In an effort to boost its strategic reach on the Eastern border facing China, the IAF has constructed an advanced landing ground(AlG) in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh.
Along with enabling fighter plane operations, the landing ground will also be used by transport plane to maintain logistical lines in the crucial frontier. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju and Eastern Command chief Air Marshal C Hari Kumar will formally inaugurate the AlG on Friday.
The border State sharing line of Actual Control(lAC) with China has five AlGs, but Pasighat is the first one to have the capabilities to undertake fighter jet operations, including e SU-30, Mirages, and Jaguars.
Earlier, this AlG, a strategic asset in that region, was partly paved and partly grassy besides being small in size. It was decided to upgrade it into a functional airfield in 2010 and the upgrade is now complete. Capable of operating all types of aircraft, including giant transport plane C-17 and Il-76 besides medium lift C-130 J and AN-32, this AlG will improve response time for various operational situations and efficacy of air operations in the eastern region. It will also enhance air support capability for Army, paramilitary forces and civil administration. Incidentally, two more AlGs, including Tuting will be ready by December this year, while Tawang will be operational by April next year, IAF officials said here on Wednesday.
With Pasighat getting operational, Arunachal Pradesh will get connected with the rest of the country by air. Coming on the civil aviation map of the country, it will bring in large number of tourists to this picturesque town located on the banks of Siang river.
Pasighat town is well connected with road and has frequent services from Guwahati, lakhimpur and Itanagar. The nearest rail head is at Murkongselek, which is the terminal station of the Rangia-Murkongselek broad gauge track, nearly 38 Km from Pasighat. The rail head is proposed to be extended up to Pasighat.
However, road connectivity in the State still remains a major problem as at present, many frontier posts manned by the Army on the lAC lack infrastructure as the nearest road heads are at least four to five days march on foot. logistics are maintained to the forward posts through horses and mules. Though helicopters also ferry troops and logistics, this measure is a costly affair.
Same is the case with other crucial region of ladakh in the western region which suffers from poor road network. As of now only 22 of the 73 strategic roads are complete all over the country. Most of these roads are meant to rush logistics to the 4,000 km long lAC in case of any eventuality.
On the other hand, China has built all weather roads right up to the lAC thereby ensuring smooth logistical support to its troops. In fact, it has also built more than 5,000 km of rail network in the Tibetan plateau, whereas the strategic rail network is yet to take off in India. At least 14 such networks were identified more than ten years back but the project still remains on the drawing board.