IAF takes strong measures to respond to these provocations as it has moved its most powerful fighter jets, including the MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, to advanced bases from where they can respond to Chinese movements within minutes…reports Asian Lite News
Chinese fighter jets are continuing efforts to provoke the Indian forces stationed in eastern Ladakh as they are flying close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on multiple occasions.
The provocation efforts by the Chinese side are being continued despite the matter being raised at the Corps Commander level talks.
Chinese aircraft have been regularly flying close to the LAC over the past three to four weeks, which is being seen as an effort to check Indian defence mechanisms in the region.
Indian Air Force (IAF) is responding to the situation responsibly and is not taking any chances to tackle the threat as well as not letting the matter escalate in any way.
“Chinese fighter jets, including J-11, are flying close to the LAC. Cases of violation of the 10 km Confidence Building Major (CBM) line have been reported in this area in recent days,” the government sources told.
As per the sources, the IAF has taken strong measures to respond to these provocations as it has moved its most powerful fighter jets, including the MiG-29 and Mirage 2000, to advanced bases from where they can respond to Chinese movements within minutes.
It seems that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is tense over the upgradation of IAF infrastructure in the Ladakh region, they added.
Sources further said that the IAF is responding to these actions in a “calibrated manner” and is also monitoring Chinese flight patterns in the area where they are flying at both low and high altitudes.
India is working at a brisk pace to upgrade its military infrastructure in Ladakh after China tried to unilaterally change the status quo on the LAC in the April-May 2020 time frame.
The provocation by Chinese fighter jets began around June 24-25 when a Chinese fighter jet flew very close to a point of friction in eastern Ladakh.
After that, there were several CBM violations between the two sides on the LAC near Chumar sector and this has been going on since then, they asserted, adding that the IAF, including its Rafale fighter jets, is also doing extensive flying in the eastern Ladakh region.
According to the sources, the IAF has been reacting to these activities with precision and has also been keeping a very careful eye on the Chinese flying pattern in the area where they are flying at both low and high altitudes.
After the Chinese attempted to unilaterally change the status quo on the LAC in the April–May 2020 period, India has likewise been moving very quickly to improve its military facilities in Ladakh.
Around June 24–25, a Chinese fighter jet went dangerously close to a flashpoint in eastern Ladakh, which marked the beginning of Chinese fighter jet provocations. They claimed that following it, there were several CBM breaches between the two sides along the LAC close to the Chumar area, and they have continued ever since.
ANI reported earlier this month that it was during a wargame on the Chinese side in 2020 when the People’s Liberation Army diverted its troops in heavy numbers towards the Indian positions in Eastern Ladakh which led to multiple face-offs and physical fights in the area.
Sources said the matter of aircraft coming close to Indian positions was taken up with the Chinese as per the east abolished mechanism and no incident has taken place after that.
Sources clarified that the particular incident was not a very serious one but such instances should be avoided by the other side as they can lead to possible escalation.
The aircraft came very close to the areas on the LAC which have seen confrontation between the Indian and Chinese sides during the ongoing military stand-off between the two sides since May 2020, sources said.