Preface A doctrine provides a military commander with the framework to prepare and fight a war in a coordinated and controlled manner. This edition of the ‘Basic Doctrine’ of the IAF has been declassified to allow a wider audience to understand the IAF’s vision, organisation, structure and role. Air power has come a long way in its journey of a little over hundred years. The expectations from its inherent capabilities have also increased exponentially. In our context, therefore, it is important to define the IAF’s role and its responsibilities. A potent and lethal force, the IAF, provides a wide spectrum of choices to decision makers in any contingency. Principles of war have evolved over time. However, the contexts in which they need to be understood and employed have their own nuances. The characteristics of air power and its peculiarities need to be understood within the right framework for its correct application. The structure of air power too needs to be appreciated to ensure optimal employment of air power to achieve national security objectives. Air strategy gets effectively utilised by executing the three aerial campaigns viz. Counter Air, Counter Surface Force Ops and Strategic Campaign with the omnipresent requirement of Combat Enabling Operations. Experiences of the recent past have clearly highlighted the growing proliferation of sub conventional warfare. Contrary to a widespread belief, air power possesses diverse and effective tools to make a significant contribution in these operations. Joint operations are the only way to achieve political objectives in modern conflict. Air power remains the lynchpin of any joint application of combat power in modern warfare. Space is no longer a frontier. The IAF has for long been aware of its importance in modern war fighting. It enables commanders to make decisions in the fog of war and provides the advantage of high ground. Information is the key to success in any endeavour and more VII