Possible Indian Military Scenarios - XI

[parshuram]

Shankaar paaji . No Offence But Tibet .... Please noo.. Tibeteans are our's They have hit kolkataa . they need to be hit where it hurst more. .. Shanghai... A covert airstrike with air launched brahmos laden with Tactical nuclear warhead yes time to tell 'em this is not 62 .Hit them and hit them hard

[jamwal]

Shankaar paaji . No Offence But Tibet .... Please noo.. Tibeteans are our's They have hit kolkataa . they need to be hit where it hurst more. .. Shanghai... A covert airstrike with air launched brahmos laden with Tactical nuclear warhead yes time to tell 'em this is not 62 .Hit them and hit them hard

Even with No First Use Policy??

[jahaju]

The soft spoken prime minister looked at the first set of .............. At the same time he belonged to a warrior race that has never stood down in the face of an enemy and he was not likely to do so now.

So is it MMS or SP

[Nitesh]

Shankaar paaji . No Offence But Tibet .... Please noo.. Tibeteans are our's They have hit kolkataa . they need to be hit where it hurst more. .. Shanghai... A covert airstrike with air launched brahmos laden with Tactical nuclear warhead yes time to tell 'em this is not 62 .Hit them and hit them hard

Even with No First Use Policy??

No first use policy against chikmos??
I think it is only against porkis

[vila]

directly to nuclear conflict

[parshuram]

Shankaar paaji . No Offence But Tibet .... Please noo.. Tibeteans are our's They have hit kolkataa . they need to be hit where it hurst more. .. Shanghai... A covert airstrike with air launched brahmos laden with Tactical nuclear warhead yes time to tell 'em this is not 62 .Hit them and hit them hard

Even with No First Use Policy??

Pal policies are made during Peace and it is war . There will no india left if put these "senseless " policies in front . Any way You are attacked so there is no question of "first use ".Moreover It would be a tactical strike and not a strategic one with Sub Kiloton yield . Shanghai Port or oher high value asset should be decimated and it should have a civilian use too else it does not make sense . They have targeted NSCB International Airport and the Train Connection Between Tibet and China should also be taken off. It should be a firm message that two eye for one . don't dare it again.

Moreover sankar paaji . Singapore airliner was directly invloved . MOEA should summon the High Commsion of singapore and should file a damage case against Singapore airlines to fill in the damage and ask for the pilot to be in indian custody. My point is wh not engage them diplomatically too . The way they choose to hit the airport should be told to world and india should infact openely now talk of fee tibet whle declaing Dalai Lama As the prime minister .. It is a WAR and Chian should know it ...

[Shankar]

KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - India will embark on a major effort soon to boost air power on the eastern front, a top military commander said on Wednesday, adding new fighter jets among others, in an apparent move to guard against China.
The plans include moving two squadrons or 36 state-of-the-art Russian-built Sukhoi-30 aircraft to an air base in the east, adding advanced helicopters, strengthening runways and upgrading other air force facilities.
"The perception of east India has changed and our defences are at their peak to thwart any misadventure now, especially after what happened in 1962," Air Marshal P.K. Barbora told Reuters, referring to India's border war with China.
But apparently sensitive to the recent warmth in ties between the Asian giants, Barbora added that "we are not saying we are beefing up in the east to counter China".
"Rather, we are sending a strong message to everyone that we are ready for any misadventure from all corners," the head of India's Eastern Air Command said in a telephone interview from his base in the northeastern town of Shillong.
The world's two most populous nations fought a brief but brutal war over their 3,500-km Himalayan border in 1962, and both sides claim the other is occupying big but largely uninhabited chunks of their territory.
Although they have signed a treaty to maintain "peace and tranquility" along the disputed frontier and agreed to find a political solution to the row, talks have hardly made progress even as their business ties boom.
India blames the lack of progress on China's claim over the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, in particular over its Buddhist enclave of Tawang. New Delhi says it cannot part with populated areas to settle the border dispute.
raditionally, India's military might has been largely focused on countering the threat from Pakistan on the western front as the two countries have gone to war three times in the last 60 years and have come close to fighting a few more.
But with an India-Pakistan ceasefire holding since 2003, and New Delhi on a spree to modernise its largely Soviet-era military, attention is now being turned to plug the weak links in the east, defence analysts say.
Besides deploying Sukhois at the northeastern air base of Tezpur later this year, the Indian air force would also add new combat helicopters and station some of the 126 fighter jets it is due to float bids to buy, in the east, Barbora said.
The length of the runway at the base in Kalaikunda in West Bengal would be increased, the air marshal said, adding that India had several "advanced landing ground" strips in mountainous Arunachal Pradesh and they were in good shape.
"In terms of numbers, we cannot match China as their economy is growing rapidly than ours," Barbora said.
"But if we talk about specifics in the northeast, we have a deterrent force available and will be well-prepared to cater to any misadventure with the force-multipliers in place."
"Tension will remain with China on the issue of the boundary," he said. "But we do not expect a conflict, only minor pinpricks."






rce available and will be well-prepared to cater to any misadventure with the force-multipliers in place."
"Tension will remain with China on the issue of the boundary," he said. "But we do not expect a conflict, only minor pinpricks."

IAF STATION TEZPUR – ASSAM -1100 HRS

Group captain Bargohai received the flash message from air headquarters .As usal there was no explanation of how a jon has to be done –just a precise instruction on what need to be done and by when

The airbase was packed at the moment with nearly 40 Su 30 MKIS being refueled and armed for the conflict which will surely hit the eastern airspace of the country anytime .The new flash message created further complications . He Was told to transfer half the sukhois to Jorhat and Mohanbari and take in 24 Mirage 2000s from Gwalior by 1700 hrs .He was also expected to receive 4 IL-76s coming in with the air to ground weapons for the Mirage 2000 s ETA 1900 hrs just after sunset .He was also instructed to co ordinate with Mohanbari air force station and get them ready to receive 24 Mig 27 s from Jodhpur . There was no further information but form the nature of the instruction it was obvious something big was taking shape

