Episode 104 - Stories of Balakot & Galwan, Politics on Rafale & India-China standoff with RKS Bhadauria

Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd.) is the former Chief of Air Staff and is a decorated officer with a career spanning over four decades. He also served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC) at Southern Air Command. He is the man who spearheaded the Rafale negotiations during his tenure as vice chief of the Air Staff. In his four-decade career, Bhadauria has the distinction of logging more than 4,250 flight hours across 26 different types of fighter jets and transport aircraft. In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he shares insights on India's Balakot strike against Pakistan following the Pulwama attack. He applauds the political will that led to action against terrorists. He talks about the importance of the Rafale's induction into the Indian Air Force and terms it a game-changer for the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces and also talks about expediting indigenous aircraft production. Bhadauria also shares details on the escalation in the Indo-China border post Galwan clash and how the Indian Air Force's deployment acted as a deterrent to China's intentions.