India-China Face Off — Air Operations In Ladakh

Operations in Ladakh could include full spectrum of air operations namely counter airstrikes against Chinese airfields; destruction of enemy aircraft in the air and air defence of Indian assets.

- Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)

WITH LITTLE FOLLOW-ON ACTION BY CHINA AFTER SEVERAL meetings at diplomatic and military levels, the two armed forces continue to be eye-ball to eye-ball across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Indian Army (IA) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have always been operationally alert in Ladakh ever since the Siachen glacier became the world’s highest battlefield in 1984. While the IA does its winter stocking in summer through the two major road axes, one via Drass–Kargil and the second via Manali, the IAF airlifts close to 30,000 tonnes of load annually for the IA. With the IA strength increasing nearly fourfold due to the very active LAC, the requirement of weapons, ammunition and maintenance in Ladakh has gone up considerably. Once major passes close during winter and road access is not available for nearly five months, the air maintenance requirements will increase phenomenally. Also, the IAF will have to logistically support its own assets whose deployment has increased considerably. There is a need analyse the types of air operations that would be required in region.

INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE (ISR)