Former vice chief of Indian Air Force Air Marshal P K Barbora (retd), known to be an outstanding air warrior who was instrumental in reactivation of the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) air strip in eastern Ladakh, passed away at a military hospital in New Delhi on Monday. He was 72.
'We have not got into a one-on-one with the terrorists. But there is no assurance they won't resort to launching a shoulder or vehicle fired missile. The probability is very low, but the threat exists,' Air Marshal P K Barbora (retd) tells Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff.com
Slamming China for objecting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian Air Force on Monday said it does not 'fear' the Chinese military and that the neighbour should not have any problem with it upgrading airstrips in the North-East.
"In a few years time, we might see this change coming in with certain pre-conditions that till this age we request you to be happy, be married, but no offsprings," IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal P K Barbora told media-persons in New Delhi."After 13-14 years of service, investments made on fighter pilots are actually recovered by the government," he said.
"Over the period of time after 26/11, we saw a gradual build up of Pakistan Air Force across the area of Western Air Command area of responsibility, close to over 75 per cent," IAF's Vice Chief-Designate Air Marshal P K Barbora told media-persons in New Delhi.
Conceding that people in the bordering areas do move into the neighbouring nation's territory at times, he termed it a common phenomenon on borders and said, "There is no danger from such movement."
Interacting with visiting reporters recently at the command's headquarters in Shillong, Barbora, the first officer from the northeast to head an IAF command, recollected the Chinese agression in the north-east in 1962.
'We should have seen these signals and reacted earlier.' 'We miss out on a certain strategic advantage by arriving late on the scene.'
They justified the strikes, saying the forces had entered into Indian territory occupied by Pakistan.
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