The Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to demonstrate its firepower near the Pakistan border when over 100 fighter jets will be engaged in multiple war games.
For nearly a year, the India-Pakistan border in the Line of Control (LoC) has been silent after both India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire last February.
However, India is now going to conduct Exercise Vayushakti-2022 (Fire Power Demonstration) and it will take place at the Pokhran firing range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
As per information made public, the exercise will commence on March 5. About 140 aircraft including 100 fighters and helicopters will participate in it.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and the three services chiefs and other dignitaries, are expected to witness the exercise.
The last Vayuskhati excercise happened two days after the Pulwama attack (February 14, 2019) Islamic suicide terror attack, in which more than 40 CRPF Jawans were killed by a Jaish-e-Mohammad Muslim terrorist.
According to the IAF, Exercise Vayushakti is mostly about displaying the air force’s ability to strike targets on the ground—such as enemy convoys and tanks, radar stations, railway yards, and military headquarters.
“It is basically to showcase our (IAF) ability to punish, our ability to insert and extricate our troops from hostile territories,” an IAF official said.
During the exercise, the country will see the newly inducted Rafale fighter jet, Apache attack helicopters, and Chinook helicopters showcasing their capabilities.
Other aircraft that will participate will be the MiG-29, Jaguar, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, transport aircraft like AN-32, C130, Mi-17 VS, and Mi-35 helicopters that will demonstrate their capabilities in the exercise.
Newly inducted women fighter pilots are also expected to fly sorties and drop bombs from MiG-21 Bison fighter jets as part of the war games.
Dozens of diplomats, the respective military attaches posted in embassies in New Delhi, will also be flown out to Pokhran in an IAF aircraft to witness the newly acquired capabilities of the IAF.
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