WSB: New branch for handling the combat challenges of the IAF

IAF new branch: The Modi government is working like there is no tomorrow. It seems as if it has been traumatised by the last nearly 7 decades of horrendous government malfunctioning. Files which have been circulating in Delhi for years are now getting sanctioned within weeks after scrutiny. The latest in the list is the approval of a new branch in the Indian Air Force (IAF). Surely, the disaster of the 1962 war has a lot to do with it.

IAF has opened a new branch

On the 90th Air Force Day, Indians were in for a pleasant surprise. Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari announced that there will be a separate new branch for handling the combat challenges of the IAF. The branch is named the Weapon System Branch (WSB). The Modi government has made the process easier by quickly approving the much needed proposal. It is the first branch which IAF will be operationalising keeping in mind India’s interests only. Earlier established branches were brought in by Britishers for their own needs. Though it is true that the IAF continued with them even after independence, since they were essential for our own needs.

Announcing the grand arrival of WSB, Air Chief Marshal said, “On this historic occasion, it is my privilege to announce that the government has approved the creation of a Weapon Systems Branch for officers in the IAF. This is the first time since Independence that a new operational branch is being created. ” The creation of this new branch of IAF will save Rs 3400 crores due to reduced expenditure on flight training.

#WATCH | Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari today announced the creation of the new weapon systems branch to handle all types of latest weapon systems in the force which would also result in a saving of Rs 3400 cr. Watch the details of the branch.
(Video: IAF) pic.twitter.com/VYS9yc26I5
— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2022

The need for a new branch

But the larger question is why did the IAF need to introduce a new branch at this crucial juncture of time? I mean, we are constantly threatened by Pakistan and China from both sides. Any kind of delay or even a haphazard implementation could have devastating results. Moreover, we already have three highly efficient branches, namely Ground Duty, Technical, and Flying.

To better manage operations, all three branches have been divided into 3 sub-streams. The ground duty branch takes care of administration, accounts, logistics, education, and meteorology. On the other hand, the technical branch takes care of the mechanical and electronic aspects of IAF capacity. The Technical branch is the main support system of the Flying branch, which handles fighters, transports, and helicopters.

Modernisation demands specialisation

But Flying Branch can’t do everything on its own. After all, a pilot can only fly an aircraft and handle weapons that are not too sophisticated. This is good when an aircraft is sent to fight internal enemies. When it comes to fighting between two countries, the pilot can’t handle too many things at once, since he or she has to take care of communicating developments to command centres as well.

The problem has been existing for decades now, but its intensity was felt when the Modi government started to modernise the armed forces on war-footing. More and more technologically sophisticated weapon systems have been introduced into the armoury of the Indian Air Force. In the last few years, we have seen the induction of 4.5 Gen fighters, AWACS, AEW&C, and flight refuelling aircraft. The IAF has also approved indigenous development of six AEW and C Mk-II aircraft. Acquisition of ISTAR, UAVs, counter UAS technology and network strengthening devices is also on the cards.

Weapon system operators will be assimilated into it

Naturally, it will require many more training hours and flying officers will be required to engage in more gruesome training, with an increase in both time and training hardship. Given the fact that there is an air of uncertainty around the success of the Agniveer scheme, a dedicated branch was required. And frankly, it is not that we did not have dedicated manpower to handle complex weapons in aircraft. We already have a cadre of officers. They are called “weapon system operators. Colloquially, they are called Wizzos.

Wizzos are flight officers responsible for all air operations and weapon systems of a military aircraft. A wizzo maintains the aircraft’s systems while riding behind the pilot. Remember, Flying Officer Tejaswi Ranga Rao? She was in the news last month for being the first Indian woman to fly the Wizzo on Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft.

Coming back to the story, the role of WSOs has evolved over time. Apart from handling drones, twin and multi-crew aircraft, a WSO should be able to coordinate with intelligence gathering operations as well. In today’s time, it is not enough to be specialised in just the handling of weapons.

Four sub-streams and their roles

Keeping these challenges in mind, the Indian Air Force has created 4 sub-streams under the branch. These sub-streams are named flying, remote, intelligence, and surface. As the name suggests, Flying Stream will handle twin-seat and multi-crew aircraft system operators. The Remote sub-branch of WSB will handle those flights which do not require pilots. It is assumed that the establishment of the Remote sub-stream is an indication of the IAF’s plan to focus on drone-driven warfare in future contingencies.

Both of these sub-streams will get precise information from intelligence, the third sub-stream under WSB. Officers under this cadre will include image intelligence analysts, information warfare specialists, and signal intelligence operators for remotely-piloted aircraft and space-based systems. They will analyse information from various sources and will guide Wizzos regarding the precise geographical location of the target.

At the most minute level of handling this stuff will be surface stream officers. Commanders and operators for surface-to-air guided weapons and surface-to-surface missiles will handle the missiles and similar weapon systems.

An attempt to avoid humiliation in 1962

With the induction of these new streams, the Indian Air Force now has 14 streams operating under 4 branches. This is in line with the Modi government’s emphasis on efficiency, rather than increasing manpower. Minimum government, maximum governance has always been the theme of the current executive. People at the top have seen the disastrous consequences of not abiding by this dictum during the 1962 war.

In that war, the Indian Air Force was battle ready to take on the Chinese PLAAF. The IAF had also offered to bomb enemy targets in Western Tibet, bordering Ladakh. But too many debates and deliberations, compounded by the fear of the PLAAF among civilised people, led to the Air Force not carrying out its desired operations. Resultantly, India suffered a historically humiliating defeat in the war. If the Air Force had intervened and handled operations according to its own capabilities, the results would have been something different. so different that Pakistan would not have dared to target us in 1965.

Things have not changed much with respect to both of our neighbours. In 1962 as well as 2020, Daulat Beg Oldi, Galwan, and Hot Springs were threatened. In fact, China has joined forces with Pakistan to threaten India. In terms of army capabilities, we are already superior to both countries.There are very few chances of all three engaging in naval combat because the PLAN has never dared to challenge us in the sea while the Pakistani Navy is still recovering from the events of 1971.

Air power is the only one in which India can be challenged. The legacy of outdated aircraft is still haunting us. We have been modernising but have not been too vocal about it. Establishment of a new branch of IAF will act as a deterrent element for our adversaries.