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Maintain operational preparedness: Airforce chief Tipnis

Airforce chief A Y Tipnis on Thursday asked station commanders in the country's western sector to maintain 'operational preparedness keeping in view the present security environment' even as the army geared itself for scheduled 'training exercises' in the first half of January in Rajasthan and Punjab.

The station commanders should be 'prepared to meet all challenges to national security, present as also future', Air Chief Marshal Tipnis said a week after the terrorist strike on Parliament House.

Addressing top officers of the Western Air Command on the concluding day of a two-day commanders conference, Tipnis, who lays down office at the month end, complimented the commanders on the present level of preparedness.

Meanwhile, defence sources said that formations from a Haryana-based corps would undertake scheduled training exercises in Rajasthan and Punjab.

Tanks, armoured carriers and artillery units are expected to be involved in the exercises preparations for which were already underway, they said, indicating that strike formations could also participate.

Asked what steps the army was taking in the wake of reported build up across the border by Pakistan, the sources said that there were sufficient troops along the Line of Control and additional deployment was not on the cards.

Complete Coverage: The Attack on Parliament

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