IAF Rafale’s Decisive Punch
“The Rafales are an all-weather weapon platform that can deliver the decisive punch at very short notice”. In Eastern Airpower. Season 2, Episode 3, we speak to Air Commodore Ashish Kumar, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Indian Air Force Station (AFS) Hasimara. The AOC explains the IAF Rafale’s decisive punch: The new avionics system that we have. That it has a self-protection suite. The integration between them. The long range air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons that it carries. (All of that) makes (it) such a formidable combat weapon platform that is ready to deliver the decisive punch. Anywhere it is required to go”.
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AFS Hasimara, EAC, IAF
StratNews Global brings you our next series of on-the-ground interviews and documentaries from the IAF’s Eastern Air Command (EAC). The SNG team of Amitabh Revi, Rohit Pandita and Aryaman Singh Negi travel to film this interview at the AFS Hasimara. Air Commodore Kumar points out, “with the new impetus towards the northeast. With the induction of new aircraft. And the weapon systems at this base”. All this has made AFS Hasimara “one of the most important and strategic air bases, not only in the Eastern Air Command, but for the entire Indian Air Force”.
Air Commodore Ashish Kumar discusses:
- The rich history of AFS Hasimara.
- Current role and significance of the AFS.
- The cutting-edge Rafale omni-role fighters at the station.
- Air-warrior – machine synergy and training.
- Geographical advantage and challenges of the AFS.
- His experience, role and priorities as the AOC.
- Integration of high-tech with legacy platforms.
- and the Rafales interacting with other machines and personnel from Alaska to Paris to Egypt.
Eastern Front Airpower
In Eastern Front AirPower, Season 2, Part 1, we spoke to Air Marshal S.P. Dharkar, the then Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), EAC. On October 3, 2024, he took over as the Vice Chief of the Air Force. In Episode 2, we had a conversation with Group Captain Abhishek Tripathi, Commanding Officer (CO) of the 101 Squadron (Sqn) at the Hasimara AFS. You can also click here to watch Season 1. Episode 2 from the Tezpur AFS in Season 1 has over one million views.
