The Indian Air Force, bolstered by its full complement of Rafale combat jets, on Thursday launched a major exercise covering the Northeastern region amid a fresh spike of border tension with Ch♎ina along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh .
The two-day mega exercise is involv🌃ing almost all ❀its frontline fighter jets and other assets deployed in the region , people familiar with the drill said.
In a tweet, the IAF said the last of the 36 Rafale jets joined the force. The IAF inducted the Rafalඣe aircraft into its 101 Squadron of the Eastern Air Command at the Hasimara in July last year.
The firs🌳t Rafale squadron with around 18 je♔ts is based in Ambala air base.
"FEET DRY! 'The Pack is Complete'. The last of the 36 IA𒐪F Rafales landed in India aft🐭er a quick enroute sip from a UAE Air Force tanker," the IAF said.
Sources said the French-manufactured jet joined the second Rafale squadron in Hasimara that increased its streng🍰th to 18 aircraft.
They said tꦓhe second squadron of Rafale jets was to be part of the mega air exercise along with other key assets such as Sukhoi-30MKIಞ aircraft under the Eastern Air Command.
An IAF official said the exercise was planned well in advance and it is not associat🐓ed with re꧟cent developments in the Tawang sector.
On Monday, the Indian Army sai꧑d troops from the two sides clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector and the face-off led to "minor injuries" to a few personnel from both sides".
The face-off took place amid the over 30-month border standoff between the twꩲo sides in eastern Ladakh.
All front👍line air ba♓ses and some key Advanced Landing Grounds in the Northeast are set to be involved in the exercise, said a source.
The Army and IAF have been maintaining a high state of operational readiness along the LAC in the Aruꦗnachal Pradesh and the Sikkim sector for o♔ver two years following the eastern Ladakh row.
The IAF scrambled fighter jetsཧ last week following China's increasing air activities on its side of the LAC in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh.
The deployment of some aerial platforms including drones🐻 by China in the region preceded t💜he Chinese attempts on December 9 to unilaterally change the status quo in the Yangtse area of the Tawang sector, the sources said.
They 🍨said a number of Chinese drones flew close to the LAC prompting the IAF t🌃o scramble the jets and increase the overall combat readiness.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday told Parliament that the Indian troops bravely thwarted the attempt by Chinese PLAꦓ from "unilaterally" changing the status in Yangtse area of the Tawa🌞ng sector and there were no fatalities or serious casualties to the Indian troops in the scuffle.
"On December 9, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in Yangtse area of Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo. The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in aꦯ firm and resolute manner," Singh said.
"The ensuing face off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts," he said.
