Indian Air Force chief R.K.S Bhadauria on Saturday said that India is not at war with China but the forces are well prepared and suitably deployed to respond to any contingency.
Air Chief said here on Saturday that the sacrifices made by the Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh would not go in vain.
He was speaking at the Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy, Dundigal here, and later interacted with the media persons.
He said the IAF was well aware of the situation and the deployment at the LAC and beyond and had taken all necessary actions.
He confirmed that the IAF has made some deployments at Leh and other places and has taken necessary actions for any contingency.
“We fly whatever is required. It has happened whenever it was required. If we find unusual activity we check it out. We have air defense aircraft deployed but there has been no incursion from fighters,” he said when asked if IAF is flying combat air patrols at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“The security scenario in our region mandates that 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,” he said after reviewing the combined graduation parade of Indian Air Force (IAF) cadets at the Dundigal Air Force Academy.
“In spite of unacceptable Chinese action after agreements reached after military talks and a resultant loss of lives, all efforts are underway to ensure that the current situation at the LAC is resolved peacefully but it should be very clear that we are well prepared and suitably deployed to respond to any contingency,” he said.
“But it should be clear that we are very well prepared and suitably deployed to respond to any contingency. I assure the nation that we are determined to deliver and will never let the sacrifice of our braves of Galwan go in vain,” he said.
Paying tributes to Colonel B Santosh Babu and his brave men who made the supreme sacrifice while defending the LAC, he said their gallant actions in a highly challenging situation demonstrated the resolve to protect the sovereignty of the country at any cost.
In fact, the newly commissioned IAF officers, instead of going home for a break, would be proceeding straight to their next units to shoulder their responsibilities for the task at hand. The move was aimed at taking the officers to field units in view of the current situation. “It’s not an emergency situation. These are not the officers who get into the cockpit to fight. Hundred is a good number to have in the field,” he said.
As the nation fights the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the IAF has taken a number of proactive measures to counter its spread and disruption in work. “We have successfully preserved our combat potential and adjusted our training and operational methodology to resume full operations,” he said.
At the Air Force Academy in Dundigal and also in other training establishments, officials and cadets have shown remarkable resilience and determination in ensuring successful and timely completion of the course under difficult conditions while respecting the strict Covid-19 protocols.
“IAF is revolutionizing the way we train and build our operational capability. We will fight future wars in a networked and highly automated environment, with the employment of cutting-edge technology and use of modern platforms, weapon systems, and sensors – most of which will be built indigenously,” Bhadauria said.
Earlier, during his address at the parade, he said the security scenario in the region mandates that “our armed forces remain prepared and vigilant all the time”.
Congratulating the 123 graduating officers on successful completion of their training, he said 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.