The air force on Tuesday landed a C-130J ‘Super Hercules’ aircraft - configured for special operations and airborne assault - at the world’s highest airstrip in north-eastern Ladakh, barely eight km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), signalling India’s aggressive stance towards China following a spurt in incursions in that sensitive sector.
The aircraft, belonging to the IAF’s ‘Veiled Vipers’ squadron, touched down at the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) airstrip --- located at a dizzying height of 16,614 feet in the disputed Aksai Chin area --- after getting airborne at the crack of dawn from the Hindon airbase, outside New Delhi.
The landing -- described by the defence ministry as a “significant capability demonstration move by the IAF” -- took place in the same sector where Indian soldiers were eyeball-to-eyeball with the Chinese for three weeks, after PLA troops set up tents and took up positions 19 km inside what India considers to be its territory on April 15.
The C-130J’s debut landing in the DBO sector is expected to trigger unease in Beijing, which has been deeply suspicious of the re-activation of advance landing grounds (ALGs) by the IAF in the Ladakh sector in recent years.
The IAF has re-activated at least three ALGs during the last five years for quicker deployment of Indian troops and logistics support if hostilities were to break out.
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