Expressing confidence over the capabilities developed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) since the 1999 Kargil war was fought between India and Pakistan, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) BS Dhanoa on Tuesday (16 July) said that based on coordinates, the IAF can do all-weather bombings through clouds very accurately, reports The Hindu.

“In 1999, precision bombing capabilities were operationalised only on the Mirage-2000 aircraft. Now all aircraft, Mirage, Su-30, Jaguar, MiG-29 and MiG-27 Upg, have the capability for precision bombing," said ACM Dhanoa at an IAF seminar on 20 Years of Operation Safed Sagar.

In case we have correct coordinates we can do all-weather bombing even through clouds very accurately, the IAF chief said.

“We have just seen in the attack that we carried out on 26 February (Balakot strike) that we are capable of precision strike from stand-off distances and very accurately,” he added.

He identified reconnaissance, intelligence, mid-air refuellers and early warning aircraft as challenges the IAF had to endure during the Kargil conflict. “All that is behind us,” he said.

During Kargil, the Air Force was actually prepared for a 1971, which was the last full scale war India fought, he said.

He underscored that the IAF has since developed the ability to take part in operations across the spectrum of conflict from sub-conventional to nuclear.