BSF wants filling of vacancies in its air wing

From Yahoo News

Mon, Nov 29 05:50 PM

New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) Facing "teething problems" in its Air wing, the BSF has approached the Union Home Ministry to fill up vacant posts in the flying branch of the elite unit deployed in Naxal-affected areas of the country. The BSF, under which the Air wing of the Home Ministry operates, will also acquire four new Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruvs soon for troop deployment, casualty evacuation and sending reinforcements to assist anti-Naxal opeartions.

"That (filing of vacant posts) is a difficulty which we have projected to the Home Ministry. There are some difficulties with various kinds of posts.

support posts including maintenance and operations.

Pilots, of course.

We are training our own Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) pilots," BSF chief Raman Srivastava told reporters when he was asked about the vacant posts in the air wing during the forces'' annual press conference here. "There are certain gaps we are filing up.

There are a number of teething problems in the air wing (of the Border Security Force)," he said. The BSF helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are largely operated by IAF pilots and pilots who join the wing after retirement from active professional flying service.

The BSF Director General also said there were "certain operational constraints" in the full-time serviceability of the helicopters'' fleet deployed for anti-Naxal duties as the new ''Dhruvs'' need to be "serviced frequently." "There is no dispute or problem in the operation of the helicopters fleet for anti-Naxal duties.

But there are certain operational constraints.

because these are new helicopters and they need to be serviced frequently.

They are not always available, round-the-clock.

they are not like cars," Srivastava said. In order to aid the ground forces with ''air support'' in anti-Naxal duties, the BSF has also operationalised airbases at Ranchi and Raipur and ten pilots of the CPMFs are undergoing helicopter flying training at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for eighteen months, he said.

The BSF chief said the government is also in the process of purchasing two more aircraft as the existing fleet is ageing. "The BSF has three AVROs.

they need to be replaced. One is almost gone, the other two are breathing their last.

We are in the process of purchasing two more aircraft," he said. The BSF DG said new helicopters, as and when arrive, will be deployed in a streamlined fashion and new helibases could also be built for them.

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