With S-400 in background, PM Modi addresses IAF personnel; rubbishes Pak claims of destroying the AD system

New Delhi: Days after Pakistan’s false claim of hitting Adampur air base hard seriously damaging the frontline establishment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday landed at the vital IAF station in Punjab where he asserted that India is always ready to make the enemy bite dust if it comes under attack.

Modi addressed the armed forces standing in front of an Indian S-400 Triumf air defence system that played a key role in guarding the military installations and Indian Air Force bases from Pakistan drone and missile attacks between May 7-10.

The government’s decision to release the first pictures of India’s operational S-400 system with the Prime Minister in the foreground was intended to negate Pakistan’s false claims of damaging the air base and the Russian-origin air defence system, sources said.

Located around 100 km from the Pakistan border, Adampur is IAF’s second largest base housing MiG-29 fighter jets. After India launched Operation Sindoor, Pakistan claimed to have destroyed the base along with S-400 missile launchers. India had rubbished the claims and cameras following Modi corroborated that.

At the Adampur air base, Modi said, "After Pakistan's appeal, India has only paused its military action. If Pakistan shows terrorist activities or military audacity again, we will give a befitting reply. We will give this reply on our own terms, in our own way.”

The Prime Minister said a combination of India's traditional air defense systems that have seen many wars, home grown Akash missiles and modern and powerful S-400 have given the Indian aerial shield an unprecedented strength.

“A strong security shield has become India's identity. Despite Pakistan's many efforts, our airbases or our other defence infrastructure were not even affected,” he said.

While the Prime Minister was given a briefing by the IAF top brass at Adampur, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation with the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs and Defence Secretary R K Singh.

“India's Laxman Rekha against terrorism is now very clear. If there is any terror attack again, India will give a strong reply. We have seen this during the surgical strike, during the air strike, and now Operation Sindoor, which is India's new normal,” he said.

The Prime Minister also reiterated India’s three-point new anti-terror doctrine. “India has now decided on three principles. First, if there is a terrorist attack on India, we will give a reply in our own way, on our own terms, at our own time. Second, India will not tolerate any nuclear blackmail and third, we will not see the government that patronises terrorism and the masters of terrorism as separate,” he said.