Indian Air Force Delivers Additional Firepower To Army In Ladakh, Airlifts Tanks Including T-90s

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has delivered additional firepower to the Indian Army in the form of dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles in recent days using transporter aircraft like Boeing C-17 Globemaster-IIIs and Ilyushin IL-76, The Tribune has reported.

As per the report, the transport aircraft carried out multiple sorties from bases like Chandigarh carrying additional tanks and armoured vehicles to provide a firepower boost to the Indian Army.

This includes new T-90 tanks deployed in the Western Sector. Incidentally, it is the first time since 1962 that armoured tanks have been urgently airlifted to Ladakh.

"This is for the first time since 1962 that tanks and mechanised elements have been urgently airlifted to Ladakh to meet operational requirements and beef up offensive and defensive capabilities when both sides are locked in close confrontation", an official was quoted in the report as saying.

While tanks have been airlifted to Ladakh in the recent past, the prevalent conditions were different. The IAF had airlifted tanks and mechanised artillery in the 1990s but the practice eventually stopped. It was subsequently revived in 2014 to form armoured units in the region.

The army seeks to raise an armoured brigade each in the Northern and Eastern sectors supported by three mechanised infantry battalions customised for high-altitude operations.

Knowing The Enemy

China has meanwhile reportedly deployed one armoured division and two motorised infantry divisions in Lanzhou Military Region situated opposite to Ladakh.

The Chinese also have two armoured brigades and four motorised infantry divisions in Chengdu Military Region which lies opposite to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

China is also said to have mobilised its air capabilities in Tibetan airfields. It has also deployed air defence mechanisms in areas located near the standoff point in Eastern Ladakh.

Recent IAF Preparations

The IAF has also intensified its Combat Air Patrols (CAP) in Leh-Ladakh. Both transport aircraft and helicopters have been part of the patrols. The report quotes experts as saying that such activity was last seen in Leh during the Kargil war when it acted as an air force base.

It was reported a few days earlier that the IAF had deployed its newly acquired Apache attack helicopter in Ladakh along with upgraded MiG-29s to provide air support to the army.

The air force has also moved critical front-line assets including the Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter jets to advanced positions so that they can fly in at a very short notice to carry out operations.

The Indian Army meanwhile has been locked in Commander level talks with China with an agreement being reached to "mutually disengage" after "modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed and will be taken forward by both the sides".