Two Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets took off from the Dehradun airport on Monday as part of an exercise aimed at activating the civil airport to keep a future option open for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The supersonic state-of-the-art fighter jets took off with a roar at 11.56 am and 11.59 am on the day paving way for operation of these aircraft from the air field as and when needed.
A detachment of these aircraft had earlier landed at the runway of the Dehradun airport on Saturday. The director of the airport Vinod Sharma said that the objective of the exercise was to check the runway.
It is learnt that a 30 member team of IAF checked the airfield according to various parameters during its stay. Though there is no official information from the side of the air force the armed forces veterans are of the view that the exercise is aimed at preparing the strips bordering China ready for landing and take off for new generation fighter planes. It is indeed a major action taken by IAF.
Interestingly there is no airfield in Uttarakhand which borders an increasingly hostile China from where fighter planes can operate.
In last few months the Air Force has intensified its activities in Uttarakhand.
In December last year the IAF landed an AN-32 transport aircraft at high altitude Chinyalisaur air strip located in the Uttarkashi district which is located on Sino India border.
The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin engine, two seater fighter jet. The multi role all weather aircraft is one of the best fighter jets in the armoury Indian Air Force.