New IAF base in Rajasthan to give India edge on the border

APRIL 23: The government has approved a new fighter airbase for the Indian Air Force in the Rajasthan desert. The project, conceived in th...

APRIL 23: The government has approved a new fighter airbase for the Indian Air Force in the Rajasthan desert. The project, conceived in the mid-80s, had to be shelved due to shortage of funds.

The base, equipped with sophisticated surveillance equipment and deep penetration aircraft, will come up at Phalodi near Suratgarh in Rajasthan, sources said. “The situation on the western front is changing rapidly. The Armoured Corps is most likely acquiring state-of-the-art T-90 tanks which will give them an edge over the adversary. But now we are talking about conventional deterrence,” top-level sources in the Defence Ministry said.

“A fighter airbase near the border in Rajasthan will certainly deter Pakistan. Also it will give the forces an edge in terms of early warning about any misadventures from across the border,” an official added.

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In fact, Defence Minister George Fernandes recently said in Parliament that the government was aware of the security scenario at the western border and the Phalodi air base project had been revived.

While both the Army and the Air Force are upbeat about the project, the security of the airbase, close to Pakistan, poses problems. “We will need a very effective air-defence system besides maintaining security at the base. This will include bomb-proof bunkers and underground hangars for the fighter jets. But it is not impossible,” an official said.

Sources in the Air Force said that with a base in Phalodi, it would become easier for them to penetrate deeper across the border, hit harder and return sooner to base. Parts of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat would benefit from the base, said an official. It will also provide air cover to the armoured formations. The project to build bases at Deesa and Mahajan remain shelved. The Phalodi air base is planned to be completed by the year 2004, Fernandes said.

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