M A I N   N E W S

IAF lands Super Hercules near LAC
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 20
In a major strategic feat, the Indian Air Force today landed its special operations plane Super Hercules C-130J on a mud-paved airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in eastern Ladakh at an altitude of 16,614 feet - the highest landing strip in the world.

The airstrip, known as advanced landing ground, is of compacted mud and is located just south of the 18,290-foot Karakoram pass connecting India with Xinjiang in China.

DBO is wedged between the eastern edge of the Siachen glacier and the un-demarcated Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

The April-May standoff between Indian and Chinese troops had taken place 30 km south-east of this airstrip. Its location gives India tactical advantage as the nearest Chinese airstrip is located 200 km to its east at Qazil Jilga.

So far, the Russian origin twin-engine AN-32 planes had been landing at DBO ferrying supplies for the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

The C-130J, with its four turbo-prop engines can carry 20 tonnes of payload, which is six times more than AN-32’s lift capacity after restrictions.

The IAF also operates the latest Mi-17V-5 helicopters to drop supplies at the DBO, a desolate but strategically important spot that is part of the greater Aksai Chin area.

The C-130J today took off from Hindon on the outskirts of New Delhi and took 90 minutes to reach DBO. The Commanding Officer, Group Captain Tejbir Singh, and the crew of “Veiled Vipers” squadron along with senior officers touched down at DBO at 6.54 am. IAF sources said the four engines were kept running as they were unsure if the engines would restart in the rarefied air. A similar practice is followed when the AN-32 and Mi-17V-5 touch down at the airstrip. The team stayed there for 40 minutes before flying back.

“With this enhanced airlift capability, the IAF will now be in a better position to meet the requirements of our land forces who are heavily dependent on the air bridge for sustenance in these higher and inhospitable areas,” IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Gerard Galway said. “Today’s achievement will enable the forces to exploit the inherent advanced capabilities of the aircraft by increased capability to induct troops, improve communications network,” he said. The C-130J can fly in all weather conditions, including airdrops and landings on unprepared or semi-prepared surfaces.

DBO was first used during the Indo-China conflict in 1962 and came into prominence when Packet aircraft of the IAF operated there between 1962 and 1965. It was reactivated and made operational after 43 years when an AN-32 aircraft from Chandigarh landed in 2008.

Apart from DBO, the IAF has fully paved and operational landing airstrips at Leh, Thoise and Kargil in Ladakh. Mud-paved runways similar to the one at DBO exist at Nyoma, Fukche and Chusul - all in eastern Ladakh.

Today’s development will be watched in Pakistan, China and also the US as its company produces the plane.

The Pakistan Air Force operates a similar variant called C-130H. The same aircraft had landed at the small Dharasu airstrip on June 22 during the Uttarakhand flood relief operation carrying fuel for helicopters.

big advantage

• The mud-paved airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh is located at an altitude of 16,614 feet
• Its location gives India tactical advantage as the nearest Chinese airstrip is located 200 km to its east at Qazil Jilga
• C-130J can carry six times more payload than Russian-built AN-32 aircraft
• AN-32 and Mi-17V-5 helicopters have so far been ferrying supplies to Daulat Beg Oldie
• Similar runways exist at Nyoma, Fukche and Chusul - all in eastern Ladakh