Vayu Shakti 2024

• 08 Feb 2024

Why in News?

All frontline aircraft, including the Rafale fighter jets and Prachand attack choppers, will take part in the Indian Air Force's (IAF) Exercise Vayushakti scheduled to be held on February 17 in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer at the Pokhran Air to Ground Range.

• It is a triennial exercise (once every three years) aimed at showcasing the capability of the IAF to conduct full spectrum operations (Day and Night) and to see the participation of aircraft and helicopters,transport aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Key Points

• The VayuShakti-2024 would be in the form of a major firepower demonstration in Jaisalmer where all the major fighter aircraft, including the Rafale, Su-30MKIs, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Mirage 2000 and MiG-29s, would be showcasing their firepower by shooting different missiles and bombs at designated targets.
• The next exercise planned by the IAF is the Exercise Gaganshakti which would see the entire IAF get activated from Ladakh to the Indian Ocean Region and from Bhuj to Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The pan-India-level exercise Gaganshakti, conducted once in five years.
  • Gagan Shakti is conducted by the IAF to showcase its air dominance over the entire extended area of the Indian Ocean Region.

Rafale

• French twin-engine and multirole fighter aircraft.
• Equipped to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike, and nuclear deterrence missions.

Sukhoi Su-30MKI

• Twin-engine, two-seat, multirole fighter aircraft developed by Russia’s Sukhoi and built under license by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for the IAF.
• Designed to perform air superiority, ground attack, electronic warfare, and maritime strike missions.

Tejas

• The Tejas by HAL is a multi-role light fighter aircraft designed by India's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
• The first Mk-1A Tejas delivery to IAF will occur in March 2024.

MIG 29s

• It is a twin-engine, multirole fighter jet, developed by Soviet Russia in the 1970s. It has been upgraded since.