Kolkata, Aug 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Air Force Station Arjan Singh in Panagarh, West Bengal, that is undergoing major upgradation, will play a key role in the days to come, Air Marshal D.K. Patnaik, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Eastern Air Command, said on Tuesday during his two-day visit to the base.
AFS Arjan Singh is now the base of the second of two C-130J Super Hercules strategic aircraft squadrons that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has. The first one is based at AFS Hindan.
The C-130Js of the Raiding Raptors squadron based at AFS Arjan Singh have participated extensively in drills in the country's northeastern sector, both during night and day, to airlift special forces units with equipment and land or drop them safely at strategic locations along the Sino-Indian border in Sikkim and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh.
According to an official, a Super Hercules from Panagarh can reach the Sino-Indian border in less than an hour in all weather conditions.
Panagarh, by the way, is also the headquarters of the Brahmastra Corps (XVII Corps) under the Indian Army's Eastern Command. This is a Mountain Strike Corps trained in high altitude warfare as a counter-offensive against any aggressive stance by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China.
The goings on inside AFS Arjan Singh continues to remain mired in mystery. Sources claim that the hangars have underground bunkers for men and equipment and are actually staging areas for troops who can take off within minutes of receiving any alert from the borders. The IAF has neither confirmed nor discarded such claims.
"In his speech, the AOC-in-C highlighted the need to remain vigilant and closely monitor the infrastructure that is coming up at AFS Arjan Singh. The air base already has a runway that is long enough for fighter aircraft. So, this can always serve as a base for any fighter squadron.
"What is important is that the base is probably being prepared to base a mid-air refueller like the A330 Phenix. India is already in talks with France to lease six of them. The A330 Phenix (of the French and UAE air forces) refuelled the Rafales mid-air when they were on their way from France to India. Recently, Sukhoi Su-30 MKI were also refuelled mid-air by a French A330 Phenix aircraft," a highly placed source in the IAF said.
The placement of an aircraft like the A330 Phenix at AFS Arjan Singh could be a game-changer for India. Apart from mid-air refueling, these aircraft can also accommodate troops and equipment and land them at high altitude airfields. An A330 in the air during an actual air combat would extend the endurance of Indian fighter aircraft.
Source: IANS
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