T

ezpur airbase to induct SU-30 fighter aircraft Express News Service
Kolkata, July 24: Air Marshal PK Barbora, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, today announced that the Kalaikunda air force station will host a joint exercise between Indian and Singapore Air Force in December 2007. Modernisation work at the Kalaikunda airbase is underway.
Moreover, Air Force Station Tezpur is slated to induct SU-30 fighter aircraft. “Two Sukhoi squadrons would be based at Tezpur from October. This is the first time that an Air Force Station in the eastern region will get such squadrons. Facilities at Tezpur are being upgraded,” Barbora told reporters at the Air Force Station here, which he had come for inspection. IAF sources said the two squadrons would comprise a total of around 36 Sukhoi-30 aircraft. There are also plans of infrastructure upgrade at a number of airbases in Eastern Command. Barbora said that the air force does not have any reservations in giving clearances to the state government if the latter wanted to use airports and runways built during World War II. The state had sought air force clearances to operate the Panagarh air bus as an air cargo terminal. It was for the DGCA and AAI to clear proposals made by state governments, said Barbora.
Clean, green and serene, this aptly sums up the first impression of the northeast. But for the IAF’s men in blue this area also stands for a host of challenges be it the hilly terrain or the fickle weather. Nestled in the green environs on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra, the Air Force Station Tezpur is the place where heirs to the glorious legacy of IAF’s fighter stream get training.
Since December 1986 the MiG Operational Flying Training Unit (MOFTU) in Tezpur is the place where all young fighter pilots are imparted the stage IV (F) training on MiG-21 FL aircraft. This largest fighter establishment is rightly called the ‘’launch pad of fighter pilots’’. An average of 7,500 sorties are flown per year by this unit. The unit also has an operational role in air defence and CFSO in Western sector.
The stringent training routine carries on here as the young top guns fly sorties unruffled by the problems plaguing the MiG-21 series of fighters.
KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - India will embark on a major effort soon to boost air power on the eastern front, a top military commander said on Wednesday, adding new fighter jets among others, in an apparent move to guard against China.
The plans include moving two squadrons or 36 state-of-the-art Russian-built Sukhoi-30 aircraft to an air base in the east, adding advanced helicopters, strengthening runways and upgrading other air force facilities.
"The perception of east India has changed and our defences are at their peak to thwart any misadventure now, especially after what happened in 1962," Air Marshal P.K. Barbora told Reuters, referring to India's border war with China.
But apparently sensitive to the recent warmth in ties between the Asian giants, Barbora added that "we are not saying we are beefing up in the east to counter China".
"Rather, we are sending a strong message to everyone that we are ready for any misadventure from all corners," the head of India's Eastern Air Command said in a telephone interview from his base in the northeastern town of Shillong.
The world's two most populous nations fought a brief but brutal war over their 3,500-km Himalayan border in 1962, and both sides claim the other is occupying big but largely uninhabited chunks of their territory.
Although they have signed a treaty to maintain "peace and tranquility" along the disputed frontier and agreed to find a political solution to the row, talks have hardly made progress even as their business ties boom.
India blames the lack of progress on China's claim over the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, in particular over its Buddhist enclave of Tawang. New Delhi says it cannot part with populated areas to settle the border dispute.
raditionally, India's military might has been largely focused on countering the threat from Pakistan on the western front as the two countries have gone to war three times in the last 60 years and have come close to fighting a few more.
But with an India-Pakistan ceasefire holding since 2003, and New Delhi on a spree to modernise its largely Soviet-era military, attention is now being turned to plug the weak links in the east, defence analysts say.
Besides deploying Sukhois at the northeastern air base of Tezpur later this year, the Indian air force would also add new combat helicopters and station some of the 126 fighter jets it is due to float bids to buy, in the east, Barbora said.
The length of the runway at the base in Kalaikunda in West Bengal would be increased, the air marshal said, adding that India had several "advanced landing ground" strips in mountainous Arunachal Pradesh and they were in good shape.
"In terms of numbers, we cannot match China as their economy is growing rapidly than ours," Barbora said.
"But if we talk about specifics in the northeast, we have a deterrent fo

[Nitesh]

IAF STATION TEZPUR – ASSAM -1100 HRS

take in 24 Mirage 2000s from Gwalior by 1700 hrs .He was also expected to receive 4 IL-76s coming in with the air to ground weapons for the Mirage 2000 s ETA 1900 hrs just after sunset .He was also instructed to co ordinate with Mohanbari air force station and get them ready to receive 24 Mig 27 s from Jodhpur . There was no further information but form the nature of the instruction it was obvious something big was taking shape

Shankarda, isn't it is an understatement that something big is taking shape. I feel like something very very big is taking shape. Kick the chinkis in a way that they feel like all hell broke loose

[Shankar]

YANGBAJAIN RAILTOAD TUNNEL -80 LN EAST OF LHAS -TIBET - 1100 HRS

Captain Han finished checking the deployment of surface to air missile launchers (SA3 type) and also some what aged ZSu 23-2 anti aircraft guns located along the axis of the tunnel and just alongside the track . Any attack he guessed will have involve the attacking flying directly along the track before releasing the air to ground weapons so that it can enter the tunnel and explode.The day was sunny for a change and he did not expect any night attack at this high altitude and difficult terrain .

Longest Tunnel on Qinghai-Tibet Railway Completed

Construction on the 3,345-meter Yangbajain No.1 tunnel on the Qinghai-Tibet railway was completed Sunday in the Tibet Autonomous Region in southwest China.



The tunnel is 4,264 meters above sea level, located 80 kilometers away from the regional capital Lhasa.



It is the longest tunnel built in areas with an elevation of over 4,000 meters in China,



Completion of the Yangbajain tunnel marks the completion of all the seven tunnels on the Qinghai-Tibet railway.



The 1,118-kilometer Qinghai-Tibet railway will extend from Golmud City in Qinghai Province in northwest China to Lhasa in Tibet. It will be the longest and highest railway in the world.



More than 960 kilometers, or over four-fifths of the railway, will be built at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, and over half of it will be laid on frozen earth.



According to the Headquarters of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway Construction, by Oct. 11, a total of 12.3 billion yuan (US$1.49 billion) had been used in track laying on the rail route.



Construction on the railway began in June, 2001.



(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2003)

[Shankar]

A 100 kW demo photovoltaic (PV) station was formally connected to the grid recently in Yangbajain (Yangbajing) in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It is the first PV power station with parallel connection to the high voltage grid in China.
With the support from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Station, a Sino-South Korea S&T cooperation project, was built up by researchers from the CAS Institute for Electrical Engineering and Beijing Corona Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
While implementing the project, the researchers and engineers carried out studies on the impact of the distributed power supply of a grid-connected solar PV power station on the grid, the relationship between the PV station and the other power plants in the grid, and change rules during the load alteration.
Through the design, construction and operation practice of the power station, the researchers and engineers obtained various local environmental parameters such as solar energy resources, monitored the operation data of the PV power station, and made a technological and economical estimation of the PV power station in the desert. They also performed a feasibility study on the construction of a 1~10 MW large-scale PV power station.

