CWG secured against any aerial threat, fighters in ready mode
Frontline fighters like Sukhois and MiG-21s will be in ready mode and guard the skies while Army will deploy air defence guns and medium machine guns as the Capital comes under heavy security blanket to secure the Commonwealth Games from any aerial threats.
Apart from these comprehensive air defence measures against any air threats like rogue aircraft, microlights or balloons over a 60-km radius in Delhi, the Indian Air Force's Garud special forces and a Nuclear-Biological-Chemical (NBC) specialist team would be also on stand-by to deal with any emergencies including NBC attacks.
Two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles of the IAF will also hover over Delhi at 6,000 to 10,000 feet altitude on all days of the CWG from October 3 to 14.
The IAF will station fighter jets like Sukhois and MiG 21 Bisons at nearby air bases to deal with any eventuality such as a hijacked plane or a fast flying aircraft.
While the IAF will place its anti-aircraft surface- to-air weapons such as Pechora, OSA-Ak and Igla, its fighter jets and armed helicopters will be based in ready mode at Bareilly, Sirsa, Adampur and Srinagar to provide combat air patrol.
The fighter jets, UAVs and para gliders are besides security personnel manning observation posts for unidentified aircraft. Night vision and surveillance activities too would be carried out by Army teams,
The IAF, official sources said here today, will be the lead agency in the air defence of the city with agencies from the Home Ministry and Delhi Police supporting the effort to secure the CWG from any threats from the skies.
"We have put in place a comprehensive air defence over a 60-km radius in Delhi with the IAF leading the security forces comprising of Home Ministry agencies and Delhi Police.
"The holistic air defence plan will cover all conceivable threats be it hijacked planes, low-speed and high-speed aircraft, para gliders, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles and aero-models," sources said.
IAF's Mi-17 helicopters would be on stand by for casualty evacuation, apart from its Chetak and Cheetah helicopters carrying out reconnaissance and surveillance flights.
Other security agencies, including the Delhi Police, will be spread out across the city to man observation posts and they will take a decision on further action including shooting down any threat.
The Army's air defence guns and medium machine guns too would be deployed during the period, they said.
"The IAF has trained the Delhi Police personnel over the last three months in aerial observation and interception activities to observe, report and target the sub-conventional threats in urban areas.
"We have also put in place a joint network of IAF and Delhi Police for better coordination," the sources said.
The air space over Delhi would be a no-fly zone for all unscheduled aircraft during the CWG for which the Aviation Ministry has already issued guidelines.
Also, the radars of IAF and the Airports Authority of India would be manned 24 hours during the games, sources added.
The security agencies have also organised mobile observation posts all around Delhi, which, sources said, would be the first line of air defence.
