IAF to assess its readiness at LAC
Commanders to discuss deploying Rafale jets
With air power expected to play a major role in any confrontation with China, top Indian Air Force commanders will meet this week to discuss operational readiness on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the possibility of deploying Rafale jets in the Ladakh sector.
The top commanders of the Air Force will meet on July 22 for the two-day commanders' conference to focus on operational issues, their preparedness, overall planning and assessment of the situation due to the heightened tensions with China.
They will also discuss the rapid deployment and operationalisation of the Rafale fighter jets which will be armed with the deadly Meteor and Scalp cruise missiles. The jets are to start arriving by end of this month from France.
The conference will be chaired by Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria and will be attended by all the chiefs of all seven IAF commands. They will discuss the situation on the LAC with China and the forward deployments done by the IAF in the Ladakh and northern borders.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has shifted its J-11 and J-8 fighter aircraft at Hotan, Kashgar and Gargunsa air bases. The IAF has deployed
Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage
2000 and Jaguar fighter aircraft in advanced positions.
IAF Apache attack helicopters and Chinooks helicopters are also active in Leh and are carrying out day and night operations. The Chinook has been used to rapidly transport heavy weaponry and men to the high altitude areas along the LAC under tough weather conditions.
The Apaches, called ‘flying tanks’, are armed with air-to-ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra rockets and air-to-air Stinger missiles.
In May, a Chinese helicopter had aggressively come close to an Indian helicopter which was flying senior Army commanders to the LAC. The presence of Apache helicopters
at the LAC is likely to deter Chinese from carrying out such manoeuvres in future.
The Rafale jets will give India an edge over China and Pakistan as they will be armed with the advanced beyond visual range Meteor air-to-air missiles which have a range of up to 150 km. Both the Pakistan Air Force and the China Air Force don’t have a missile to counter it. The Meteors will prove deadly during a dogfight. The Rafale fighters will also be armed with Scalp cruise air-to-surface missiles, which have a range of over 300 km. The deliveries of both these missiles have already begun.