Tyagi rules out relocating base

New Air Chief S.P. Tyagi, who visited Car Nicobar today, said the tsunami relief may be the greatest peace-time effort of the Armed Forces b...

New Air Chief S.P. Tyagi, who visited Car Nicobar today, said the tsunami relief may be the greatest peace-time effort of the Armed Forces but it still was a war. 8216;8216;A war maybe against nature, but it is a war,8217;8217; he said.

He ruled out the possibility of relocating the IAF base at Car Nicobar, which was washed away by the tsunami. He, however, added that some of the officers quarters would be relocated. 8216;8216;We have asked for land in higher areas from the civil administration. We have identified some areas. We also require land in Port Blair.8217;8217;

8216;8216;The airforce,8217;8217; he said, 8216;8216;had taken up rescue operations at many places in the past but I don8217;t think we have handled a situation of such a magnitude.8217;8217; Tyagi said the runway of the airfield at Car Nicobar would be repaired within two weeks.

Outgoing IAF chief Air Chief Marshal retd S. Krishnaswamy had said the base would be fully fighter operational within a year. Reported plans to make Car Nicobar a home to Sukhoi-30 and Jaguar fighter squadrons were shelved after the base was destroyed.

The IAF has made 182 air sorties so far to Campbell Bay. 8216;8216;Within an hour of the tsunami hitting the Andamans, helicopters were airborne and rescued 400 people,8217;8217; he said. Today, Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters were pressed into service.

The IAF8217;s Vice-Chief Air Marshal S.K. Malik, who returned today from the islands, said the base would be ready soon 8216;8216;for all types of exercises and operations8217;8217;.

Air Marshal Malik was joined by the IAF8217;s AO Maintenance Air Marshal K.S. Chaturvedi and AO Administration Air Marshal H.S. Garkhal.

IAF choppers to join the relief effort

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NEW DELHI: Six IAF Mi-17 medium haul choppers reached Car Nicobar via Myanmar on Tuesday with IAF transport aircraft. The choppers will assist in evacuation of people still believed to be marooned on the Car Nicobar and Great Nicobar islands.

8216;8216;Helicopters used the Myanmar route as their airlift by Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft would have hit the movement of relief supplies to the islands,8217;8217; IAF Vice-Chief Air Marshal S.K. Malik said.