One of the most effective armaments against any terror infrastructure, or war conditions, has always been the air strikes. Two days after the Pulwama terror attack, unintentionally, a strategic signalling came through in front of an international audience how well prepared and combat ready is the air warriors of Indian Air Force through their massive day-dusk-night firepower demonstration at Vayu Shakti 2019.

The Pokhran range in the vicinity of Thar desert reverberated with the thunderous super-sonic boom of a participating MiG 29 aircraft immediately after the applause of the audience for the air warriors as they had already made a mark with a well-orchestrated demonstration by then.

Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa PVSM AVSM VM ADC Chief of the Air Staff arrived directly to Pokhran range by a C-130 J Hercules aircraft, which portrayed a short field landing capabilities later. The Chief of the Air Staff was received by Air Marshal HS Arora, AVSM, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command.

The arrival was followed by the release of a coffee table book titled, ‘1971 Indo-Pak War: An Aerial Account’. The fire power display started with three Mi-17 choppers as a precursor flying the National Flags with ensigns of the Indian Air Force, South Western Air Command, bestowing their salutation for the grand stand. The fly past was immediately followed by a Jaguar aircraft demonstrating a low level flying taking images of the grand stand.

CAS BS Dhanoa, in his address, gave an overview of the display and assured the nation of the Indian Air Force’s commitment to national defence and of its capability to thwart any external aggression.

“We are showcasing our ability to hit hard, hit fast, and with precision. As also hit during day, hit during night and under any adverse weather conditions through our autonomous bombing capability,” he said.

The Indian Air Force has seen rapid technological advancements, embracing latest technologies while simultaneously maintaining many of its legacy systems from the pre-digital era.

“While wars are fought few and far between, IAF has an ever-present sub conventional threat as the enemy knows that they can’t defeat us in a conventional conflict. So, today we showcase our ability to punish, our ability to insert and extricate troops from hostile territories…IAF is ever prepared to deliver an appropriate response as and when assigned by our political leadership,” Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa added.

Watched by the country’s top military brass as well as scores of foreign diplomats and defence attaches, which also included Chairman Armed Forces Tribunal Justice Virender Singh, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Bipin Rawat PVSM UYSM AVSM YSM SM VSM ADC, and Honorary Group Capt, IAF, Sachin Tendulkar, the power-packed blitzkrieg witnessed as many as 138 aircraft at the do.

Stimulated mock enemy targets on ground and in air were destroyed employing a variety of missiles, precision guided munitions, unguided bombs and rockets by various fighter aircraft of the IAF.

The air warriors took to the skies on Su-30Mki, MiG-27, MiG-29 Upgrades, LCA-Tejas, Mirage-2000, MiG-21 Bison, Jaguars, Hawks, AN-32, C-130J and also the weaponised version of the indigenously built ALH Rudra helicopters along with Mi-17 V5s, as they were also spotted doing combat and heliborne operations at the do.

Here is a quick glance at some of the participating IAF aircraft at Vayu Shakti 2019

Mig27 (UPG): It is a strike aircraft of the IAF. Capable of carrying a variety of armament loads. Clubbed with swing wing design, it can operate over a wide range of speeds, making it a potent ground attack platform. MiG-27 was armed with 80 mm rockets during Vayu Shakti 2019 to hit its dedicated target as assigned.

Su-30Mki: The twinjet multirole air superiority fighter bombards Griffin Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) is a laser-guided bomb system to hit its assigned target. It is an add-on kit which is used to retrofit gravity bombs, making them into laser-guided smart ammunition.

Mirage 2000: It’s is a multi-role, single-engine, air defence fourth-generation fighter aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation. The aircraft is employed in air defence & ground attack missions, with all-weather interception capability, with a full range of weapons and electronic warfare suite. At Vayu Shakti 2019, it dropped 5x250kg Spanish bombs to hit its assigned target.

MiG-29 (UPG): The Mikoyan Mig-29 (Upgrade) is a fourth-generation air superiority fighter aircraft. The aircraft has been upgraded with the latest avionics, radar & air to air refueling capability. It is lethal and capable of firing air-to-air, air- to -surface armaments and precision munitions. Demonstrated a super-sonic run, and, later fired 2 x 500 kg bombs.

Hawk MK132: The Hawk is a single engine advanced jet trainer aircraft which was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2004. Besides training, the aircraft can fire a variety of weapon. The aircraft engaged pin-point or area targets at Vayu Shakti fired 32×68 mm RPs and 2 x 1000 lbs to hit the targets.

The mighty C-130J demonstrated an assault short field landing and flare dispensation in the night.

As the sun started setting, special heliborne operations started, which included Bambi bucket ops, and mock anti-insurgency operations in an urban area as demonstrated by the Special Forces – GARUD. The desertscape witnessed the paradrop of GARUD Special Forces on to the venue from an An-32 aircraft.

As night descended, the indigenous SAM-Akash knocked out for a mock target, after auto-detecting it flying in the air space above.  The act was followed by Mi-17 V5 and Mi-35 choppers raining rockets on stimulated enemy targets destroying them to the tee, as a testimony of lethal night attack. Joining the clan, Su-30Mkis and MiG-27 (UPG) resumed operations and destroyed the remaining targets at the range.

The day-dusk-and-night demonstration of full power was later capped with a scintillating display of flare dispensation by an AN-32 and C-130J Hercules aircraft, that lit up the dark remote range of Pokhran, Rajasthan.

(The writer is a Delhi-based independent contributor to print and online publications)