Early this year, when satellite images showed two Chinese J-20 stealth fighters parked in Hotan airfield in China’s restive Xinjiang region, a senior Indian Air Force officer said, “Relax, China would never want an aerial skirmish with India, as it could expose its ‘hyped-up capabilities.”
When it comes to airpower, India is hard to beat, says key IAF men. Air Chief Marshal (retd) B.S. Dhanoa, known as the architect of the Balakot strikes, says India’s adversaries would think twice before starting a war as the IAF holds a major edge in the region.
The reason behind the swagger: the IAF has acquired some of the world’s best aircraft in less than 12 months. Thanks to Dassault’s Rafale jets (two squadrons raised), Boeing’s Apache and Chinook helicopters and a modern fleet of transport aircraft, it has become a reliably mighty force. India has also integrated its formidable missile arsenal with the IAF fleet.
As the 15-month-long border tensions between India and China begin to ease, experts say the IAF’s show of power prevented any Chinese misadventure. Unlike 1962, when airpower was not used, IAF fighters and attack helicopters had made their presence known during the Ladakh standoff. The new acquisitions and upgrades of existing capabilities have given the IAF the visible ability to strike deep even in contested airspace. “It’s good that we are getting the best available aircraft in the world,” said a former air chief. “It gives a technological advantage over our immediate neighbours. But, I believe we need more numbers.”
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin August 22, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin August 22, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.