[Shankar]

IAF STATION TEZPUR -2000 HRS – 24 x mirage 2000

Tezpur tower – chambal lead – feet dry – request clearance to approach – flight authentication code – mad gharial running dry- over
-chambal flight –tower – standby –authentication code under verification
-copy that tower – standing by
-chmbal flight – activate your transponder now and confirm over
- tower- chambal lead –identification transponder already active –over
- chambal lead your flight is cleared to approach two at a time –reduce speed to 300 knots –change heading to 340 –over
-tower changing course to 340 – speed 350 knots going down to 300 knots
-chambal lead lower your undercarriage as you pass over tower for visual confirmation before turning right base to land on runway 09 –over
- copy that tower –speed down to 300 knots –lowering undercarriage –over
-chambal lead –please switch on your navigation and landing lights now –over
-tower switching on the lights – request permission to turn right base for approach
- roger that chambal lead –you are cleared for direct approach –runway 09 –your identification is clear – wind at 110-10 knots –over

The first of the two Mirage 2000s landed in pitch darkness the runway lights came on just before touch down and went off immediately thereafter. The second pair landed after a gap of 5 minutes .Wing commander Deepika wiped the sweat of her brow as she took off the oxygen mask and cursed the unseen air traffic controller who have according to rules made her land a fully armed Mirage 2000 in a darkened runway just because she was few hours behind schedule because of delay in uploading the specially designed DRDO smart bombs supposed to burn through 2 meters of reinforced concrete and still not named .

Sonitpur, as ancient Tezpur was known in the olden days is a city steeped in mythology, legend and folklore. The 'City of Blood' (Sonit or Tez-Blood, Pur -City) conjures up images of the romantic legend of Usha and Aniruddha and of the fierce battle between 'Hari' and 'Hara'. Through the ages around popular figures gather many a legend wretch obscure history- but what is history after all ? Legends agreed upon ! One such legend fondly cherished by the people is about Banasura, the mighty Asura king,his beautiful daughter Usha and her friend Chitra-lekha. Legends' have it that the ancient Sonitpur was the capital of the Kngdom of 'Bana' of the Asura dynasty. The mighty Asura Kng was also a devout worshipper of Lord Shiva. His daughter Usha a Princess of rare charm and beauty saw in her dreams a handsome prince and fell in love with him. Her friend Chitralekha, a talented artist notnot only painted the picture of the prince from Usha's description but recognised him to be Aniruddha, grandson of Lord
Krishna' ruler of 'Dwaraka'. Using her magical powers, Chitralekha spirited away Aniruddha to Usha's boudoir where Usha secretly married Aniruddha under Gandharva rites without her father's knowledge. When Banasura learnt of the secret romance, he threw Aniruddha into prison. Lord Krishna then came to Sonitpur to rescue his grandson, where Banasura challenged him to a battle. A fierce battle ensued and the whole city was drenched in human blood, hence the name Sonitpur. In the battle of 'Hari' (Lord Krishna) and 'Hara' (Lord Shiva in form of Banasura), Bana was vanquished and Usha and Aniruddha were united forever. The ruins and remains of AGNIGARH where the immortal romance blossomed, still bear mute testimony of this legend. Situated on the north bank of Brahmaputra, present Tezpur town of magnificent scenic beauty and exquisite archaeological ruins is the head quarter of Sonitpur district. Undulating green valleys surrounded by hills of Arunachal Pradesh, with snow capped peaks of Himalaya as the northern backdrop, lush tea gardens and magnificent archaeologi- cal ruins have all contributed to make Tezpur a tourist's delight. Situated on the banks of River Brahmaputra, Tezpur is one of the oldest inhabited town in the state. Assam has always been famous for its tea and tea gardens, and Tezpur is the best place to spend some quality time there as it is completely surrounded by Tea Gardens. The city is also called as the cultural capital of Assam. Many known artists have come out of Tezpur who have made it big on the world stage.

Situated in the northern side of Assam, Tezpur is among those cities that is gifted both with natural beauty and man made marvels. The city was a favorite amongst British as well for its salubrious climate. This helped the city a lot in becoming one of the most developed cities in Assam. There are number of excursion possibilities as well in the city that make it an important tourist destination in Assam.

[Nitesh]

IAF STATION TEZPUR -2000 HRS – 24 x mirage 2000

because of delay in uploading the specially designed DRDO smart bombs supposed to burn through 2 meters of reinforced concrete and still not named .

So is it an Indian version of bunker buster bomb?

[Mihir.D]

IAF STATION TEZPUR -2000 HRS – 24 x mirage 2000

because of delay in uploading the specially designed DRDO smart bombs supposed to burn through 2 meters of reinforced concrete and still not named .

So is it an Indian version of bunker buster bomb?

Looks like it. Wonder what other new toys Shankarda is going to unleash on the lizards

[Shankar]

