IAF’s Vayu Shakti Firepower Demo This Month







In a first ever display of its precision strike capability by night, a mammoth fire power demonstration (FPD), codenamed ‘Vayu Shakti-2010’, showcasing the operational capabilities of IAF by day, dusk and night will be held at the sprawling Chandan Air-to-Ground Range, Pokharan on February 28.

The FPD will demonstrate the day and night employability of air power by frontline fighter aircraft of the IAF including Su-30 MKI, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Mig-21 and Mig-29. The transport aircraft include AN-32, Embraer and IL-76, while Mi-17 1V and Mi-35 attack helicopters will constitute the rotary wing ingredients.

For the first time AWACS will be used to monitor the mammoth exercise while an unmanned aerial vehicle will stream live video images of the target destruction. In addition to the 65 aircraft participating from all IAF Commands, 30 standby aircraft in air and an equal number on ground will make it one of the biggest participation by IAF aircraft in any such FPD ever.

Mock radar sites, tanks, marshalling yards, terrorist camps, runway, BMP (infantry fighting vehicles), blast pens and convoys are among few of the targets that pilots will seek to destroy. Para-drop and troop insertion of Garud – IAF’s Special Forces to neutralize a terrorist camp will also be on display.

Photos Courtesy IAF

16 thoughts on “IAF’s Vayu Shakti Firepower Demo This Month”

  1. Dear Mr. Shiv
    Thank you for posting this and the awesome pics. I hope all the media extensively covers this event and I am looking forward to a special coverage from you on HT.

  2. The an 32 picture is certainly not a fake. The modifications can be identified visually. Transport aircrafts can be used for carpet bombings if not precision target hitting. Mi 8s and even dornier 228 can be armed.

  3. The IAF has previously trained to use An-12 transports in a bomber role.It there in an article on BR.
    It can easily be done I think.The only thing is ,it requires a total suppression or absence of conventional air-defenses and total air superiority.Would be more suitable in a CI type situation.

    Never,within our borders i hope.

  4. @Anon 9:14PM, An-32s have been used my many countries as a platform for dropping large amount of ordinance in certain missions. Most likely such a role would be to destroy/damage a larger target such as a port or airfield.

  5. the picture is a shop the reflection patterns on the "bombs" is the same.
    But yes historically transport aircraft can be converted to bombing role.

    over all nice pics, any word on tejas involvement

  6. Talking of d iaf it baffles me that they do not have a single heavy bomber aircraft.nor r there any plans to acquire 1. How r we to deliver heavy payloads like cruise missiles?believe me lack of heavy bombers will prove to be a serious handicap

  7. Hey Guys
    I know that An-32 dropped those bombs…how…coz I am flying in the same ex.

    You still have doubts…. be there on 24 and see for your self….Busy… watch it live on TV….Busy again… read the press.

  8. for those who wud nt b able to witness it live…do nt miss it n tv…superb shw ws put by d IAF yestrdy…n d start ws wid a sonic boom

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