Expansion of Indian air power in the region
Indeed, the BrahMos anti-ship missile – a success story of Indo-Russian defense partnership – is a highly potent weapon boasting supersonic speeds with a range of about 300km and renders most countermeasures invalid. The missile was reportedly successfully test-fired from a Sukhoi-30MKI in May 2019, scoring a direct hit on the target. The Sukhois, which have a range of around 1,200km, significantly increase India’s capability to strike targets deep in the Indian Ocean and to virtually cover most shipping lanes in the region.
The new No. 222 Squadron, named ‘Tiger Sharks’, will initially have around five to six fighter jets but gradually it will operate with a full strength of 18 aircraft. This is the first fighter squadron to be set up by the Indian Air Force in its Southern Command covering the Indian Peninsula. Retired Air Vice-Marshal Manmohan Bahadur stated: “The requirement of having a permanent footprint of Indian air power over the Indian Ocean was lacking. With the basing of Sukhois at Thanjavur, this deficiency would be overcome to a certain extent due to the deep strike capabilities of the aircraft.”
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