Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday complimented the Indian Air Force for ensuring a “timely and befitting” response to the “sudden” developments in eastern Ladakh, in a reference to the Sino-India border row in the mountainous region.
During an interaction with top commanders of the IAF, the defence minister also advised them to draw up long term plans and strategies to boost combat capabilities of the force to counter future threats, officials said.
As the situation deteriorated in eastern Ladakh following a fierce clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan valley in June last year, the Indian Air Force deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in the region. He also expressed confidence that important decisions taken during the conference would enhance the combat potential of the IAF, noting that security and economic development are complementary aspects of national policy.
The defence minister appreciated the “critical focus” of the IAF towards reorienting for the future while stressing on the need to work pro-actively towards integration among the three services. “The defence minister stressed on the need to continue to work pro-actively towards the integration process currently underway, implementation of the joint logistics plan and to enhance synergy in areas of joint planning and operations,” the IAF said.