The Indian Air Force is “very well prepared and suitably deployed to respond to any contingency,” asserted the defence wing chief RKS Bhadauria on Saturday.
Amid a continuing standoff between the Indian and Chinese sides at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the Air Chief Marshal has assured the nation of the force’s “determination to deliver.”
“The security scenario in our region mandates our armed forces remain prepared and vigilant at all times. The development at the LAC in Ladakh is a small snapshot of what we are required to handle at short notice,” the Chief of Air Staff said in his address at the combined graduation parade at the Dundigal Airforce Academy near Hyderabad.
“We will never let the supreme sacrifice of our braves, while defending the LAC in the Galwan Valley, go in vain,” Bhadauria said days after 20 Indian army soldiers along with Commanding Officer Colonel Santosh Babu were slain by the Chinese troops.
“Their gallant actions in a highly challenging situation have demonstrated our resolve to protect the sovereignty of our country – at any cost.”
The Chief of Air Staff has reportedly spent two days in Ladakh this week, following the Galwan incident, to take stock of the IAF’s preparedness in case of a war like eventuality.
“In spite of unacceptable Chinese actions after agreements that reached during military talks and resultant loss of life, all efforts are underway to ensure that the current situation on LAC is resolved peacefully,” Bhadauria, however, said.
Speaking to the reporters later, the CAS said that this year China has increased its deployments at the LAC, which further went up after May. “We have been monitoring all their postures; we know the situation and we took necessary action,” Bhadauria said. “We know what their airfields are, where they are deployed, what are their operational bases.”
“We have deployed aircrafts as per the requirements, details I cannot specify. Be rest assured, we have done the needful,” the air chief said.
“Adversaries would take due cognizance of our capabilities; you will see it in due course. I do not have to give any message,” he said in response to a question if he has any message for the opponents.
123 officers have graduated from the academy with successful completion of their training and awarded the President's commission. Two Vietnam Air Force officers have also earned their wings from the academy.
The air chief said that the newly commissioned IAF officers, instead of going home for a break, will be proceeding straight to their next units “to shoulder their responsibilities for the task at hand.”
Given the current situation, we are expediting the further training of our officers, to make them operational at the earliest, Bhadauria said while rejecting it as an emergency situation measure.
Because of the COVID-19, parents of the graduate cadets were not allowed for the ceremony this year.