Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday inaugurated the state-of-the-art Centre of Integrated Air Defense Battle Management called as CIADBAM.
In a statement, the army said that Pakistan Army Air Defense is equipped with sophisticated, highly accurate and lethal long range weapon systems and the CIADBAM will provide an integrated environment for synchronized and effective articulation of Air Defense battle from top tier of command down to individual weapon systems.
"Simulator complex in the facility is capable of projecting various dynamic scenarios which can be configured and developed as per the latest intricacies and challenges of Air Defense Battle," it said.
"There is a need for greater cooperation, integration and synchronization to tackle complex and fluid future battlefield challenges," he said while commending Pakistan Army Air Defense.
What is a Modern Integrated Air Defense System
According to Maj. Peter W. Mattes of US Air Force, an IADS is the "structure, equipment, personnel, procedures, and weapons used to counter the enemy's airborne penetration of one's own claimed territory."
Rather than a single weapon or person, it is an amalgamation of elements, organized to minimize threats in the air domain.
Thus, an effective IADS performs three functionsair surveillance, battle management, and weapons control. Of these, air surveillance alone includes five specific sub-functions: detect, initiate, identify, correlate, and maintain.
A modern IADS is far more complex than a singular SAM battery or its associated command vehicle and radar. Analysts and operational planners should strive to use a common language when discussing IADS, and incorporate this knowledge in order to plan against these complex systems as missions dictate.
This understanding must include recognition that a linear, simplistic approach to defeating modern, complex IADS is insufficient and instead requires integrated multi-domain operations, says Maj. Mattes.
India's Integrated Military Command
Not surprisingly, Pakistan's rival India is also establishing integrated military command. Soon after taking over in January 2020 as India's first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat initiated the process of creation of an integrated military command that would take charge of air defense operations of the Indian military. The proposal seeks to take away the critical "Air Defense" role from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and create a separate "Air Defense Command".
According to Retired Group Captain of Indian Air Force (IAF) C.J. Weir, the Air Defense Command would be a stand-alone arm of Indian air power whose aim would be to protect vital areas and vital points (V/A's/VP's) of the nation from enemy aircraft.
The system would bring under one umbrella all the components of the air defense machinery. The four components of the system would continue to be detection, identification, interception and destruction. The current assets of the IAF namely aircraft, systems and manpower, would be amputated from the main body to create the new Air Defense Command.
Air defense boost: Indian Air Force gets first Indo-Israeli missile
In a significant boost to India's air defense capabilities, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was handed over its first Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) system on September 9, the Business Standard reported.
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