The ongoing nationwide mega-combat exercise of the Indian Air Force (IAF) began in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Tuesday to examine…
(Photo: AFP)
The ongoing nationwide mega-combat exercise of the Indian Air Force (IAF) began in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district on Tuesday to examine the strategic preparedness of its infrastructure in the area.
Though IAF officials maintained a distance from the media, sources said the exercise — ‘Gagan Shakti’ — began around 6.30 am at Chinyalisaur town, 230km from the Indo-China border.
The first An-32 transport aircraft carrying IAF personnel landed at the Chinyalisaur airstrip around 7.15 am. The aircraft made a second landing at the airstrip at 7.45 am and a third at 8.01 am, the sources said.
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The exercise would continue in Chinyalisaur till Sunday, it added.
‘Gagan Shakti’ is said to be the IAF’s biggest such exercise in decades, to check its operational preparedness with a focus on dealing with all possible security challenges, including from China and Pakistan.
The two-week drill started on April 8 and would continue till the 22nd of this month, officials had said.
Last Saturday, the IAF conducted a maritime air operation in the western sea board to check its deep strike capability in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.
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