“Should I blame the weather or the machine,” asked an inconsolable Neeraj Kumar, minutes after the BSF aircraft crash on December 22 that claimed the life of his brother, BSF Deputy Commandant Dhirendra Kumar. He wasn’t the only one who had raised doubts about the health of the BSF’s aircraft — the families of others on board the ill-fated plane and experts had asked similar questions. How good or bad really are the BSF’s planes and choppers, regularly used by VIPs and for operations in Naxal areas? And should the BSF have had its own fleet at all when the Indian Air Force can fulfill its operational needs?
The BSF Air Wing came into existence in 1969, four years after the force was raised, for quick movement of small units of troops along the western and eastern border of the country. It started with a single Queen Air C-80 aircraft. In 1974, the fleet was expanded and made to serve the needs of other paramilitary forces as well. Since then, the fleet has expanded to 22 aircraft (down to 21 after Tuesday’s crash). Besides VIP movement and operations in Maoist zones, over the last few years, BSF choppers have been employed for disaster relief, special heliborne operations for the National Security Guards, counter insurgency operations, air-maintenance of remote border outposts etc. The home ministry has argued that the BSF Air Wing is not only necessary but also needs to be expanded as IAF has been unable to fulfill the operational demands of internal security. It has argued that paramilitary forces need air support at their disposal given the ever-increasing challenges of internal security. This year, the government sanctioned wet-leasing of choppers, over and above BSF and IAF support, for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which had been demanding dedicated air support for maintenance of border outposts.
28/12/15 Deeptiman Tiwary/Indian Express
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
The BSF Air Wing came into existence in 1969, four years after the force was raised, for quick movement of small units of troops along the western and eastern border of the country. It started with a single Queen Air C-80 aircraft. In 1974, the fleet was expanded and made to serve the needs of other paramilitary forces as well. Since then, the fleet has expanded to 22 aircraft (down to 21 after Tuesday’s crash). Besides VIP movement and operations in Maoist zones, over the last few years, BSF choppers have been employed for disaster relief, special heliborne operations for the National Security Guards, counter insurgency operations, air-maintenance of remote border outposts etc. The home ministry has argued that the BSF Air Wing is not only necessary but also needs to be expanded as IAF has been unable to fulfill the operational demands of internal security. It has argued that paramilitary forces need air support at their disposal given the ever-increasing challenges of internal security. This year, the government sanctioned wet-leasing of choppers, over and above BSF and IAF support, for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which had been demanding dedicated air support for maintenance of border outposts.
28/12/15 Deeptiman Tiwary/Indian Express
