The Indian Air Force (IAF) is maintaining a close watch on developments across the Indo-Pacific and is strengthening a range of capabilities designed to protect India’s national interests across vast distances, according to Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh.

His remarks come at a time when strategic competition is increasing across the Indo-Pacific, a region that has become a focal point of global security discussions. Concerns have been growing internationally over heightened military activity and power projection in the area, while India, the United States, Japan, Australia and other partners continue to advocate a free, open and rules-based regional order.

In an exclusive interaction with PTI, Air Chief Marshal Singh underscored that India’s priorities remain firmly centred on protecting its national interests, sovereignty and strategic autonomy while supporting a rules-based Indo-Pacific framework.

Highlighting the operational requirements needed to achieve that objective, he said, "From the IAF's perspective, this demands a specific set of capabilities. We need reach, persistent surveillance, air mobility, air-domain awareness, networked command and control, and the ability to operate effectively over extended distances."

The Air Chief pointed to the strategic importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, describing them as a vital launch point for operations across the eastern Indian Ocean Region. According to him, the combination of aerial refuelling assets and airborne early warning platforms significantly enhances the IAF’s ability to project power and maintain awareness far from the Indian mainland.

"Our strategic posture in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands provides a critical springboard for operations in the eastern Indian Ocean Region. Aerial refuelling and airborne early warning give us the reach and awareness to operate far from our shores," he said.

Without naming any specific country, Air Chief Marshal Singh also reflected on the rapid geopolitical shifts taking place across the Indo-Pacific, where military deployments, strategic competition and regional rivalries have intensified in recent years.

"The Indo-Pacific has become central to global security, and it is marked by growing military activity, strategic competition and contestation," he said.

He further noted that recent developments in the region's maritime domain demonstrate the importance of maintaining readiness and strengthening cooperation among like-minded nations.

"Recent developments across the region, including in its maritime spaces, underline the need for vigilance, credible deterrence and greater regional cooperation," he stressed.

Discussing force preparedness, the Air Chief said the IAF is enhancing cooperation with friendly foreign air forces, viewing these engagements as a means not only to improve operational capability but also to build long-term strategic trust.

He remarked that "trust itself is an enduring contributor to regional stability", highlighting the growing importance of defence partnerships in an increasingly complex security environment.

The IAF, he explained, is adopting a capability-based rather than threat-specific approach. The objective is to develop a force that can identify emerging challenges at an early stage, operate seamlessly across multiple domains and deliver the desired operational effects wherever India's interests require.

"As for preparedness, we are closely monitor developments across the Indo-Pacific. Our approach is not threat-specific. We are building an IAF that can detect emerging challenges early, operate across multiple domains, and generate the required effects wherever India's national interests demand," he said.

Emphasising the force's operational readiness, Air Chief Marshal Singh stated that the IAF remains fully prepared to defend the country and adapt to evolving security challenges.

"We are ready, and will remain ready" to safeguard India's security, he said.

A key element of that preparation has been the expansion of interoperability with partner nations. The IAF has increasingly participated in sophisticated multinational exercises and operational deployments aimed at improving coordination, logistics, long-range mission planning and joint operations.

Recent deployments to Australia, Malaysia and Thailand have enabled Indian aircrew to gain practical experience in extended-range operations, maritime air missions, large-force employment concepts and area familiarisation across strategically important regions.

The Air Chief also highlighted a notable example of regional engagement conducted in February 2026, when IAF Su-30MKI fighter aircraft operating from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands carried out an in-situ exercise with the Royal Thai Air Force over the Indian Ocean.

The mission was supported by IL-78 aerial refuelling aircraft and Indian airborne warning and control systems, demonstrating the IAF’s ability to sustain operations at long distances while coordinating with international partners.

"They were supported by IL-78 tankers and our airborne warning and control aircraft. Engagements of this kind build both capability and trust, and that trust is itself an enduring contributor to regional stability," he said.

Air Chief Marshal Singh further emphasised that future effectiveness in the Indo-Pacific will depend on a broad spectrum of advanced capabilities. Beyond traditional air power, he highlighted the growing importance of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, space-enabled systems, electronic warfare capabilities, precision-guided weapons, unmanned platforms and resilient networked architecture.

According to the Air Chief, these capabilities will be crucial for operating effectively across the vast maritime expanses of the Indo-Pacific, where awareness, reach and rapid decision-making are becoming increasingly important components of national security strategy.

India's efforts in this direction are also supported by its growing engagement with Quad partners and other friendly nations, reflecting New Delhi's broader objective of maintaining stability, preserving freedom of navigation and strengthening collective security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region. 

Recent years have seen an increase in defence exercises, information-sharing arrangements and operational interactions aimed at reinforcing these goals while ensuring that the region remains open, inclusive and governed by internationally accepted rules.

PTI