NEW DELHI: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has termed the non-deployment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the 1962 war with China as a "critical missed opportunity", stating that the decision significantly limited India's military response. However, he asserted that much has changed in India’s strategic posture since then.
In a recorded message played on Wednesday at the release of the revised edition of the late Lieutenant General S.P.P. Thorat’s autobiography Reveille to Retreat in Pune, General Chauhan also reflected on the shortcomings of the Forward Policy adopted by India before the war. He argued that applying it uniformly to Ladakh and the North East Frontier Agency (present-day Arunachal Pradesh) was flawed, given the two regions’ differing terrains and historical contexts.
IAF Could Have Altered 1962 War Outcome
"That was a critical missed opportunity. Air power could have slowed, if not halted, the Chinese advance. The assumption that it would escalate the conflict doesn't stand scrutiny today," said the CDS, India’s senior-most military officer. He added that the geography, especially in the northeast, offered shorter turnaround times and logistical advantages to the IAF, which could have delivered significant payloads effectively.
General Chauhan also noted that the use of air power in contemporary operations, such as Operation Sindoor launched in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack, reflects a shift in strategic thinking. "In those days, I think the use of the Air Force was considered escalatory. This is no longer true," he asserted.
Critique of Forward Policy
General Chauhan stressed that the Forward Policy should not have been applied uniformly across Ladakh and NEFA. "In Ladakh, China had already occupied much of Indian territory, whereas in NEFA, the legitimacy of India’s claim was stronger. To equate the two and pursue identical policies was, in my view, a bit flawed," he remarked.
Forward Policy refers to a military strategy where contested areas are secured by creating posts and deploying troops, often in difficult terrain.
Thorat’s Strategic Foresight Ignored
The book release also brought to light the prescient warnings of Lt Gen S.P.P. Thorat, who, as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Eastern Command, had conducted a comprehensive assessment of India’s vulnerabilities along the China border. His detailed report, shared with then Army Chief General K.S. Thimayya and forwarded to Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon, highlighted the need for bolstered defences. Despite further evaluations like the 1960 Exercise Lal Qila, the report never reached Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
A Strategic Legacy
Describing Reveille to Retreat as “a window into India's strategic thought”, General Chauhan said the revised edition of Thorat’s autobiography goes beyond personal memoir, offering enduring lessons in leadership, military planning, and national security.
"In honouring this revised edition, we pay tribute not just to a decorated soldier, but to the wisdom he left for future generations," Chauhan noted.
The CDS concluded by observing that while geography and geopolitics have evolved since 1962, the insights and leadership demonstrated by officers like Lt Gen Thorat continue to hold relevance in India’s defence discourse today.