Fighter jets come calling
A picture of several, which circulated on social media groups, taken by locals of a Su-30MKI silhouetted against a cloudy, grey Dimapur sky on August 26.
Low flybys generate excitement and apprehension in Dmr
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 26
Sonic booms have become commonplace here but low flybys by fighter jets by all accounts is rare. On August 20, Dimapur was treated to a brief bout of fighter jet activity setting abuzz speculations in the citizenry.
The people here have become rather accustomed to the usual ‘sonic booms’ of supersonic flight high up in the air, but, today’s ‘low level’ visit by elite fighter birds of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was odd generating questions as much as excitement and apprehension.
For those only used to seeing passenger planes flying in and out, getting to see 4th generation fighter crafts manoeuvering right within visual range was a sight to behold. As per the look of the fighters, they appeared to be the ‘multi-role’ SU-30MKI or the Russian Sukhoi 30s customized for the IAF.
For those with a more inquisitive bent of mind, the question was the suddenness, timing and the rarity of low flying fighter jet sorties here.
It also happened in the backdrop of speculations about the 22 years old political talks between the Government of India (GoI) and the NSCN (IM) seemingly coming to an amicable end soon. The speculations fed further by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly expressing the need to conclude the process within 3 months to the Nagaland Governor and GoI interlocutor RN Ravi recently. Ravi made the disclosure at a civic reception programme organised in his honour in Kohima on August 17.
Coincidentally, the Collective Leadership of the NSCN (IM) led by its Ato Kilonser Th. Muivah is presently at its Council Headquarters- Hebron about 30 km south of Dimapur.
“It could be a show of strength, who knows?” commented one.
A Dimapur resident, who lives adjacent to the Dimapur airport, over which the sortie occurred today, questioned the abruptness of it all. “Such exercises over densely populated areas have the potential to create panic. Also, such sights of war machines only serve to reaffirm the intense militarization under which people here exist.”
A military official was asked if it is within the rules for military fighter jets to conduct such sorties in peacetime over a civilian populated area, which has no known air force base. “Lately, jets have started trial landing on express highways. Besides, it depends on the circumstances. With clearance from the highest command chain, there's no embargo as such,” was the response. The official described it as a routine sortie and no cause for concern.
The only aircrafts that come within visual range of the citizens here are passenger flights and Army transport choppers flying in and out of the 3 Corps headquarters or the Rangapahar Military Station.
The Defence PRO quoting “Airforce Headquarters” informed that it was routine flying practice conducted in coordination with the Dimapur airport’s Air Traffic Control.
The PRO forwarded a statement which read, “Routine flying missions of practice circuit and landing and familiarisation at neighboring airfields, which included, low level pass by fighters of Chabua Air Base.”
Chabua Air Force Station, under the operational control of the Eastern Air Command, is India’s easternmost fighter base located in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district. It operates Sukhois, which are known to fly at even low altitudes at speeds beyond Mach 1 – the threshold when flying objects or jet aircrafts cross or reach the speed of sound. Crossing the sound barrier gives rise to the now common ‘booms’.
