Induction of Rafale to help IAF combat any threat from China
NEW DELHI: The induction of the Rafales into the Indian Air Force at a time when India and China are working to reduce tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries -- Indian military commanders have admitted this is still workin-progress --has turned the focus on IAF’s plans to combat any threat from the Chinese Air Force, and the role these advanced fighters could play.
Some elements of this classified plan were in evidence during Gagan Shakti in 2018, the pan-India air exercises of IAF. The strategy, HT learns, is built on four legs: Disperse, Absorb, Recoup and Retaliate.
India’s assessment is that China may launch a barrage of early long range missile strikes against Indian air bases to incapacitate them. However, according to a March study by the Belfer Center at the Kennedy School at Harvard University, this is easier said than done. The study quotes a senior IAF officer saying that the Chinese need 220 ballistic missiles to keep one airfield shut for 24 hours. “This will not make any difference to IAF operations in the east or the west since the force has a large number of other airfields (from Leh to Pasighat) to operate from. If the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) air force attacks just three air bases, it will require 660 ballistic missiles per day for attacking the runway and taxi track alone. China’s stock of 1,000-1,200 medium range ballistic missiles or short range ballistic missiles will be over in three days with no other major target system like command and communication centres or air defence units being addressed,” the study adds. While recognising the rocket threat from China, the IAF strategy has been fine tuned and put to practice through more than 6,000 sorties alone on the eastern front during Gagan Shakti, according to a serving IAF commander who asked not to be named. “The moment the red flag is up, we will disperse the aircraft from the designated fields to all along the border with China with sufficient ammunition in those bases to take care of the air operations,” this person added on condition of anonymity.
The next step in the Indian counter strategy is to absorb the attack at the air bases and quickly repair the runways and the taxiways. It is understood that IAF has the capacity to repair runways and get the air base operational within four to six hours. We don’t have either the US Patriot anti missile system or the Israeli Iron Dome system. But have a proven capacity, tested under Gagan Shakti to repair the runways within six hours maximum,” added the officer.
Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Birender Singh Dhanoa said that even if Chabua, Tezpur, Leh, Adampur air bases are down, the dispersed aircraft will start operating from other bases such as Bareilly, Dimapur, Kanpur and Gorakhpur and a dozen other airfields. “The next steps are to recoup and then retaliate,” he said. The Rafales have a key role to play there.
Dhanoa, the chief architect of February 26, 2019 air strikes on Balakot, said that Rafale with its top of the line electronic warfare suite, Meteor beyond visual range missile and SCALP air to ground weapon with terrain following capability outguns any threat that the Chinese Air Force can pose. Painting a wartime scenario, he said : “If IAF is successful in destruction of enemy air defences and suppression of enemy air defences, then the Chinese fighters out in the open at
Hotan air base and at Gonggar air base at Lhasa airport are fair targets. Some 70 Chinese aircraft are without protection at Hotan and some 26 aircraft may be parked inside a tunnel which the PLA was building at Lhasa air base.”
While Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Dhanoa recognises the threat presented by Chinese J-20 fifth generation fighter, he is very confident that IAF with its latest Rafales and Su-30 MKIs will be able to counter them. “Chinese Air Threat is mainly from their Surface to Air Missile Systems,” he added.
“If Chinese equipment was so good, then why did the Pakistanis only use F-16 aircraft to attack Nangi Tekri brigade in Rajouri sector on February 27, 2019 with the Chinese JF-17 merely giving air defence cover to Mirage 3/5 bombers. The Mirage 3/5 dropped the H 2/4 bombs from a safe distance with the JF 17 in a supportive role providing Air Defence to these aircraft! Why does Pakistan use Swedish early air warning platforms up north and keep Chinese AWACS in the south? Why is Pakistan mounting European radar (Selex Gallelio) and Turkish targeting pod on Chinese JF-17 ? The answer is quite evident,” the former Air Chief said. However, he recognizes the Chinese threat in form of surface to air missile batteries and artillery guns, which the PLA has packed in occupied Aksai Chin. But with no tree cover available to the Chinese platforms, they will be sitting ducks if the air defence cover is blown over. “The Rafale with its advanced terrain following weapons and level II of Digital Terrain Elevation Data available to the Indian pilot... the error probability of the weapon is reduced to a mere 10 metres. As I have said in the past, Rafale is a game changer,” Dhanoa added.
Serving IAF officers also make it very clear that the Chinese equipment is not only inferior to the US equipment but also to Russian equipment. “Why does Chinese Air Force use Russian Su-30 and Su-35 fighters while facing the US threat in South China Sea? The fact is that the Chinese fighters are no match for the American equipment. Majority of Chinese equipment is reverse engineering of Russian equipment and fighters have designs of either Su-27 or Su 30 platform. They are even powered by Russian AL 31 F (Su-30) and RD 33 (MiG-29) engines,” the serving air commander said.
While the Chinese rocket attack will damage Indian air bases, the inherent problem of rocket attack is that it is a onetime attack and there is a limitation on the warhead load.
“Just as the Chinese have the missile range to reach any corner of India, the reverse is equally true with the Agni V missile ready and operational. To add to this, Indian manned fighters such as Rafale and Sukhoi carry over 30 tons of ordnance to be delivered with pin-point accuracy. Compare this to a 100 kg warhead on a missile and you get an answer to what is more lethal,” said a second senior IAF officer who asked not to be named.
WHILE AIR CHIEF MARSHAL (RETD) DHANOA RECOGNISES THE THREAT PRESENTED BY CHINESE J-20 FIFTH GENERATION FIGHTER, HE IS VERY CONFIDENT THAT IAF WITH ITS LATEST RAFALES AND SU-30 MKIS WILL BE ABLE TO COUNTER THEM