Amidst rising tension along the disputed Sino-Indian border, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria spent two quiet days in Leh and Srinagar, taking stock of the force’s operational preparedness.
"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 in view of the Chinese aggression along the LAC in the eastern Ladakh where more than 10,000 troops have been amassed by China," news agency ANI reported, quoting government sources.
IAF operates fighter jets and other aircraft from three nearby bases - Awantipura, Srinagar and Leh.
Coinciding with the IAF chief’s visit to Leh, the IAF’s recently acquired Apache armed helicopters and several fighter jets have been seen flying over Leh.
The IAF has moved its critical front line assets including the Sukhoi-30MKI, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter aircraft fleet to advanced positions where they can fly in at a very short notice to carry out operations, ANI reported.
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The Apache attack helicopters have been deployed in the close vicinity of the areas where operations by the ground troops are taking place at the moment.
An IAF spokesperson refused to comment on the Chief’s visit to Leh.