Amid the continuing tension between India and China, the chief of the Eastern Air Command (EAC) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) recently visited the Hasimara Air Force Station in West Bengal and emphasised the key role that will be played by the newly inducted Rafale fighter jets at the airbase.

With the recently published Pentagon report raising security concerns with claims that China has built a large 100-home civilian village inside disputed territory between China’s Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and India’s Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), defence analysts believe that India needs to keep its guard up.  This is where the Hasimara airbase in Bengal could play a crucial role with its recently inducted Rafale fighter jets, a defence official said.

Hasimara base is closest to the Chumbi Valley tri-junction between the Indian state of Sikkim, Bhutan and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The airpower from this base can be projected over some major Chinese airfields in TAR, said IAF sources. The airbase has formally inducted the 101 Squadron of the IAF named ‘Falcons of Chamb and Akhnoor’-the second squadron of India’s multi-role Rafale fighter jets.

Air Marshal DK Patnaik, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, visited Hasimara on 13 and 14 November. The defence spokesperson said that the chief interacted with all personnel at the base. During the interaction, he emphasised the key role to be played by the base in view of the new induction of Rafale fighter jets.

He stressed the need to be focused and vigilant owing to the strategic location of the air force station, especially in the wake of the present geopolitical scenario.

At present, the Hasimara airbase is commanded by Air Commodore Ashish Srivastava who was given charge of this base ahead of the induction of the Rafale jets. He is a seasoned and experienced fighter pilot who has flown Tejas light combat aircraft during trials at National Flight Test Centre, ADA and has over 5600 hours of flying experience on 18 different types of fighter, transport and trainer aircraft.

Commissioned into the fighter stream of IAF in 1993, he has commanded the only maritime Jaguar squadron at an operational base. As a test pilot, he has done major trials on Mirage 2000 and Jaguar fighter jets.