🛡️ Security & DefenceMAINS · GS3.20 · GS3.12

Raksha Mantri urges IAF to sustain element of surprise

At the Air Force Commanders' Conference, Rajnath Singh asked the IAF to build offensive and defensive surprise, new doctrines for electronic, cyber and space warfare, and launched in-house AI applications from its UDAAN unit.

What happened

At the Air Force Commanders' Conference (New Delhi, 12 November 2026), Rajnath Singh asked for both offensive and defensive strengthening of the 'element of surprise'.
He flagged non-contact warfare, citing the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts, and asked for readiness against kamikaze drones and for counter-drone capability.
He asked the IAF for dedicated doctrines for electronic, cyber and space domains and for training in emerging technologies, using the skills of young recruits.
He praised the IAF's role in Operation Sindoor, urged jointness, and said the Second Tour of Duty for Agniveers followed Services' feedback.
He launched AI applications built in-house by the IAF's AI Centre of Excellence (UDAAN) for operations, administration and aerospace safety, on the IAF's secure network.

For Prelims

Air Force Commanders' Conference: a two-day forum of the IAF's senior leadership, attended by the Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief of all Commands, Principal Staff Officers and Director Generals.
Theme: 'The Year of Empowerment: Maximising Efficiency Through Decentralisation'.
UDAAN: the IAF's Unit for Digitisation, Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Application Networking; its AI Centre of Excellence built the applications launched on 12 November 2026.
Operation Sindoor: described in a March 2026 PIB release as India's military response to the Pahalgam terror attack; PIB marked its first anniversary on 7 May 2026 (PRIDs 2238523, 2258583).
Second Tour of Duty: the Cabinet decision of 4 November 2026 offers the 75 per cent of Agniveers not retained on merit another two-year engagement, and 25 per cent are taken into regular service (PRID 2332524).
Domains named: electronic, cyber and space warfare, along with drones, counter-drone operations and air defence.
Army parallel: the Army Commanders' Conference of 23 October 2026 saw the release of the Land Warfare Doctrine (PRID 2327474).
Leadership: the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, assumed charge on 31 October 2026 as the 29th Chief (PRID 2330846).

For UPSC: Air Force Commanders' Conference, 12 Nov 2026, theme 'The Year of Empowerment'; Raksha Mantri launched IAF AI Centre of Excellence (UDAAN) applications; doctrines sought for electronic, cyber, space.

What it is NOT: The speech gives no budget, no timetable and no names for the new doctrines, and does not say which AI applications were launched beyond their three areas of use. It gives no evaluation of lessons from Operation Sindoor, no figures for drones, counter-drone systems or training, and does not say how decentralisation, the conference theme, will work. On the Second Tour of Duty it adds nothing to the Cabinet decision, and it is silent on cyber and space force structure.

For Mains

Syllabus: GS3.20 · GS3.12 · Linkage L1

Anchor

Modern air power is judged by who sees first, decides first and denies the other side time. The Defence Minister framed readiness as surprise in both attack and defence, across conventional and electronic means.

Substantiation (data)

He named drones, kamikaze systems, counter-drone work and air defence, cited the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars, and asked for doctrines in electronic, cyber and space warfare. The IAF launched in-house AI tools for operations, administration and aerospace safety.

Position

Building AI tools in-house on a secure network keeps sensitive data inside the force and speeds routine tasks. Doctrine for new domains, written early, can steer procurement and training before the technology matures.

Counterpoint

Doctrine without budgets, trained people and tested systems stays on paper, and the speech gives no timetable. Decentralisation, the conference theme, can clash with the jointness the Minister also asked for.

Way forward

Issue time-bound domain doctrines, fund counter-drone and air-defence layers, certify AI tools for safety and audit, build joint training with the Army and Navy, and publish what can be shared from Operation Sindoor lessons.

Conclusion

The message is that numbers of aircraft no longer settle outcomes. Readiness in electronic, cyber and space domains, and integration across the Services, will be the real tests.

Deploys into: Modern warfare, drones and counter-drone systems · Military doctrine and jointness among the Services · AI in defence administration and safety · Lessons from Operation Sindoor

Ministry of Defence · 2026-11-12 · PRID 2335351 · PIB source ↗