The young anchor on the news channel could have easily got away as a young Fighter Pilot.
He wore the look of a great military thinker and used the parlance of an instructor from Fighter Combat Leader Course.
He was furious and ecstatic both at the same time.
“Fleeing Rats,” he yelled into his microphone which was jutting out like a Pitot Tube of a MiG Type 77.
The enemy was seen scurrying like Rats. He continued his tirade.
His dynamic glossary of military terms was some authentic and some from Ground Zero.
It was difficult to stop his advance into a virtual Digital War Zone, displayed by plethora of Maps, Contours, Satellite Pictures and Sand Models depicting the Area under Dispute.
To add cheer to the whole battle environment ,there were two stiffs… donning a strange cap in kaleidoscopic colours.
They seemed familiar and appeared to be spent forces from yesteryears as they struggled to retain equilibrium with their advancing years.
The anchor displayed the brilliant mix of German Military Strategist, General Clausewitz and Sun Zu the Chinese author of Art Of War.
In fact he went much beyond the documented brilliance of military strategy.
I could even, sense a bit of General Patton in him.
He again thundered into his Mic, aimed at an unsuspecting captive audience.
“Now the enemy are running helter skelter, no place to hide.
The Rafale has landed, we would now smoke them out of their ratholes”.
I was reminded of the prophetic quote of President Bush ..
“I am not going to fire a two million dollar missile at a ten dollar empty tent, to hit a Camel in the Butt”.
I was curious….
Are you saying that we have become capable of smoking them out only now ??
What about our massive lethal military hardware.
The Su-30s, Mirage 2000s, MiG-29s, Jaguars and Tejas are also capable of giving the enemy a bloody nose.
Just recently young Abhinandan downed a F 16 with his Mig 21.
The young anchor was visibly most unhappy at this untimely intervention.
You don’t seem to understand air warfare, he took a dig at me.
Ask these great fighter pilots of their times how important it is to have Rafales with us. He said pointing towards two supremely senior citizens whom I had thought were looking more like successful bankers .
They were clearly great flyers of their times which must have been decades back.
“Look at the angle of attack of the Rafale” said the first one.
It also has head up display and mid air refueling facility.
With our Meteor and Hammer onboard missile system we can easily hammer the enemy.
The Rafale is a big force multiplier”.
I pointed out that his generation of Pilots had successfully downed Sabre jets and Star Fighters of Pakistan from Hunters and Gnats.
Remember the Keelor brothers, Vinod Nebb, Vinay Kapila, Arun Vaidya, Kuckreja, Nirmal Jit Sekhon and so many others who shot sophisticated Pakistani aircrafts for Gnats and Hunters.
The Air Veterans took a bow acknowledging that its the Man behind the machine which is more important.
I continued my air attack.
I have nothing against the Rafale .
A great aircraft by any standards and the most manoeuvrable in todays environment .
Great hardware on board too..
The best of the missile delivery systems.
But to say that just five Rafales are a Game Changer is a bit of overstatement and
we are now degrading our own existing War Potential.
The two stiffs immediately sprang into the virtual War Mode.
“You know nothing about Air battles”,
said the first.
We always need the best.
I politely reminded him that extremes are always the best route to folly.
Till recently the most potent weapon the Chinese used was a Danda with barbed wires wrapped around it .
So either it is just the Danda or Rafales.. Nothing midway !!
Why degrade your own existing War Potential??
While this debate was getting heated and the Anchor started his military onslaught.
“We are now set to open a two front war with the hostile enemies.”
How, I asked in disbelief??
Because five Rafales have landed he said, pointing towards some badly made drawings which I had thought to be resembling flying cockroaches.
Our discussions were getting intense and in between a telephone caller threw open his question to the anchor.
He had clearly misunderstood the scope of this discussion and possibly seeing those colourful caps etc the caller thought it to be movie debate.
“What is your stand on the brilliant and young Sushant Singh Rajput’s unfortunate death..”
Before he could finish, our Anchor cut him short abruptly and retorted.
“It shall be avenged now that the Rafales have landed.
The enemy must be made to pay.”
Our Anchor in attempt to respond aggressively failed to realise his faux paus.
“But where exactly are you going to be using these Rafales,” was my next query.
“Over the enemy territory was his prompt reply.”
I politely reminded him that our External Affairs Ministry has clarified that no enemy ever came and occupied any post.
The Army has also confirmed that they never crossed the LAC so what are we up against??
Whom are we planning to fight and where??
He took no notice and continued with his onslaught of Glossary of Military Terms.
His demeanor was nothing short of a Class A instructor from the Army War College.
He signaled to the two stiffs to get on with orientating the so called model, depicting the LAC.
The two adroitly got on to either side of the beautifully made model and started off.
“This arrow represents the North as it runs on the ground.”
It was my turn to get upset now so I interrupted.
“Does not matter which side is the North as long as you know whose side you are on and where you are going.
When the enemy never crossed the LAC as per our governments claim, then whom are you attacking
by crossing the LAC.”
The stiffs looked helplessly towards the young anchor who by now was seething with anger for having invited me for the debate.
And then came his final assault ..
“The enemy is already very very worried and rattled, both China and Pakistan are shivering with fear.”
“Why so,” I asked innocently. And his prompt reply before ending the debate.
“Because the Rafale has Landed.”
-The writer is a former Army Aviator