NEW DELHI: The IAF is all set to launch its major pan-India exercise called “GaganShakti” to hone its war-fighting skills and test both its offensive and defensive capabilities on the western front with Pakistan and eastern one with China.

The high-voltage exercise from April 8 to 22 will witness over 1,100 different types of aircraft, helicopters and drones, ranging from fighters like Sukhoi-30MKIs and Mirage-2000s to force-multipliers like IL-78 mid-air refuellers and Phalcon AWACS (airborne warning and control systems), take to the skies to test IAF’s two-front deployment capability.

The aim of the exercise is to validate IAF’s full-spectrum capability, with real time coordination, deployment and employment of air power in a short and intense battle scenario. “Concepts of accelerated operations, network-centric operations, long range missions with concentrated weapon releases across all air to ground ranges in India and inter-valley troop transfer as well as joint operations with the Navy and Army will all be validated,” said IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee .

“It is for the first time that the efficacy and integration of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft in the operational matrix of IAF is planned. IAF’s logistics stamina and ability to sustain continuous operations through day and night would be put to test,” he added.

