NEW Delhi: India is militarily very well positioned, heavily deployed and ready to face any threat from China in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the border, Chief Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria said on Monday.
“There is no doubt that China will overtake us,” said the Head of the IAF, adding that there was “no indication” of a collusive threat between China and Pakistan in the ongoing military confrontation in eastern Ladakh since early May.
If Chinese fighter jets are stationed at Skardu Air Base in Pakistani-occupied Kashmir, which is not the case from now on, India will deal with it accordingly. “If China needs Pakistan“The help to cope, I don’t have much to say,” he said, striking out at India’s largest neighbor.
Current progress with China is “slow” in diplomatic and military talks for de-escalation in eastern Ladakh. “What we see is an effort to dig for the winter in terms of ground forces, as well as aircraft deployed at Chinese air bases,” said ACM Bhadauria.
Noting that Ladakh was just a “small area,” he said the armed forces had been heavily deployed in “all relevant places” along the 3,488 km Royal Line of Control (LAC) to Arunachal pradesh. “Our future actions will depend on the realities on the ground,” said the IAF chief.
The armed forces, of course, must also take into account the worst case of a war on two fronts and be prepared for any eventuality. While exuding confidence in India’s air combat power throughout LAC, ACM Bhadauria said it was not about “underestimating” any adversary.
The Chinese Air Force (PLAAF), with more than 2,100 fighters and bombers, is after all roughly four times the size of the IAF, which is dealing with just 30 squadrons of fighters when at least 42 are required.
ACM Bhadauria acknowledged that the IAF would reach some 36-37 squadrons by the end of this decade. But, he added, “our offensive strike capabilities have been perfected” with upgrades to existing fighters and the introduction of new weapons and platforms such as Rafale fighters. “It gives us the ability to fire first and hit deep and hard, even in contested airspace,” he said.
Furthermore, the PLAAF air bases off India, such as Hotan, Kashgar, Gargunsa (Ngari Gunsa), Lhasa-Gonggar and Shigatse, are located in high altitude areas. The adverse geographic and meteorological conditions there practically halved the weapons and fuel transport capacity of PLAAF fighters.
China’s “strengths” lie in long-range air and ground-launched missiles, which could be used to attack Indian air bases, strong air defense systems to keep out IAF fighters, and fifth-generation fighters like Chengdu J -twenty. “But we devise strategies to handle such situations and integrate them into our plans,” said ACM Bhadauria.
As TOI previously reported, the IAF has often faced the scene of the first Chinese missile strikes in the event of conflict, with the consolidated strategy of “absorbing, dispersing, recovering and retaliating” through its increased number of air bases. versus LAC. .
The IAF, of course, has also activated Advanced Landing Fields (ALGs) at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), Nyoma and Fukche in eastern Ladakh and Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting, Along and Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh throughout of the years.
The airstrip at DBO, at an altitude of 16,614 feet, for example, overlooks the strategic Karakoram Pass and is only a few kilometers from LAC and the Chinese-occupied Aksai Chin region beyond. “It is a great threat to China that we have a capacity so close to LAC,” said the IAF chief.
On video: Well positioned to deal with Chinese threat in Ladakh: IAF chief
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