Arunachal: Before 9 December Clash In Tawang, IAF Forced To Scramble Su-30MKI Fighters To Deter Chinese Drones

In the weeks ahead of the clashes in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, Chinese drones forced the Indian Air Force (IAF) to scramble its Su-30MKI jets fighter jets deployed in the region.

According to a report, the IAF had to launch fighter jets on at least two to three occasions to deter Chinese drones from moving aggressively towards Indian positions in the region where the face-off later occurred.

“In the last few weeks, there have been two to three occasions where our fighter jets had to be scrambled to tackle the Chinese drones moving towards our positions on the LAC. The Su-30MKI jets had to be scrambled to tackle the air violation threat,” the report says.

The report says that the IAF took action to prevent aerial violations by Chinese drones, adding that India keeps a close watch on Chinese air activity.

The IAF is yet to comment on the issue.

India has deployed multiple squadrons of fighters, including the newly-inducted Rafale aircraft, at the Hashimara Air Base in West Bengal, in the northeast region. It has also operationalised the S-400 air defence system in the Assam in recent months, the report adds.