Indian airbases along Pak border on high alert

IAF’s premier operational command along the western front has gone on a high alert with a major exercise across all its 18 airbases and other installations from Srinagar to Bikaner, which comes amid heightened tensions with Pakistan in the aftermath of the attack on the Army camp in Uri. The primary objective of “Exercise Talon” involving the crucial Western Air Command (WAC) is to “improve operational preparedness and air defence” in the entire stretch from J&K to Rajasthan, Indian media reported quoting defence sources. Though the four-day wargames are largely defensive in nature, with combat air patrols and PAD-GD (passive air defence and ground defence) operations, it is significant that WAC had conducted a similar Talon exercise just about a week before the terror attack on the Uri Army camp on September 18. Repeating the intensive manoeuvres within the same month is highly unusual, said sources.