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Little known IAF unit gives vital inputs

Ramesh Bhan in New Delhi

While the entire country focuses on the valour and sacrifices of the infantry in the ongoing Operation Vijay in the Drass-Kargil-Batalik sectors, a lesser known department of the Indian Air Force is quietly working to provide vital inputs without which success against the enemy would not have been possible.

The photo interpretation cell at the air headquarters analyses miles of exposed film and many square metres of photo prints identifying targets and co-relating them with maps to come up with exact location of the enemy positions including ammunition or supply dumps and bunkers.

Defence sources said pilots faced some difficulties initially in flying at such a high altitude and in a terrain which is probably the most difficult in the world, and pinpointing the enemy location. But the hard work done by experts of the PI cell made their task easier. That was perhaps one of the reasons for the lesser number of casualties.

The IAF could perhaps be the only air force in the world to have performed at a height of about 15000 feet to 18000 feet in such a difficult terrain with an amazing success rate, the sources added.

The sources said that, during the first few days of Operation Vijay, pilots could not pinpoint for attack the exact location of the enemy target and they bombarded the positions identified by the Indian Army. However, after sometime, the IAF reconnaissance missions surveyed the entire area.

The PI cell closely examined the photographs of the terrain, pinpointed the enemy camps and other positions and co-related them on maps for the pilots. The sources said the cell has been instrumental in inflicting heavy damage on the enemy during the past month.

Air operations against the enemy started on May 26 after the Cabinet Committee on Security okayed the decision on May 25. The IAF began operations in the Drass sector with an attack on Tiger Hill, but there was no success because the exact location of the enemy was not known. After that the IAF flew several reconnaissance missions and took photographs of the entire area.

The photographs were studied and analysed by experts of the PI cell and information was provided to the IAF. With the information in hand, IAF planes blew up enemy positions on Tiger Hill on June 24, 25 and 26 providing the infantry a lever and paving way for their final assault and victory.

The sources said it was mainly because of the well-targeted initial attacks by the IAF that Tiger Hill was recaptured in less than a week and there were not many casualties. It took nearly three weeks to recapture Tololing and casualties were also many.

The sources said it was very difficult to ''spot a white enemy tent on white snow from an aircraft flying at a height of about 30,000 feet''.

In the beginning of the air operations, pilots were facing difficulties while flying between high mountains and ridges and hitting targets. But now they are so used to it that they have been attacking enemy positions even during nights.

The objective behind bringing the IAF into the operation was to ensure speedy success in flushing out infiltrators so that the infantry could complete the task with minimum casualties, the sources said adding that the successes achieved indicated that the IAF was doing the job very well.

The IAF has brought MiG and Mirage aircraft into operation, the sources said and added that the pilots had to be careful against Stinger missile attacks by the enemy. According to a rough estimate, more than 100 Stinger missiles have so far been fired by the enemy on IAF planes.

UNI

The Kargil Crisis

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