Defensive wise India has alot of SAMs including S300 types and the SU30MKI is ideally suited for interception missions.
Not to forget
Mirages along with SU30MKI.
Read the News article below on The war game, code-named ‘Dakshin Prahar' going on while we discuss the interceptor capability.
'Wolf Pack’ arrives for mock combat
G. Anand
Six Mirage 2000 fighters to participate in ‘battle’ over the city
— Photo: C. Ratheesh kumar
Aerial might: The fleet of Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft which arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram airport on Thursday evening to participate in the ‘Dakshin Prahar’ exercise organised by the Indian Air Force.
Thiruvananthapuram: Six Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft of the Gwalior-based ‘Wolf Pack’ squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) arrived here on Thursday afternoon to take part in a massive air combat exercise over the southern peninsula scheduled to start on December 3.
Wing Commander K. Suresh Kumar, a Keralite, commands the Wolf Pack.
Dakshin Prahar
The war game, code-named ‘Dakshin Prahar,’ will start with Jaguar ground-attack aircraft (mimicking the role of invading enemy bombers) targeting key national assets in the peninsula.
The Mirages will intercept the Jaguars, which will take off from the Arakkonam Naval Airbase near Chennai.
Combat plan
The Mirages on combat air patrol will try to prevent the bombers from acquiring their targets. The fighters will try to “kill” the bombers before they come into visual range by using long range air-to-air missiles.
Other air-defence assets, including surface-to-air missiles, will be deployed against the Jaguars in the simulated air battle. The Jaguars, capable of flying at high speeds at very low and high altitudes, will try to evade the interceptors.
The interception of the “enemy” aircraft will take place possibly at 10,000 feet over the city and also the Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands.
Sukhoi 30 MKI
The second phase of the exercise will involve Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft intercepting Mirages, which will be playing the role of enemy aircraft.
The Sukhois, capable of remaining airborne for nearly six hours at a stretch, will be supported by IL-78 airborne fuel tankers. There will be no firing of live ammunition during the exercise.
MI-8 helicopters will be used for ferrying messages, satellite pictures of the staging area and also for carrying out simulated search-and-rescue operations.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles launched from Sulur and Tanjavur air bases in Tamil Nadu will be used for surveillance, reconnaissance and also as air-borne targets for the fighters.
The Mirage pilots will practice mid-air refuelling from IL-78 airborne fuel tankers at lower altitudes to gain experience in carrying out such difficult operations in turbulent wind conditions.
The exercise will not disrupt normal air traffic over the peninsula
The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : ‘Wolf Pack’ arrives for mock combat