NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force is very “well positioned” to deal with any threat and very strong deployments have been made in all relevant areas considering the security scenario, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria he said on Monday, referring to the border clash with China in eastern Ladakh.
At a press conference ahead of Air Force Day on October 8, Bhadauria said that Chinese air power cannot make the best of India’s capabilities, but at the same time added that it is not about underestimating the adversary.
He also said the IAF is prepared to deal with a two-front war along the northern and western borders should such a scenario arise.
“Rest assured that we have deployed strongly to deal with any contingency,” the IAF chief said when asked about the situation in eastern Ladakh and the possible threat from China in the region.
“We have made a deployment in all relevant areas; Ladakh is a small part,” he said.
The Chief Air Marshal said the IAF is “very well positioned” to deal with any action along the northern border.
The induction of the Rafale jets has given us an operational advantage, he added.
India and China are locked in a bitter five-month-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh that has significantly strained their ties.
Both sides have held a series of diplomatic and military talks to resolve the dispute. However, no progress has been made to end the confrontation.
The armies of the two countries are scheduled to hold a new round of talks on October 12 with a specific agenda to finalize a roadmap for the withdrawal of troops from friction points.
India has already deployed thousands of troops and heavy weaponry in the high altitude region to deal with any eventuality.
The IAF has already deployed nearly all of its front-line fighter jets such as the Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 jets at key border air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the Royal Line of Control.
The newly incorporated fleet of five Rafale jets has also been conducting sorties in eastern Ladakh.
The IAF has also been conducting night-time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in an apparent message to China that it was ready to face any eventuality in the mountainous region.
After the latest round of military talks on September 21, the two armies announced a series of decisions including not sending more troops to the front, refraining from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoiding taking any action that could further complicate the operations. stuff.
The military talks were held with a specific agenda to explore ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at a meeting in Moscow on September 10 at the margin of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). ) conclave.
The pact included measures such as the rapid withdrawal of troops, avoiding actions that could increase tensions, compliance with all agreements and protocols on border management, and steps to restore peace throughout LAC.
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