The country’s northern and eastern borders are dominated by the formidable Himalayas, while the western expanses stretch across the flat Indo-Gangetic plains of Punjab, extending to the Thar Desert in Rajasthan and the Kachchh-Saurashtra region. [...] The then Chief of Air Staff of the PAF, Air Chief Marshal M Anwar Shamim, told the then dictator General Zia-ul-Haq that Indian aircraft could reach Kahuta in three minutes, whereas the PAF would take eight minutes to respond, allowing the Indians to attack the facility and return even before the PAF could intercept them.12, 13 This deficit, along with the impending Soviet invasion of Afghanistan,. [...] The IAF responded by procuring the Mirage 2000H and the Mikoyan MiG-29B (Izdeliye 9.12) to stay a step ahead of the PAF, but the first aircraft did not arrive until 1984 and 1987, respectively.15, 16 For the time being, at least, the F-16 was more advanced than India's best interceptor at the time, the MiG-21MF. [...] He was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra for his gallantry.30 With the loss of the three aircraft (including the Mil Mi-17 that was downed the following day), there had to be a reassessment of strategies. [...] Their service in some of the most difficult theatres of war is a testament to the adaptability of the Indian Air Force and the indomitable spirit of its pilots and ground crew.
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Table of Contents
- Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Centre for Air Power Studies CAPS 1
- This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License. 1
- Centre for Air Power Studies CAPSIndia Centre for Air Power Studies Centre for Air Power Studies 1
- Background 2
- The Need for a Tactical Close Air Support Aircraft TASA 2
- A Battle for Air Superiority 3
- Hot Skies Over the Himalayas 3
- Two Airfields Are Better Than One 5
- Operation Safed Sagar 5
- Conclusion 6
