A General for all seasons
The comments made by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Anil Chauhan, in an interview with an international media outlet, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month, triggered a flurry of sharp reactions from various quarters in India. Responding to the queries about the losses on the Indian side during Operation Sindoor, Gen. Chauhan confirmed what the Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, had alluded to at a joint briefing on May 11.
'We are in a combat scenario, losses are a part of combat. The question you must ask us is...have we achieved our objective of decimating the terrorist camps? And the answer is a thumping yes!,' Air Marshal Bharti had said, not disclosing the exact details of the losses. Gen. Chauhan echoed the same in Singapore. 'What I can say is that on May 7, in the initial stages, there were losses, but the numbers — that's not important. What was important is why did these losses occur. So, we rectified that and then went back on 7th, 8th and 10th,' he said.
During the military operation, which saw a full-spectrum and multi-domain kinetic action by the tri-services against a 'nuclear-armed' adversary, in close coordination with the intelligence agencies and para-military forces, the CDS played a critical role.
A new post
It was from the ramparts of Red Fort, during his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2019, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of the post of CDS. As enumerated later by the Union Cabinet, CDS was also to head the Department of Military Affairs to deal with areas such as the armed forces, integrated headquarters of the Defence Ministry, jointness in procurement, training, and staffing for the services, restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources through establishment of joint theatre commands; and promoting use of indigenous defence equipment. CDS, who is also the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, acts as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on all tri-service matters. While the post is above the three Service Chiefs, it does not exercise any military command.
Also read: Soldier Number One: on creation of CDS post
Gen. Chauhan assumed charge as the country's second CDS on September 30, 2022, nine months after Gen. Bipin Rawat died in a chopper crash in December 2021. For the first time since independence, a three-star Lieutenant General-rank officer became a four-star General after retirement. During a career spanning over 40 years, Gen. Chauhan has held several key posts and possesses extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast.
'Illustrious service'
Born on May 18, 1961, he was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Army in 1981. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. As a Major General, he led an Infantry Division in the Baramulla sector in the Northern Command and later commanded a corps in the Northeast.
He was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command from September 2019, and held the charge until his retirement from the service in May 2021. He then served as a Military Adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat from October 2021 to September 2022.
Besides the command positions, he had also served as the Director General of Military Operations. 'For his distinguished and illustrious service in the Army, Lt. Gen. Anil Chauhan (Retired) was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal,' as per a government note.
Over the years, especially after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the developmental initiatives undertaken by the government in all sectors started to show results in Jammu & Kashmir. Just when peace and prosperity seemed to be returning in the region, terrorists struck in Pahalgam on April 22.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who promised an unprecedented response, held meetings with top executive functionaries, including the Chief of Defence Staff. The armed forces and intelligence agencies were granted 'complete operational freedom' to determine the mode, targets, and the timing of India's response, according to the government.
Several rounds of brainstorming resulted in the conception of Operation Sindoor. In the intervening night of May 6 and 7, nine terror bases located deep inside Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir were struck. Sharing details of the operation, the government said the Air Force bypassed and jammed Pakistan's Chinese-supplied air defence systems, completing the mission in 23 minutes using Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs. 'On May 9-10, India became the first country to strike 11 airbases of a nuclear-armed nation in a single operation, destroying 20% of Pakistan's air force assets. High casualties were inflicted and key air platforms destroyed,' said the government.
Losses in the air
The Pakistani side claimed to have downed six Indian jets. Clearing the air, Gen. Chauhan on May 31 dismissed the claims as baseless. He, nevertheless, confirmed that there were indeed 'losses in the air'.
In his public addresses, Gen. Chauhan has described Operation Sindoor as a decisive move to draw the limits of tolerance and make it clear to Pakistan that it cannot hold India hostage to terror, and that India cannot 'live in the shadow of terror or nuclear blackmail'.
Given that Pakistan mostly relied on Chinese sources, while India had a wide range of indigenously developed systems to bank on, Gen. Chauhan noted that it was a manifestation of India's push for self-reliance. He underscored the institutional reforms undertaken to ensure an integrated approach with more flexible structures, emphasising the requirement for dedicated organisations for drones, electronic warfare, and unmanned aerial platforms.
In use were battle-proven Air Defence systems like the Pechora, OSA-AK and LLAD guns; Akash, a short range surface-to-air missile system; and loitering munitions (suicide drones). The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) too contributed with at least 10 satellites working round-the-clock monitoring the entire northern region.
'Around 1 a.m. on May 10, Pakistan wanted India to get on its knees in 48 hours. However, India's defence compelled them to come to a truce,' Gen. Chauhan said at an event on 'Future Wars and Warfare' at Savitribai Phule Pune University on June 3. 'Their 48-hour plan was summed up in eight hours and followed by a phone call for a ceasefire.'
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