Deeply engaged in the transportation of medical oxygen and COVID relief operations, the Indian Air Force has flown over 732 sorties of its transport aircraft and helicopters to move 498 oxygen tankers from both within India and abroad to help the country fight the pandemic.
The Air Force has deployed 42 transport aircraft including six each C-17 and Ilyushin-76 transport planes and 30 medium lift C-130Js and AN-32 aircraft for this mega operation.
"In the domestic sector, our pilots have flown 634 sorties for 939 hours to move 403 oxygen containers which can carry 6856.2 metric tonnes (MT) of oxygen along with 163.3 MT of other equipment," an Indian Air Force spokesperson told ANI.
The IAF has also flown to more than nine countries including Germany, Indonesia, Australia, Britain and Singapore to bring oxygen containers and other relief material from there.
"In the International sectors, our planes have carried out 98 sorties/clocking 480 hours to bring 95 containers from these foreign nations," IAF officials said.
The containers moved from abroad by the IAF can help carry 793.1 MT of oxygen while 204.5 MT of other relief material was also flown in, they said.
The Indian Air Force has been engaged in airlifting of oxygen both within and outside the country since April 21 and has created special teams and crews for these operations which have also necessitated the creation of biosecure bubbles to avoid any infection to own personnel.
The Air Force is also not letting up its operations in the northern areas where Indian and Chinese troops are deployed in a standoff since last year and summer deployments have begun which means the presence of a larger number of troops from both sides at the forward locations.
( With inputs from ANI )
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