The indian air force (IAF) would soon be getting new snooping capabilities along the eastern border with a squadron of Su-30 MKI fighters being prepared for special reconnaissance missions.A year after the mighty MiG-25 spy planes were phased out of service at the Bareilly airbase, the latest fighters in IAF’s inventory are being fitted with Israeli reconnaissance systems that will help them look more than 300 km inside Chinese territory without crossing the border.A team of experts from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will shortly visit the airbase to integrate the Elta Reconnaissance System on the fighters and help set up a ground receiving station to collect live images being taken by the aircraft, a senior IAF officer confirmed.“With the MiG-25's gone, there was a gap in surveillance capabilities. The (Bareilly-based) 24 Squadron has now been tasked with reconnaissance duties and will shortly be fitted with recon pods,” the officer said, adding that reconnaissance will be just one of the many roles tasked to the squadron.The new systems being fitted on the aircraft will enable them to map out the enemy territory at a rate of 50,000 sq km per hour and send back live images to the airbase for interpretation.A state-of-the-art receiving station to process the images will also be set up at Bareilly, which is being developed as a hub for the Su-30 MKI fighters on the eastern front. While the airbase already houses a squadron of the latest Phase III version of the fighters, another squadron is currently being raised for deployment along the eastern border.“Bareilly is strategically located and we are converting it into a hub for Su-30 MKI fighters. Another squadron, No 8 The Pursuits, is being re-equipped with the fighters and will also be based here,” Group Captain PV Gadgil, Chief Operations Officer of the airbase, told The Indian Express.Other than the data receiving stations, a world class avionics lab has been established at the airbase for second line repair and inspection of equipment on board the aircraft. “The largest fighter aircraft hangar in the country is coming up at the base where eight Sukhois can be serviced at the same time. A service support centre to maintain the aircraft is also being constructed,” said Group Captain Rajiv Gandhotra, Chief Engineering Officer (CEO) of the base.The IAF is looking at deploying the aircraft at the Tezpur airbase next year once sufficient numbers of the fighters arrive from Russia. A swap deal, under which 14 of the older, non-operational Su-30 MK’s would be replaced by MKIs by Russia, will help equip the Squadron No 8 at Bareilly, a senior officer confirmed.
