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India upgraded its capabilities on Monday to keep an eye on the strategically important region of the Indian Ocean and to quickly provide an offensive option when needed, with the Indian Air Force deploying its Sukhoi 30 frontline fighters to southern India for the first time.
Given China’s rapidly growing footprint in the Indian Ocean, the Air Force deployed a new Su-30 MKI fighter jet squadron at Thanjavur Air Force Station in Tamil Nadu. Defense Chief Representative Bipin Rawat, IAF Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, and Defense Research and Development Organization Chief Representative, G Satheesh Reddy, attended the ceremony.
The fighters are equipped with the air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, a 2.5-ton missile that flies at almost three times the speed of sound.
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The rocket – the fastest in the world – will give the Air Force the ability to target sea and land targets from a range of distances in any weather.
Squadron No. 222, nicknamed Tigersharks, was raised with six fighter jets and is expected to have a full 18 jets by the end of the year. It is the second Air Force fighter squadron in South India after Squadron No. 45 “Flying Daggers” in Sulur, which is also located in Tamil Nadu. Squadron No. 45 is equipped with India’s first LCA Tejas Mk.1 fighters.
Speaking at the ceremony, General Rawat said that the Su 30 MKI aircraft along with the BrahMos will be the pioneer that will significantly improve the security of the maritime domain.
IAF chief Bhadauria emphasized the launch site and said Thanjavur was chosen as the base because of its strategic location. Bhadauri also praised Southern Air Command and all AFS Thanjavur personnel for their efforts to push the launch of the squadron by almost a year.
The IAF operates Su-30 from bases across the country, including Adampur, Halwara, Sirsa, Bareilly, Pune, Tezpur and Chabua.
Experts said the deployment was an important step in protecting the country’s interests in the Indian Ocean region, where Chinese warships are often sighted and persecuted by the Indian Navy.
“The requirement to have a kinetic offensive option by air freight at short notice could not be neglected. The constant availability of airflow in the Indian Ocean has now been partially restored by the stationing of the Suchois in Thanjavur, ”said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (ret.), Additional director general of the Center for Air Power Studies.
“Su-30 fighter planes armed with BrahMos will change the future of air traffic significantly,” Sudhir Mishra, CEO of BrahMos Aerospace, told HT on Monday.
India launched BrahMos for the first time from a specially modified Su-30 fighter plane against a destination in the Bay of Bengal in 2017, followed by a second launch in 2019.
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