The rarefied air of Kashmir poses practical problems for combat jet pilots, reports Herald correspondent RAHUL BEDI.
NEW DELHI - The Indian Air Force has created some kind of a record in executing daily airstrikes for over a month at heights above 16,000ft against Islamic mercenaries entrenched in northern Kashmir.
Pilots, who
are now conducting round-the-clock bombing runs, are handicapped not only by the difficulty of hitting barely visible targets strung out across more than 120km in the Kargil, Drass, Batalik and Mushkoh Valley areas, but also by severe operational limitations along the line of control with neighbouring Pakistan, whom India holds responsible for the invasion.
Any pilot accidentally flying into Pakistani air space could easily trigger the fourth war between the two nuclear-capable neighbours.
Trained primarily for radar-evading, low-level attack, the Air Force was forced to change tactics two days after the airstrikes began on May 26 when it quickly lost two combat aircraft and a helicopter gunship.
One aircraft crashed after engine trouble while the other one was shot down by Pakistan when it strayed across the frontier.
The helicopter was shot down by a shoulder-launched Stinger missile.
"The Air Force is operating under restraint as the undiluted use of air power has not been allowed," said Air Chief Marshal Anil Yashwant Tipnis.
He indicated that crossing the line of control into Pakistani airspace, where India claims the intruder supply lines are located, would escalate the conflict.
Pakistan denies any connection with the intruders.
Flying at heights of 20,000ft over Kashmir, the density of air is about 30 per cent less than at sea level, greatly reducing engine power and the ability to manoeuvre as the radius of turn is greater.
Former Air Vice-Marshal Narendra Gupta said the widerradius turns also increased the height lost in a pullout from a diving raid.
"This is the first time in the history of modern warfare that fighter aircraft have operated ground-attack missions at such altitudes," he said.
Using virtually all its combat aircraft, including French Mirage 2000s and modified Mi-17 assault helicopters, the Air Force has flown over 550 sorties against the intruders.
