The Indian Navy’s Poseidon 8I anti-submarine warfare aircraft have been deployed in eastern Ladakh to carry out surveillance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and some of its MiG-29K jets are likely to be stationed in key Indian Air Force (IAF) bases in the northern sector amid the border row with China.
The Indian Navy MiG-29K fighter jets are deployed on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and carry out regular flying from the naval fighter base INS Hansa in Goa also.
The maritime fighter jets will complement the IAF efforts to significantly boost deep strikes and air dominance capabilities, they said,
At present, the Navy has a fleet of around 40 MiG-29K jets and at least 18 of them are deployed on board the country’s aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
The Russian-origin fighters were procured by the Indian Navy along with the aircraft carrier over a decade ago.
Poseidon 8I aircrafts of the Navy have been deployed for monitoring the movement of Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh. The long-range anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft was deployed in Doklam along the Sikkim border too during the 73-day standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in 2017.
The P-8Is were also deployed to keep an eye on movement of Pakistani troops after the Pulwama terror attack last year.
The IAF’s Plan
In the ongoing dispute with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Indian Navy has been playing an important role as its surveillance planes are being used for surveillance along the LAC for picking up Chinese activities and their positions. The surveillance aircraft were used extensively during the Doklam crisis as well.
The IAF has already positioned almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC, a move that came against the backdrop of the border row with China.
The IAF has been carrying out night time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in the last few weeks as part of its preparedness to deal with any eventualities in the mountainous region.
By the second half of August, the IAF is planning to deploy five Rafale fighter jets in the Ladakh sector which are expected to significantly enhance its combat capabilities. India is scheduled to receive the first batch of five Rafale jets on July 27.
As part of its high-level of alertness, the IAF has also deployed Apache attack choppers as well as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations in eastern Ladakh.
The Indian Navy is also carrying out an exercise close to the Malacca Straits from where the Chinese Navy enters into the Indian Ocean Region.
Moreover, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has been out in the sea for missions with its carrier battle group.
The Indian Navy has been keeping a constant eye on the activities of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean region where they come regularly with their warships including Landing Platform Docks and long-range frigates and destroyers.
said.
