Tezpur June 15 (ANI): To strengthen its capability along the borders of China, the Indian Air force (IAF) today stationed four Sukhoi fighter jets at the Tezpur airbase in Assam.
Air Marshal S.K. Bhan, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Air Command, attended the ceremony to welcome the arrival of the four fighters at the base.
This is the second step taken by the IAF to strengthen its infrastructure in the northeast region after the reviving two air bases-Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh.
It was an emotional moment for the 50-year-old air base, which was earlier catered to MiG aircrafts until they were removed last year.
The Sukhois, which are the key fighter jets of the IAF, can reach the Chinese frontier in less than four minutes from any of the three airports of Assam, which they are expected to use.
Sources said the IAF is also considering to base the squadrons of SU - 30 MKI at Chabua in Upper Assam, Halwara in Punjab and Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
Both Tezpur and Chabua stations are just four to six minutes away from the Chinese border, and the IAF jets can also reach the Indo-Myanmar border within the same time. The Sukhois can reach a maximum speed of 1.5 Mach.
The SU-30 is a twin cockpit, multi-role all weather, superiority fighter with air-to-air refuelling capability. The aircraft, now being manufactured at Nasik based unit of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was originally designed and developed in Russia. (ANI)
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