New Delhi (TIP)- The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to conduct a training exercise, involving its fighter planes, transport aircraft, helicopters and other assets, in the country’s northern and western sectors to test its combat readiness at a time when India and China are locked in a lingering military standoff in the Ladakh sector, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday, August 31.
The exercise, Trishul, will be conducted by the air force’s Western Air Command (WAC) from September 4 to 14, the officials said, asking not to be named. The WAC, headquartered at Subroto Park in Delhi, is the IAF’s largest operational command, with its bases scattered across Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Haryana.
The command has played a critical role in strengthening India’s military posture to deter the Chinese forces amid the row along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The exercise will take place at a time when India is hosting the G20 Summit in Delhi on September 9-10.
The fighter aircraft that are expected to take part in the 10-day exercise include the Rafales, Sukhoi-30s and MiG-29s, the officials said.
C-17 heavy-lifters, Il-76 transport planes, C-130J special operations aircraft, An-32s, Apache attack helicopters, Chinook multi-mission choppers, and remotely piloted aircraft systems – platforms that have operated extensively in the Ladakh sector – will also feature in the exercise. The IAF’s Garud commandos will also be involved.
The WAC has airlifted tens of thousands of troops and a large quantity of military equipment, including infantry combat vehicles, tanks, artillery guns, surface-to-air guided weapons and radars, to forward areas in eastern Ladakh to strengthen the country’s military posture after the border row began in May 2020.
The Indian military is prepared for any eventuality in the Ladakh sector even as talks are on to defuse border tensions, the officials said. At the 19th round of talks between corps commanders of the two armies on August 13 and 14, both sides agreed to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in Ladakh sector in a speedy manner through continued dialogue. That was the first time military talks were held over two days.
Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still have tens of thousands of troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in the Ladakh theatre.
The Indian and Chinese armies have held multiple rounds of talks on the border issue, but problems at Depsang in Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in Demchok sector are still on the negotiating table.
The IAF is also preparing to host a mega exercise early next year that is expected to bring together 12 global air forces, with a focus on improving interoperability, imbibing best practices from one another and boosting military cooperation among the participating countries.
The exercise, named Tarang Shakti, will be the biggest multi-nation air exercise to be conducted on Indian soil and will involve fighter jets, military transport aircraft, mid-air refuellers and airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft.
Source: HT