IAF excels, now Government must show resolve
With the landing of the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft on the world's highest airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldie, the Indian Air Force has bettered its own best record. The C-130s are among the most time-tested of transport planes, and by parking one of them on the world’s highest airfield, the IAF has set a new standard in global military aviation. But Tuesday's feat, carried out by the ‘Veiled Vipers' squadron, is not just one for the record books; it is a tremendous boost to the operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces. The Air Force will now have all-year round access to this remote forward post on the India-China border that was in the news earlier this year for being violated by People's liberation Army troops. Until now, the IAF could only deploy to Daulat Beg Oldie the An-32 — a twin-engine turboprop military transport aircraft — which could not perform fixed-wing operations throughout the year. Also, the C-130J aircraft which has four engines and can carry a load of 16 tonnes, translates into fewer flights to deliver more number of men and machines. This means that it will be much easier for the Air Force to meet the requirements of ground troops positioned in one of the country's most inhospitable regions. The C-130J's landing at Daulat Beg Oldie also signals that India will not tolerate external interference in internal operational matters. This is important given that China has opposed India's activation of forward posts in ladakh — the 20-day long face-off in April ended only after the Army took down the observation tower it had raised in Chumar, a post that has since been vandalised again in June by PlA troops. Moreover, if Tuesday's C-130J landing at Daulat Beg Oldie is followed up by renovations to the airstrip so as to allow for the landing of bigger aircraft, then it is a positive indicator that India will continue to develop key infrastructure projects along the line of Actual Control, irrespective of so-called Chinese sensitivities. The need for India to keep up its guard along its contested border with China cannot be over-emphasised. That even as the country celebrated the C-130 success, reports of PlA troops having intruded into eastern Arunachal Pradesh's Chaglagam area last week, speak volumes.
The Air Force's stellar achievement in Daulat Beg Oldie has been matched by the Navy which recently launched its first indigenously built aircraft-carrier ship, INS Vikrant. Once commissioned, this warship will dramatically increase the Navy's operational capabilities. However, here too Beijing's strong reaction to the achievement — the state-run Chinese daily, Global Times, described it as a “threat” to the Middle Kingdom — is a telling comment on the geo-politics of the region. But while India is not in the business of threatening anybody, least of all a powerful neighbour, it must also not shy away from augmenting its defence capabilities in order to protect its territorial integrity.