IAF STATION –TEZPUR -1100 HRS

22 July 2006 to refuel and give the crew a rest before continuing to deliver the bombs to Israel. At least two more flights were anticipated before mid-August.
The GBU-28 laser guided bomb was developed, built, tested, and used in combat in a 17 day period. The deepest Iraqi bunkers were secure from the best penetrating bomb, the GBU-24A/B, with the I-2000 warhead. Coalition leaders required the capability to destroy these vital command and control facilities. Texas Instruments and Lockheed combined their efforts to build the 18 ft long bomb. TI adapted the seeker from the GBU-24 and Lockheed built the bomb body from discarded eight inch howitzer barrels. The Air Force initially contracted for 30 bombs but the cease fire started after only two were employed. Two more of the bombs were used in testing before the bombs were dropped in combat and the Air Force expended two or three more in additional tests after the war. The Air Force ordered a
n additional 100 GBU-28s with the BLU-113 (8 inch gun barrel) bomb body and stocks remained low due to the limited number of targets and the only fighter capable of employing it initially was the F-111F.
The Guided Bomb Unit-28 (GBU-28) bomb is designed to penetrate hardened targets before exploding, capable of penetrating 100 feet of earth or 20 feet of concrete. The GBU-28 was initially developed in 1991 for penetrating hardened Iraqi command centers located deep underground. This "bunker buster" was required for special targets during the Desert Storm conflict and was designed, fabricated and loaded in record time. The GBU-28 is a laser-guided conventional munition that uses a modified Army artillery tube as the bomb body. They are fitted with GBU-27 LGB kits, 14.5 inches in diameter and almost 19 feet long. The operator illuminates a target with a laser designator and then the munition guides to a spot of laser energy reflected from the target.
Some considerable confusion exists in the literature concerning the weight of this bomb. Although nominally a 5,000 pound bomb, it appears that the actual weight is somewhat less than this, and that the 5,000 figure is arrived at by rounding up [the 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 pound figures for the Mk80 family are also such approximations. Statements that it is a 4,000 pound bomb reflect a similar rounding, but rounding down and rounding rather further from the exact number. Reports that the bombs weigh 4,637 pounds, and contain 630 pounds of high explosives, are too precise to be in error. Reports that the bomb weighs 4,700 pounds are in close agreement with this more precise number. A report that the bomb incorporates a 4,400-pound penetrating warhead may reflect the weight of the filled bomb body, minus guidance head and tail kit.
The GBU 28 "Bunker Buster" was put together in record time to support targeting of the Iraqi hardened command bunker by adapting existing materiel. The GBU-28 was not even in the early stages of research when Kuwait was invaded. The USAF asked industry for ideas in the week after combat operations started. The bomb was fabricated starting on 01 February 1991, using surplus 8-inch artillery tubes. The official go-ahead for the project was issued on 14 February 1991, and explosives for the initial units were hand-loaded by laboratory personnel into a bomb body that was partially buried upright in the ground outside the laboratory in New York.
This new system was needed to deal with deeply buried command and control bunkers that were beyond the reach of existing systems. The need was great, the time was short, and the only solution was to innovate a solution in an unprecedented short period of time. A team of government and industry people came together sharing the common objective of solving a difficult technical challenge in a breakneck race against time.
Personal interests were set aside as were traditional approaches, with long hours being the norm. The team worked to trade time against everything (cost, risk, performance). Reuse of existing subsystems offered the only answer. However, the pieces would have to be integrated in a very innovative way to achieve the desired results. The GBU-28 Bunker Buster that was conceived, developed, tested, and deployed in approximately 28 days. This was less time than had ever been dreamed possible.

Even before the recent Sino Indian conflict broke out in the oceans far from Indian shores DRDO was busy giving final touches to its yet to be named bunker busters code named CP-2000 ,2000 signifying depth of penetration as well as the approximate weight of the bomb .
The specific kill objective of this new weapon was to neutralize the command and control network of the enemy in west and in east in case a nuclear showdown becomes imminent .The 3 meter long cigar shaped bomb had an impact based solid state delayed time fuse in the nose and two sets of spring loaded guiding vanes across its length in a cruciform fashion. This was followed by the multi stage warhead section .The primary being traditional high explosive and secondary being a surrounded by an annulus of specially formulated high temperature incendiary formulation with the specific objective of raising the temperature of heat zone to over 4000 degree centigrade for a few seconds after the primary charge have caused the physical penetration by sheer kinetic energy and brute explosive power . The nose was hardened with a tungsten nose cone. 4 small solid state rocket motors completed the package .Once deployed from launch aircraft and stabilized by the twin retarding parachute the solid motors would ignite on command from radio altimeter pushing the projectile as near supersonic speed into the concrete allowing the protected twin explosive charge to penetrate through the newly formed cracks and explose after a delay of precisely 0.65 seconds.
In all tests carried out at Pokhran the results were more than striking. The biggest damage was caused by the high temperature formulation igniting inside the enclosed space . The air in the cave was sucked dry in less than a second and then the hot combustion products exploded outwards with the effect of a tactical nuclear weapon totally disintegrating the structure and killing anyone within a radius of 500 meters in minutes. Strangely no mushroom cloud was observed in any of the tests .Instead a haze of cement and sand dust was formed immediately after the explosion which too almost a day to settle down
The ground crew of Tezpur did not like to load the bombs without a name –so they named it Fried rice and Chow mien and pained that on the hard mar aging steel casing before checking them and reloading them on to the first two Mirage 2000 .
The basic objective of using this high temperature high explosive bombs on the tunnel was not just to destroy the tunnel itself (which could have been done by much cheaper 2000 kh laser guided bombs ) but to make the permafrost below the tunnel unstable by melting out the permanent ice layer in the earth –making it impossible to build another tunnel or any kind of heavy structure on it impossible in future.

[Shankar]

China to solve problems on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway(08/10/06)



China's Ministry of Railways will take measures to deal with problems relating to cracking and heaving caused by permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, said Vice Minister Song Yongfu in Beijing on August 9.

Speaking at the Asian International Permafrost Conference in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, Sun said the Ministry of Railways will further study the effect of temperature increases and train loads on the permafrost. Permafrost is ground that is permanently frozen and is prone to heaving as temperatures fluctuate.

"We have already established a long-term inspection system of the permafrost and will solve problems in a timely fashion," the official said.

About 550 kilometers of the world highest railway was built on permafrost earth in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

China's Ministry of Railways Spokesman Wang Yongping said earlier that the foundation of the railway was sinking and cracking in some sections and that cracks have been seen on some of the railway structures and bridges.

Cheng Guodong, of the China Academy of Sciences, said starting to run trains on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway was not the final success.

"There remain some problems to solve, such as issues relating to permafrost," Cheng said.

He said the major problems concerning the Qinghai-Tibet Railway are partial foundation cracking and water accumulation, and that cracking happens where cooling techniques are not applied.

"Current problems are merely on the surface, which can be solved with normal maintenance, and the stability of the railway foundation is not affected," he said at the Asian International Permafrost Conference held here from August 7 to 9.

"The Qinghai-Tibet Railway represents the latest development of permafrost engineering," said Jerry Brown, president of the International Permafrost Association. "Other countries can learn from China's achievements in this field."

Yet international experts agreed that permafrost engineering, including the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, faces complicated problems and needs further exploration.

"The Siberian Railway has been running for over 100 years, yet stability problems remain," said Professor Valentin Kondratiev from Russia. "It is little wonder the magnificent Qinghai-Tibet Railway would suffer some problems."

American permafrost engineering expert Max Brewer said that the Alaska Railway, which also runs over permafrost was built in 1923. "It is naive to expect such a long railway not to encounter problems," he said.

Security measures have already been put in place to protect the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. "We have installed a long-term permafrost monitoring system in order to settle new problems," said Vice Minister of Railway Sun Yongfu in a written speech.

"As for deformities of the permafrost foundation, we will take timely measures to repair them," Sun said. "As for the impact of global warming and repeated loading, we will conduct further research."

Chinese engineers are carrying out detailed examinations and maintenance along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and plan to develop some effective emergency measures.

"The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway does not mean an ultimate success, nor will the permafrost problems be solved once for all," said Cheng Guodong. "Measures will be continuously taken, and we are confident we can ensure the safety and stability of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway."

