Srinagar- In a strategic move to counter potential threats from Pakistan and China, India has deployed a squadron of upgraded MiG-29 fighter jets at the Srinagar air base. Known as the ‘Defender of the North’, the squadron replaced the MiG-21 squadron, which has traditionally guarded the borders from Pakistan.
“Srinagar lies in the centre of Kashmir valley and its elevation is higher than plains. It is strategically better to place an aircraft with a higher weight-to-thrust ratio and less response time due to proximity to the border and is equipped with better avionics and long-range missiles. The MiG-29 fulfils all these criteria due to which we are capable of taking on the enemies on both fronts,” Indian Air Force pilot Squadron Leader Vipul Sharma told news agency ANI.
Squadron Leader Shivam Rana said the upgraded aircraft can operate at night with night vision goggles and has a longer range due to air-to-air refuelling capability.
“We have also included the air-to-ground armament which was not there earlier. The biggest capability of the aircraft are the pilots which are handpicked by the Indian Air Force to serve on these aircraft,” he said.
The MiG-29s moved to the Srinagar air base in January this year and have flown extensively in the Kashmir valley along with the Ladakh sector where they would be one of the first to respond in case of any air space violation attempts by the Chinese.
The MiG-29s were the first aircraft to have been deployed in the Ladakh sector for tackling the threat from the Chinese side after the Galwan clash of 2020 and have thwarted multiple such attempts since then.
India to push for troop disengagement in military talks with China
Meanwhile, India will once again push for troop disengagement at the Depsang Plains as well as Demchok in eastern Ladakh at the next round of top-level military talks early next week.
The 19th round of corps commander-level talks will be held on the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on August 14. The Indian delegation will be led by 14 Corps commander Lt-General Rashim Bali and include officials from MEA and ITBP. The Chinese side will be headed by the South Xinjiang Military District chief.
China is yet to accede to India’s earlier demands for troop disengagement at the Depsang Plains and the Charding Ninglung Nallah (CNN) track junction at Demchok.
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