Indian Air Force Vayu Shakti-24 in Rajasthan

February 3, 2024

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct a major exercise called Vayu Shakti-24 in Rajasthan on 17 February. The exercise will showcase the offensive and defensive capabilities of the IAF during day and night operations.

Aircrafts Participating

Over 120 aircraft will participate in Vayu Shakti-24, including 77 fighter jets. The platforms include Rafale fighter jets, Mirage-2000s, Sukhoi-30 MKIs, light combat aircraft Tejas, Jaguars, Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, Apache attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and surface-to-air missile systems. Assets participating for the first time include Rafales, Prachand light combat helicopters and Samar surface-to-air weapon system. The army’s M777 ultra-light howitzers will also participate, showcasing joint operations.

Weapons and Targets

In a span of two hours, the IAF will drop 40 to 50 tonnes of ordnance in a 1-2 km radius on simulated targets like ammunition dumps, bridges, and command posts. A variety of missiles, precision-guided munitions, bombs, and rockets will be used to demonstrate the IAF’s capability for precision strikes.

Command and Control

IAF’s integrated air command and control system (IACCS) will coordinate the complex exercise involving multiple bases and a variety of aircraft and weapons.

Important Exercises Involving Indian Air Force

Exercise Name	Description	Partners	Key Focus Areas
Gaganshakti	A massive pan-India exercise involving all IAF assets to test network centric warfare, combat power, and response times.	None (IAF internal)	Network centric warfare, combat power, response times
Vayu Shakti	The IAF’s firepower demonstration event held at Pokhran ranges displaying the precision and strike capabilities of its aircraft and equipment.	None (IAF internal)	Firepower demonstration, precision strikes
Cope India	Bilateral air exercise initiated to enhance interoperability and knowledge of best practices.	United States Air Force	Interoperability, knowledge exchange
Garuda	Bilateral exercise conducted in realistic operational scenarios to share best practices and build operational synergy.	French Air Force	Operational synergy, best practices exchange
Eastern Bridge	Bilateral combat drill to enhance operational synergy through mutual exchange of information and operational knowledge.	Oman’s Royal Air Force	Operational synergy, information exchange
Desert Eagle II	Bilateral operational exercise involving a diverse range of advanced fighter jets and support elements.	United Arab Emirates Air Force	Advanced combat training, operational tactics
Indradhanush	Bilateral training activity for knowledge sharing across all spheres of air force operations.	British Royal Air Force	Knowledge sharing, operational tactics
Sindex	Bilateral training engagement including complex combat scenarios and large force employment exercises.	Singapore Air Force	Combat scenarios, large force employment
Ekuverin	Bilateral training interaction for operational synergy.	Maldives National Defence Force	Operational synergy, joint training
Udarashakti	Joint military drill including assets from the three services of the Indian Armed Forces to enhance operational synergy and joint operational planning.	None (Indian Armed Forces internal)	Joint operational planning, operational synergy