Wing commander Deepika finished reading the attached technical brief and eased out in the sofa.The mission brief was scheduled to start in an hours time and the take off planned for 0200 hrs subject to good weather over target area .Four Su-30 will be flying escort for the 2 hour mission and she was not unduly worried about PLAAF counter air or air defense patrols . The A 50 Phalcon still has not reached Jorhat as per last information received at the base and as such most likely she will have to the best with the help of smart alec type flanker pilots .She switched off the lights and sipped on the ice cold water .Outside the the frogs started a good night orchestra .

[asbchakri]

Wing commander Deepika .

[Shankar]

EASTERN AIR COMMAND –SHILONG –MEGHALAY-1110 HRS

Group captain Neogi finished his 5 minute brisk walk in the cold mountain air just outside his entrenched command post just next to the sprawling helipad.AOC in c EAC
Was in Kolkata and he was directly responsible for the first strike mission over China occupied Tibet. Inside the operations control room the room was stale and sweaty despite the powerful air conditioning . About 100 kms to south east Tezpur air force station indiacator showed all green, which meant all aircraft is available for the mission. Mohanbari showed 4 yellows meaning the four sukhois on escort duty are available but not yet ready for launch most likely being refueled.
Neogi went back into the room and as expected started calling up the air force stations needed in today’s strike mission followed by alerting all others in his command to up their alert status to possible imminent hostile action .Which means any aircraft approaching without approach code or IFF ON will be shot down first and questioned later.



One by one all the eastern air command air bases came to ready status and their confirmations started coming in . The refueling of the sukhois was complete and now the tedious process of arming them started . Considering each sukhoi will be carrying full complement of half a dozen R-73 and an equal number of R-27 ER the uploading was expected to take some more time

With the rapid expansion of the Indian Air Force during the fifties, the command and control structure needed to be reorganized. This reorganization led to the formation of No 1 Operational Group at Calcutta on 27 May 1958. This group was responsible for the operations of the IAF in the eastern as well as the central sector of the country.
The threat perception arising due to the Chinese occupation of Tibet necessitated the formation of a Command that could effectively oversee the operations of the IAF in the eastern region of the country. With this primary aim, the No 1 Operational Group was upgraded to Eastern Air Command on 01 Dec 1959 at Calcutta. During the Indo-China conflict of 1962, practical experience highlighted the difficulty of Kolkata being the location of Eastern Air Command. In order to have more effective operational control over the region of the north-east, the Command Headquarters was shifted to Shillong on 10 Jun 63. Initially, HQ Eastern Air command was housed in the old buildings located at Nonglyer village at upper Shillong.
As the legend goes, the Nonglyer Village, location of HQ Eastern Air Command, was once inhabited by Khasi clan of Meghalaya. During the second world war, this was taken over by the Bristishers to develop a military base. It came under the possession of Indian Army after the Bristishers left in 1947 and was occupied by No 58 Gorkha Regiment. The Regiment moved out for an operation in the Chinese border in 1962 and did not return to their cherished abode of Upper Shillong. As a result, the 31.33 acre tom-shaded location with helipad was available for the EAC.
In 1980, decision was taken to maintain Shillong as the permanent location of HQs EAC. Thus, Air Chief Marshal IH Latif, PVSM, the then Chief of the Air Staff laid the foundation stone of the present three storied building, facing south west, adjacent to the old location, on 13 Oct 1980. The impressive mansion of Head Quarters EAC was completed in 1991. On 16 January 1991, Air Chief Marshal SK Mehra, PVSM AVSM VM ADC, the then Chief of the Air Staff inaugurated the building. The building architected by M/S Bengal Trading Syndicate consists of 270 rooms and 4 halls with Central heating system. Even with modesty, it could be claimed that the Head Quarters EAC building is the most beautiful outfit in all over Air Force today.

IAF STATION TEZPUR – 0000 HRS

The shrill bleep of electronic alarm managed to wake up Deepika quickly . As she quickly got ready to join the pre mission brief, she could not help herself thinking about a long cherished dream coming true at last.She will be the strike lead of the 24 aircraft formation ,that will be responsible to cut off the life line of PLA troops in Tibet and hopefully dissuade them from starting a land campaign.The whole idea was to demonstrate the precision strike capability of Indian air force at short notice and she intended doing just that .
When she joined the air force –the short but brutal Kargil conflict have just ended. The mess was rife with war stories told by those who actually took part in the campaign.This time she hoped she will be the one to tell the stories to the next generation of Indian pilots out of air force academy.

The mild winter in Jammu and Kashmir during 1998 enabled Pakistani Army Regulars and Mercenaries to infiltrate, and set up camps on the Indian Side of the Line of Control (L-O-C). The build of forces, unknown to Indian Authorities at the time was to have a major impact on the Indian Air Force (IAF) the following year as it fought to dislodge the enemy.

The battle was to take place over some of the highest terrain in the world, where aircraft and weapons were limited in their effectiveness. Conventional targets like airfields, command and control centre and convoys did not exist. Instead the IAF were to be confronted with tents and fortified bunkers, the single biggest structure being a hangar capable of taking a helicopter. The advance along the LOC was eventually to penetrate up to 10 kms in some areas along a line 200 kms long. All the ridges in the area were off shoots of K2 (8611 metres); the world’s second tallest mountain or Nanga Parbat (8126 metres); both located on the Pakistan side. Because of the climatic conditions and wind directions, a large number of features are shear cliffs on the Indian Side with gradual gradients on the other. Heights varied along the line, with a low of 2700 metres at Kargil, going up to 3400 metres in Dras and Tiger Hill being at 5000 metres. The area had no habitation and was covered in snow for most of the year. Strategically the area could not be used as a launch pad for a major offensive, its sole importance being the heights and the threat to National Highway 1A.

The IAF were limited in what they could use at such a demanding altitude. Attack helicopters were initially preferred with Mil-17’s being employed. However due to the abundance of man portable SAM’s, such as the Stingers, their effective operation was not possible due to the hostile flying environment. Therefore the IAF decided after experience that high altitude bombing by fighter aircraft and in particular the Mirage 2000, was the best option
To fully understand the role played by the Mirage 2000 during ‘Operation Vijay’ and the sterling work performed by pilots and support staff; we need to go back in time. The IAF ordered 42 single seat and 7 dual seat Mirage 2000 aircraft, that were delivered starting in 1985. Two squadrons, numbers 1 ‘Tigers’ and 7 ‘Battleaxes’, at Gwalior, operate the fleet. For 14 years they have been highly regarded in the IAF, being a stable weapons platform and having a good safety record. The Kargil Conflict was to push that high esteem to even greater heights
The Mirage 2000 were supplied with Thomson-CSF Laser Designator Pod, known as ‘ATLIS’ which was capable of delivery of Matra 1000 kg LGBs, which were purpose built for destruction of reinforced targets. These weapons were highly capable but were very expensive. It was decided to augment their capability by adding the 1000 lb bomb coupled with Paveway II laser-guided bomb kit. The IAF had ordered a number of these, but they had been supplied with an incorrect part. Because of the nuclear test performed by India, they were on the embargo list and were unable to get the correct parts sent as replacements. Consequently IAF technicians had to remanufacture this part in order to make the Paveway serviceable for use on the Mirage.

