- Overview: As commercial airspace over the Middle East remains completely shut due to war, the Government of India has launched a massive air bridge, utilizing Indian Air Force heavy-lifters to evacuate thousands of stranded citizens from active conflict zones.
- Key Points:
- Strategic Airlift: The IAF has deployed a fleet of C-17 Globemaster III and IL-76 aircraft, operating out of secure forward staging bases in Djibouti and Cyprus.
- Multi-Agency Coordination: Supervised directly by the MEA, with the Indian Navy providing offshore medical and logistical support through deployed hospital ships.
- Diplomatic Leverage: India’s robust strategic autonomy allows IAF flights safe passage corridors through deeply contested airspace, an advantage few other nations currently possess.
- Diaspora Protection: Reaffirms the state’s unwavering commitment to the safety of its massive overseas workforce, critical for national remittance inflows.
Source Link: MEA Press Briefing on Evacuation Operations
- Q7. Which of the following past operations was launched by the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens from war-torn Sudan in 2023?
- A) Operation Ganga
- B) Operation Kaveri
- C) Operation Ajay
- D) Operation Devi Shakti
