The 1971 War, it would be recalled, was highly successful because there were clear political goals and because the armed forces were given a long time to prepare for any impending conflict. In 1971, the war officially started on 3rd December when Pakistani Air Force combat aircraft attacked nine Indian airfields and Pakistan's ruler General Yahya Khan declared war on India. However, the Indian armed forces had been told to prepare for any hostilities as early as in March 1971 and had ample time to bring their forces to top gear. This is unlikely to be the case in the future.
![[Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat]](./media/adm_bhagwat.jpg) |
There are lessons of the 1971 war at various levels, according to Air Chief Marshal Sareen. At the strategic level, the 1971 War brought out the importance of clear political direction to the armed forces. The Air Chief stated that "At the operational level, the need for updating threat perceptions based on assessment of the events in India's neighbourhood was also highlighted. The need for creating standing armed forces to provide a credible deterrence was acutely felt. It is a moot question whether Pakistan would have ventured into aggression if India was seen to have a clear edge to provide credible deterrence. lastly, the importance and role of Indian air power came to the fore, perhaps for the first time."
![[Air Chief Marshal S.K.Sareen]](./media/acm-sareen.jpg) |
The Indian Service Chiefs believe that the entire aim of the armed forces is to deter aggression and not be the aggressor. To achieve this, it is imperative to maintain the armed forces at a high level of preparedness and equip them with the necessary components required for fighting a modern war. Both the Chiefs appear to believe in the dictum that war is only forced upon the weak.
Air Chief Marshall Sareen explained that "With increasing importance of the third dimension, India would have to update and maintain its air force to provide a credible deterrence thereby ensuring peace in our subcontinent."
According to the Air and Naval Chiefs, the 1971 War is an important milestone because of the united manner in which India responded to an unprovoked attack from Pakistan. The Naval Chief explained that "It was a war of movement where the Central objective, Dacca, was seized, by passing towns with flanking movements, the retreat by sea cut off by the Eastern Fleet Task Force centred on INS Vikrant. It was a lightning campaign and one which attained its objective before the 7th Fleet could intervene. There are only very few wars in which 95.000 officers and men of the enemy surrendered their arms without giving a final fight because of the realisation that it was hopeless.
Speaking about the Navy's contribution, Admiral Bhagwat pointed out that "On the Western sector, the Indian Navy launched repeated missile attacks on a scale and magnitude not witnessed earlier, not only against ship targets but also on shore targets, the first of its kind in the history of missile warfare at sea. (1967 sinking of Elliath was a solo event). The missile boats of the Indian Navy operated well beyond their normal radius of operation."
The Indian Air Force played a key role in this campaign, according to the Air Chief. "It established Air Supremacy in the East during the first three days of operations to ensure unhindered advance by our forces. Battlefield Air Strikes were carried out to delay and disrupt the enemy. Helicopters of the Indian Air Force carried out Heli-Bridging of water obstacles to accelerate the pace of advancing Indian troops."
"In the closing stages of the War, a strike by Indian Air Force fighter aircraft at the Governor's residence forced the Pakistani Governor to capitulate and surrender, while an Airborne operation by IAF transport aircraft dropped paratroopers at Tangail to prevent retreating Pakistani soldiers from entering Dhaka where they could have re-organised for a last stand. It is perhaps the only example in Military histary where a large stranding army surrendered even before coming in the contact with its adversary. Thus, an all out Air campaign was very largely responsible for the Indian victory in Bangladesh," the Air Chief Marshal added.
The Chiefs pointed out that the 1971 War was one of the first wars in history fought by a Third World country where tactics and methods of modern warfare were applied in a systematic and effective manner.
Admiral Bhagwat explained: "For a nation which was colonised and, as some Western writers had written, demilitarised for 150 years, it is a memorable achievement as the political leadership interacted directly on a one-to-one basis with the military leadership in the planning, preparation and execution stages of the war.
Air Chief Marshall Sareen added: "For students of Air power and military history, the 1971 war will remain a shining example of air power in all its conceivable role and its effectiveness has brought out by the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani troops who otherwise had ammunition, food and supplies to last for six months and could have fought on, but for the decisive blow meted out by the Indian Air Force."
Lastly, as the Air Chief pointed out, "Memories of the War should be preserved because a number of our gallant Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen laid down their lives fighting for India. It is incumbent upon us to preserve the memory of the War as a tribute to them."
