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The Indian Army is preparing for extended deployment at the LAC through the winter months. This leaves the IAF with a key role in providing support to the troops. What are the challenges to meet in the harsh winter and tough terrain?

Written By: Manmohan Bahadur | New Delhi

With a resolution to the standoff on the LAC still elusive, the Indian Army is preparing for extended deployment of troops in the region through the winter months. This leaves the IAF with a key role in providing support to the troops. What are the challenges to meet in the harsh winter and tough terrain?

A C-17 Globemaster of the Indian Air Force flies over the Ladakh region. (PTI Photo)

Can the IAF support the logistics of such a large force?

One part of the logistics for the Army requires land transportation, which would have been planned for before winter sets in and the passes close. The IAF will be doing very urgent missions, for which it is well prepared with a very good transport fleet consisting of C-17 Globemasters, Il-76s, and many An-32s. If it comes to the crunch, the C-130 Super Hercules can also be used for logistics support, although these are meant for special operations.

We also have Mi-17 helicopters and Cheetal light helicopters to cater to forward posts. In addition, the Chinook heavy-lift helicopters will be used for carrying bulky stores, either within the fuselage, or slung under it.

THE EXPERT

Air Vice Marshal (retired) Manmohan Bahadur is an IAF veteran and currently Additional Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi. Commissioned in the IAF in 1976, he commanded the 114 Helicopter Unit at Leh and Air Force flying bases in Jammu and Guwahati. He was the first pilot to land on the Siachen Glacier in September 1978, six years before Operation Meghdoot was launched. He has been Head of Training at Defence Services Staff College. He served as Assistant Chief of Air Staff in charge of transport and helicopter operations and moved to HQ Integrated Defence Staff before his retirement in May 2011.

What are the topographical challenges of flying into Leh or other advanced landing grounds (ALGs) in Eastern Ladakh?

The biggest challenge is the altitude of the two airfields of Leh and Thoise, but since we have been flying there for decades, the air crew are well aware of the peculiarities of these fields.

The landing grounds at high altitude have their own challenges, which result in reduction of load-bearing capacity of the planes/choppers. Additionally, the air crew have to call upon their skills to navigate the hills and land on the small, matchbox-like helipads — there is just no place on these hills to make bigger ones!

What additional hazards will winter bring?

Bad weather that accompanies the western disturbances that strike northern India in the winter months is a challenge, as it reduces visibility and results in a low cloud base. So the crew have to be on the ball to make sure they can find a way to circumvent bad weather. This is not always possible, and we have long periods when flying has to be curtailed.

And what effect does extreme cold have on weight-carrying aircraft?

The lower the temperature, the better the payload because the higher air density increases the lift-carrying capability of flying machines. So the loads that can be carried during winter are higher than during summer.

This is a big advantage. For instance, an Il-76, which in summer can carry hardly any load from Leh, can fly out around 20 tonnes in the winter. It is the same with helicopters, whose load-carrying ability to extremely high helipads at altitudes of 17,000 to 20,000 feet increases substantially in winter. And it reduces drastically in summer.

An Indian Air Foce Su-30MKI jet flies over Ladakh. (PTI Photo)

Do the high altitude and topography pose a challenge to navigation and night flying?

The modern navigation equipment available now overcome most of the challenges. But mission accomplishment is not merely flying from place A to B. The aircraft has to land to complete a mission. That is where temperature and altitude plus weather become the final arbiters.

Navigation is not a problem, but take-offs and landings are tricky.

As for night flying, it has its own unique challenges because of the shadows cast by hills, as well as the state and position of the moon relative to the hills and the aircraft. A dark, moonless night poses its own challenges, and a full moon has its own. In the hills, air crew are specially cleared to carry out operations at night.

Do the airfields in Ladakh restrict operations to only certain aircraft or can all aircraft be used?

All air fields in the Ladakh area can be used by the transport aircraft we have, although weather requirements will vary from one aircraft to the other. It depends on the navigational aids on board the aircraft, and the competence of the crew. That is why air crews are detailed depending on the mission.

