'Pakistan Air Force confused it with strength': Ex-IAF fighter pilot explains 'centre of gravity' in warfare

Former Group Captain Ajay Kumar Ahlawat, a retired Indian Air Force fighter pilot, has said that Pakistan's air force misunderstood the concept of 'centre of gravity' by confusing it with raw strength. Ahlawat was referring to a presentation, where an official from Pakistan Air Force referred to Rafale as the Indian army's centre of gravity.

Explaining the centre of gravity, Ahlawat said: "Prussian general Clausewitz's quotation is often cited. He said, study the enemy as a system, and identify the fulcrum on which everything rests — the hub of power and strength. If you eliminate it, that becomes the most effective use of force."

The former pilot elaborated on how this military principle works across strategic and tactical levels. For example, he said, Saddam Hussain and his family kept very firm control on all levers of power in Iraq. They never allowed any other number two to emerge. "If the US was able to take out Saddam and his close family, it would have caused chaos. That will be an example of centre of gravity at a grand strategic and political level," he said while speaking to a podcast - Vaad.  

"Similarly, at every level — tactical, operational — identify a component that if destroyed or degraded, will lead to systemic collapse. For instance, the HQ-16 surface-to-air missile in Pakistan, equivalent to the S-300, has a range of 300–400 km. If its main sensor is destroyed, the missile becomes useless. That sensor becomes the centre of gravity. Or if the communication node is taken out, the battery, radar, and EW suite cannot coordinate."

He added: "Pakistan confused centre of gravity with strength. Rafale is not our centre of gravity; it is a part of our strength. Even if you eliminate 2–4 Rafales, our firepower is unaffected — we are still delivering SCALP, Hammer, BrahMos, and other weapons. Destroying a few aircraft doesn't cripple us."

Ahlawat said Pakistan had similarly misjudged India's S-400 batteries. “They claim they targeted an S-400 near Adampur and call it our centre of gravity. That's confusion."

On Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) performance, Ahlawat said: "The IAF delivered devastation with pinpoint accuracy on their airfields and radar sites, which they couldn't prevent. Their interception rate was poor. They failed to defend critical assets." He noted that Pakistan attempted drone and anti-radiation attacks but failed to hit major targets. "They launched swarm drones and hunter-killer platforms, but they could not hit any targets." 

Highlighting the air battle on Day 1, Ahlawat said Indian fighters operated under tight rules of engagement, "The message was clear — only target terror camps, avoid military. On that day, Pakistan could take out some launches. But in subsequent days, they were found wanting compared to the IAF."