IAF's indigenous Tejas fighter aircraft will display its prowess in "Vayu Shakti exercise-2026" near Jaisalmer Rajasthan
The Indian Air Force's indigenous Tejas Mark-1A fighter aircraft, which suffered a fatal accident during a stunt at the Dubai Air Show last year, will once again play a key role in the upcoming exercise "Vayu Shakti 2026." The Tejas aircraft's pilot was also killed in the accident.
This massive display of the Air Force's might will take place on February 27 at the Pokhran firing range near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
The Tejas Mark-1A, manufactured by the public sector defense enterprise Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), will participate in aerial drills and combat demonstrations during the exercise. The exercise will see participation from 120 platforms, including Tejas, Rafale, Jaguar, Mirage-2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI, MiG-29, Hawk, C-130J, C-295, C-17, Chetak, Mi-17, Apache, Chinook helicopters, and remotely piloted aircraft.
The exercise will also include advanced weapon systems such as short-range loitering munitions, Akash, Spyder, and counter unmanned aerial systems, which will conduct day, dusk, and night missions. However, the exercise will not involve "long-range engagements."
Vayushakti-26 will also demonstrate the success of Operation Sindoor
The Ministry of Defence said in a statement that "Vayushakti-26" will also demonstrate the success of Operation Sindoor and reaffirm the Indian Air Force's ability to deliver air dominance.
Earlier, Air Force Vice Chief Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor stated at a press conference here on Wednesday that this exercise is being conducted for the first time since Operation Sindoor, which has increased its significance.
Asked whether this exercise will have any strategic message for India's neighbors on the western front, Kapoor said the Air Force will conduct its demonstration, "What message will be sent to whom? That is up to you to decide."
He said, "The message of Operation Sindoor was clear. Even before the first sortie, it was made clear that terrorism will not be tolerated and every terrorist act committed on our soil will be responded to, and the perpetrators will be made to pay the price. That was the message of the operation."
Exercise will showcase precision target hitting
The Vice Chief of the Air Force said that this exercise will showcase precision target hitting. He said, "A target will be designated, the aircraft will drop their weapons, and the target will be hit, demonstrating precision shooting. For safety and security reasons, given the presence of people so close to the target, we will not use those long-range weapons in the same profile as we did during Sindoor. But you will be able to see the impact on the ground before your eyes."