With India opening the forbidding Siachen Glacier for civilian trek last year, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to open more Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) for aircraft operations, aimed at promoting tourism in high-altitude areas of Ladakh.
"The Defence Ministry (MOD) has directed us to look for more Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in Ladakh to increase aircraft operations that will help promote tourism and for other purposes," Western Air Commander Air Marshal P K Barbora said today, after witnessing the IAF's dress rehearsal for the 76th Air Force Day parade at Hindan near here.
"With fixed wing aircraft landing at these ALGs, we would be able to send more relief material in less time for humanitarian support and also for disaster management, whenever it is required," Barbora said, to a question about the opening of ALGs in high-altitude areas.
The IAF had already opened the Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) ALG around May this year, closer to the Chinese-held Aksai Chin areas of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, with the first An-32 landing in three decades.
The Siachen glacier trekking camp was launched this October 1 for the second year in a row. Last year, the government had opened up the 72-km-long Glacier for civilian adventure tourism, despite Pakistani protests.
By increasing civilian and tourist movement in the region, India wants to strengthen its claim on the territory along the 110-km-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) with Pakistan.
Reopening of DBO ALGs is also seen as a step to create more access points for the Indian defence forces to Siachen and surrounding areas in Jammu and Kashmir, along the borders with India's two traditional rivals, Pakistan and China.
Barbora said apart from DBO ALG, IAF was also looking to operationalise existing as well as new ALGs in the region.
"**** Che is one such ALG, which we are trying to reopen. Chushul is another. We are also looking for new ALGs," Barbora said.
On the deployment of Su-30 air superiority fighter aircraft at Leh, Barbora said IAF wanted to operate its fighter aircraft from all kinds of terrain in the country.
"We have a variety of terrain in India that includes land, mountain and seas. It is always better that all our pilots and platforms are able to operate from all these terrains, so that when we have to redeploy forces for any contingency, they are prepared," he said.
Earlier during the Air Force Day parade dress rehearsal, the IAF put up its major strike aircraft along with its transport and helicopter fleet on static and aerial display. IAF's popular, Suryakiran 'Kiran MkII' aircraft and Sarang 'Dhruv' helicopter aerobatic display teams also performed at the parade rehearsal.
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