Navy, IAF fully geared to mass evacuate Indians from Gulf, other regions

NEW DELHI: The Navy and IAF on Friday said their warships and aircraft were fully-geared to launch the proposed mass evacuation of Indians from the Gulf and other regions if the government assigned them the task.
"We have a large diaspora. Our ships are ready, we are fully ready. It will be a continuous process for some time…like a bridge formation,” said Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, on being asked about the possible evacuation of Indians from the Gulf region.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, in turn, said his force had kept 28-30 transport aircraft on standby for the evacuation operation if the government directed them to undertake them.
TOI on April 28 had reported that three amphibious warships, including the 16,900-tonne INS Jalashwa, and transport aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster-III and IL-76 planes had been “readied” in anticipation of the government order for evacuation, which could probably be launched in the first half of May.
The Gulf region has over eight million Indians, mostly living in port cities. Many of them with family emergencies or the ones whose work permits have expired are eager to return to India.
If the numbers to be evacuated are large, then the three amphibious warships or “landing platform docks” led by INS Jalashwa would be a better bet than aircraft since they can together transport around 1,500 people.