IAF chief RKS Bhadauria visits Leh to review Ladakh operations; fighter aircraft moved to forward bases

PTI photo

New Delhi: Amid escalated tension between India and China at Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria visited Leh and Srinagar airbases to review the preparedness of the force. The Indian Air Force is on high operational alert on the border area. 

The IAF chief was on a two-day hush-hush visit to the area, which would be the most critical for any operations to be carried out by the force in the Eastern Ladakh area.

The visit assumes significance as it came soon after the top security brass of the country reviewed the situation and military options after the Chinese Army killed 20 Indian soldiers in a premeditated attack in the Galwan Valley area after making an attempt to unilaterally change the status of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

According to ANI sources, in the first leg of his visit, the IAF chief was in Leh on June 17 and from there he went to the Srinagar airbase on June 18. Both these bases are closest to the Eastern Ladakh area and most suited to carry out any fighter aircraft operations in the mountainous terrain and also have a clear edge over the Chinese, the sources said.

The Indian Army has moved its assets including fighter aircraft to forward bases and airfields in view of the ongoing dispute with China

Meanwhile, the Air Force has moved its critical frontline assets including the Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter aircraft fleet to advanced positions where they can fly in at a very short notice to carry out operations, said ANI.

For providing air support to the Indian Army troops in the eastern Ladakh sector, the American Apache attack helicopters have been deployed in the close vicinity of the areas where operations by the ground troops are taking place at the moment.

The Chinooks helicopters have also been deployed in and around the Leh airbase to provide the capability of rapid troops transportation and inter-valley troop transfer, in case such a situation emerges there. The Mi-17V5 medium-lift choppers are also playing an active role in the area in troops and material transportation there.

With multiple bases around the Ladakh and Tibet region including Leh, Srinagar, Avantipur, Bareilly, Adampur, Halwara (Ludhiana), Ambala and Sirsa, the Indian Air Force has an edge over their Chinese counterparts, who have to start fighter aircraft operations from Hotan and Gar Gunsa near Ladakh as they are at an altitude of 14,000 feet plus. 

The Indian Air Force has deployed its Su-30 combat aircraft soon after the Chinese choppers tried to violate Indian air space in Eastern Ladakh around the same time when their Army started arriving in large numbers along the LAC there.