New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is gearing up for ‘Exercise Vayu Shakti-2024,’ scheduled to take place at Pokhran’s Air to Ground Range near Jaisalmer on 17 February. The exercise is designed to showcase the full spectrum of IAF operations in a realistic scenario, featuring several firsts and an impressive lineup of aircraft.
The last edition of Vayu Shakti occurred on 16 February 2019. The upcoming 2-hour-15-minute-long exercise, commencing at dusk, will witness the participation of more than 120 aircraft, including 77 fighter planes, 41 helicopters, and five transport aircraft.
Vice-Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AP Singh, highlighted the exercise’s notable elements, including the debut of the Rafale fighter, the indigenously developed Prachanda Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), and the Apache attack helicopter. Another first for the exercise is the C17 transport aircraft dropping ammunition, as mentioned by Air Marshal Singh.
The diverse fleet of participating aircraft will include indigenous models such as the Tejas fighter and the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). Additionally, the lineup features well-known aircraft like Mirage-2000, MiG, Su-30, Jaguar, Hawk, C17, C130, Chinook, and Mi-17. The Avros and An-32s will play supportive roles during the demonstration, promising a spectacular display of the IAF’s capabilities.
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