Another event was to take place during May that was to have a major impact on the work going on at Gwalior. On the 9th May, Pakistani Shelling along the Line of Control intensified and appeared to be more accurate in it’s spread. This began to threaten the strategically important National Highway 1A, which ran from Srinagar to Leh, and which was only open from May until October because of the weather. It became apparent that artillery spotters were entrenched along the peaks on the Indian Side of the L-O-C. Initially the Indian Army suffered badly due to the terrain and having to attack well dug in defenders up the high peaks. The Army Chief on the 26th formally requested IAF Support after losses had started racking up to un-acceptable levels.

The IAF had up until that time only flown photo-recon missions. This had resulted in a Canberra from 106 squadron being hit by a Stinger Missile on the 21st whilst over Batalik. Luckily the aircraft was able to make a safe recovery to Srinagar and PR missions were subsequently flown at higher altitude by Mig25RBT’s from 102 squadron.

Following the commitment of combat resources by the IAF, initial operations involved low level air strikes in the Tololing Sector using Mil-17’s and fighters, such as the MiG-21, 23 and 27. Strikes using these jet fighters were to continue throughout the duration of the war. During these operations two fighters were lost on the 27th May and one Mil 17 was lost on the 28th. The loss of the Mil 17 and its four crew proved to be a turning point in IAF thinking. The aircraft was on standby for an attack mission to Tololing and did not have adequate self-protection in the form of chaff and flares. However a helicopter with protection aborted its mission and as a result 4 crew were killed when the Mil-17 was attacked by 3 Stingers. Immediately the IAF decided to re-assess the situation. Of the attack helicopters only the Mil-17 could operate at this altitude, the Mil-35 could not. However the environment was awash with man portable SAM’s and deemed too hostile to commit further helicopter resources. Planners at IAF HQ began to re-think their offensive strategy. They thought about committing the Mirage 2000 to the conflict to augment the other jet fighters. This aircraft could operate at this altitude with no problem, but it had no high altitude attack capability.

On the 30th May, IAF HQ decided to commit the aircraft, which had already moved to forward operating location in their air defence role, to the offensive. Now the work of the back room staff and pilots was to intensify greatly. The status as of early June was that aircraft, pilots and technicians were spread around at Western Air Command bases and Gwalior. The Mirage 2000 aircraft itself had always been regarded as an air defence fighter with a limited ground attack capability. Consequently it lacked certain resources such as bombs, hardpoint pylons, tooling, testers and ground crew experience in such matters. A big push was instigated at Gwalior to get the platform prepared. By the 12th June, the IAF Personnel had ironed out most of the faults.

Enough equipment was found to make twelve aircraft at any given time, capable of delivering bombs. However bombs were not readily available to suit, so a search was made of the IAF Inventory. Vintage 250kg bombs from the 1970’s that were made in Spain for the HAL Ajeet aircraft and had been in storage were found and made available. A one off trial was carried out from Jaisalmer over the Porkoran Range on the 1st June and was deemed to be successful. They were immediately rushed into service with the Mirages of 7 Squadron. Initial missions were flown using dumb bombs only. Each aircraft would be configured with 12 bombs, 1 ventral fuel tank and 2 ‘MAGIC-2’ Air to Air Missiles. The mission would depart and meet up with fighter escorts from 1 Squadron, and then fly into the Indian Side of Jammu and Kashmir, with Mig29’s operating as top cover. The attacks took place initially on Point 5140 near Tololing in the Dras Sector and 4 strikes took place over 3 days. The Indian Army re-took this position on the 20th June after fighting in tandem with continuous IAF Strikes.

Notable amongst 7 Squadrons approximate 200 plus attack missions were the airstrikes on Muntho Dhalo, Tiger Hill and Point 4388 in the Drass Sector. On the 16th June, the major enemy supply depot at Muntho Dhalo in the Batalik Sector was sighted by a Mirage on the LDP. The following day this was hit and destroyed by aircraft from 7 Squadron using dumb bombs. This camp was the major re-supply base in the Batalik Sector and this devastating attack left over 100 dead and 50 structures destroyed.

On June 24th, the Enemy Battalion HQ on Tiger Hill top was hit by two Mirage 2000 employing the ‘PAVEWAY’ Laser Guided Bomb (LGB). This was the first operational use on an LGB by the IAF. In another mission on the same day Mirages stuck the same target using dumb bombs. This strike proved to be particularly effective causing severe damage to the enemy. It also gave Indian Army Troops watching from nearby a tremendous morale boost. This mission was witnessed by ACM Tipnis, then officer commanding IAF, who was flying backseat in a another Mirage 2000TH. An IAF spokesperson said at a press conference on the 25th that, ‘ New weapons delivery techniques had been developed by Western Air Command, that had proved very accurate and had caused considerable damage to the enemy positions. They had been effective in achieving the desired results.’ Attacks continued on Tiger Hill, which was heavily defended with man portable Stinger Missiles for several days, during the day and night. After continuous air attacks, the Indian Army recaptured Tiger Hill on the 4th July after an 11-hour night battle.

On the 4th July a strike with dumb bombs was made for the first time on gun positions and a supply camp at Point 4388 in the Dras Sector. These attacks proved to be highly successful and culminated in a serious degradation of the enemy supply chain. The series of attacks on Point 4388 was an excellent example of how lethal airstrikes combined with good recon detected the enemy plans to shift to alternative supply routes, which were then attacked strangling their supply arteries. Follow up attacks were made by Mirages on the 6th July, four aircraft dropping twenty four dumb bombs and on the 10th July, three aircraft dropping fifteen dumb bombs. These attacks broke the enemy resistance and because of the high casualty rate amongst officers, seriously degraded their command and control leading to the overrunning of their position by the Indian Army. In fact by the 9th July the Indian Army had recaptured 99% of the Batalik Sector and 90% of the Dras Sector.

