Page 23 - ADT JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

big assessment of various different drones are in fact becoming even Indian Air Force is the lifeline for
types of which we finally selected more capable. They can stay in the both supply as well as maintenance
the Rafale as our next frontline air longer, require that much lesser for many of these border outposts.
fighter. Having inducted and oper- infrastructure to operate them from
ationalised the Rafales, they add ground and bring to the table, a
to the capabilities that we inducted host of other capabilities. We are now operating at a greater
level of jointness, bordering almost
with our SU-30 MKIs.
on integration with the Indian Army.
So, in this regard, of course, it This is in every facet of what we
All in all the Rafale adds to what- would be possible to use advanced do, whether it is in terms of simply
ever the SU-30 MKI has brought drones from our ALGs as well. In providing the ability to position
men and material where required,
to the table and together, both some cases, it would depend upon or to share capabilities in terms of
platforms merge very well with the how far forward we want to position
these drones on the ALGs, because Surface to Air Weapons, or in terms
other platforms we were operating. of air defence and even better. The
The Rafale brings to the table, what if we are going to operate from army also operates UAVs in this
is almost the newest and available well deep within Indian territory, zone, and we share what they bring
technology around the world and one clearly finds no reason to have to the table, in addition to what we
currently, I would like to believe that to forward push these advanced have of our own as well
the Rafale can hold its own against assets into operating from so close
almost any fighter that one can to our borders. But this is a capa-
pitch against it. bility that exists and remains a We offer invaluable assistance to
capability that may be utilized and the Indian Army in deploying and
it could very well bring us useful maintaining its troops in far flung
Q3 Could you give an indication operational benefits in time. areas in our AOR. This is a role
as to when Eastern Air Command that we take very seriously here at
would hope to induct the indig- Drones and unmanned vehicles Eastern Air Command and a signif-
enously developed Tejas light certainly add to our capabilities icant amount of our flying tasks are
fighter? and they have some of their own planned in support of this across
intrinsic capabilities which we are rotary wing as well as fixed wing
exploiting more and more whether assets to ensure that we deliver
Air Marshal SP Dharkar: Actually, it is for ISR or even better. when we are called upon.
it’s not so much as missing, as
in the LCA Tejas having been
deployed directly at Eastern Air They actually require a reason- Q6 Could you give us some
Command. We have operated the ably small footprint on ground and indication of the challenges of
Tejas here for some of our exer- there’s not too much of infrastruc- airborne operations at Eastern Air
cises and it is just that we haven’t ture that you will require to operate Command?
yet based this indigenously devel- them from wherever you position
oped fighter here. With numbers them. And I think we will keep that Air Marshal SP Dharkar: The
of the Tejas growing within the in mind as well and utilize them challenges come from the weather
Indian Air Force and Hindustan accordingly whenever the need in this part of the world. We have
Aeronautics Limited (HAL) building arises. a very strong monsoon and also
this fighter in greater numbers, I’m operate in a rather riverine region
certain that positioning one Tejas Q5 Please provide an insight into in the Brahmaputra valley, that has
Squadron somewhere in Eastern Air the logistical tasks that Eastern its own limitations in terms of how
Command is almost on the cards if Air Command undertakes and one can deploy and when one could
not already finalised. provides for the Indian Army? deploy. While historically, crossing
the Himalayas was a very daunting
task for an enemy, given the capa-
Q4 Do you foresee Advanced Air Marshal SP Dharkar: We bilities of airpower today, it is not as
Landing Grounds being used for have a large border as discussed daunting as it once was. We take
deployment of newer and more at the beginning of this interview pride in operating in different kinds
advanced drones which are even and the Army necessarily has to of challenging terrain and exercise
more capable than those with the deploy almost right up to the border and train frequently to overcome
Air Force currently? itself. In some cases, these border challenges that we face and build
posts are several days march from our capabilities. I think we will
the nearest roadhead. Given the operate 24/7 all across our AOR
Air Marshal SP Dharkar: As weather as well as the terrain near with impunity, when called upon to
technology develops, we find that the borders, in many cases the do so..
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2024 | 23