Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu): Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat said Monday it was very difficult to predict if a scenario of a war with Pakistan would emerge or not but all the defence services were prepared to take on any challenge.

The top general, who inducted the Sukhoi Su-30MKI squadron here, was responding to a question about any possibility of a war emerging between India and Pakistan.

“All the Defence Services are tasked to be prepared for any option that may emerge. It is very difficult to predict a scenario. But, we are always prepared for any task that may be assigned to us,” General Rawat said.

The CDS said his new role was aimed at integrating defence systems and the three services (the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force). It is this reason the post of CDS is created, informed Rawat.

“…we will keep moving towards better integration and jointness,” Rawat asserted.

On strengthening the Air base here, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria said it will undertake the role of the southern peninsula’s air defence.

The Indian Air Force commissioned a squadron of Sukhoi-30MKI at the Air Force Station here, the first such base in south India for the high profile fighter jets, seen as a game changer in guarding the strategically important Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The ‘Tigersharks’ squadron of Sukhoi Su-30MKI jets integrated with the BrahMos cruise missiles was inducted in the presence of the Air Chief and top officials.

The Su-30MKI is a state-of-the-art all weather multi-role fighter aircraft capable of undertaking varied air defence, ground attack and maritime missions.