Dragon’s Teeth and Dragon’s Brain continues....

The PLAAF and the Indian Air Force (IAF) are no longer in the situation they were in 1962, when the PLAAF had obsolescent or

obsolete aircraft and the IAF had more capable modern combat aircraft.

It is now somewhat the other way around. Since nuclear weapons are

always going to be the weapons systems of last resort. Even short and

medium-range missiles with conventional warheads, though usable, are

escalatory in nature, and thus it is the PLAAF which is going to be the

sword-arm of the PRC’s power projection capability.

Over the last ten to fifteen years the PLAAF has become more manageable and combat￾worthy, by discarding most of its old aircraft. The PLAAF managed to get significant injections of high technology from both Western, particularly US, and Russian sources. The CMC decided to give the PLAAF a freer hand in deciding it force structure. As a result of this deep national commitment to air power, there was a rapid induction of modern aircraft, such as the Su-27/30, Il-76 and a boost to indigenous design and production. The Chinese aviation industry now produces

large numbers of FC-1 (Super-7) and J-10 fighters, powered with Russian RD-93 and AL-31F engines. These fighters are fitted with modern avionics and other facilities such as mid-air refueling.



As Air Commodore Phadke wrote in 2005: ‘By 2010, the PLAAF would once again possess some 2,500 fighters, but the most remarkable aspect of this inventory is that all of these would be relatively new and

modern aircraft capable of maintaining high sortie/utilization rates. In

other words, the PLAAF would be in a position to launch a bigger number of offensive long-range precision strike and air defence missions over larger distances and for longer durations. Given the improvements in the PLAAF logistics system, these aircraft would be provided full and timely spares-support even when these are launched from forward airfield that normally do not base them.’

In Tibet itself there are at least 17 major radar stations and 15

military airfields, including a new airfield at Linzhi.

To be continued....