Much to the relief of the State government, critical medical supplies related to COVID-19 finally arrived Dimapur airport from Delhi on Monday in an Indian Air Force (IAF) C130 J Super Hercules heavy-lift aircraft.
The 8-tonne consignment, which included ventilators, personal protective equipments, masks, gloves, hand sanitisers, etc, was airlifted from Delhi to meet the State health & family welfare department and National State Disaster Management Authority’s (NSDMA) requirements.
After offloading the consignment, the IAF aircraft flew to Imphal to deliver five tonnes of similar equipments for Manipur.
The airlift support operation was possible because of close coordination among the State government, Dimapur-based IAF project office, IAF Eastern Air Command headquarters at Shillong, IAF headquarters at New Delhi, Union Ministry of Defence and deputy resident commissioner, Nagaland House at New Delhi. Following the delivery of the consignment, the State government extended its gratitude to IAF for carrying out the task as requested during the critical hour.
IAF has always been pro active and contributing immensely towards Nagaland’s disaster management relief, support missions and aid civil administration in the past also. The air support missions had saved many public lives in remote areas of the State and contributed immensely to the people.
The airlift task was undertaken by C130 J Super Hercules belonging to 77 Squadron (Special Air Operations) based at Hindon air base ,which is used as a tactical airlift aircraft and was inducted in IAF in 2011. It has capabilities for quick deployment of special forces and airdrop in semi and unprepared runways and can operate at pitch dark in all-weather conditions. This was stated in a DIPR release.