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India?s build-up of air power in the east - upiasiaonline.com
India’s build-up of air power in the east
By Andrei Chang
Column: Military Might
Hong Kong, China — All along its western border with China, especially in the area north of New Delhi, India has been building a series of airports and military bases in an obvious effort to strengthen its defenses against its increasingly powerful neighbor.
There are three military airports in the central part of the border area, two of which are large air bases. Along the western part of the border there are 11 airports that could lend support to the Indian Air Force in the event of an attack upon Tibet. These include airports at Patna, Bihta, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Bareilly and Adampur.
At the Bakshi-Ka-Talab Air Base near Bareilly, observers have spotted nine Su-30K fighter aircraft. Under normal circumstances, three or more MiG-25R aircraft are stationed here, for use by the No. 102 Reconnaissance Squadron in operations along India’s western border with China. This airport, which belongs to the Indian Air Force’s No. 35 and No. 102 squadrons, has extensive facilities including reinforced aircraft hangars, and is located no more than 600 kilometers (373 miles) from the India-China border.
There is another large airbase not far away at Ambala, with 35 reinforced aircraft hangers. Less than 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) from the border with China, it is the closest attack base to Tibet. The Indian Air Defense Force’s No. 5 Squadron is based here, with a fleet of Jaguar attackers. There are also at least two SAM-2/3 surface-to-air missile positions at this base.
At nearby Chandigarh, at least 13 reinforced aircraft hangars and one SAM-3 missile position have been built. This is an airport primarily for military transport aircraft as well as Mi-17/Mi-8 helicopters belonging to the No. 3 Air Base warehouse. There are at least two IL-76 transport aircraft, 13 AN-32 transport planes and one heavy-lift Mi-26 helicopter fielded at this airport. This deployment suggests that the Indian military is highly aware of the need to airlift troops to the Tibet region should a conflict erupt between the two countries.
The Amritsar Air Base is very close to the India-Pakistan border, but it is also adjacent to the western part of the India-China border. A total of 29 reinforced aircraft hangars have been built at this airport.
In the event of a conflict with China, Indian military units stationed along the eastern part of the India-China border could make full use of the 13 military and civilian airports in the border region. Helicopters and transport planes could quickly deliver troops to the scene of the conflict, and fighter aircraft could use these airports for take-off and landing.
Among all these airport facilities, the Tezpur Airport has the most modern, full-fledged installations. It is here that eight Su-30MKI multi-role fighters are due to be positioned in the next few months.
The Gwalior Airport south of New Delhi is the gateway for the Indian Air Force’s strategic bombers. The No. 1 and No. 7 Nuclear Attack Squadrons – armed with Mirage 2000H/TH fighters – are stationed at this air base. Several Jaguar attackers have also been seen fielded at this airport, which has very sturdy aircraft hangers.
The Gwalior Air Base is less than 550 kilometers (340 miles) from the India-Tibet border and about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the India-Pakistan border. This indicates that India pays equal attention to China and Pakistan in deploying its nuclear attack power.
The No. 24 and No. 20 Squadrons, stationed at the Lohegaon Air Base near Pune, are armed with Su-30K and Su-30MKI fighters. The No. 20 Squadron received its first Su-30MKI fighters between 2000 and 2004. The earlier model Su-30K fighters, received from Russia in 1997 and 1998, are scheduled to be returned to Russia in exchange for a new batch of 18 Su-30MKIs.
The two squadrons are now equipped with 39 Su-30MKI Phase I/II fighters. It looks as if the Su-30MKI fighters soon to be deployed at the Tezpur Air Base will also be Phase II Su-30MKIs assembled in India.
The No. 20 Squadron is the best fighter unit of the Indian Air Force, equivalent to the 9th Regiment of the Chinese PLA Air Force’s No. 3 Division. It is based in the southern part of the region, apparently positioned as the air force’s strategic reserve unit.
Yet oddly, no reinforced aircraft hangars have been built for the Su-30MKIs at this airport. Instead, the aircraft are stationed on an open apron. Considering the hot weather conditions in South India the reason for this is unclear. There are also several Jaguar attackers fielded here.
The extensive build-up of airports in the border region, the performance features of the aircraft deployed there and the capability to quickly project troops in the area show that New Delhi’s apprehensions about a threat from the north are quite strong. Still, India now has a clear advantage over China in terms of preparedness for a conflict in this region.
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(Andrei Chang is editor-in-chief of Kanwa Defense Review Monthly, registered in Toronto, Canada.)