The Indian Air Force scrambled its fighter jets 2-3 times in the last few weeks to prevent air violations by Chinese drones along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh. These incidents occurred prior to the recent conflict between India and China in the Yangtse region near Tawang, according to the media reports.
The IAF was forced to scramble its fighter jets after Chinese drones attacked Indian positions on LAC.
In the last few weeks, our fighter jets have had to be scrambled on two or three occasions to deal with Chinese drones moving towards our positions on the LAC. According to defence sources, the Su-30MKI jets had to be scrambled to deal with the air violation threat.
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The Indian Air Force monitors Chinese drone activity along the LAC in the northeast. According to the sources, actions must be taken because drones or any aircraft cannot be allowed to violate airspace.
Sources also said that the Indian side has no objections to drones flying parallel to the LAC but if the aircraft or drones are detected by radars while flying towards Indian territory, necessary actions must be taken to prevent any violations.
The Indian Air Force maintains a strong presence in the northeast, with squadrons of Su-30 fighter jets stationed in places such as Tezpur and Chhabua in Assam.
Rafale fighter jets have also been stationed in Hashimara, West Bengal.
The Indian Air Force has also increased its air defence coverage by deploying the S-400 air defence system in the Assam sector. The system can deal with any aerial threat over nearly the entire area.
On the recent clash, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday that timely intervention by the Indian Army prevented Chinese PLA troops from invading Indian territory during the on 9 December clash in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector.
“On December 9, 2022, PLA troops encroached on and attempted to change the status quo in the Yangtse area of the Tawang sector. This attempt was met with determination by our troops. During this brawl, there was also fist fighting. Our troops bravely prevented the PLA from invading our territory and forced them to return to their post,” Rajnath Singh, the Defence Minister said in the Lok Sabha.
The minister also said that the matter had been raised with China via diplomatic channels.
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