IAF fighter jets to conduct air combat drill in northeast

Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets will conduct air combat exercise in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and other northeastern states amid the tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the eastern sector with China.

The IAF said the Eastern Air Command will be conducting its annual Command-level exercise during the first week of February. This exercise, named POORVI AKASH, will be conducted after a gap of two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The exercise will involve activation of the Command's fighter, helicopter and transport assets towards routine practice of aerial drills, including joint exercises, an Air Force official said.

Earlier, after tension erupted between India and the Chinese PLA in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang area in December last year, IAF aircraft had done patrolling of the skies in Arunachal Pradesh.

The IAF official said that the Eastern Air Command had conducted a pre-planned exercise in its AOR on December 15 and 16, 2022.

"That exercise was planned well in advance, before the developments in Tawang, and was not associated with these events. The exercise was conducted for the training of IAF crew," the official said.

China has built many villages near the borders. Be it Uttarakhand, Ladakh or Tawang, satellite images show that China has constructed roads and villages on their side of the borders.

The Chinese PLA is also increasing its troops in their area near the eastern border of the LAC.

India has this vital information and forces are keeping a close vigil on the developments. A few days back, without naming China, Army Chief General Manoj Pande had said that there was slight increase in the deployment of adversary troops at the eastern border.

India has also maintained adequate force deployment along the LAC, and is ready to deal with any situation, he had said.

General Pande had also said the situation at the northern border remains stable but unpredictable.