Published on - 12/13/2007
NEW DELHI, December 12: The Indian Air Force (IAF) recently staged war games in South India to test this country\'s capabilities to protect its \'high value\' assets like oil tankers, nuclear installations and ports against aerial attacks by \'non-state actors\' in the region like the so-called Tamileelam Air Force (TAF).
This is the first military exercise in southern India after the TAF-the fledgling air force of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)- had carried out daring aerial strikes on Sri Lankan Air Force\'s air base adjoining Katunayake International Airport outside Colombo in March this year.
Codenamed \'Dakshin Prahar,\' the week-long war games practiced scenarios to protect India\'s commercial targets in southern India against similar attacks.
The military exercise practiced rapid deployment of air defence systems, radar units and portable anti-air missiles to counter specific threats. Scenarios like protecting an oil tanker under attack by a hostile aerial force were also played out, according to an IAF official.
While the Coast Guard and the Army\'s aid defence units were roped in for the exercise, the Army facilitated communication networking and provided troops.
Insiders confirmed that the unnamed high value targets included an oil tanker operating close to the Sri Lankan coast. The IAF also deployed its Travelling Radar Units (TRUs) to detect low-flying aircraft in the region.
Readers will recall that, in the wake of the TAF\'s attack on the SLAF airbase near Colombo nine months ago, the IAF had moved two TRUs to boost radar coverage over Chennai and the Kalpakkam nuclear facility in Tamil Nadu.
The IAF deployed its top-end fighters like the Mirage 2000, Sukhoi 30 and Jaguar, while the Navy and the Coast Guard participated with their warships.
An IAF spokesperson told the Indian Express in a report published today: \'A satellite covered specified targets on the ground and it sent back high resolution imagery for analysis before and after the attack. This was supplemented by photographs and live imagery relayed by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).\' This is for the first time that the IAF has openly declared that it has used space-based assets during a crucial military exercise. OVER (Courtesy: The Island)
