Amid border tensions with China, Indian Air Force pilots deployed close to the Line of Actual Control say the IAF is adequately prepared to deal with any situation and equipped to tackle any threat.
SEE: MiG-29 sortieS from then IAF's Leh airbase
An ANI team visited the IAF's Leh airbase and saw a flurry of activity as winter sets in.
Transport aircraft flew at regular intervals to ensure supplies and equipment for troops in the higher reaches.
The roar of fighter jets could be heard from a distance and evoked a sense of comfort over the level of the IAF's preparations.
There were sorties by C-17 Globemaster, Ilyushin-76 and Antonio-32 transport aircraft along with Apache attack and Chinook heavy-lift choppers.
The MIG-29s also carried out sorties from the base.
Asked how the IAF maintained an edge over its western and northern adversaries in the region, Flight Lieutenant Harparabh Singh, who flies MiG-29 fighter aircraft, said the IAF is well prepared for any eventuality.
"The Indian Air Force is equipped and adequately prepared to tackle any threat. The personnel are motivated and well-trained," Flight Lieutenant Singh said.
SEE: IAF's Chinook helicopter carries out sorties
Flight Lieutenant Neha Singh, who flies Cheetah helicopters in the region, said the pilots are well positioned to take on the adversaries.
"Our deployments in the assessed area are complete and the winter challenges are being addressed. We have suitably assessed the adversary and have the necessary plans in place," she said.
The winter months will pose new challenges in terms of snowfall and low visibility and the IAF is geared up for the challenges.
"Due to change in the weather, the challenges are increasing. The morale of the air fighters is high and the availability of advanced equipment empowers them to face any enemy," Group Captain A Rathi, chief operating officer of the IAF's Leh airforce base, told ANI.
Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria has pointed to the force's swift deployment along the India-China border after tensions rose sharply in May and said the IAF had clearly demonstrated its 'resolve, operational capability and the will' to deal with any challenge posed by India's adversaries.
'In the recent stand-off on our northern frontiers, we deployed our combat assets at short notice to handle any eventuality and provided proactive support to all the requirements of deployment and sustenance for the Indian Army,' the chief of the air staff told the gathering at the IAF's Hindon Air Force Station on October 8, Air Force Day.
'We have clearly demonstrated our resolve, operational capability, and the will to effectively engage the adversary,' Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said, 'should the need arise.'