A typical bombing mission would involve 4 Mirages from 7 Squadron loaded with dumb bombs leaving a base in Punjab together with a two seat Mirage loaded with a LGB and Laser Designating pod. This 5 ship would rendezvous with 3 aircraft of 1 Squadron carrying Beyond Visual Range Weapons (Super 530D), operating out of another base. This rendezvous point would change on a mission to mission basis and once joined up, one escort aircraft would return. Once over Jammu and Kashmir they would be joined by Mig29’s giving top cover. These only had 20-minute duration in the area and would usually be supplemented by another pair. Over the target the Mirages with the dumb bombs would visually acquire the target and drop their bombs. The two seater, which would be filming the whole affair from behind, would only use the LGB if required to do so. Only 9 LGB’s were dropped during the whole war, 8 by the Mirage fleet and one by a Jaguar. Normal procedure employed during the dumb bomb attacks was for the aircraft to commence a dive at about 30,000 feet and designate the target at 15 kms distance. At 8 kms distance anything from 6 to 12 bombs would be dispatched towards the target. Procedure for a LGB attack would differ in that the target would be acquired at 20 kms distance, designation would occur at 15 kms with release of the weapon at 8.5 kms. The arget and at point of impact it would be 6 kms away

This time she would be using a different tactics of delivery but the result hopefully should be much better.

[Hari Sud]

Vivek Ahuja

Where are you?

Can you begin a scenario.

or

If your book is complete, can you post its extracts. It boost sales


Hari Sud
Toronto

[Nitesh]

EASTERN AIR COMMAND –SHILONG –MEGHALAY-1110 HRS

This time she would be using a different tactics of delivery but the result hopefully should be much better.

Shankarda, where are you? we are eagerly awaiting for bombing to begun

[jahaju]

Shankarji , we are all waiting for the waiting for the Indian femme fatale to scorch the cold Tibetan climate.

[Shankar]

i am somewhere very interesting but cannot talk about -next post on 11 th -soory guys -

[andy B]

Shankar....cant wait for your next post its gonna be awesome.....

On another note is there anyway I can get my hands on Vivevk's book, I am in melbourne can some one please provide me with some directions???

I will be coming to India in jan 09 so if its in the shops I am happy to scout around for it.....

Regards

Anand.

[vivek_ahuja]

On another note is there anyway I can get my hands on Vivevk's book, I am in melbourne can some one please provide me with some directions???

I will be coming to India in jan 09 so if its in the shops I am happy to scout around for it.....

Regards

Anand.

It will definitely be out before January 09. More like October or November of this year to be exact. I guess you would be able to order it from the publisher's website, though I will post more details here when I get them...

BTW, thanks for the enthusiasm: Keeps me going on this end for further such efforts even though I was booted out of this thread quite unfairly!

Regards

-Vivek

[asbchakri]

It will definitely be out before January 09. More like October or November of this year to be exact. I guess you would be able to order it from the publisher's website, though I will post more details here when I get them...

BTW, thanks for the enthusiasm: Keeps me going on this end for further such efforts even though I was booted out of this thread quite unfairly!

Regards

-Vivek

What the hell are u taking about . Who booted u out you and Shankar are the Thread. We want you to post as well. It's you who wanted to give Shankar a clear way man. We would love it if u started posting as well.

BTW when your book comes out will it be available on all shops or selected outlets in India. Thanks

[vivek_ahuja]

What the hell are u taking about . Who booted u out you and Shankar are the Thread. We want you to post as well. It's you who wanted to give Shankar a clear way man. We would love it if u started posting as well.

BTW when your book comes out will it be available on all shops or selected outlets in India. Thanks

Just kidding about the booting out part. Like I said to Rahul, its maintains continuity when there is only one scenario progressing at a given time. In the meantime I silently write my scenario for the day when I can release my blitzkrieg on this thread here...

Shankar let's his guard down for just a moment and blamo, I sweep in like a hurricane.

Regarding the book release, I think with the publishers are thinking big, so it should be available in most outlets in India as far as I can tell. They are probably not taking chances with me being a first time author etc, but if the book does not fail in the market, they might go for a second batch. Let's see what happens on that front.

On a side note, I never appreciated how long it takes for these book things to work out. Its been two years now since I started writing my first page of the book, and yet its still months away from actual release. And here I was thinking it would take mere months to get through. Boy, was I ever wrong!

-Vivek

[asbchakri]

Just kidding about the booting out part. Like I said to Rahul, its maintains continuity when there is only one scenario progressing at a given time. In the meantime I silently write my scenario for the day when I can release my blitzkrieg on this thread here...

Shankar let's his guard down for just a moment and blamo, I sweep in like a hurricane. -Vivek

Shankar Watch out

Regarding the book release, I think with the publishers are thinking big, so it should be available in most outlets in India as far as I can tell. They are probably not taking chances with me being a first time author etc, but if the book does not fail in the market, they might go for a second batch. Let's see what happens on that front.

On a side note, I never appreciated how long it takes for these book things to work out. Its been two years now since I started writing my first page of the book, and yet its still months away from actual release. And here I was thinking it would take mere months to get through. Boy, was I ever wrong!

-Vivek

Thats great and BTW your Scenarios have completed exactly 230 pages on a MS Word Document with Arial 10 Font. Can make a book out of that one too.

[andy B]

Hey Chakri, if its not too much to ask for can you please send me the word compilation of Mr Ahuja's work, would be awesome to read through again...thanks

P.S. If you can then I will let u know my email address...thanks

[asbchakri]

Hey Chakri, if its not too much to ask for can you please send me the word compilation of Mr Ahuja's work, would be awesome to read through again...thanks

P.S. If you can then I will let u know my email address...thanks

Sure no problem just send me your Email add, i'l send it immedietly.

As a matter of fact i have all the Scenarios posted by the memebers from the start of the Scenarios Thread in Word documents seperately divided. Like Shankars scenarios in Africa, Afganistan, and now the latest for China.

And also the Scenarios posted by different guys in the beginning of the thread. These Scenarios were a bit difficult to Compile as it was done by different memebers but i think i managed to keep the flow

[ajay_hk]

Hey Chakri, if its not too much to ask for can you please send me the word compilation of Mr Ahuja's work, would be awesome to read through again...thanks

P.S. If you can then I will let u know my email address...thanks

Sure no problem just send me your Email add, i'l send it immedietly.

As a matter of fact i have all the Scenarios posted by the memebers from the start of the Scenarios Thread in Word documents seperately divided. Like Shankars scenarios in Africa, Afganistan, and now the latest for China.

