South Asia caught up in maze of security challenges: IAF chief

The Indian Air Force (IAF) was capable of dealing with security threats arising out of the recent developments in Pakistan, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik said here today.

Naik, on a two-day visit to Gujarat, said the entire region seemed to be caught up in a maze of security challenges
following the killing of Osama Bin Laden and the subsequent terror attack on Mehran Naval airbase, in Pakistan.

He said these incidents were likely to have major implications for India.

"Mehran attack is not something that will change our plans. Our plans have already been well-placed since the last
five years," he said, when asked about IAF's preparedness to to deal with similar situations.

"IAF is emerging as a strategic aerospace force, and is fully capable of facing any challenge that it is posed with.
Our preparedness levels are at the desired level to thwart any nefarious designs and threats," he said.

Naik said that security of IAF air bases was very vital, because its assets were based at those bases. In view of this
IAF had embarked on a major modernisation plan, he said.

"Over the last five years, the IAF has gone about increasing the physical security of the bases, (putting up)
things like boundary walls, controlling the entry-exit points, monitoring," he said.