Air Force chief Ashutosh Dixit unveils ‘VAYU’ roadmap to restore combat strength

VAYU is a memorable framework for Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit’s priorities. It gives the Indian Air Force four connected goals. These are vigilance and readiness, self-reliance, ingenuity, and unity of effort. Together, they describe how the IAF wants to prepare, modernise and operate.

“V” means vigilance and readiness. “A” means aatmanirbharta, or self-reliance, including Indian aircraft, sensors and weapons. “Y” means yukti, or ingenuity, covering innovation in technology, procedures and doctrine. “U” means unity of effort, especially joint action with the Army, Navy and national agencies.

The roadmap matters because India’s security environment remains demanding and technology is reshaping warfare. Dixit said the IAF must be ready to fight and win, while credible air power should also deter conflict. VAYU therefore combines immediate readiness with long-term transformation and stronger cooperation across India’s security system.

The Indian Air Force’s sanctioned fighter strength is 42 squadrons. A squadron is an organised operational unit of aircraft and personnel. This sanctioned figure represents the level the IAF is intended to maintain for its defence responsibilities. It is an important benchmark for judging whether the force has enough combat capacity.

The article does not provide the IAF’s exact current fighter-squadron count. It does state that the force is well below 42 squadrons. Several MiG-21 squadrons have already been phased out, while other fighter squadrons are scheduled to leave service by the end of 2029–30.

That shortfall makes restoring combat strength Chief of Air Staff Ashutosh Dixit’s foremost task. The delayed induction of LCA Tejas adds pressure. Until replacements arrive in adequate numbers, the IAF must manage readiness with a smaller fighter fleet than its sanctioned level.

Combat squadrons give the IAF the aircraft, crews and operational capacity needed to respond to threats. Restoring their number matters because the article describes India’s security environment as demanding. The IAF must remain ready to fight and win, and it needs enough force to sustain operations rather than merely respond briefly.

The immediate pressure is clear. Several MiG-21 squadrons have been phased out. Other fighter squadrons are scheduled to be phased out by the end of 2029–30. At the same time, induction of the LCA Tejas has been delayed. These changes reduce available fighter strength while replacements have not arrived as planned.

The article does not quantify the exact shortfall, but calls the force well below its sanctioned 42 squadrons. Dixit therefore places restoration first. More aircraft in adequate numbers would support sustained operational demands, strengthen deterrence and help the IAF remain ready whenever the nation calls.

The article identifies Tejas Mk1, Tejas Mk1A and AMCA as major priorities under aatmanirbharta, meaning self-reliance. It does not provide detailed descriptions of these programmes. It presents them as Indian solutions that can help rebuild the IAF’s combat capability and reduce dependence on externally sourced systems.

The key mechanism is domestic development and fielding. The IAF also wants Indian sensors and weapons, not just aircraft. Dixit said the force would fight with Indian solutions deployed in adequate numbers to meet sustained operational demands. That connects technology ownership with practical availability and endurance.

These priorities are urgent because the fighter fleet is below the sanctioned 42 squadrons. The article also notes that LCA Tejas induction has been delayed, while some existing squadrons are leaving service. Faster, larger-scale delivery of indigenous systems would support combat-strength restoration and the IAF’s longer-term transformation.

Drones, long-range precision weapons, space, cyber, artificial intelligence and the electromagnetic spectrum are changing the battlefield, according to Dixit. Modern air warfare is therefore no longer limited to traditional aircraft engagements. Threats and effects can arrive remotely, travel across domains and target information, communications or air-defence systems.

The IAF’s proposed responses show the mechanism. It plans networked, AI-enabled command and control, layered counter-drone defence, stronger force protection and resilience. It also wants to use near-space as an operational domain. These measures connect sensors, decisions and defensive actions while addressing several kinds of threat at once.

The article does not claim that any single technology decides a conflict. Instead, it says the IAF must keep advancing doctrine, procedures and technology. The forward implication is continual adaptation: readiness will depend on integrating new capabilities while maintaining responsive maintenance and the ability to sustain operations.

The IAF considers unity of effort essential because military operations rarely depend on one service alone. Air power is most effective when integrated from the outset, rather than added after separate plans are completed. Joint planning can align objectives, timing and resources across the country’s defence system.

Dixit says the IAF will plan and fight alongside the Army, Navy and national agencies. This approach supports the vision of JAI: jointness, aatmanirbharta and innovation. The practical mechanism is shared effort, with each organisation contributing its capabilities toward one operation instead of pursuing disconnected actions.

The article does not provide a specific operation as an example of this integration. It does make jointness a central priority for the new Air Chief. As warfare becomes more technology-driven and spans air, space, cyber and electromagnetic domains, closer coordination will remain important for readiness, effectiveness and deterrence.

Air power is the military ability to operate through the air using aircraft, air-defence systems, surveillance and related capabilities. The article presents it as a national instrument that must remain ready to fight and win. It also says its most important purpose is deterring conflict through credible air power.

Credibility depends on more than possessing aircraft. The IAF must maintain squadrons, radars, air-defence units and air warriors ready to respond at short notice. It also needs Indian sensors and weapons, modern technology, resilient systems and effective coordination with the Army, Navy and national agencies.

A credible air force can deter an enemy by demonstrating that aggression would meet a rapid and capable response. The article does not describe a specific deterrence scenario. It links deterrence to readiness, adequate combat strength and the ability to sustain operations while adapting to drones, precision weapons, AI, space and cyber threats.