In a long haul, or in the eventuality of a kinetic war, the IAF will also have to transport back and forth mechanised weapons etc for repair, maintenance, etc. Can our aircraft profile cater to it?

Bringing back loads from the forward air fields is not a problem. However, that has to be prioritised vis-à-vis personnel, casualties, and vital equipment such as avionics.

What kind of logistics support in terms of fuel, repair, etc does the IAF require for such an operation?

All the air fields have enough stock of fuel, oil, and lubricants (FOL) for which detailed planning is done around the clock. There is a well-oiled logistics chain that has been fine-tuned by the IAF in the last six-seven decades of operation. The Army Service Corps (ASC) also plays an important part in ground positioning of fuel in forward posts. It places aviation turbine fuel in barrels in advanced fields, while Leh and Thoise have got fuel bowsers.

What is the threat to aircraft when the ground forces are eyeball to eyeball?

The airfields of Leh and Thoise that support fixed wing operations (helicopters are rotary wing aircraft) are relatively in the interiors, hence not vulnerable to any ground action. They can of course be attacked by the Air Force and other aerial assets of the adversary, but there are standard operating protocols in place to deal with such threats.

However, in ALGs such as Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), where choppers fly close to the LAC, the air crew are well adept at taking tactical action to meet any threat from ground fire or shoulder-fired missiles. In this, the aids on board the helicopters also play an important role.

Are there any special challenges for fighter aircraft?

Fighters flying in those altitudes have special challenges of their own because of their high speeds, reduced air density, the closeness of the hill tops, and the fact that targets are very small comprising bunkers having limited numbers of troops.

Hitting those targets requires special weapons and air crew capability. Luckily, we have experienced this during Kargil, and I am sure the lessons would have been passed on to the present band of fighter pilots.

Where does Rafale fit in?

The Rafale comes with its unique flying characteristics and weapons delivery payload, but one must remember that present-day combat is between systems, and not generally between one aircraft and the other.

The Rafale would have been dovetailed into the air campaign plan made by the IAF to operate with other systems like Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) and electronic warfare (EW) assets. In the present day, an individual weapon system is only as good as the overall war fighting architecture that the force designs.

With inputs from The Indian Express

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shopian: Unknown gunmen on Saturday shot a youth in Nidoora area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, leaving him seriously wounded.

A police officer told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the suspected militants fired upon Subzar Ahmad Naiko son of Abdul Rashid Naikoo this evening.

Subzar, suffered serious bullet wounds and was shifted to a nearby district hospital for treatment.

Soon after the incident, the officer said that security forces launched a hunt to nab the attackers—(KNO)

Srinagar: A soldier was injured in mortar FIRING by Pakistan army along the Line of Control in Machil sector in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, a defence ministry spokesman here said on Monday.

“Pakistan initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC in (Machil) Sector, Kupwara today morning by firing Mortars and other weapons,” a the spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said in a statement to GNS.

“Befitting response is being given,” he said, adding, “One soldier was injured and was evacuated to hospital where his condition is stable.” (GNS)

PTI

Jammu: Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing and mortar shelling in forward areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Monday, officials said here.

The Indian Army mounted a befitting retaliation, they added.

“At about 1550 hours today, Pakistan army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Nowshera sector,” a defence spokesman said.

The Pakistani army has violated the ceasefire 44 times this month.

A soldier was killed and two more, including an officer, were injured last Tuesday as Pakistani troops opened heavy fire and shelled with mortars along the Line of Control in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri, the officials said.

On September 2, a JCO was killed in another ceasefire violation by the Pakistani army along the LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri.

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi: Three persons, who are said to have been working as informers for the Army, on Saturday deposed before the Army’s Court of Inquiry, set up to probe the July 18 encounter at Amshipora, Shopian, in which three labourers from Rajouri were killed and declared militants.

Top sources in the administration told The Sunday Express that the three persons are “the last contacts of the three deceased” and are being questioned for their role in the incident.

