Photos: IAF aerial weapons demo at Pokharan

IAF Release: Frontline fighters from South Western Air Command regularly dot the south western skies in securing the inviolability of the nation’s airspace. Today some of these fighters demonstrated SWAC’s prowess at the Aerial Weapons Seminar by firing a vast array of precision and non-precision area weapons onto simulated targets, spread out at the Pokharan Firing Range at Rajasthan demonstrating their firepower.

The Aerial Weapons Seminar-2009 (AWS) has a dual role. Firstly it is an annual training plan of SWAC which educates air warriors on efficacy of airpower, its extent and accuracy. Secondly it is also an opportunity to demonstrate to the sister services (Army and the Navy), the capabilities of strike forces of the Indian Air Force. This seminar is a followup of Counter Surface Force Operation Seminar held in September 2008 at Jodhpur.

The proceedings started off with a supersonic run carried out by a MiG 29 aircraft which was followed by a 7 minute low level aerobatic display by a multi-role SU 30 aircraft showcasing the entire range of manoeuvrability and capability of this multi-role aircraft. Seen on the skies were various fixed wing platforms like MiG 21 (T-96), MiG 21 (Bison), MiG 27 (upgrade), Jaguar (DARIN), SU-30 MKI and rotary wing platform like the MI-17 demonstrating their awesome strike capabilities.

Present during the event were Air Marshal KD Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), South Western Air Command, Vice Admiral JS Bedi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Western Naval Command, Lieutenant General AS Lamba, General Officer Commanding, 21 Corps, and senior military dignitaries from Air HQ, HQ SWAC and other formations.

Photo 1: A Su-30 MKI of the South Western Air Command (still in its Aero India colours!) displaying awesome manoeuverabilty on the skies of Pokharan, Rajasthan during the Aerial Weapons Seminar cum demonstation held on 03 February 09.

Photo 2: A Su-30 MKI releasing flares in defence prior to releasing its 100 kg bombs to destroy the simulated divisional HQ of the enemy during the Air to ground weapons demonstration.

Photo 3: A simulated Fuel dump of the enemy destroyed by the rockets of a MiG 21 Type 96 aircraft of SWAC, during the Air to ground weapons demonstration.

Photo 4: A simulated enemy target destroyed by laser guided bombs of Jaguar aircraft of SWAC, during the Air to ground weapons demonstration and Seminar held at Pokhran Firing Range on 03 Feb 09.

Photo 5: The simulated enemy targets being pounded by MiG 27 aircraft using 1000 pound bombs during the Air to ground weapons demonstration and Seminar held at Pokhran Firing Range on 03 Feb 09.

Photo 6: (from left to right) Vice Admiral JS Bedi, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command -Navy, Air Marshal KD Singh, Air Officer Commanding in Chief, South Western Air Command- Indian Air Force Vice and Lieutenant General AS Lamba, General Officer Commanding, 21 Corps of the Indian Army at the Aerial Weapons Seminar cum demonstation held at Pokharan, Rajasthan on 03 February 09.

5 thoughts on “Photos: IAF aerial weapons demo at Pokharan”

  1. Looks IAF suits more for demo’s and joint exercises rather than REAL action, Isn’t it ??

    Post 9/11 USAF bombarded Afganistan and Iraq, But post 26/11 IAF hosted Aero-India and Demo Flights, bombing own land – instead of Pak land… LOL 😀 😀

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