In a demonstration of its ‘rapid airlift capability’ during war and natural disasters, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday airlifted a record 463 tonnes of load from Chandigarh to airfields and drop zones in the Ladakh region in a single wave.

This was accomplished by a fleet of 16 fixed wing transport aircraft, comprising of C-17 Globemaster, the Il-76 and medium lift An-32 aircraft, of the Western Air Command (WAC).

“All aircraft were loaded and took off from Chandigarh airbase early in the morning. The entire wave was accomplished in little less than six hours,” the IAF said in a statement.

The WAC is entrusted with the maintenance of the entire northern region of the country and under normal operating circumstances, it airlifts close to 3,000 tonnes of load a month.

Key component of modern warfare

Air Marshall NJS Dhillon, Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of the WAC, said that rapid air mobility was a key component of modern warfare. “This assumes greater significance in short and intense wars. This is very true in India’s context, especially when related to air mobility to airfields in the Ladakh region.”

Airlift of approximately 500 tonnes, in the achieved time frame, in a single wave, happens to be a record which enhances the assessment of the Commands’ capability towards rapid and heavy airlift, the IAF statement said.