THE ASIAN AGE. | SANJIB KR BARUAH
ir Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa said on Thursday that the IAF has the capability of locating and striking nuclear and other targets inside Pakistan.
“They have tactical nuclear weapons and we have a draft nuclear doctrine. It is answered in that what happens when the enemy decides to use nuclear weapons on us.... the Air Force has the capability to locate, fix and strike across the border,” Air Chief Dhanoa said in an interesting and deeply significant response to a query on Pakistan’s arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons which are said to be stored in complete secrecy.
“The IAF is prepared to fight at short notice in full synergy with other two sister services should the need arises. IAF has the capability of sustaining operational preparedness for a prolonged period,” he told reporters during a media briefing.
Just last month, Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had said his country has developed short-range nuclear weapons to counter the “Cold Start” doctrine of the Indian Army.
There has been a lot of global concern over the safety and security of nuclear weapons in Pakistan which is handled by the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) of Pakistan.
Negating that the possibility of a two-front simultaneous war with China and Pakistan is strong, Marshal Dhanoa said the IAF is fully capable of dealing with the eventuality even as he ruled out the stealth capability of China’s highly-rated and much-touted Chengdu J20 air fighter that was operationalised by the Chinese air force just last week.
“The possibility of a two-front war in the current geo-strategic situation is low. (Yet) the response has to be based on the enemy’s capabilities because intentions can change overnight,” the Air Force Chief said.
On the implications of the Chengdu J20 stealth fighter on Indian skies, the IAF Chief told this newspaper on the sidelines of an IAF event before the IAF day on Sunday: “The J20 does not have full stealth capability. That way, the perfect stealth aircraft would be the American B-2 bomber, just look at its shape. So the J20 would not be invisible to our radars. Moreover, the new state-of-the-art technology fighters like the Rafale that we are acquiring would be able to detect an incoming J20.”
http://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/061017/can-strike-pakistan-nuclear-targets-iaf-chief.html