And also the Scenarios posted by different guys in the beginning of the thread. These Scenarios were a bit difficult to Compile as it was done by different memebers but i think i managed to keep the flow

Saar! awesome - cud i please have it? I had a few consolidated scenarios myself - but my PC crashed . This is my email ajay . hk at gmail dot com .... no spaces onlee... I want all the scenarios u have . Many thanks in advance.

[asbchakri]

Sure no problem just send me your Email add, i'l send it immedietly.

As a matter of fact i have all the Scenarios posted by the memebers from the start of the Scenarios Thread in Word documents seperately divided. Like Shankars scenarios in Africa, Afganistan, and now the latest for China.

And also the Scenarios posted by different guys in the beginning of the thread. These Scenarios were a bit difficult to Compile as it was done by different memebers but i think i managed to keep the flow

Saar! awesome - cud i please have it? I had a few consolidated scenarios myself - but my PC crashed . This is my email ajay . hk at gmail dot com .... no spaces onlee... I want all the scenarios u have . Many thanks in advance.

Hi Ajay, I have Viveks and Shankars Latest Scenarios now. I'l send them Immedietly. The others i'l send it over teh weekend as i have them at home PC.

[andy B]

Chakri....you are an absolute champ

My email id is anand-83 @ hotmail dot com (without any spaces)

Thank you again for this....cant wait to spend my nites reading those scenarios again and have a crap day at work next morning...

Regards

Anand.

[Nitesh]

My email id is niteshkjain at gmail dot com

kindly send

[ajay_hk]

Hi Ajay, I have Viveks and Shankars Latest Scenarios now. I'l send them Immedietly. The others i'l send it over teh weekend as i have them at home PC.

That would be awesome... Many thanks saar!

[asbchakri]

Hi Ajay, I have Viveks and Shankars Latest Scenarios now. I'l send them Immedietly. The others i'l send it over teh weekend as i have them at home PC.

That would be awesome... Many thanks saar!

Ajay i have just sent them. Just put a post here if u recieved them. Thanks

Nitesh and Anand Sent to u too. Hope u got them

[ajay_hk]

That would be awesome... Many thanks saar!

Ajay i have just sent them. Just put a post here if u recieved them. Thanks

Yes sir! got them... thanks a million.

[nits]

As a matter of fact i have all the Scenarios posted by the memebers from the start of the Scenarios Thread in Word documents seperately divided. Like Shankars scenarios in Africa, Afganistan, and now the latest for China.

And also the Scenarios posted by different guys in the beginning of the thread. These Scenarios were a bit difficult to Compile as it was done by different memebers but i think i managed to keep the flow

Can you please send me Shankra & Vivek scenarios along with scenarios posted by other members at nitinparikh2000 at gmail dot com

[andy B]

Thank you Chakri, thats awesome dude.

I wont be able to check hotmail bcoz I am at work, and bcoz I cant access BR at home bcoz(even though i have got a very good high bandwidth connection) I wont be able to confirm it with you till monday.

Thank you again.

Regards

[asbchakri]

Can you please send me Shankra & Vivek scenarios along with scenarios posted by other members at nitinparikh2000 at gmail dot com

Just sent it man have fun.

Anand No problem man. I'l send the rest in the weekend enjoy

[Nitesh]

[
Nitesh and Anand Sent to u too. Hope u got them

Sir ji got it, thanks a lot

[Shankar]

IAF STATION TEZPUR- ASSAM – 0200 HRS

The cold wind from Brahmaputra added a nip in the air as wing commander deepika walked on the rain soaked tarmac towards the flight line of 24 mirage 2000 s neatly parked, armed and fuelled. The drizzle stared up again as she finished her pre flight go around. As expected she could not find any fault with the crew chiefs work and the sleek aircraft was as sexy and as deadly as ever. All tarmac lights were off except the blue taxi way lights and the main runway lights. The cloud cover was low and she knew the flight path decided upon through the un marked passes across the line of actual control will make life some what miserable because of expected air turbulence in close confines of a high altitude mountain pass.

Deepika climbed the aluminum ladder into the cockpit and her crew chief helped her strap in quickly. The canopy came down silently on hydraulic arms . It was more comfortable now; out of the chilly and wet river wind now almost 15 knots across the main runway. In the distance she could see the moon light glinting of the majestic Brahmaputra on and off as the clouds shifted their position, generating a mesmeric light and shadow show against the background of dark forest foliage.

Deepika loved flying and she loved her Mirage. Once strapped in the aircraft became a part of her anatomy. As she she leaned forward slightly to switch on the master circuit breaker and then the avionics circuit breaker the muted displays came on quickly, flushing the inside with a multi colored disco like effect. The artificial horizon came on first followed by the radar console and then the head up display .The engine monitors came on and finally the hydraulics panel including the landing gear position indicators.

All along the flight line the same process was being repeated. As the pilots settled down inside their cocoons the ground crew moved in ,quickly connecting the starter carts and the removing carefully the orange flagged safety pins from the bombs and taking out the engine air intake covers ,counting them again and again to make sure there is no mistake .now.

The mission plan called for refueling over Brahmaputra immediately after take off ,jettisoning the drop tanks just before crossing the line of actual control and maybe refuel once again on return before recovery at Tezpur in case extended low altitude flight in bad weather over hostile territory cut off the minimum fuel margin.

They will be flying low – as low as practically possible over the rugged mountains that dot the line of actual control and hope fully not discovered in the initial phase, covered by the radar shadow of the craggy mountain peaks. She Also hoped the sticky paste on the wings and engine intake applied by the DRDO engineers really do work






Deepika leaned forward once again and started the tedious process of configuring the Mirage 2000 for combat. The left MFD showed the engine parameters and also the weapon status .The soft blue lit key pads allowed her to program in the projected flight path with several exit option as may be required during the mission .At the moment the “taxi-take off mode “was selected .The “arm” master circuit breaker was in OFF .She would push it ON only before weapon release. Both the drop tank and weapon jettison switch was active which she deactivated and would activate once again after refueling is over . The head up display panel color she changed to red, clearly seen against a dar background for the time being .Before weapon release she will change it to green so as to make it more visible against orange fire background. Next she clicked on the frequency selector of the HF communication console and keyed into air traffic control. And finally loaded the mini DVD into the mission computer located just below the left MFD and waited for the loading process to be complete .It took more time than she would have liked,about twice as much as it takes in a Su 30 ,but still she would not change her mirage for flanker ,thought Wing commander Deepika as the IL-78 took off with a ear splitting roar climbed slowly to the designated refueling position over the moon lit river .