DATE=5/29/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43532
TITLE=KASHMIR FLYING
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IT IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES ON EARTH -- AND
ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS. KASHMIR, DIVIDED BY INDIA AND
PAKISTAN, HAS LUSH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AND SOME OF THE TALLEST
MOUNTAINS IN THE WORLD. THOSE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS ARE NOW THE SCENE
OF HEAVY COMBAT, AS INDIAN AIR FORCE JETS STRAFE MOUNTAIN RIDGES
AND ARMY TROOPS ENGAGE IN FIERCE FIGHTS WITH GUERRILLAS THEY SAY
HAVE CROSSED THE BORDER FROM PAKISTAN. SEPARATING THE TWO SIDES
IS THE "LINE OF CONTROL," WHICH SNAKES DOWN FROM THE HIGH
GLACIERS INTO THE HEART OF THE KASHMIR VALLEY. FOR PILOTS
ENGAGED IN COMBAT MISSIONS, NAVIGATING THROUGH THE VALLEY IS A
MATTER OF SPLIT-SECOND TIMING. TWO INDIAN PLANES WERE LOST IN
THE FIRST DAYS OF FIGHTING IN KASHMIR. INDIAN COMMANDERS SAY
CONDITIONS IN THE VALLEY COULD HAVE PLAYED A PART. V-O-A'S JIM
TEEPLE HAS MORE ON WHY KASHMIR IS POSSIBLY THE WORLD'S
MOST-DANGEROUS PLACE TO FLY.
TEXT: THOSE WHO HAVE DONE IT SAY FLYING COMBAT MISSIONS IN
KASHMIR REQUIRES TOTAL CONCENTRATION. INDIAN VICE-AIR MARSHALL
S-K MALIK, SAYS PILOTS WHO FLY IN THE REGION HAVE TO BE PREPARED.
// MALIK ACTUALITY //
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE HIMALAYAS, WHERE YOUR HILLTOPS
ARE BETWEEN 15 AND 20 THOUSAND FEET (SIX THOUSAND
METERS). THERE ARE VALLEYS FULL OF ROCKS AND
INHOSPITABLE AREAS. THE VALLEYS ARE VERY NARROW. WHEN
YOU FLY IN THESE AREAS, SOME ARE SNOW PEAKED AND SOME
ARE BARREN ROCKY AREAS WITH SHADOWS IN THE HILLS.
// END ACTUALITY //
PILOTS ALSO HAVE TO CONTEND WITH WEATHER THAT CAN CHANGE
DRAMATICALLY WITHIN A FEW HUNDRED METERS, WHICH AIR MARSHALL
MALIK SAYS CAN MAKE THE GROUND EVEN MORE OBSCURE. THE AIR FORCE
OFFICER SAYS THE DIFFICULT FLYING TAKES ITS TOLL ON AIRCRAFT, AS
WELL AS PILOTS.
// MALIK ACTUALITY //
FLYING THERE IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOUR AIRCRAFT, ITSELF,
IS OPERATING AT HIGH ALTITUDES AND, DUE TO THE DROP IN
DENSITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE, THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE IS
ITSELF DEGRADED AND, THEREFORE, THE HANDLING BECOMES
EVEN MORE CRITICAL AND MORE DEMANDING FOR THE PILOT. HE
HAS TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHILE HE EXECUTING VARIOUS
MANEUVERS.
// END ACTUALITY //
AIR MARSHALL MALIK SAYS, UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, FINDING
TARGETS IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. HE SAYS IDENTIFYING TARGETS IN
THE BEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES TAKES TIME -- SOMETHING THAT NO PILOT
FLYING AT A SPEED OF ONE THOUSAND KILOMETERS HAS MUCH OF. THE
SENIOR AIR COMMANDER SAYS, EVEN WHEN A PILOT FINDS HIS TARGET,
HITTING IT IS NOT EASY.
// MALIK ACTUALITY //
IN THE ATTACK, ITSELF -- SINCE IT IS AT HIGH ALTITUDES
-- HIS FIRING PARAMETERS HAVE TO BE SO ADAPTED THAT HE
CLEARS THE SURROUNDING FEATURES WITH A SUFFICIENT MARGIN
OF SAFETY. THIS IS THE KIND OF DIFFICULT TERRAIN THAT
OBVIATES THAT.
// END ACTUALITY //
// OPT // IF A PILOT DEVELOPS AN ENGINE PROBLEM,. AS HAPPENED
WITH ONE INDIAN MIG FIGHTER RECENTLY, HE HAS ONE OPTION -- TO
DESCEND AND TRY AND AVOID CRASHING INTO THE STEEP SNOW-CAPPED
HIMALAYAN RIDGES WHICH RING THE VALLEYS. INDIAN COMMANDERS HAVE
CONCEDED ONE OF THEIR PLANES DID CRASH IN PAKISTANI TERRITORY,
EARLIER THIS WEEK. VICE AIR MARSHALL MALIK BELIEVES THE PLANE
CROSSED INTO PAKISTANI TERRITORY, AFTER THE PILOT EJECTED.
// OPTIONAL MALIK ACTUALITY //
FLYING AT SPEEDS OF ONE THOUSAND KILOMETERS -- COVERING
TWO OR THREE KILOMETERS IS JUST A MATTER OF SECONDS.
AND, REMEMBER, EVEN WHEN A PILOT EJECTS FROM HIS
AIRCRAFT -- AFTER HE HAS ABANDONED IT -- THE AIRCRAFT,
WHICH IS TRIMMED, WILL CONTINUE TO FLY AND IT MAY
ACTUALLY CRASH SEVERAL MILES AHEAD OF WHERE THE PILOT
HAS EJECTED.
// END OPTIONAL ACTUALITY //
PILOTS SAY FLYING BETWEEN THE TWO OPPOSING FORCES RANGED AGAINST
EACH OTHER IN KASHMIR ACROSS THE "LINE OF CONTROL" TAKES ABOUT 30
SECONDS. DETERMINING WHERE THE LINE IS AT HIGH SPEEDS AND HIGH
ALTITUDES THEY SAY IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT MAKES KASHMIR A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE TO FLY.
(SIGNED)
NEB / JLT / WD / WD
29-May-99 6:53 AM EDT (1053 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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