By MC2 Michael Ehrlich

Retired Pakistan Air Chief Marshall and former Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) Rao Qamar Suleman, standing left, holds an informal dialogue with students in NPS' National Security Affairs program, April 25. Suleman discussed modernization of the Pakistani and Indian Air Forces (IAF), and the implications of these developments within South Asia.

"Pakistan and India have fought in the past, and in any future armed conflict between the two countries, the air force will play a significant role," said Suleman. "Both are capable air forces that are engaging in modernization, which is likely to have a significant impact on their capabilities, but also as deterrents to warfighting."

Suleman noted that there are critical differences between the two forces, in both numbers and in investment.

"PAF will spend about $6.5 billion U.S. from 2006 to 2020 on all of its acquisitions and modernization," said Suleman. "IAF has spent $28 billion on its modernization from 2006 to 2016. And it plans to spend almost $100 billion in the next decade to modernize not only its Air Force, but also its Army and Navy."

But, Suleman concluded, with force modernization comes additional advantages for both nations.

"The last 10 years have given both air forces a unique precision attack capability that they lacked earlier," said Suleman. "The biggest advantage of the modernization of both air forces is that they have established a greater deterrence in South Asia."