India has carried out a mega airlift exercise displaying its capability to transport military equipment and provide logistics support to the troops deployed in the high-altitude areas of eastern Ladakh in the harsh winter months against the backdrop of the lingering border standoff with China. The joint airlift exercise codenamed ’Operation Hercules’ was undertaken by the Indian Air Force and Indian Army on Monday, officials said.
”The aim of the high-intensity airlift was to strengthen the logistics supply in the Northern sector and to augment winter stocking in the operational areas,” the defence ministry said in a statement. The Indian Air Force deployed its C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift aircraft, IL-76 aircraft and An-32 planes in the exercise. The ministry said the exercise was a real-time demonstration of the inherent heavy-lift capability of the Indian Air Force, which has played a major role in ensuring the ability to quickly respond to any contingency in the past.
The Army has already sent essential winter supplies to high-altitude areas in eastern Ladakh to maintain its combat readiness through the treacherous winter. The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.
The tension escalated following a deadly clash in Galwan Valley on June 15 last year. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February and in the Gogra area in August.
The last round of military talks on October 10 ended in a stalemate following which both sides blamed each other for the impasse. In a strong statement after the 13th round of talks, the Indian Army said the ”constructive suggestions” made by it at the negotiations were neither agreeable to the Chinese side nor could Beijing provide any ”forward-looking” proposals.
Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.
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