IAF preparing to join anti-piracy operations in Gulf

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) The Indian Air Force (IAF) is
gearing up to join future anti-piracy operations in Gulf of
Aden and is holding the first-ever exercise with Omanese Air
Force this month to get experience in operating fighter
aircraft there.

"The IAF may be called upon to conduct aerial
surveillance of the swathe of the Gulf of Aden region, where
pirates are widening their area of operations fast," IAF vice
chief Air Marshal P K Barbora said in Indian national capital
New Delhi.

Joining the anti-piracy operations would not mean the
IAF would unleash an offensive against the sea brigands, but
would carry out surveillance of the vast area that the Navy
would be unable to cover due to "speed and manpower"
constraints, Barbora said.

"With our (IAF) surveillance capability, we can help
the comity of nations fighting the piracy menace there. Navy
may not be able to cover the area in terms of speed and number
of men. It is not necessary that we use our fire power," he
said.

Assuring that the fighter aircraft could perform
surveillance role too, the IAF vice chief said with the midair
refuelling capability, the fighters' endurance levels to fly
for longer hours and patrolling the area increased
substantially.

The 'Eastern Bridge' air exercise with Royal Air Force
of Oman (RAFO) from October 22 to 29 would focus on achieving
jointness and enhancing understanding of operational,
maintenance and administrative procedures between the two air
forces, he said.

Both India and Oman are the only countries that
continue to operate Jaguar air-ground strike fighter fleets
and they would bring these jets to the exercise to be held at
Thumrait RAFO air base.

Six single-seat twin-engine Darin-I Jaguars of the IAF
from 16 Cobras and 27 Flaming Arrows squadrons, based in
Gorakhpur in northern state of Uttar Pradesh, would
participate alongside the RAFO Jaguars and F-16s.

The IAF would also take two IL-78 mid-air re-fueller
for tanking the Jaguars to and fro from Oman and an IL-76
heavy lift aircraft for carrying the 45 officers and 91 airmen
there.

"The bilateral air exercise would be cost-effective in
terms of benefit realisation of operational and tactical
preparedness over an unknown mixed terrain of land and
desert," Barbora said.

Asked if Oman could support IAF's anti-piracy
operations by providing "operational turning around" facility
by opening up its airbase for maintenance and fuel, the IAF
vice chief replied in the affirmative, saying since the two
air forces operated Jaguars, it was possible.

However, to another question, he said there was no
proposal to have a permanent base there, though RAFO personnel
were being trained at the IAF facilities here in India.

Stating that traditionally Oman had been closer to
India than Pakistan, Barbora said the RAFO had on several
occasions since early 1980s provided IAF turn-around
facilities to transiting military aircraft.

"Oman features among IAF's priority-one country listed
for defence cooperation. IAF-RAFO cooperation was initiated in
2006 and has increased substantially in the current year," he
added.

To a query, Barbora said certain austerity measures
were taken and the government had restricted bilateral
exercises of IAF to one a year, be it in India or abroad.

"This is the general rule. But not that this rule
cannot be bent, such as having a trilateral exercise instead
of a bilateral one. But still there would be only one exercise
a year," he said.

Concerning a joint exercise with Chinese air force,
Barbora said IAF would certainly like to interact with Peoples
Liberation Army-Air Force (PLA-AF), though there were
constraints of language.

Asked if there was a request from Iran to hold joint
exercise, the IAF vice chief said he was not aware of any such
proposal.

On the issue of government permission to shoot at
Naxalites in self-defence, Barbora said the orders were yet to
come. PTI NCB
ANU