On September 18, the Army had confirmed that identities of the three killed at Amshipora matched that of the missing labourers from Rajouri — Abrar Ahmed (25), Imtiyaz Ahmed (20) and Mohammed Ibrar (16).

“These suspects worked as informers for the Army,” sources said, adding that there are preliminary indications “of their involvement in the encounter. Their initial version was that a group of militants was supposed to come via the Rajouri-Poonch sector and the labourers had agreed to bring them to the civilian Army sources, who would then inform the Army about the infiltrators.” However, the veracity of these claims and whether the three labourers ever agreed to such an arrangement is in question.

The J&K Police had earlier said that “militant links” of the three labourers are under investigation, however, sources said the claims made by the “army sources” will be verified when they are officially handed over to the police.

According to sources, of the three cousins — Abrar, Imtiyaz and Ibrar — from Rajouri who were killed in the July 18 encounter, one had been in Kashmir for a month and the other two joined him later. “The factual position of the claims being made by the sources will be explored by the police,” sources said.

IG (Kashmir Zone) J&K Police, Vijay Kumar had on Friday confirmed that the DNA samples of the three labourers from Rajouri have matched those of their families.

Indian Express

Srinagar: A youth who was injured along with three other when some unattended explosive substance went off from debris of a house razed during a gunfight in Sirhama area of south Kashmir succumbed to his wounds, officials said on Monday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFrMe7lIiUy/?igshid=132e5zki6r4g4

They told GNS that the youth, Yaseen Mohammad Rather son of Mohammad Maqbool Rather of Sirhama died last night at a hospital here.

Yaseen and three others— Irfan Ahmad, Shahid Yousuf and Mudasir Ahmad Magray—were injured when some unattended explosive exploded from the debris of a house which was razed during the gunfight in which two LeT commanders— Adil Ahmad Bhat of Pulwama and Abu Rehan alias Towheed—were killed on Friday last.

Yaseen and other youth suffered serious wounds and were shifted to Srinagar hospital for advanced treatment. However, Yaseen succumbed to the wounds late last night, the officials added. (GNS)

The decision to do away with the Entrance Exam is not final, VC IUST

Pulwama: The students aspiring to get admission in Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Awantipora have complained of unfairness as the varsity is going to skip the annual entrance exam, at least according to the official Admission Notification No. 1 of 2020.

According to the official notification, B.Tech Engineering, MBA/MBA-IB, M.Tech Food Technology and MBA (5-Year Integrated) admissions will be done as per performance in JEE Main, CMAT, GATE and test conducted by a National Level Testing Agency, respectively. However, for all other programmes including M.A and M.Sc, the admissions will be “based on the percentage of marks in aggregate obtained by a candidate in the qualifying examination.”

Some agitated aspirants, while expressing their fears over phone to news agency Kashmir News Trust (KNT), said that various Universities across the State have invited fresh admissions for current academic session 2020-21 and are selecting the candidates by conducting Entrance Examination but the IUST Awantipora seems to do otherwise.

“Recently, Kashmir University successfully conducted its entrance examination for various Post Graduate and Undergraduate programmes and is going to conduct other tests for Admissions, under proper SOPs in place. Even, the national level examinations for Medical and Engineering studies like NEET & JEE Mains were conducted across the country in which lakhs of students appeared. But I fail to understand the helplessness of IUST authorities,” Adnan Mushtaq, a student said.

Saima Gulzar, another student, said, “IUST Awantipora has decided to select candidates for admission to various PG & UG programmes as per the percentage in their qualifying exam, which is Graduation for PG Programmes, and Diploma for B-Tech Lateral Entry. This is very brazen.”

The candidates are aghast against the University authorities for not conducting the usual entrance examination for new admissions for current academic session.

“When KU conducted the entrance exam without any issues for large number of seats, why can’t IUST do so for comparatively fewer seats? When JEE Mains & NEET exams were held across the country, what’s holding IUST back?” Shabir Ahmad, an aspirant said.

He added, “Selecting candidates merely on qualifying exam merit is sheer injustice as anyone can get good grades in his course by unfair means, which is not uncommon. That’s why entrance examination is conducted, to make sure deserving candidates get entry.”

