Army enhances air assets at China border

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT, CHOPPERS ADD TO AIR FIRE POWER

The Indian Army has enhanced deployment of air assets, including unmanned aircraft, near the borders with China in Arunachal Pradesh region.

The deployments have increased gradually as the Indian Army revamped air fire power at its aviation wings. The force has recently come up with an aviation brigade in the region after getting more unmanned aircraft ‘Heron I’, chopper ‘ALH Dhruv’ and weaponised attack helicopters ‘Rudra’. Earlier, the force aviation wing largely had Cheetah Helicopters

The force have raised the Squadron of indigenously designed and developed Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv). It is a twin engine, multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5 ton weight class and is being used for quick mobilisation of troops.

Dedicated squadron

The Army has also raised its first ever dedicated squadron of ‘Rudra’ armed helicopters. Rudra is the first Army Aviation aircraft to add ‘teeth’ to the fleet of Army Aviation with its Mistral air-to-air missiles, 70 mm rockets, 20 mm guns and ATGMs. The ALH(WSI) is a force multiplier for the field force commander with its potent weapons on board. This helicopter will be able to storm the enemy forces and hunt them down when required.

“ALH(WSI) pilot will be like an archer who will strike and kill or injure the enemy from a distance. He will be like a fierce God bringing death and destruction to the enemy,” said a senior Indian Army officer.

The Army Aviation wing recently got Israeli made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Heron I from Artillery in August.

“We have in the rotary platforms today in the form of Cheetah, Advanced Light Helicopters, ALH-Weaponised System Integrated and Light Combat Helicopters,” Corps of Army Aviation’s Lieutenant Colonel Amit Dadhwal said.