The Indian Air Force is closely monitoring the situation across the Indo-Pacific and focusing on boosting a specific set of capabilities including ability to operate effectively over extended distances to safeguard India’s national interests, Chief of Air Staff AP Singh said on Sunday amid growing global concerns over China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the region.

Air Chief Marshal Singh also said that the Indian military’s strategic posturing in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands provides a “critical springboard” for operations in the eastern Indian Ocean Region. He emphasised India’s core priorities: safeguarding its national interests, sovereignty, and strategic autonomy while advocating for a rules-based open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.