New Delhi, October 1
Less than a year after Naxals fired at an IAF chopper and killed a Sergeant, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik today said permission had been sought from the Ministry of Defence to open retaliatory fire at Maoists if any IAF helicopter or its crew came under attack.

The IAF had sought permission from the ministry to open fire in self-defence whenever its helicopters or the aircrew operating in Maoist-infested areas came under attack, Naik told reporters here this afternoon.

In November last year, Sergeant Mustafa Ali was killed in Chhattisgarh as an unarmed Mi-8 chopper on election duty came under attack. The firing was carried out during a take-off. The pilot somehow managed to fly the chopper away to safety.

The IAF was playing a major role in reconnaissance or surveillance, troop movement and also for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) reconnaissance, Naik said. He termed the use of air power to track down Maoists, the as a “tricky decision”. It had risk as citizens could also be hit.

It would be impossible to distinguish between good and bad guys on the ground, he said while replying to a specific query if the IAF would use its combat choppers. The IAF had provided helicopters with armour protection besides providing its men operating in conflict zones with bulletproof jackets. He said UAVs had been very successful in guiding ground-based police or paramilitary forces.