Air power could have altered 1962 war, forward policy flawed in Ladakh and NEFA: CDS Gen Anil Chauhan

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has said the use of Air Force would have slowed the Chinese offensive considerably during the 1962 Sino-Indian war, and it may have been termed as “escalatory” then, but that is not the case now as seen in Operation Sindoor.

Speaking about the war with China 63 years ago, he noted the forward policy should not have been applied uniformly to Ladakh and NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency) or present-day Arunachal Pradesh, arguing the two regions had different histories of dispute and entirely different terrain, and following identical policies was flawed.

Over the years, the security situation has changed and the face of warfare itself has got transformed, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) maintained.

General Chauhan made the remarks in a recorded video message played on Wednesday during the release of the revised autobiography of the late Lieutenant General SPP Thorat - ‘Reveille to Retreat’ - in Pune.

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Lt Gen Thorat was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, in the lead-up to the Sino-Indian war.

General Chauhan said the autobiography of Lt Gen Thorat was more than a soldier’s memoir and it offered valuable insights into leadership, strategy and India’s military history.

The CDS said he was requested to speak about forward policy and about not using the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the 1962 war.

“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 noted.

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Over the years, the security situation has changed and force levels, too, have changed, said General Chauhan.

“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 think about using the IAF, but the then-government did not permit such a move.

“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 maintained.

Notably, Operation Sindoor in May this year involved India employing its air power to dismantle terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam massacre in April.

“Reveille to Retreat is not simply an autobiography. It’s a reflection on leadership, strategy and service. It sheds light on the decisions of power, critiques them with honesty and draws lessons that largely remain relevant today,” General Chauhan stated.

The CDS recalled Lt Gen Thorat, during his distinguished career that spanned pre and post independent India, had served in conflict zones which remain troubled even now, including Waziristan and Peshawar (Pakistan).

He commanded his battalion in Burma’s Arakan (now Rakhine) state, where his leadership earned him the Distinguished Service Order, and later fought in the historic battles of Kohima and Imphal, said General Chauhan.

Lt Gen Thorat also commanded the Custodian Force in Korea after the Armistice and was awarded the Ashoka Chakra Class II (later renamed the Kirti Chakra) as well as the Padma Bhushan, he said.

“Korea remains divided along the 38th parallel, one of the world’s most volatile fault lines, showing the continuity of conflict he had once helped manage,” the CDS said.