When KNT contacted Professor A. M. Shah, IUST’s Dean Academic Affairs, he said, “This decision was taken long back in a meeting of Dean’s / HODs under the chairmanship of the Vice Chancellor, keeping in view a number of factors and COVID-19 situation at that time. For any other information regarding the matter, you can call VC of the University.”

“The Entrance Exam issue impacts fever programmes offered by the University, which are mainly M.A and M.Sc. Also, the decision to do away with the Entrance Exam is not final, given that the application process ends on October 03 (Saturday) and a meeting will be conducted on Monday (October 05) to take a final call,” Professor Mushtaq Siddiqi, the varsity’s Vice-Chancellor told KNT, while speaking on phone.

The VC, however, said that one of the key factors which will impact the decision will be the number of applicants for the entrance exam. “We are facing a stiff resistance from onroll students to conduct their exams online and we now decided to blend the process with both online and offline, (after accessing the number of examinees),” the VC said. (KNT)

Out of 130 newly recruited militants, security forces have killed 55 and arrested 29 till now

Notwithstanding the claims of the Center, the recruitment of local youth into militancy continues in Kashmir with 130 joining the militant ranks this year so far as against 140 in 2019.

As per the official data 140 local youth joined militant ranks in 2019 while the number is 130 this year so far. In 2018, over 200 local youth had joined militant ranks in the Union Territory.

However, out of 130 newly recruited militants, security forces have killed 55 and arrested 29 till present.

On August 5 last year, New Delhi scrapped the constitutional provisions of autonomy in Article 370 and 35A and split the region into two union territories. The Center contended these measures were needed to dismantle a system they claimed fostered separatism, radicalization and militancy.

However, more than a year later, the violence continues unabated in Kashmir and since the beginning of 2020, more than 180 militants have been killed. The number of militants killed in 2019 was less than 160.

Kashmir’s armed insurgency became more local in recent years and the trend continues this year as well. As cross-border infiltration from Pakistan became more difficult in recent years, locally recruited Kashmiri militants continue to outnumber foreign Islamist militants.

A senior police officer involved in counter-insurgency operations told DH that though local militants prove less militarily effective, they help galvanize support for separatism.

“Only the limited weapons supply is preventing the resentment in Kashmir from swelling into a mass insurgency. If weapons are available easily, more local youths will join the militancy,” he revealed.

The officer warned that Kashmir appears poised for a gradual resurgence of violence and armed insurgency if right steps are not taken now.

“Frustrations are mounting in Kashmir over corruption and governance deficits. Assurances of stability, development and a resumption of normality have fallen short. The government needs to work on this front immediately,” he added.

Recently, Lt Gen B S Raju, Commander of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, had termed local recruitment in militancy as one of primary concerns for the army.

“Our efforts are aimed at weaning the youth away from terror. Proactive steps are being taken to identify and counsel vulnerable youth. We are working to, first, prevent local youth from joining terror and, second, to facilitate surrender from those who have joined terror organizations,” he had said.

With inputs from the Deccan Herald

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

PTI

Jammu: Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire for nearly 30 minutes after the Border Security Force (BSF) picked up suspicious movement along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.

No one was injured in the firing which started around 11.45 pm on Saturday in Mangu Chak Border Outpost (BOP) area of Ghagwal sector, the officials said.

They said BSF troops deployed at BOP Mangu Chak observed movement of three to four persons near Pakistani post Pir Bunker and opened fire after they were seen moving towards this side under the cover of darkness.

Pakistani Rangers retaliated and the exchange of small arms firing between the two sides continued for about half-an-hour, the officials said, adding the suspiciously moving persons returned to Pakistani side amid the firing.

A BSF official confirmed the incident and said a massive search operation was launched early this morning to sanitise the area.

The search operation is on but no incriminating material has been recovered so far, the official said.

There has been spurt in airdropping of weapons by drones and smuggling of narcotics along the IB and Line of Control (LoC) amid frequent ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir over the past few weeks.

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)