Balakot showed IAF's ability of precision bombing: IAF Chief

The Balakot strike demonstrated the IAF's ability of precision bombing, Air Force Chief B S Dhanoa said Tuesday, asserting that it is capable of taking part in full spectrum of conflict, ranging from "sub-conventional to nuclear".

He said in case "we have correct coordinates, the Air Force is capable of doing all-weather bombing through clouds".

Early this year, after the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel, the Air Force launched air strikes at a terror camp in Balakot, inside Pakistani territory.

Speaking at a seminar on '20 years of Op Safed Sagar', Dhanoa said precision bombing capability was very much needed during the Kargil operations where targets were very small and at high altitudes.

"In 1999 (precision bombing capabilities) was operationalised only on the Mirage-2000 aircraft. Now all aircraft, Mirage, Su-30, Jaguar, MiG-29 and MiG-27 upgraded aircraft have the capability for precision bombing. Not only that, in case we have correct
"Over a period of time, the Air Force has evolved in a manner that we have through a process of long our long planning and induction. Slowly, we got our ability to take part in operations across the spectrum of the conflict. It is now a force that is