China threat: Infra on our side also building very quickly: AOC-in-C Eastern Air Command

Amid China threats and its repeated claims over Indian territory, the Indian Air Force today said that it is fully capable of dealing with any eventuality particularly in the Eastern sector, where Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim share the international boundary with China.

Significant in the backdrop of China expeditiously building new infrastructure along its borders with India, Air Officer Commanding in Chief Eastern Air Command, Air Marshal SP Dharkar today said that there is massive infra buildup on the Indian side along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

He said, “You would be well aware that the infrastructure development in the Northeast region has been given a lot of impetus and importance by the government in the recent past. And it is a continuous building up process. Infrastructure on our side is also building up very very quickly.”

Dharkar also added that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has the full capability to use any airfield that exists in the region. The AOC-in-C Easter Air Command also maintained that rapid improvement of such facilities are going on.

Air Marshal SP Dharkar mentioned, “Given the fact that there are a number of airfields that everybody has around us, in our own case we also have the capability and building up the capacity to be able to use every airfield that exist in this region. It can be a civilian airfield, it can be a military airfield, it can be some Advanced Landing Grounds (ALG)s. Of course helicopters have the unique ability of operating from rather small spaces as helipads and helibases. We have the capability, we retain that kind of plan and there is continous improvement also taking place in that regard. I am sure that the availability or the limitation as a result of having less airfield etc is just a matter of time and all that is also as well coming up on our own side as in any other neighbouring country.”

Regarding the prospects of setting up a Rafael squadron base in the Northeast, Air Marshal SP Dharkar said, “We have two Rafale squadrons, at this moment that is what the Air Force has and if the requirement arises I am very certain that Air Headquarters would take that call and position a second rafael squadron also here if that is what is going to provide us that requisite amount of security as may be necessary at that given time.”