Near pakistan border, Deesa could turn into full fledged IAF airbase: Official
Ahmedabad: Deesa airport in Northern Gujarat could get converted into a full fledged airbase for the Indian Air Force operations under South Western Air Command (SWAC), a top official said on Saturday.
"A fighter squadron has begun operations from the Phalodia airbase in Rajasthan, and we think Deesa airport in Gujarat could possibly get converted into an additional airbase for SWAC," Air Marshal A K Gogoi told reporters here, shortly after after assuming charge as the new Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of SWAC.
Deesa airport, located in Banaskantha district, is near the border with Pakistan.
"The initial formalities for converting Deesa airport into a full fledged airbase have begun. A proposal in this regard shall be prepared soon and send for clearance," another IAF officer said.
Gujarat has two air force bases-- Jamnagar in Saurashtra region and Bhuj in Kutch.
SWAC is in the process of strengthening surveillance by inducting a few state-of-the-art digitalised miniature ground radars in Gujarat, given that the state houses some vital installations.
"The first medium power radar is going to come in Gujarat between January and February. The IAF is getting 19 such radars (from Israel)," Gogoi said.
Expressing the need for improving surveillance in Gujarat, he said "Sir Creek is an area we need to always look at because its disputed. The lines are not clearly drawn."
IAF has already installed an Aerostat surveillance radar in one of the border areas of Gujarat for effective aerial monitoring. The radar is based on cutting edge technology from the US.
"We have continuous surveillance over that area. It's a combined effort with the Border Security Force which is working on the ground there," he said.
To a query on protection of vital installations in Gujarat like oil refineries, Gogoi said the SWAC has chalked out a plan to protect them.
"The IAF, along with Army, Navy and the Home Ministry, undertakes an exercise every year to identify the vital installations. As per our last exercise, we have 968 vital installations in the country.
"There is a special exercise called Defence of Gujarat which is an annual affair and undertaken jointly with Navy. It is being conducted for last one decade," he said.
SWAC intends to increase surveillance on the Gujarat border to protect key installations, Gogoi said.
"The biggest challenge is to train people on the sophisticated equipment inducted in IAF, maintain them, and utilise those aircraft systems when the time comes," he said.
Deesa could turn into full fledged IAF airbase: Official
The Distance between Disa (Gujarat,India) and Mirpur Khas (Sindh,Pakistan) is : 349.8 kilometers (km).
The Distance between Disa (Gujarat,India) and Hyderabad Airport (,Pakistan) [Airport] is : 398.86 kilometers (km).
The Distance between Disa (Gujarat,India) and Karachi (Sindh,Pakistan) is : 521.94 kilometers (km).
Ahmedabad: Deesa airport in Northern Gujarat could get converted into a full fledged airbase for the Indian Air Force operations under South Western Air Command (SWAC), a top official said on Saturday.
"A fighter squadron has begun operations from the Phalodia airbase in Rajasthan, and we think Deesa airport in Gujarat could possibly get converted into an additional airbase for SWAC," Air Marshal A K Gogoi told reporters here, shortly after after assuming charge as the new Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of SWAC.
Deesa airport, located in Banaskantha district, is near the border with Pakistan.
"The initial formalities for converting Deesa airport into a full fledged airbase have begun. A proposal in this regard shall be prepared soon and send for clearance," another IAF officer said.
Gujarat has two air force bases-- Jamnagar in Saurashtra region and Bhuj in Kutch.
SWAC is in the process of strengthening surveillance by inducting a few state-of-the-art digitalised miniature ground radars in Gujarat, given that the state houses some vital installations.
"The first medium power radar is going to come in Gujarat between January and February. The IAF is getting 19 such radars (from Israel)," Gogoi said.
Expressing the need for improving surveillance in Gujarat, he said "Sir Creek is an area we need to always look at because its disputed. The lines are not clearly drawn."
IAF has already installed an Aerostat surveillance radar in one of the border areas of Gujarat for effective aerial monitoring. The radar is based on cutting edge technology from the US.
"We have continuous surveillance over that area. It's a combined effort with the Border Security Force which is working on the ground there," he said.
To a query on protection of vital installations in Gujarat like oil refineries, Gogoi said the SWAC has chalked out a plan to protect them.
"The IAF, along with Army, Navy and the Home Ministry, undertakes an exercise every year to identify the vital installations. As per our last exercise, we have 968 vital installations in the country.
"There is a special exercise called Defence of Gujarat which is an annual affair and undertaken jointly with Navy. It is being conducted for last one decade," he said.
SWAC intends to increase surveillance on the Gujarat border to protect key installations, Gogoi said.
"The biggest challenge is to train people on the sophisticated equipment inducted in IAF, maintain them, and utilise those aircraft systems when the time comes," he said.
Deesa could turn into full fledged IAF airbase: Official
The Distance between Disa (Gujarat,India) and Mirpur Khas (Sindh,Pakistan) is : 349.8 kilometers (km).
The Distance between Disa (Gujarat,India) and Hyderabad Airport (,Pakistan) [Airport] is : 398.86 kilometers (km).
The Distance between Disa (Gujarat,India) and Karachi (Sindh,Pakistan) is : 521.94 kilometers (km).
