NEW DELHI: Military might remained the "ultimate arbiter" of national power, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Wednesday even as he underlined the supremacy of air power.
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In an address at a seminar, the IAF chief cited Operation Sindoor to emphasize the growing importance of air power in achieving strategic objectives and also cited its effectiveness in various conflict zones.
Elaborating on evolving security challenges, he also argued that there should be willingness to use military power depending on circumstances as "unchecked restraint" could be misinterpreted as weakness.
At the same time, he said exercising restraint while having military strength is seen as capability.
"Military power stands as the ultimate arbiter of national power. Any one of these powers is very important but finally, what is required is a robust military, because if you don't have it, you can be subjugated by anybody," he said.
Air Chief Marshal Singh was delivering the 22nd Subroto Mukherjee memorial lecture.
The chief of air staff extensively spoke on growing strategic importance of air power and said his force demonstrated it during Operation Sindoor.
"The part of the military power which has come in handy, or which has delivered what was required to be delivered, is the air power," he said.
"It is very important that we focus on this part of the military if we want to be a force to reckon with. Whether it is getting people out of the conflict zone, whether it is to give a blow to terrorist infrastructure and their perpetrators," he added.
Air Chief Marshal Singh, referring to Operation Sindoor, said it was the air power that "did the trick, and that has to be remembered".
"What is happening around the world and what has happened in India, which part of military power has come in handy, which part has delivered what was required to be delivered...," he said.
"It is the air power, and it becomes very important that we focus our attention on this part of the military if we want to become a force to reckon with," he said.