Monday, 28 June 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
Choppers at the Jammu station were the target
The helicopters of the IAF are believed to be the obvious target of Sunday’s attack on the Air Force Station, Jammu, considered one of the most strategic and valuable assets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), located barely 14 kms from the International Border (IB) with Pakistan. As the probe into the incident is on, IAF chief RKS Bhadauria, who is in Bangladesh at the moment, is monitoring the situation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was also briefed on Sunday morning about the terror attack using two drones. Initial reports suggest that the drone attack may have been carried out from across the border.
Rated to be one of the most sensitive airbases in the country, the Jammu airfield has a sizable number of rotary wing (helicopters) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
The M-17 helicopters and UAVs are actively used in anti-terrorist operations throughout Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) including detecting infiltration, airdropping and airlifting troops from encounter sites and providing real time Intelligence from the air to the operational commander on the ground. Fighter jets are not based there.
The security agencies and the IAF are taking the incident very seriously as this was the second attack on an airbase after the Pathankot airfield incident in 2016. In the last few months, Pakistan has airdropped small arms including pistols and AK-47s in knock down condition along the border in J&K and Punjab.
However, this is the first time that drones were used for a terrorist attack, sources said adding the security establishment will review the anti-drone measures to thwart such acts.
