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| Indian Air Force Dassault Rafale during an air sortie in Ladakh |
The exercise is taking place at a time when India and China are likely to hold the 16th round of high-level military talks on July 17. The Chinese side is also holding a major aerial exercise on its side of LAC near Indian territory.
The last round of talks between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) took place on March 11.
“Air exercises are being held involving the Rafale, Mirage and the Su-30 fighter jets along with the MiG-29s. The aircraft are also carrying out night sorties over the eastern Ladakh sector,” top government sources told India Today.
The Chinese exercise has seen extensive operations from their Hotan and Gar Gunsa air bases along with the air defence systems that have been operated from forward locations near Indian territory.
The S-400 systems procured from Russia and Chinese HQ-9 systems, are the main air defence equipment active in the area for the Chinese against India, the sources said.
From May 2020, India and the Chinese Army have done massive troop build up in the Ladakh sector.
Indian forces have been on high alert for any unusual activity across the border. At the height of the crisis in 2020 and early 2021, the Indian Air Force had moved several assets to the Ladakh border, including frontline jets, combat helicopters and a range of air defence systems.
