IAF Chief Visits Ladakh To Review Operational Readiness, Su-30s And Other Fighter Jets Moved To Forward Bases: Report

Amid the ongoing tensions with China at Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, Indian Air Force (IAF) Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria visited the Leh and Srinagar air bases of the IAF to review their operational preparedness, reports ANI.

The IAF has moved its assets including fighter jets to the forward bases and air fields in wake of the ongoing dispute between India and China at LAC.

"The Air Force chief was on a two-day visit where he checked the operational readiness of all the platforms that have been moved to the area," government sources were quoted by ANI as saying.

The visit came after country's top security brass reviewed the situation and military option after a violent clash between troops of Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) at Galwan Valley along the LAC, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed while PLA suffered more than 40 casualties.

The Air Force chief, in the first leg of the visit, was in Leh on 17 June and from there went to Srinagar air base on 18 June.

Meanwhile, the critical frontline assets of the IAF, including the Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter jets, have been moved to the advanced positions so that they can fly in at a very short notice to carry out operations.

Besides, Apache attack helicopters have also been deployed to provide air support in the close vicinty of the areas where operations by the Indian Army troops are taking place at the moment.

For rapid troops transportation, Chinook and Mi-17 V5 helicopters have also been deployed in the area.