ABSTRACT
The Whitehall Paper has surveyed Indian power projection largely in terms of a relatively small number of core platforms: strike aircraft; aircraft carriers; refuelling tankers; missiles; helicopters; transport aircraft; and amphibious vessels. These capabilities are rarely as prominent as large platforms, but they represent the sinews of power projection. This chapter discusses institutional and material enablers: jointness; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR); Special Forces; basing; and finally defence industry. The enablers are being procured or developed for local conflicts, with only incidental or secondary applications for power projection. This should be remembered when considering how India might allocate resources towards addressing the various weaknesses outlined below. Air power also frequently depends on a continued flow of high-quality human intelligence, particularly against high-value targets that cannot be identified by aerial imagery alone. Satellites play important roles in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and communications.
