Page 64 - The Indian EYE 081922

The Indian Eye
NATION AUGUST 19, 2022 64

India, China talk air space violations by PLA

as Chinese test rocket launchers close to LAC

The talks come as the Chinese are having tense relations with multiple countries including

the US over a high-profile American visit to Taiwan

OUR BUREAU

Leh/New Delhi
ndia and China held a special
round of military talks on Tues-
Iday at the Chushul-Moldo border
meeting point in Eastern Ladakh to
discuss air space violations and prov-
ocations by the Chinese side in that
area in the last 45 days.
The talks were held after the In-
dian Air Force sternly countered the
Chinese attempts to provoke in the
Eastern Ladakh sector by violating
air space and the confidence-build-
ing measure lines which mandate that
both sides should fly fighter planes
within 10 Kms of the LAC. “During
the military talks, the Indian side
strongly raised objections over the Chi- Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande recently reviewed the security situation along our fighters or putting our systems on
nese flying activities near Eastern La- the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China (ANI) high alert. This has deterred them to
dakh sector for over a month now and quite an extent,” the IAF chief said.
asked them to avoid such provocative India and China have held 16
activities,” government sources said. rounds of Corps commander-level
The talks have also come at a talks between them to deescalate the
time when the Chinese are having situation and tensions which started
tense relations with multiple countries after the Chinese tried to alter the
including the US over a high-profile status quo on the LAC in 2020.
American visit to Taiwan and its firing The Chinese are discussing only
of ballistic missiles in the Japanese Ex- the issues of boundary dispute which
clusive Economic Zone. have emerged post-May 2020 and have
The talks between the two sides refused to hold talks on legacy issues.
included Air Force officers from both The Indian Air Force has up-
sides along with Army representatives. graded its detection. capabilities
The Indian Air Force was represent- along the China border in the La-
ed by Air Commodore Amit Sharma dakh sector also but it has to further
from the Operations branch while an strengthen its network and coverage
equivalent rank officer came from the to keep a close eye on the PLAAF
People’s Liberation Army’s Air Force activities near the Indian territory.
side for the discussions. China’s People’s Liberation
The Indian Army was represented Army recently tested an advanced
by a Major General-rank officer under Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari speaks to the media on the Chinese Multiple Launch Rocket System
the Fire and Fury Corps headed by Lt aircraft provoking India by flying close to Line of Actual Control (ANI) (MLRS) at an altitude of more than
Gen A Sengupta, the sources said. 5,300 metres in the Xinjiang Region
The Chinese have been com- The Chinese activities opposite also taking precautions to en- close to the Indian border that could
plaining about the Indian Air Force the Chumar sector continued for over sure that there was no escala- hit critical Indian military bases.
upgrading its capability to detect Chi- a month and the Indian Air Force tion of the matters on the ground China’s state media reported
nese Air Force aircraft operating with- responded strongly by scrambling along with keeping a close watch that China is likely to deploy the
in the territory controlled by them in its fighter aircraft including the Mi- on their air activities, they said. PHL-16 MLRS on the Sino-Indian
the Tibet region. rage 2000 and MiG-29s from its ad- In an earlier interview a few border. China’s PLA conducted a
The confrontation between the vance bases near the Ladakh region. weeks ago, IAF Chief Air Chief live-fire training assessment for a new
two Air Forces started in June last The sources said the Chinese Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari had type of rocket mine-laying vehicle, in
week when on June 25, a PLAAF J-11 had not expected such a strong reac- stated that “Whenever we find that the Xinjiang Region close to the In-
fighter aircraft flew very close to a fric- tion from the IAF which was ready Chinese aircraft or remotely piloted dian border of the Xinjiang Military
tion point in Eastern Ladakh around for taking on any possible misadven- aircraft systems (RPAS) are coming Region. The multiple launch rocket
4 AM and was picked up by both men ture from the PLAAF side. a little too close to the LAC, we take system is expected to be deployed in
on ground as well as radars. During this time, IAF was appropriate measures by scrambling the Himalayas, local media reported.

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