorporating their suggestions into policy, according to All India Radio.

Why it matters

The remarks come as the IAF tries to add fighter jets quickly to a shrinking fleet. By stressing doctrine, data and new domains, the government is signalling that modernisation will not be measured only by aircraft purchases, a debate that shapes defence spending priorities.